Staff recogised in Queen's Birthday Honours 2020
09 June, 2020
Congratulations to a number of staff members past and present who have held positions at CPIT/Ara who were awarded 2020 Queen’s Birthday honours.
Dames Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (DNZM)
- Mrs Aroha Reriti-Crofts – for services to Māori and the community.
Dame Aroha Reriti-Crofts for her contribution to Māori health and the community. Dame Aroha Reriti-Crofts is the Ngāi Tahu elder on Te Kawa Whakaruruhau (Ara's Māori Advisory Committee that works with Ara's Department of Health Practice).
In an interview with 1 News she said, "I have worked with our whānau, our hapū, and our iwi, and our league. And if you're working and you're loving it, it's not work, it's just pleasure."
-Among her list of achievements, Reriti-Crofts has been a trustee, director and chairperson of Māori Women’s Development Inc since 1993.
-A trustee of the Partnership Health Canterbury and the Southern Regional Health Authority Board of Directors.
-The Rūnanga Representative of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, representing Ngāi Tūāhuriri.
-A Trustee of Te Puawaitanga Maori Health Provider and Kaumātua of Waimakariri District Council.
Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM)
Two former Ara educators were recognised as Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in the Queen's Birthday honours list.
- Dr Brian Pauling - for services to broadcasting and education (New Zealand Broadcasting School)
- Thomas Rainey – for services to music and music education (Ara Music Arts)
Brian has a long association with the NZ Broadcasting School which he founded in the early 1980's, beginning as a small community education course at CPIT. Then, in 1986 CPIT formally established the Media Centre, which then became the New Zealand Broadcasting School in 1992. As leader of the school Brian taught hundreds of students, many of whom have gone onto shape broadcasting and the media in New Zealand. Brian is a respected researcher and was recognised in 2019 with a NZ Radio Award for Services to Broadcasting. Brian was also responsible for the establishment of the first independent community access radio station, Plains FM in 1984. This QB honour just caps off all those milestones!
Thomas (known by many as Tom) is a multi-instrumentalist who worked at Ara (formerly CPIT) for 28 years, where he was the Head of the Department of Creative Industries from 2012 to 2019. He was a founding tutor of the Jazz School in 1991 and was Head of the School of Performing Arts from 2008 to 2012. Tom has mentored and taught a number of high profile New Zealand musicians and has had a significant influence on the emerging NZ music scenes of the 1990s and 2000s. He has collaborated with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra for more than 25 years as a conductor, arranger and performer. Tom is a busy man, being Trustee of the NZ International Jazz and Blues Festival, the Christchurch Jazz Foundation, Chair of the Andromeda Arts Trust, and Treasurer of the Christchurch School of Music Council.
Congratulations to these two educators who have left their mark on Ara- these honours are well deserved!
Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM)
- Ms Lynette Harata Te Aika – for services to Māori language education
Lynne was the Ngāi Tahu representative on the CPIT/Ara Council from 2011-2017
- Peter Ramsden - for services to conservation
Peter has a long connection with Koukourarata (Port Levy) and has been working with Ara over the last two years to develop a new programme of study aligned to Ngāi Tahu's passions and strengthens in traditional food production and protection.
- Ms Carol Bartle – for services to health, particularly breastfeeding education
Carol has previously had an association with the nursing and midwifery programmes as a part-time Midwifery tutor 2001-2003