Tumuaki CEO role announcement
Hei Āhuru Mōwai wishes to announce Tumuaki CEO, Cindy Dargaville, will finish in the role at the end of this month to commence a new role as Manager National Cervical Screening Programme, National Public Health Service with Te Whatu Ora.
"On behalf of the Board and kaimahi of Hei Āhuru Mōwai, we sincerely thank Cindy for her amazing contribution to our organisation and to whānau Māori journeying through cancer," says Hei Āhuru Mōwai co-chair Dr Nina Scott.
"We know you'll stay tightly connected with your Hei Āhuru Mōwai whānau and be pushing toward the elimination of cervical cancer for wāhine and whānau Māori in our lifetime, supporting Hei Āhuru Mōwai to achieve one of our key goals."
In a little over a year Cindy has led the organisation’s strategic direction, operations and performance to support its growth both nationally and internationally.
“Cindy has done a wonderful job of guiding us into new areas, forging and formalising strong relationships with key organisations under new Oati and mobilising a new team of kaimahi dedicated to achieving our vision,” says Dr Scott.
“Under her leadership we secured significantly more funding from existing and new sources to support this strategic growth.”
Just some key achievements under Cindy’s guidance include:
Partnerships with 20 Hauora Māori Care Coordination/navigator providers nationwide
Secured funding to sponsor three rangatahi Māori who survived cancer to attend the 2024 World Indigenous Cancer Conference Youth Forum
Successful bid to host the 2026 World Indigenous Cancer Conference in Aotearoa
Established new communication channels raising our visibility and enabling engagement with whānau, hauora Māori, public health and cancer control experts
Developed our government relations capability to advocate for health policy change directly with Ministers
Growth in our professional and whānau Membership base - from 45 in May 2023 to 136 now.
In the interim Gary Thompson will step into our Tumuaki CEO role.
"We are very happy to have someone as highly experience in Māori governance in hauora, iwi, and Māori development as Gary to help take us forward," says Dr Scott.
Gary has been a longstanding Co-chair and a founding member of Hei Āhuru Mōwai, a Trustee of Pinnacle Health Trust, Chair of the Taumata Hauora Māori advisory committee to Pinnacle Health, and long term member of the Māori Monitoring and Equity Group to the National Screening Unit.
He has also served as chair of the Iwi Trust Board leading into Treaty negotiations, and Chair of the PSGE during the early stages of settlement preparation. During his long hauora career Gary has had the honour and privilege of working closely with whanau, hapu, Iwi, Māori leaders and Māori providers across nine DHBs in the Northern and Midland areas.
“Creating spaces for grassroots Māori leaders to gather and lead collectively has been a guiding philosophy throughout Gary's work in hauora,” says Dr Scott.
“From facilitating the establishment of the first regional Māori Cancer Leadership in the northern region to the ‘Tupeka Kore’ Midland Region Māori Leadership network, to the establishment of Hei Ahuru Mowai Māori Cancer Leadership Aotearoa as an Incorporated Society in 2012, he continues to make a significant contribution in developing the Māori workforce and capability in the hauora space.”
Mauri Ora e te whānau, nei rā ngā mihi o te wā o Matariki. Hei Āhuru Mōwai will make this transition with great care, upholding our values while continuing toward achieving our mission.
“Ki te kotahi te kākaho ka whati, ki te kāpuia e kore e whati”, a single reed on its own is weak, but when bound together there is strength.
Outgoing Hei Āhuru Mōwai Tumuaki CEO Cindy Dargaville (left) with new interim Tumuaki CEO Gary Thompson.