Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngāti Pāoa, te Aitanga a Mate, Ngāti Porou

James has carved a national presence through the leadership of his iwi, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki. Converting potential into impactful reality is James’ great passion and evident in his extensive professional background, to name a few: management, governance, policy, construction, education, environmental stewardship and much more!

Challenges only prove perseverance for James, he has the drive to see lives changed even in the midst of global pandemics or markets collapsing. As James nears his second retirement, he is committed to enabling and empowering rangatahi Māori and Pasifika youth to explore, discover and realise their dreams.

One way James does this is as Kaumatua and elder of ICE, taking cultural responsibility to connect the in the ICE community to the Māori communities and Māori world both internally (te Reo me ona Tikanga Māori training) and externally (nga tikanga o tatou haerenga).

James ensures the appropriate actions at the appropriate time achieve the outcomes ICE and rangatahi seek in the future, always living by the saying ‘Whilst the outcomes are always important, the action is everything’, in other words ‘no action, no change’.