This month’s Board te Poari meeting was joined by two new members, layperson Martine Abel‐Williamson QSM and physiotherapist Kore Tombs.
Despite coming from quite different backgrounds both Martine and Kore have been motivated by their values and sense of public service to lend their skills and experience to the profession.
Originally born in Namibia Martine was diagnosed as blind at the age of one at which point her family moved to South Africa to ensure she had access to supported schooling.
“I often say to people that I’m not defined by my disability but my disability did cause me to travel in my life from Namibia to South Africa and then after studying to New Zealand to work.
“So, I always found life full of challenges which is good. That’s made me value and appreciate what I have achieved. I hate to wake up in the morning thinking I should have done something, I should have tried something, or I should have travelled somewhere.”
And Martine has achieved a lot. Her resume includes more than 25 years of disability advocacy for which she received the Queen’s Service Medal in 2018, she is a Director of Blind Low Vision NZ, and Past President of the World Blind Union. She brings this experience to the Board | te Poari but just as importantly she brings a desire to “pay it forward”.
“It’s never time to just sit back and say that’s done for now. I love learning from others and I love learning. I grew up with the idea that you need to contribute to society, you need to add value in society. The whole principle is that we need to leave this world a better place than we found it.”
Like Martine, Kore is motivated by his upbringing. “I’m a Māori physiotherapist and when I was young I was a whāngai – my Kuia raised me. Through our whakapapa there was a very strong legacy of leadership and community service. That was something that was strongly imprinted on me as a child.
“Through my Kuia I got to see something very special. It’s why I chose to work in health and in my own way have looked to serve our community albeit in ways different to her.”
This sense of service has led Kore to spend close to three decades incorporating equity and te ao Māori into his practice. He also teaches evidence‐based clinical application of the Te Whare Tapa Whā model through the Mental Health Education & Resource Centre and is a Director at kaupapa Māori wellness service He Waka Tapu.
For Kore the Board | te Poari represents a way to build on these values for the future of the profession. “I think we’re stepping into a new space as a profession, and I want to see us do that really well. It’s going to take a lot of collaboration and teamwork, and I think the strength of the Board is going to be a rock through that time”.
The Board te Poari welcomes Martine and Kore.