Te Whare Pasifika Public Service Fale

• Governance Board Chair: Mr Martin Mahe, Vanuatu Public Service Commission, Chair
• Mrs Leona Cain Waidabu, Chief Secretary, Department of the Chief Secretary, Nauru, Micronesia representative
• Ms Terralyn Nabeyama, Director, Palau Bureau of Human Resources - Micronesia representative
• Mr Luke Rokovada, Chair, Fiji Public Service Commission, Melanesia representative
• Mr Stephane Bong, Deputy Secretary, Vanuatu Public Service Commission, Melanesia representative
• Ms Suefane Touna, Director, Public Service Commission Secretariat, Niue, Polynesia representative
• Mr Keni Tu’uhetoka, Chief Executive Officer, Tonga Public Service Commission, Polynesia representative

Governance Board Observers:

• Ms Jo Talbot, First Assistant Commissioner, Australian Public Service Commission Executive Director, International (Australia)
• Mr Hayden Everett, Acting Unit Manager – Governance & Economics, Development Economy & Prosperity Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade (New Zealand)

In addition to the Governance Board, these members make up the Pacific Public Service Commissioners Group, which represents 16 countries:

• Mr Carl Hunter, Office of the Public Service Commissioner — Cook Islands
• Samson Pretrick, The Office of Personnel, Federated States of Micronesia
• Ms Ritite Tekiau, Kiribati Public Service Office
• Ms Séverine Bonnardel, Human Resources and Civil Service Directorate of New Caledonia
• Ms Taies Sansan, Papua New Guinea Department of Personnel Management
• Nonu Lemauga, Mr. Saleimoa Va’ai, Samoa Public Service Commission
• Mr Milner Tozaka, Solomon Islands Public Service Commission
• Mr Joseph Tibon, Republic of the Marshall Islands Public Service Commission
• Mr Kele Lui, Tokelau Public Service Commission
• Mrs Aoga Kofe, Tuvalu Public Service Commission

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Tania Ott

Tania is Deputy Commissioner for the Public Service Fale and a member of the Public Service Commission Leadership team.

Her previous roles at the Public Service Commission include Deputy Commissioner for COVID-19 Response and Recovery, and Assistant Commissioner. Prior to the Commission, she was Group Manager, Senior Courts at the Ministry of Justice. Tania has held public service leadership roles at the Office of Treaty Settlements (including secondment to the Treasury) and the former Department of Labour. Tania served as private secretary to several government Ministers and as an advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister. Tania holds a BA and LLB from the University of Auckland.

Andrew McMillan

Andrew is the Acting Manager of the Secretariat and Governance Team and is responsible for providing the Fale’s Secretariat, Governance and Partnership Coordination support.

Andrew joined the Fale in 2020 after a 32-year career in the NZ Navy.  His last role in the Defence Force was as the Director of the Institute for Leader Development, where he worked with PNG, Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga to establish the Pacific Leadership Development Programme.  Andrew served in many international focussed roles, including in peacekeeping, and in London as the Naval Advisor to the UK, Europe, and Deputy Military Representative to NATO. Throughout his career he developed his passion for the region during many sea transits across the Pacific Ocean, and when supporting humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations. Of note he led the NZ Navy’s Operational Diving Team to support Tonga during the Princess Ashika disaster and to support Samoa after the 2009 Tsunami.

Andrew holds a Master of Arts in Business Management and is a leadership development coach and facilitator.  For his work in Pacific humanitarian aid and disaster relief he was awarded a Distinguished Service Decoration in the 2010 Queen’s Birthday Honours. 

Lise Le’aupepe

Lise is the Acting Manager of the Fale’s Engagement and Service Delivery Team. Since joining the Fale in 2021 as a Senior Learning and Development Advisor, she has gone on to serve as Principal Advisor for the Digital Solutions workstream, where she supported Pacific public service agencies in their digital transformation journeys.

Lise’s public service career spans roles at New Zealand Customs, the Department of Corrections, and the Ministry of Education, where she has contributed to a range of initiatives. Throughout her career, Lise has maintained a strong passion for learning and development, with a particular focus on building capability and enabling people and organisations to grow and thrive.