Rangitāne o Tamaki nui-ā-Rua, Waikato-Tainui, and Ngāti Tūwharetoa.
He mokopuna tenei o nga waka matua e wha, ko Kurahaupo, ko Tainui, ko Te Arawa hoki. I tipu ake au I raro i a Tararua maunga, no roto mai o te Wairarapa. Inaianei, e noho ana maua ko taku tamahine kei reira.
With a passion for education and personal growth, my academic journey has been a lifetime pursuit. With double undergraduate degrees in a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Māori Studies and a Bachelor of Physical Education, I also hold a Master of Professional Accounting and a Master of International Security. My educational pursuits are more recently centred around indigenous security and development issues, and how He Whakaputanga and Te Titiri o Waitangi can be reaffirmed in the defence and security realm.
Professionally, I have dedicated ten years to the Army as a General List Medical Officer, honing my leadership skills in high-pressure environments. My final regular force role was as a Senior Advisor Māori, utilizing my background and expertise to develop policy and advance Māori initiatives for service people. Prior to military service, I worked both overseas and locally as an accountant. In January 2026 I begin a new role as Pou Mataamua (CEO) for my iwi, Rangitane o Tamaki nui-a-Rua.
Family is the cornerstone of my life. I am a proud parent to one daughter, Kaia, and we share our home with two beloved furry whānau members. When not working, I enjoy engaging in various sports and physical activities, spending quality time with my wider family, traveling to new places, and continuously pursuing education.
With a rich tapestry of experiences, I share a commitment to community and service, education, and personal development, that has supported a multifaceted career and life journey.
Tangata Tiriti
He mokopuna au o Te Waipounamu, ko Tangata Tiriti ahau. E noho ana au ki te Wairarapa īnaianei.
My current work is focused on supporting councils in particular to understand and take action on their Te Tiriti o Waitangi responsibilities. This mahi is built on a platform of experience working across Treaty settlement negotiations, local government Te Tiriti partnerships, systems and policy development, as well as central government Te Tiriti partnership management. My passion for supporting improvement in the exercise of kāwanatanga and upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi has also extended into academic areas, and I hold a Masters in Māori Studies.
I believe in the importance of organisations' understanding their Te Tiriti responsibilities, actively planning to meet these as you would with any other part of your business, and supporting your kaimahi to deliver on these through individual capability, tools and resources. I've seen many organisations wanting to do the 'right thing' on Te Tiriti, or be a better partner to iwi and hapū in their area, but not actually do the work necessary to enable success. Working with teams to achieve Te Tiriti focused improvement is a key highlight of my mahi.
I live in eastern Wairarapa with my husband and badly behaved dog. We spend our time gardening, growing excessive amounts of fruit and vegetables (there’s a chance working with me means you take home fruit, tomatoes, potatoes or courgettes), and a long-term wetland restoration project.
Scott Summerfield
scott.summerfield@hononga.nz
Lisa Hopa
lisa.hopa@hononga.nz
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