Community Board Experience
During my time on the community board, I actively attended meetings, listened to community questions, and consistently went above and beyond my role. I advocated for both our township and individuals, made sure local voices were heard, and showed up — not just in meetings, but at local events and in the moments that mattered most.
hold qualifications in Business Management, Accounting, History, and Art, and I’m currently completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Primary Teaching.
I run All Fired Up, a local blacksmithing and steel art business, managing operations, customer service, marketing, and finances. I’ve worked factory jobs at Tegel, chased sheep in the pouring rain, driven through floods just to feed the cat, and been knee-deep in chicken poo at 3am — I understand hard work from every angle.
Over the years, I’ve balanced business with service. I’m a volunteer firefighter, sit on local boards, and have been hands-on with many community projects and events. I bring practical skills, a clear head for finances, and a genuine commitment to people.
I’ve lived paycheck to paycheck. I understand what it’s like when the budget doesn’t just not stretch — it slips backward. I pay $50 a week in rates for a home that already has bills piling up. That money comes from our food budget, our savings, our “fun” fund. Watching rates go up year after year means families like mine get left behind.
I know your struggles — because they’re mine, too.
What we need is clear budgets, honest leadership, and a council that truly listens to its people — not one that assumes it knows best.
I’ve lived in and around Tokirima and Ōhura for over 25 years, raising my three children in the same rural community that raised me. I went to school at Tokirima, then Taumarunui High School, where my ties to this district really took root.
As a teen, I performed at the Little Theatre and remember freezing nights watching The Lord of the Rings on those old leather Regent seats — wrapped in jackets like half the town. I’ve since gone on to organise events like the Ōhura Medieval Day, celebrating our history, creativity, and local spirit.
Taumarunui, Ōhura, and Tokirima aren’t just places I live — they’re part of who I am. This district has shaped my values, and I’m passionate about giving back to the people and places that raised me.
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