Initial appointments to the Survivor Experiences Services Independent Board
Kia ora koutou,
This pānui newsletter is about the first appointments to an independent Board to guide the Survivor Experiences Service.
The Minister for the Public Service Andrew Little has appointed two Co-chairs - Eugene Ryder and Moeapulu Frances Tagaloa. Di Grennell and Jonathan Mosen have been appointed as the first two Board members.
The Minister has asked government officials to consult with stakeholders to identify three additional board members who can provide insights and advice from the perspective of rangatahi, youth, rainbow, takatāpuhi and gender diverse, and other forms of disability.
The appointment of the two Co-chairs and the initial two Board members will be for a two-year term commencing on 3 July 2023. The term of appointment may be extended if the transition of the Survivor Experiences Service to the new redress system for survivors of abuse in care takes longer than two years.
The independent Board reports to the Minister for the Public Service and the Minister of Internal Affairs.
Biographies
Co-chair Eugene Ryder
Eugene Ryder is a Māori survivor of childhood abuse in State care (various North Island Boys’ Homes) and a former gang member. He has a social work degree and has provided advice to a range of government agencies for several years. He has also worked with the Royal Commission to support them to engage with gang communities.
Co-chair Moeapulu Frances Tagaloa
Moeapulu Frances Tagaloa is a member of the Royal Commission’s Survivor Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) and has 20 years of experience seeking redress from the Catholic Church following abuse from a Catholic Marist Brother. Her professional experience includes being the Chief Operations Officer and Chief of Staff in a global Christian non-profit, Campus Crusade for Christ.
Board member Di Grennell, MNZM
Di Grennell (Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Toa) has extensive governance experience and advises or holds positions on several government and community boards and advisory groups. Under her leadership, Amokura Family Violence Prevention was awarded the Annual Human Rights Prize from the Leitner Centre for International Law and Justice. She has been a member of policy advisory groups, including the Māori Taskforce on Whānau Violence and the Māori Reference Group to the Ministry of Social Development. She authored ‘Aroha in Action’, a child abuse prevention resource, and worked for several years with rangatahi and men who were on post-prison release on the Te Wero programme.
Ms Grennell held several roles in government agencies, including as Deputy Chief Executive of Te Puni Kōkiri for six years, leading in the establishment of Whānau Ora commissioning and the Māori Housing Network. Ms Grennell recently co-chaired Ngā Mātanga Māori to develop advice on a kaupapa Māori values framework to underpin the welfare system.
Board member Jonathan Mosen, MNZM
Jonathan Mosen is a survivor and advocate for disabled people and issues. Mr Mosen was born blind and hearing impaired. He attended Homai School for the Blind and mainstream intermediate and high schools. He is an experienced leader, manager, negotiator, and advocate for disabled people. He has held senior management positions, including Chair of the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind (now Blind Low Vision NZ), where he managed government relations, oversaw constitutional reform, and chaired its board during its transition to a new structure. Jonathan is currently the Chief Executive of Workbridge.
About the Service
The Survivor Experiences Service is hosted by Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs and will be guided by the Board to provide a safe, supportive, confidential place for survivors of abuse in care, and their whānau, to share their experiences.
The Survivor Experiences Service is now available for people who were abused in state, faith-based, or other forms of care, as well as for a survivor’s whānau.
Survivors and whānau can contact the Survivor Experiences Service to organise a time and place for them to share their experiences:
- call 0800 456 090
- email contact@survivorexperiences.govt.nz
- text 8328.
Visit Home | Survivor Experiences Service(external link)(external link) for more information.
If you have any questions about this pānui please email: contact@abuseinquiryresponse.govt.nz
Ngā mihi nui, Crown Response Unit