Jody Takimoana.

Introducing – Jody Takimoana:

Prior to working in education, I served in the New Zealand Defence Force (NZ Army), a career of more than twenty years in the military has meant that I have held various management and leadership roles. During this tenure in the Defence Force I served operationally in Bosnia (1995) and East Timor (2002) as part of K2 and NZBatt 6. Whānau is an important aspect of my life and I am married to Sonja and have a daughter Brooke who is currently studying at Lincoln University.

I'm standing because:

As a Māori leader working in the vocational education space, it is key to my own values that Tangata Māori and Tangata Te Tiriti work in true partnership to achieve our goals. I have held various governance and leadership roles over the last ten years, the most notable and relevant has been as the Vice President, Tangata Māori, Industrial and Professional Committee (IPC) 2024-2025. This position has been a part of the TEU Council and Executive Officers team over the same period, providing vision and clarity for the future of TEU at a governance level.

What I will bring to the role:

Within my current role as a VP IPC, I have been a key part of developing and implementing TEU’s Industrial Strategy 2025-2028, a significant milestone for TEU, providing a clear direction moving forward. Also, as the Chair of the Finance Sub-Committee within the Council I was responsible for leading the tenuous and controversial removal of the fees cap that will be implemented in 2026. This will see TEU become a more effective, viable, and well-resourced organisation in the years to come.

If I am elected, I hope to achieve:

I have always had a philosophy of inclusive decision making, strength-based outcomes, and focused leadership mind set. This applies directly to working with and representing TEU members, staff, and management to achieve short-term goals and a long-term vision. With this, I will focus on representing the university sector, polytechnics (ITPs) and Wānanga both internally and externally at the highest standard.

I will contribute to the implementation of the TEU's priority goals:

By displaying a strong desire to ensure that the goals set out by the collective Branches are made a reality in 2026-27. As a strong Māori leader I will work hard to grow the TEU in the Te Tiriti space as indicated by members and this will be a significant priority for me.