Our Council

Deryck brings more than 30 years of governance experience across the education, health, disability, social services, tourism, and sport and recreation sectors. He is also a long‑standing business owner with more than 38 years in consultancy, tourism, and property.

He has strong roots in the Bay of Plenty, growing up on a dairy farm and later completing tertiary study at the Universities of Waikato, Lincoln, and Canterbury. He has lived and worked across the region throughout his career.

He is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors and holds memberships with several professional organisations, including the New Zealand Association of Economists, the New Zealand Institute of Management, the New Zealand Planning Institute, and the Royal Society of New Zealand.

Deryck was named Rotorua Businessperson of the Year in 2014, was awarded a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit and received the University of Waikato Distinguished Alumni Award in 2007.

He currently also serves as Chair of Te Puia (New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute) and is a Director of Waimangu Volcanic Valley and Waitangi Ltd. 

Christa brings more than 25 years of senior leadership experience across Institutes of Technology, Polytechnics, and Universities in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. She has more than two decades of governance experience, including roles with the local Chamber of Commerce and the Institute of Directors.

Christa has a long-standing connection to the region, having served as Director of Student Services at the former Waiariki Institute of Technology for seven years, making her appointment to the Toi Ohomai Council a meaningful return.

She holds an MBA and is an alumna of Reading University in the UK and Massey University. Now based in Pāpāmoa, Christa is committed to strengthening community, industry, and learner outcomes, and is an active mentor and member of the Rotary Club of Pāpāmoa.

Family is at the heart of her life, and she enjoys spending time with her husband, their two sons and partners, and their five granddaughters. 

Roana is an experienced governance and executive leader with more than 30 years of experience across education, iwi development, housing, forestry, tourism, engineering and environmental sectors. She brings strong expertise in strategic leadership, governance best practice, and organisational transformation. She is widely respected for her integrity, sound judgement and ability to support high-performing teams.

Roana is deeply committed to education and training as a pathway to regional prosperity and wellbeing. She has held senior leadership roles in education and iwi organisations, led national initiatives embedding mātauranga Māori into education, and continues to support practical, industry-aligned training pathways for rangatahi. She brings a collaborative, future-focused perspective and a strong commitment to ensuring vocational education delivers meaningful outcomes for learners, communities and industry. 

Leith is a respected leader in Māori development, public service, and governance, with a career spanning the New Zealand Army, central government, and iwi leadership. He served 21 years in the NZ Army before moving into public service, where he spent more than a decade as Chief Executive of Te Puni Kōkiri, leading major initiatives to strengthen Māori participation in education, employment, health, and economic development.

In the 2026 New Year Honours, Leith was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for services to Māori, governance, and education, building on his earlier Queen’s Service Order (QSO) received in 2018.  

Affiliated with Te Arawa (Ngāti Rangitihi), Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Māmoe and Ngāti Pāhauwera, Leith is the Chair of Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi Trust and has played a key role in iwi treaty settlement and environmental restoration efforts, including leadership of the Tarawera Awa Restoration Strategy Group.  

He contributes widely across community and national governance and is a Council Member at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, supporting strong educational outcomes for rangatahi and the wider region.