Te Waka o Hāto Petera Wāwāhi Ara
Te Waka o Hāto Petera Wāwahi Ara can be understood as “the waka of St Peter that breaks open pathways.” The imagery of a waka (canoe) is deeply resonant in te ao Māori, symbolising collective journey, unity, and the carrying of whakapapa across waters. Linking this to Hāto Petera (St Peter), the foundation stone of the Church, the phrase promotes a vessel of faith and leadership that moves forward with purpose.
The addition of wāwahi ara — breaking open pathways — speaks to courage, innovation, and the responsibility to clear the way for others. It is not just about traveling a path, but about creating one where none existed, ensuring that future generations can follow.
Together, the term evokes a vision of a community bound together in a sacred waka, guided by the legacy of St Peter, committed to pioneering new directions in faith, culture, and education. It is both a metaphor of resilience and a call to action: to be navigators who open doors, bridge worlds, and carry others safely into the future.
Profiles for members of Te Waka o Hāto Petera Wāwahi Ara are shown below.
Emily Vaka'uta
Emily is of Ngāpuhi descent and a CAANZ Fellow Chartered Accountant and Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors. Emily has over 20 years experience in financial services with over 10 years spent in hedge funds in the Cayman Islands and Aotearoa. Emily is an experienced governance and finance professional who is passionate about inclusion and equity and creating pathways for our Māori and Pasifika young people to succeed. She is excited to be of service to Hāto Petera and the adventure that awaits.
Geremy Hema
Ngāti Paoa, Te Rarawa
Geremy Hema (B.Sc, LLB, admitted barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand) works at Waipapa Taumata Rau – The University of Auckland. Through his father Geremy affiliates strongly with Motuti, Hokianga. He was a long time driver for the late Pā Henare Tate. Geremy is a proud tauira tawhito of Hāto Petera.
Helen Te Hira
Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa,Te Aupouri,Ngāti Whātua ki Kaipara
Tēnā koutou katoa, I am like many whānau affiliated to Hato Petera who have had several generations connected to the school - we care and wonder what is it that we can do to help. My time at the College instilled a deep appreciation for the values that drive Te Waka o Hato Petera which continues to inform my life today. I enjoy facilitating partnerships between institutions and communities and hope my experience will be of some help and service towards steering a new future for Hato Petera.
James van Schie - Interim Chair Person
James is the General Manager of the Catholic Diocese of Auckland and is responsible for administering the affairs, assets and finances of the Diocese in collaboration with the Bishop and the Bishop’s Advisory bodies. He has a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology, Sydney and has worked in the not-for-profit, regulatory, and commercial sectors over the last 20 years in Sydney, Wellington and Auckland. James is committed to the repurposing of the Hāto Petera site in the spirit of the Crown grant.
Jenny Solomon
Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa
Jenny began her career in corporate learning and development, managing Westpac Australia’s Registered Training Organisation before returning to Aotearoa to co-own Solomon Group - a successful kaupapa Māori PTE. The organisation was funded to support Māori, Pasifika, migrants and rangatahi, holding major TEC, MSD and MOE contracts including the Youth Transition Service, Work Placement, and Literacy programmes.
Since 2018, Jenny has focused on governance and consulting, helping organisations strengthen their people capabilities, strategic alignment, innovation, risk and cultural competence. Passionate about impacting social outcomes and equity in Aotearoa, she serves on six Boards, including three as Chair. Jenny is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors and holds an EMBA (Hons) from Massey University.
Susan Huria
Susan is the Chair of Leaderbrand, the Gisborne-based, privately owned company supplying produce and pre-made salads to supermarkets with farms across New Zealand. She is Chair of Leaderbrand Future Farms, the 11 ha. covered growing house. She is a director of Trust Investments Management Limited and Ospri, the farmer-owned animal disease management agency, and is a Director of Accessible Properties, the property arm of IHC.
Susan is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors. Previous roles include Chair of Ngāi Tahu Property, Veterinary Enterprises, and an independent director on the Royal College of General Practitioners. Susan has completed numerous governance reviews for Māori trusts, incorporations, iwi entities, and their subsidiaries and holds a Master's of Māori and Indigenous Leadership from the University of Canterbury.
