Tēnā Koutou katoa, ngā mihi o te Tau Hou ki to roopū o Te Kupeka Umaka Māori ki Araiteuru.
Greetings and welcome back to a new year. We hope you had a good holiday, and return refreshed with exciting plans for 2017.
The KUMA Board had its first meeting for the year on 24 February.
Your current Board, as voted at the AGM in December, comprises:
Richard Kerr-Bell, Chair
Jeffrey Broughton (new), Corey Bragg, Marelda O'Rourke Gallaher, Toni Iaseto, Janine Kapa-Blair (new), Claire Porima, Heidi Renata (new), Karen Roos, Darryl Sycamore (new).
The new members were welcomed, and their collective experience acknowledged. With an expanded Board, KUMA members in Otago and Southland can look forward to more activity over the year to come.
The focus will continue to be on providing members with opportunities to network, share information, and have access to advice to uplevel their business or their own professional development, and gain business exposure from their involvement in the network.
Planning is already underway for a 2017 Roadshow at the end of March, with events in Queenstown (28 February) and Invercargill (2 March - dates, times and agenda to be confirmed).
KUMA Board members will be joined by agencies such as Poutama Business, Te Pūtahitanga, Ngāi Tahu Tribal Economies, Te Puni Kōkiri and other business partners that support Māori Businesses with advice, funding and business initiatives. Invitations will be sent out shortly to these events.
We will continue to keep you updated about KUMA events, but please also send us any comments, suggestions or opportunities and we will get these out to our members.
Heoi anō, tēnei te mihi miharo ki a koutou katoa. .
