Māori Section

Maria Maniapoto

DipMāori/Tohu Māori, BA, MEd (VUW)

Ko /Ngai Tuhoe/ Ngati Maniapoto ōku iwi
Ko Ngati Rongo/ Ngati Paretekawa ōku hapu
Ko Mataatua/Tainui ōku waka
Ko Taiarahia rāua ko Pukekawakawa ōku maunga
Ko Hinemateroa / Puniu ōku awa
Ko Tauarau/ Mangatoatoa ōku marae

Maria Maniapoto recently graduated from Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) with a Masters in Education and Bachelor of Arts.  She is also a recipient of the Wiremu Parker Award for academic excellence. Maria is a researcher in the Social Policy Research Unit and a member of Whiriwhiri a Nuku, the Māori Section of the Family Centre. She is involved in the educational, research and community development work of the Family Centre.

Email: maniapoto.m@fc.org.nz

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Pacific Section

Taimalieutu Kiwi Tamasese

Taimalieutu Kiwi Tamasese is Coordinator of the Pacific Section of the Family Centre.

She specialises in family research as this applies to the Pacific nations and to Pacific people - for example in relation to mental health, poverty, housing, unemployment, cultural and gender deprivation. 

In relation to social policy analysis, Kiwi is engaged in the development of new social policy perspectives emanating from various Pacific cultural rationalities. She is also concerned with the impact of government policy decisions on the Pacific Sector of New Zealand society. 

Further areas of her work include: documenting and analysing the effects of cultural dislocation upon the Pacific community in New Zealand; a focus upon Pacific youth; and patterns of migration to New Zealand from the Pacific.  Kiwi is regularly contracted to speak and advise in areas of applied social policy at national and international levels. She is often on secondment to Afeafe O Vaetoefaga from the Family Centre

Email: tamasese.k@fc.org.nz

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Tafaoimalo Loudeen Parsons

Tafaoimalo Loudeen Parsons is a field worker within the Pacific Section. She specialises in Education and Training, Research and Social Policy advice, Family Therapy and Pacific Regional Development work. She is frequently on secondment to the Family Centre from Afeafe O Vaetoefaga.

Email: parsons.l@fc.org.nz

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Pākehā Section

Charles Waldegrave

Charles Waldegrave is Coordinator of the Family Centre Pākehā (European) Section and leader of the Family Centre Social Policy Research Unit. 

He co-leads the ‘New Zealand Poverty Measurement Project’ (NZPMP) which has provided the evidence base for considerable public policy debate and social and economic changes in New Zealand. He also co-leads the New Zealand Longitudinal Study of Ageing (NZLSA) research programme. He is one of the founders of ‘Just Therapy’, an internationally recognised approach to addressing cultural, gender and socioeconomic contexts in therapy. He is regularly contracted to lead workshops in a range of areas of applied social policy internationally on every continent. He publishes regularly in all of the above areas.

Charles' CV is available here: CV

Email: waldegrave.c@fc.org.nz

Peter King

Dr. Peter King is a Senior Researcher and sociologist in the Family Centre Social Policy Research Unit.

He works in the areas of social and economic development with particular reference to resource distribution, housing, income poverty, living standards poverty, deprivation, barriers to employment, and enhancing wellbeing in an ageing society.  Peter has a particular interest in applying social network analysis and social capital theory in these fields.

He has extensive experience of working cross-culturally, having engaged in development work in Kiribati, where he also conducted doctoral research in the areas of social structure and land tenure.

Peter's other interests include boatbuilding and sailing.

Email: king.p@fc.org.nz

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Administrative Staff

Mike Deacon

Mike Deacon is the Family Centre's Finance and Administration Manager. He joined the Family Centre staff in 1997 following twenty years of management experience with the Housing Corporation of New Zealand, and after five years of managing a retail franchise business. Mike has a qualification in Business Studies from Massey University (Palmerston North) majoring in property management.

Email: deacon.m@fc.org.nz

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