To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ALLAN, Reverend Dr Patricia Ann
For services to survivors of abuse
The Reverend Dr Patricia Allan has shown outstanding leadership for four decades, advocating for justice for victims of sexual abuse and systemic changes in the New Zealand Anglican Church.
After a 25-year nursing career, in 1987 Reverend Allan was one of the first women to be ordained in New Zealand, later becoming the West Coast’s first female vicar. In 1989, she led the inaugural Ordained Women’s Conference, where emerging issues of sexual harassment were first raised. In 1992 she was awarded a three-month scholarship from St John’s Theological College to enquire how the United States of America Episcopal Church was dealing with abuse. She became well-known for challenging the systematic failure of the Church to deal with historic and ongoing abuse, encouraging the Anglican Church of New Zealand to adopt policies and procedures for dealing with professional misconduct, complaints of sexual abuse and clergy education. In 2017, she gained a PhD (Anthropology) for her thesis ‘The Once and Future Cathedral’. She undertook post-doctoral research on the Anglican Church’s 30-year dealings with abuse complaints. This work by Reverend Allan has been recognised by the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care and she participated in the Christchurch Anglican Diocesan Response.
HONOURS
New Zealand 1993 Suffrage Centennial Medal
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
CARR, Mr Graham
For services to the deer industry and the community
Mr Graham Carr has made wide-ranging contributions to the advancement of the deer industry.
In 1987, Mr Carr began working in the deer farming sector after acquiring Peel Forest Estate in South Canterbury. Since then, he has become a global leader in deer farming, establishing an innovative programme advancing red deer genetics which propelled New Zealand’s reputation internationally and significantly increased both farming profitability and export revenues. Working alongside Otago University, he contributed to improving animal breeding and health management strategies to combat the spread and impact of a chronic bacterial infection Johne’s Disease. He is the world’s largest private exporter of deer velvet, annually harvesting 30 tonnes from his farm. He was a Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ) board member between 2004 and 2008 and is an active supporter of his local New Zealand Deer Farmers' Association. He has made a lasting impact on his local community by rejuvenating lands through extensive tree planting, safeguarding the historic St. Stephen’s Anglican Church in Peel Forest, and securing the future of the Peel Forest Outdoor Pursuits Centre. He has provided substantial financial support to the Geraldine Medical Centre, ensuring ongoing medical services for the area. Mr Carr was awarded the 2025 Deer Industry Award at the 50th DINZ Conference.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
CORNER, Mr Matthew David (David)
For services to people with intellectual and learning disabilities
Mr David Corner has supported people with learning disabilities at regional, national, and international levels for 29 years.
Mr Corner draws on his own experience with an intellectual disability and Autism. He has been a National Self Advocate Advisor with IHC New Zealand for 29 years, co-facilitating workshops about the Health and Disability Code of Rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. He has led consultations with the Human Rights Commission, the Disabled Persons Assembly of New Zealand, and presents at Australasian Society for Intellectual Disability conferences. He is involved with deinstitutionalisation of people with intellectual disabilities from large-scale institutions in the early 2000s. He was pivotal in developing a complaints process for people with intellectual disabilities living in community care. He is a member of the New Zealand Disability Strategy employment working group and was on the Association of Supported Employment New Zealand and Community Connections Boards. He chairs the IHC CEO Advisory Committee and was Inclusion International’s Asia-Pacific representative from 1998 to 2020. He is a Life Member of People First New Zealand and Inclusion International. He is on Te Rōpū Kaiārahi Hauātanga, the Chief Ombudsman’s Disability Advisory panel. Mr Corner co-authored an international journal chapter about the effectiveness of Easy Read information for people with learning disabilities.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
COWAN, Mrs Christina (Chrissie)
For services to Māori, particularly blind and low vision people
Mrs Chrissie Cowan (Ngāti Kahungunu, Rangitāne, Ngāti Porou) has advocated for blind and low vision Māori and their whānau.
Mrs Cowan has worked across government, health, education and community sectors, contributing to numerous initiatives aimed at supporting tāngata whaikaha Māori to live self-determined and fulfilling lives. She has worked with kāpō (blind and low vision) Māori since the 1990s, initially helping to establish regional peer support groups founded on Māori principles and values. In 1998 she became Secretary and Treasurer for Ngāti Kāpō, now Kāpō Māori Aotearoa (KMA), and has been Chief Executive since 2011. She has contributed substantially to the discourse surrounding health service accessibility through her work as co-Chair of Eye Health Aotearoa, former Chair of Access Alliance, member of the Whānau Ora Transformation Group, and key witness for the Wai 2109 Kāpō Māori claim before the Waitangi Tribunal. She spearheaded a partnership between the Royal Australian New Zealand College of Ophthalmology and KMA to address disparities in Māori eye health. She has championed culturally responsive and inclusive approaches to service delivery. She advocated for the introduction of the Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill and recently presented at the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness conference in Kathmandu. Mrs Cowan is on the Aotearoa Independent Monitoring Mechanism for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DAVIES, Mr Brian Rex
For services to motorsport
Mr Brian Davies has contributed to motorsport for 60 years and remains involved with the Manawatu motorsport community as a car enthusiast.
As a Member of the Manawatu Car Club since 1964 Mr Davies has held various roles, including as Assistant Clerk of the Course of the Manfield Racetrack Circuit since inception in 1973. He has been the Clerk of the Course for the Wellington Street Race and race meetings held in Taupō, Pukekohe and Cromwell since the 1980s. As Clerk he is the designated Official who holds responsibility of conduct and control of each event, in accordance with the Regulations, Programme and Organising Permit. The Wellington Street Race attracted international drivers, with global live coverage of cars driving at more than 200 kilometres per hour through Wellington’s streets. He dispatches safety and rescue teams, has oversight of the tracks conditions and holds authority on imposing penalties in accordance with regulations. Since 1986 he has served as Chief Steward of Motorsport New Zealand, responsible for enforcing the National Sporting Code, rules and regulations, and governance of meetings and events. He was appointed by the Federation Internationale del I’Automobile as the Official Observer in 1995. Mr Davies has been Patron of the Manawatu Car Club since 2019 and was inducted into Motorsport New Zealand’s Honours Roll in 2023.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DIXON, Mr Rodney Phillip Mathew (Rod)
For services to athletics
Mr Rod Dixon has represented New Zealand in athletics and long distance running internationally and has promoted physical activity, health, and wellness for young people.
Mr Dixon represented New Zealand from 1971 to 1996, and is a four time Olympian, showcasing versatility and endurance across middle- and long-distance events. He achieved a bronze medal in the 1,500 metres at the 1972 Olympic Games, followed by fourth-place finishes in the 5,000 metres at the 1976 Olympics, and the 1974 Commonwealth Games. He achieved a bronze medal at the 1973 and 1982 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and a landmark victory at the 1983 New York City Marathon. He remains the only athlete in history to have medalled in the Olympic 1,500 metres and won the New York Marathon. He founded KiDSMARATHON Foundation in 1990, an educational running and nutrition programme that has been implemented in schools nationally and internationally, impacting more than 1.5 million students worldwide. He was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1996 and the United States RRCA Distance Running Hall of Fame. From 1988 to 2000 Mr Dixon was a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, promoting child rights and welfare on a global scale, and since 2005 has been Patron and inclusion Ambassador for Special Olympics, Leukemia Team in Training and Achillies New Zealand.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DOWNING, Mr Lloyd Walker
For services to agriculture and governance
Mr Lloyd Downing has held voluntary leadership and governance roles with agricultural organisations in the Waikato region.
Mr Downing was on the Board of the Waikato Federated Farmers Charitable Society from 2002 and in 2014 became Chair, shepherding the organisation to transition it to becoming the Waikato Farmers Trust. He modernised the organisation to become more focused on supporting rural charitable causes and incorporated Trustees with specialist property management skills into the governance structure. He was Chair of the Waikato Farmers Trust until 2020. He was involved with National Fieldays from 1985 to 2014, joining and chairing the Exhibits Committee overseeing the Fieldays site, chairing the Agricultural Fieldays Committee organising the annual event, and then serving as a Board member and President from 2011 to 2013 of the New Zealand National Fieldays Society. He facilitated the creation of what is now the New Zealand Business Centre, partnering with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, and increased visits by international delegations to Fieldays and the involvement of Fieldays representatives in delegations to China, India and Russia. His first leadership role was Chair of the Young Farmers Kiwitahi branch, followed by chairing the Federated Farmers Morrinsville branch and becoming District Chair. Mr Downing was also Vice Chairman of the Federated Farmers National Dairy Section.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
EGAN, Mr Anthony Richard (Tony)
For services to the agricultural industry and the community
Mr Tony Egan is a successful leader in New Zealand’s agricultural sector, committed to education and community development.
While Managing Director of Greenlea Premier Meats, Mr Egan championed sustainability initiatives aligned with environmental stewardship and was the Supreme Award winner at the 2012 Westpac Waikato Business Awards. He advocates for agribusiness education and has inspired numerous young New Zealanders to pursue careers in the primary industries through his leadership with the Agribusiness in Schools programme and Growing Future Farmers. He established the Greenlea Foundation Trust (GFT), a charitable arm which supports many initiatives, including Waikato Hauraki Coromandel Rural Support Trust, Enrich+, Malvina Major Trust, and the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter. He was pivotal in supporting Hamilton’s St Vincent de Paul to build the largest food bank in the area, supporting more than 32,000 people annually. His financial contributions have helped advance research into Parkinson’s disease at the Centre for Brain Research. He has volunteered with the Meat Industry Association, Beef and Lamb New Zealand, New Zealand Meat Board and the Primary Sector Council. Mr Egan was a Trustee and then Chair of the Agricultural and Marketing Research and Development Trust, awarding grants to initiatives that have driven significant advancements in New Zealand agribusiness.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ESPINER, Ms Deborah Ann
For services to people with disabilities and education
Ms Deborah Espiner has contributed to education and advocacy for people with disabilities and those that support them since the 1980s, both nationally and internationally.
Ms Espiner has lectured at the University of Auckland in the areas of special education and disability studies. She has expertise in course design, delivery and assessment, supporting the training in current theory and practice of disability studies by sector professionals. Notably, she led the development of the first degree in New Zealand focused specifically on disability, the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Human Services), delivered from 1995 until 2010. She has delivered a range of courses and projects in New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and Ireland to support people with disabilities. She has chaired Citizen Advocacy Auckland since 2012 and Circle of Courage: Training and Development Trust since 2010. She has been a Board member of Arahura Charitable Trust since 2016. She chaired the New Zealand Committee of the Australasian Society for Intellectual Disability (ASID) from 2017 to 2023 and was a member of the Inclusive Education Think Tank from 2012 to 2018. Ms Espiner is recognised nationally and internationally for her influence in ensuring that educational and service provision are aligned with seminal and current theory that promotes inclusive lives for people with disabilities and mental health concerns.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
GARDINER, Mr Ian Donald
For services to the communications industry and mountain safety
Mr Ian Gardiner has contributed to the radio and critical communications industry for nearly 60 years, receiving several awards for his industry contributions.
Mr Gardiner has been a cornerstone of Tait Communications since joining the company in 1966. His contributions span engineering innovation, commercial leadership and cultural stewardship. He has played a pivotal role in designing key products, including Tait’s first Ultra High Frequency (UHF) base station that was developed for the Ministry of Works, achieving commercial success and sparking the ongoing evolution of base station development. His work has directly contributed to the safety and connectivity of communities across New Zealand and around the world. In retirement, he continues to serve as the company’s curator and historian, leading guided tours at the Tait Museum. He co-founded the Canterbury Mountain Radio Service in 1967, holding various roles until winding up the service in 2023, having played a key role in ensuring safety through critical communications in remote areas. He joined Canterbury Mountaineering Club in 1964, was President from 1976 to 1979, and until the 1990s served on various technical advisory bodies for Mountain Safety, Federated Mountain Clubs, Search and Rescue and conservation boards. Mr Gardiner was a member of the Arthur’s Pass National Park Board and North Canterbury Parks and Reserves Board for 11 years.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
GERMANN, Mr Stewart Lloyd
For services to franchise law
Mr Stewart Germann has made an extensive contribution to franchise law internationally.
Mr Germann has more than 40 years’ experience developing franchise law in New Zealand and is the country’s only lawyer qualified as a Certified Franchise Executive. He has served in many volunteer and paid leadership and governance roles, including as a Notary Public and with the Stroke Foundation of New Zealand, Cognition Education Trust, World Franchise Council and the New Zealand Middle East Business Council. He was a Board Member and former Chair of the Franchise Association of New Zealand (FANZ) and authored FANZ’s original rules and Code of Practice. He is on the FANZ Panel of Mediators and has played an influential role with the International Franchise Association. He has contributed to the academic development of international franchise law, publishing in peer reviewed journals and legal textbooks, and lecturing at the University of Auckland, Auckland University of Technology and the University of Otago. He was the New Zealand representative for the World Franchise Council and the International Council of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, Governor of the Australian and New Zealand College of Notaries and past President of the Auckland Rotary Club. Mr Germann has received numerous awards and life memberships, including the Best Franchise Law Firm in the 2025 Global Franchise Awards.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
GREENWOOD, Mr Neville Charles
For services to the sheep industry
Mr Neville Greenwood is an innovative leader, mentor and breeder in New Zealand’s sheep industry.
Mr Greenwood has been breeding and supplying superior Poll Dorset sheep to New Zealand and overseas markets for 55 years. In 1970 he became one of the pioneers of breeding Poll Dorset sheep with his Adelong stud. He has significantly improved the genetics of the breed worldwide with a reputation of superior growth, resilience, meat quality and adaptability. He was an early adapter of DNA testing and gene marker-assisted breeding technologies developed at Lincoln University. In 2004 he pioneered on-farm sire ram sales, transforming breeder accessibility to elite genetic lines. He has been a member of the Young Farmers Club, New Zealand Sheep Breeders Association and chaired the Poll Dorset Association. He is a Life Member of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association and has received the New Zealand Sheep Industry Award. He has been with the Ellesmere A&P Association for 50 years, serving as an exhibitor, committee member and President. He has judged at the Royal Shows in Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, and the Australian National Poll Dorset Show and Sale. Mr Greenwood has been a member of the Ellesmere Lion Club since 2013, becoming President in 2023.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HAMILTON, Ms Judith Helen
For services to rowing
Ms Judith Hamilton is an award-winning rower and ground-breaking leader who has been an integral part of New Zealand’s international rowing successes over the last 20 years.
Ms Hamilton rowed successfully with Rowing New Zealand in the 1990s before becoming a coach, volunteering countless hours to coaching her medal-winning crews while also working full time. In 1995 she was appointed Lead Coach of the New Zealand Junior Rowing Team and attended the world championships in Poland, soon becoming Rowing New Zealand’s first female coach at an elite level. In 2005 she became a Regional Coach at Bay of Plenty Rowing, providing opportunities for junior rowers and focusing on coach development and talent identification. She received the 2011 Prime Minister’s High-Performance Scholarship to study the United States Collegiate rowing system, leading to greater international educational opportunities for athletes. In 2018 she became the first female High-Performance Director at Rowing New Zealand, launching the three-year Career Coach development programme and ensuring that the programme was able to accommodate athletes who took time out to become parents. Under Ms Hamilton’s leadership, the Tokyo Olympic Games were Rowing New Zealand's most successful Olympics ever, with New Zealand becoming the top-ranking rowing nation in the world.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HARMAN, Mr Richard Michael Arthur
For services to journalism and broadcasting
Mr Richard Harman has contributed to journalism since the 1970s.
Mr Harman began as a reporter on the Sunday News, before moving to the Waikato Times and The Dominion. He moved to Television New Zealand in 1977, where he was a news and current affairs reporter and political editor. He worked on the current affairs series ‘Eye Witness News’ and ‘Assignment’. He founded in 1999 and has since headed the political news production company Front Page. He has led Front Page in producing the weekly TVNZ programme ‘Agenda’ and TV3 show ‘The Nation’, as well as providing television production facilities for a range of New Zealand companies and government agencies. ‘The Nation’ has been a vehicle for many young reporters to develop writing and directing skills, many of whom have since thrived in the industry. He is a Life Member and former Chairperson of the New Zealand Parliamentary Press Gallery. He runs the political news website Politik, covering complex policy issues, party political issues and reporting on foreign and defence policy. He has provided his expertise and insight to committees reviewing changes in public broadcasting. Mr Harman scripted and presented the documentary ‘Five Days in July’ on the 1984 New Zealand constitutional crisis, which won Best Documentary at the 1995 New Zealand Film and Television Awards.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HART, Ms Julie Anne
For services to women and victims of family violence
Ms Julie Hart has worked advocating for those affected by family violence for more than 30 years.
Ms Hart initially volunteered for Hastings Women’s Refuge in 1994, becoming a paid staff member in 1996, and progressing to manager during her 24 years with the organisation. She is recognised locally and nationally for her leadership of the Family Violence Intervention and Prevention Charitable Trust, creating a unified family violence service across Hawke’s Bay. She continues to volunteer additional services to whānau through the Trust’s 24/7 crisis line. She has conducted personal research on the impacts of colonisation on Tangata Whenua, and the impacts on migrant communities within New Zealand, contributing to the education and training for past and present staff, and the wider community of stakeholders. During her career, she has collaborated with many different agencies in Hawke’s Bay, including New Zealand Police, Te Kura, and the Emergency Housing Collective. In 2017 she created Triple S (Safe, Secure, Short-term), a successful initiative that provides transitional housing for homeless women and their children in Hawke’s Bay. She was appointed to the National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges governing body for a three-year term. Ms Hart’s contributions have been recognised with a Zonta Woman of Achievement Award in 2019 and Hastings District Council Civic Award in 2022.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HARTNETT, Mrs Frances Margaret (Fran)
For services to people with disabilities
Mrs Fran Hartnett has contributed to service development and advocacy in the field of disability since the 1970s, in both voluntary and paid capacities.
Mrs Hartnett was a founding member of Citizen Advocacy Auckland Inc. which trains advocates to support people with intellectual disabilities and their whānau. She was a member from 1990, Chairperson from 2004 to 2012, and has been Secretary since 2019. She was instrumental in establishing Arahura Charitable Trust, a day service and residential accommodation for people with mental health issues, serving on the Board since 1998 and as Chairperson since 2016. She has been an advocate for three Core Members of L’Arche Mount Tabor Trust since 1990, supporting a community of people with physical and mental disabilities living together. She was Convenor for the Australasian Society for Intellectual Disability in Auckland in 2005 and is currently Secretary for the Aotearoa Division, having been a Committee member since 1990. She was employed with IHC Wellington from 1978 to 1989, helping develop and deliver programmes. She was Northern Regional Advisor and Training from 2006 to 2014 for IDEA Services in the Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki regions, managing the Active Support training programmes, and promoting self-advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities. Mrs Hartnett has lectured in Human Services at Auckland College of Education.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HAZLEHURST, Mrs Sandra Glenis
For services to local government
Mrs Sandra Hazlehurst became a Hastings District Councillor in 2010 and became the first woman to be Mayor of Hastings District from 2017 until stepping down in 2025.
While Mayor, Mrs Hazlehurst has led several transformational projects, including the championing of the previously underserved suburb of Flaxmere, spearheading the district’s largest investment programme to deliver a record $2.1 billion core infrastructure investment over the coming decade, forging important partnerships with iwi, Central Government, and local organisations to improve the housing market and the supply of housing, including the near elimination of emergency motel accommodation. She has overseen a $102 million investment into Waiaroha, the innovative drinking water infrastructure in Havelock North built on the principles of kaitiakitanga and mātauranga Māori. She guided Hastings to become the first North Island community to adopt a multicultural strategy, becoming part of Immigration New Zealand’s Welcoming Communities Programme. There has also been a record reduction in young people not in employment, education or training in the area. She has navigated Hastings through multiple crises, from COVID-19 to Cyclone Gabrielle. She has strengthened relationships with the Pacific community, and her commitment was recognised through the granting of the chiefly Matai title To’osavili. Under Mrs Hazlehurst’s leadership, Hastings District Council has become the most awarded local authority in New Zealand this decade.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HETARAKA, Mr Te Warihi Kokowai
For services to Māori and art
Mr Te Warihi Hetaraka (Ngāti Wai, Ngāpuhi, Tainui) has made significant contributions to the field of mātauranga Māori.
In 1963, Mr Hetaraka was chosen to represent Te Tai Tokerau at the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute in Rotorua. He has designed, carved and served as the overseeing Tohunga of wharenui on marae including Te Tii Waitangi. He has been a tireless advocate for iwi Ngātiwai through his leadership and cultural guidance. He was an expert witness in several historically important Waitangi Tribunal claims, including WAI 262. He has revitalised Māori histories and narratives in places of local, national and international importance including the Māori Select Committee Room in Parliament, Te Korowai o Papatūānuku in Parihaka and Ruapekapeka Pā in Waharoa. He has held several leadership and governance positions, including founding Trustee of the Hihiaua Cultural Centre Trust, board member and kaumātua of the Whangārei Art Museum, kaumātua of the University of Auckland and the Northland Rugby Union, and a Trustee of Te Au Marie Trust. He was appointed as Advisor to Te Atamira o Te Taiwhena, Department of Internal Affairs in 2025. Mr Hetaraka won the Outstanding Individual Contribution to the Arts Award in 2007 and the Creative New Zealand Kingi Ihaka Award for lifetime contribution to Māori culture in 2014.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HODDER, Mr Jack Edward, KC
For services to the law
Mr Jack Hodder has contributed to law reform and the structure of New Zealand’s legal system.
Mr Hodder is recognised as one of the country’s foremost commercial litigators and was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 2008. As Law Commissioner from 1986 to 1991, he played a key role in the development of numerous Acts of Parliament, including the Companies Act 1993 and the Arbitration Act 1996. From 1991 to 2015 he was a litigation partner at Chapman Tripp and served as Chair of the Board for six years. He became a barrister sole in 2015. In 2002 he was appointed to the Government’s advisory group to give recommendations on the formation of the Supreme Court to replace the Privy Council. His advocacy in complex and novel cases has significantly contributed to developing New Zealand law. He has authored many publications on a wide range of law and government-policy related topics. He established the highly regarded legal publication ‘The Capital Letter’ in 1978 and remained editor until 2006. In 2024, he was recognised as the Leading Silk (Tier 1) for commercial disputes from the Legal 500 Asia Pacific Guide. In 2025 Mr Hodder was recognised as a Band 1 Silk for Dispute Resolution by Chambers and Partners Asia Pacific.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HOOPER, Ms Shirley Gail
For services to netball and artistic swimming
Ms Shirley Hooper has contributed to netball over 50 years, with roles as a player, umpire, sponsor, broadcaster, board member and Chairperson.
Since 2007, Ms Hooper has held key leadership roles including Chair of Netball Auckland-Waitakere, Greater Auckland Netball (owner of the Northern Mystics), and Trans-Tasman Netball Ltd, which oversaw the ANZ Championship. From 2009 to 2018, she was a Director on the Netball New Zealand Board, chairing the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee from 2016. She has been a Director of World Netball since 2017, serving as Chair of the Commercial Committee and a member of the Foundation Strategy Group. In 2021, she was elected Vice-President of World Netball, placing her at the forefront of global efforts to grow the sport across 75 countries and more than 20 million participants. Alongside netball, she has been heavily involved in artistic swimming, the smallest women’s participation sport in New Zealand. She was Chair of the Tauranga Synchro Club until 2011, when she took over as Chair of Artistic Swimming New Zealand until 2023. She has championed the sport’s growth, inclusivity, and visibility, and her leadership has been instrumental in lifting professional standards in the sport. Ms Hooper was made a Life Member of both Netball New Zealand and Artistic Swimming New Zealand in 2022.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HOTERENE, Mr Waihoroi Paraone (Waihoroi Shortland)
For services to Māori and Māori language education
Mr Waihoroi Hoterene (Ngāti Hine, Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Rangi) has made significant contributions to Māori, te reo Māori, and iwi development.
Early in his career, Mr Hoterene worked in the Māori Land Court as a clerk and interpreter years before becoming a Māori community officer and social worker, serving the communities of Ōtara, Papakura and Māngere. He was Te Tumuhere (Chair) of Te Runanga o Ngāti Hine from 2010 to 2015, providing strong leadership and stewardship for the iwi. He was a Trustee of Ngāti Hine Forestry Trust from 2016 to 2025. He has an extensive background in broadcasting, acting and te reo Māori revitalisation which includes sitting on the boards of Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori, Te Kōhanga National Trust, and as kaumatua for Waitangi National Trust. He was the inaugural Chair of Te Mātāwai from 2016 to 2019, charged with leading Māori language revitalisation, and a member of the Māori Television Board. He has translated for Government agencies, the Waitangi Tribunal, schools and universities around the country. He is a national educator of te reo Māori, teaching and mentoring many well-known Māori leaders, television presenters, fellow educators, Government officials, and community members. Mr Hoterene is also involved with the New Zealand Māori Golf Association.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
LLOYD, Mrs Lynley Elizabeth (Lyn)
For services to renal nutrition
Mrs Lyn Lloyd has been a pioneering leader in renal dietetics across New Zealand and Australia for more than 40 years, contributing through clinical care, education, advocacy and policy development.
Mrs Lloyd became a renal dietitian at Auckland Hospital in 1982 and under her leadership the nutrition care of people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) at Auckland Hospital has set the national standard. She is a recognised expert in the nutrition management of kidney stones and helped introduce long overnight hemodiafiltration in Auckland, the first such programme nationally. She has been a long-time associate member of the Australia and New Zealand Society of Nephrology (ANZSN). She has mentored numerous dietitians and was key instigator of the renal dietitians’ annual meeting at the ANZSN Annual Scientific Meeting. She helped develop the Renal Nutrition Program, a post-graduate program for dietitians working within nephrology, dialysis and transplantation. She has worked with Douglas Pharmaceuticals and Pharmac to introduce a safe renal multivitamin for people with Stage 5 CKD. She has collaborated with several international renal dietitian groups in guidelines development and academic publications, including Australia New Zealand CKD and transplant nutrition guidelines and an international redefinition of malnutrition assessment in CKD. Mrs Lloyd provided lead dietitian input into the CARI (Caring for Australians and New Zealanders with Kidney Impairment) kidney stone guidelines.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MACFARLANE, Mr Andrew Webster (Andy)
For services to the deer industry
Mr Andy Macfarlane was Chair of Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ) from 2010 to 2017 and has variously been a long-term director of ANZCO Foods, Fonterra, Ngāi Tahu Farming and AgResearch.
Mr Macfarlane is founding Director of Macfarlane Rural Business and has had intensive involvement in rural business and governance throughout his farm consulting career. He is seen as a ‘go to’ person to undertake industry or science reviews. He was a Lincoln University Councillor from 2009 to 2021 and a past President of the New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Management. At the time he joined the DINZ Board, the industry had been in a period of decline for several years. As Chair he was the driving force behind a transformative partnership with the Government to help turn around the profitability of the deer industry and realise its commercial potential. This came in the form of a $14 million seven-year Primary Growth Partnership entitled ‘Passion2Profit’, co-funded by the deer industry with the Ministry for Primary Industries. He developed a model whereby farmers were enabled to form regional groups to identify problems and opportunities, with appropriate expertise made available as required, encouraging farmers to take up new practices to improve productivity. Mr Macfarlane has chaired the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures Fund Plantain Project since 2021.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MACLEOD, Professor Roderick Duncan (Rod), MNZM
For services to palliative care
Professor Roderick MacLeod has contributed to hospice and palliative care for more than 35 years.
Professor MacLeod was Senior Staff Specialist in Palliative Care at HammondCare in Sydney and Conjoint Professor in Palliative Care at the University of Sydney from 2012 to 2017. He returned to New Zealand in 2017 and retired from clinical practice in 2019. He holds an honorary position with the University of Auckland’s School of Population Health and continues to contribute to academia. Since 2015 he has been a reviewer for several research councils internationally and presented keynote addresses overseas. He was Co-Editor in Chief of the major reference work ‘The Textbook of Palliative Care’ (2019 and 2024). He was Clinical Advisor to the Hospice New Zealand Board from 2020 to 2022. He chaired the Hospice NZ National Innovations Evaluation Group from 2015 to 2017 and served on their conference organising committee until 2022. He contributed to the University of Auckland’s Enhancing New Zealand Clinical Trials Project Delphi study in 2021. He was Clinical Director on the Board of the PINC and Steel Cancer Rehabilitation Trust from 2015 and Chair from 2020 to 2022. He chaired the Clinical Committee of The Violet Initiative until 2024. Professor MacLeod co-authored the international award-winning cookbook for seniors ‘Lobster for Josino – fabulous food for our final days’ (2018).
HONOURS
Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, Queen’s Birthday 2015
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MILLER, Mr James Bruce
For services to corporate governance
Mr James Miller is a leading company director and advocate of the New Zealand capital markets.
Mr Miller was a Director and subsequently Chair of the NZX over 13 years, during which time he led a significant programme of change. He fought to retain New Zealand ownership of significant businesses, forging strategic relationships with several global exchanges, including Nasdaq, Singapore Exchange and the European Energy Exchange. He led the structural separation of NZX’s regulatory arm creating NZX RegCo, and conceived ‘Capital Markets 2029’, an industry-led project to deliver a vision for New Zealand’s capital markets. He collaborated with Auckland and Otago Universities to create study programmes for undergraduate and postgraduate students, helping to build the resiliency of New Zealand’s capital markets by developing the next generation of directors. As a founding member, he was instrumental in the formation of the Financial Markets Authority. He held governance roles in a wide range of businesses and organisations, including Channel Infrastructure, Vista Group, Fletcher Building, Ryman Healthcare, Vector, Auckland Airport and Mercury Energy. He was Director of the Accident Compensation Corporation between 2013 and 2021, and during his time as Chair of the investment fund it grew from $21 billion to $50 billion. Mr Miller was a long-standing St Cuthbert’s College Board member, leading development of its admission strategy and scholarship programme.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MOLLER, Ms Lorraine Mary, MBE
For services to athletics
Ms Lorraine Moller competed internationally from 1973 to 1996 as a track, cross-country and marathon runner while advocating for women’s equity and professionalism in sport.
Ms Moller was the world’s top women’s master road racer in 1995 and 1996 and, at 41, the oldest woman to compete in the 1996 Olympic marathon, uniquely completing all 20th-century Olympic marathons. Over her career, she won 16 international marathons including the Boston Marathon, an Olympic bronze medal, and Commonwealth Games silver and two bronzes. She holds an eight-marathon maiden win streak and remains undefeated as a masters runner. She still holds the New Zealand 50km record (1981) and the U20 800m record (1974). From 1997 to 2005, she founded and coached the Wings of Mercury running team in Colorado. She was Vice-President of the Japan-based Hearts of Gold Foundation, which founded the 1996 Angkor Wat Half Marathon, fundraising for prosthetics for land-mine victims. She spearheaded a programme reinstating physical education in Cambodian schools post-Pol Pot. In 1997, she established GoldQuest, a mental and social skills conference for New Zealand Olympic athletes. She co-founded the Lydiard Foundation in 2008, which promotes fitness through Arthur Lydiard’s running methods, serving as President since 2012 and creating coaching certification courses preserving the method globally. Ms Moller has collaborated with KidsMarathon Foundation to enhance children’s fitness.
HONOURS
Member of the Order of the British Empire, New Year 1993
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MUELLER, Professor Dr Jens Helmut Friedrich, MNZM
For services to education
Professor Dr Jens Mueller was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2015 for his services to business and education.
Since 2015, Professor Mueller has continued to contribute to the promotion of New Zealand education overseas. He chairs the Education Counsellor Authority of New Zealand, a new entity to license and upskill overseas education counsellors who recruit international students to New Zealand. He created this initiative after Education New Zealand stopped its agent credentialling programme in 2023. He also identified a gap for immigration advice at tertiary institutions, to assist overseas students selecting New Zealand as study location, and became a qualified immigration adviser himself. He then created the Licensed Immigration Adviser Association, now with 600 members. At the Royal Society Te Aparangi he has been a professional member since 2014, and served as a Councillor and Chair of their Audit, Risk and Investment Committee for four years. Professor Mueller has continued his involvement on the Board of Pukehinahina Trust since 2013, helping to secure funding, architectural planning and land donations for the establishment of New Zealand’s first iwi-led historical education centre, the National Māori Land War Museum project in Tauranga.
HONOURS
Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, New Year 2015
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PORTER, Ms Suzanne Jane
For services to the arts and event management
Ms Suzanne Porter has made an outstanding contribution to cultural and performing arts in Taranaki and across New Zealand.
In 2000, Ms Porter moved to Taranaki as Project Manager for the development of Puke Ariki, the museum, library and information centre that opened in 2003. Since becoming Chief Executive of the Taranaki Arts Festival Trust (TAFT) in 2006, she has been instrumental in establishing New Plymouth as a national and international destination through events such as WOMAD Aotearoa, the Taranaki Arts Festival, and the Centuria Taranaki Garden Festival. She has led more than 60 major events, generating significant economic benefits for the region. Her commitment to sustainability has ensured all TAFT events are zero-waste and accessible to communities through local schools, marae and halls. Her leadership contributed to New Plymouth winning the World’s Most Liveable Small City Award in 2008 and 2021, and to Lonely Planet naming Taranaki among the world’s top destinations in 2017. Ms Porter’s achievements were recognised with the 2024 Mayoral Award for Business Excellence.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
POTTER, Mr Iain George
For services to sport and health
Mr Iain Potter was Chief Executive of Basketball New Zealand (BBNZ) from 2012 to 2021, overseeing significant change.
Mr Potter led BBNZ from a place of insolvency to a sustainable and high-achieving national sporting organisation, advocated for women basketballers and equal funding for national teams, chaired the National Basketball League (NBL) from 2012 to have an increased presence and community impact, preserved basketball history through the Basketball Foundation, and drove community participation. He was a catalyst of the Aspiration Fund at High Performance Sport New Zealand. Under his leadership BBNZ was recognised with the International Basketball Federation’s President’s Award for its positive impact on basketball. He was Chief Executive of the Health Sponsorship Council from 1992 to 2012. He was a driving advocate behind the legislation that removed tobacco industry sponsorship and commercial investments from sport and the hospitality industry. He oversaw health initiatives for Māori, including establishment of Auahi Kore (Smokefree Māori) and He Oranga Poutama. He has volunteered on the Board of Wellington Rugby Football Union for six years and became Board Chair of Hurricanes Rugby in 2019. Mr Potter is Chair of Wellington Marist St Pat’s Rugby Club, having held volunteer roles in the club over 20 years.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
POWELL, Mr Tenby George Bolland, ED
For services to business, governance and humanitarian aid
Mr Tenby Powell has made a substantial contribution to businesses and not-for-profits in New Zealand since the late 1990s.
Mr Powell held numerous New Zealand and international board positions and contributed to a generation of jobs and economic growth. His varied directorships over the years have included Waikato Link, Aldera, Antarctica New Zealand, Hirepool Equipment Rental Group, The Icehouse, and the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust. In 2011 he founded the New Zealand SME Business Network to provide support and a collective voice for small business owners, helping to influence national policies. From 2012 to 2017 he convened the Government’s Small Business Development Group, before chairing the Government’s Small Business Council until 2019. He was appointed to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) from 2016 to 2019, co-chairing the ABAC Digital and Innovation Working Group and the ABAC Small and Medium Enterprise Working Group. He was Mayor of Tauranga from 2019 to 2020. In 2022 Mr Powell founded charity organisation Kiwi K.A.R.E, which has helped bring essential aid and evacuation services to the people of Ukraine, operating exclusively in Red Zones. To date, Kiwi K.A.R.E has raised approximately $7 million and made a humanitarian impact of $60.1 million through, among other things, 600 aid missions and 4,500 evacuations.
HONOURS
Efficiency Decoration, 2001
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
RITCHIE, Ms Karen (née Campbell)
For services to people with HIV/AIDS and Rainbow communities
Ms Karen Ritchie (Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi) has held long-standing roles with the New Zealand AIDS Foundation (NZAF), Body Positive Inc. and Positive Women, volunteering countless hours advocating for those living with HIV/AIDS.
Ms Ritchie founded the Cartier Bereavement Charitable Trust to support those dying of AIDS, and their families, who could not afford a funeral. The Trust ran from 2002 until 2023, winding up its activities due to improvements in treatment medications reducing the need for its services, with the outstanding funds shared between The Positive Women’s Institute (PWI) and Body Positive Inc. In 2010, she established the Under 35s HIV Support Group at Body Positive, providing support after diagnosis. She was made a Life Member of the NZAF in 2008. She helped establish and worked with K’Rd Community Safety Group between 2016 and 2023 to address rising violence against Rainbow communities and sex workers, helping to create safer spaces and foster greater inclusion on Karangahape Road. She has been a member of the Prostitutes Law Review Committee and provided advocacy towards the decriminalising of sex work with the Prostitution Reform Act 2003. Ms Ritchie has been a founding member of the Red Umbrella Fund, an international organisation raising and distributing funds for sex workers throughout the world, and was a Committee member for two years.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ROBINSON, Mrs Cecilia Charlotte Louise
For services to business and women
Mrs Cecilia Robinson is an award-winning entrepreneur and an advocate for women in business.
Mrs Robinson moved to New Zealand from her native Sweden in 2005 and founded Au Pair Link in 2007, which became Australasia’s largest au pair agency and the first global agency to license au pairs, innovating New Zealand’s early childhood sector. In 2012, she co-founded one of New Zealand’s most successful start-ups, meal delivery company My Food Bag, and was the Co-Chief Executive until 2018. In 2020, she co-launched Tend Healthcare, now one of the largest primary healthcare providers in New Zealand, using technology to offer appointments with General Practitioners in clinics and online around-the-clock. She holds several governance and advisory roles, including Director for Pie Funds and My Food Bag and Founding Trustee of The King’s Trust New Zealand. She mentors the next generation of female leaders, actively supports women-led businesses and continually champions work-life balance and gender equity in the workplace and in healthcare. She has personally funded scholarships for Māori and Pacific women to train as healthcare professionals. In 2024, Tend Health launched Te Wiki Hauora Wāhine/Women’s Health Week. Mrs Robinson has been recognised as the 2017 Women of Influence Awards Supreme Winner and 2024 New Zealand Innovator of the Year.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SAEID, Dr Mohammad Arif (Arif)
For services to refugees and youth
Dr Arif Saeid arrived in New Zealand as a refugee with his family in 2001 and in 2019 he and his wife Dr Fahima Saeid co-founded New Settlers and Family Community Trust (NFACT).
Dr Saeid co-founded in 2004 and is President of the Refugee Council of New Zealand (RCNZ), leading efforts to advocate for asylum seekers' rights, influence government policies, and provide legal and social support. He has represented New Zealand refugee communities internationally, including at United Nations Human Rights Commission meetings and the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network. He was key in expanding community support programmes for Refugees as Survivors New Zealand (RASNZ) above and beyond his employed role as Community Services Manager from 2001 to 2018, founding initiatives including Road Code training and youth programmes for refugees, and culturally tailored mental health support. He has been a driving force behind the Refugee Youth Action Network (RYAN), working to ensure access to employment, sports and mentorship programmes. He sits on government advisory panels for migrant and refugee-related policies and has worked with New Zealand Police and government agencies to address issues relating to high-risk youth, counter-radicalisation and refugee integration. Together with his wife, Dr Saeid provided assistance following the 15 March 2019 Christchurch terror attack and during the influx of Afghani refugees escaping the Taliban in 2021.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SMITH, Ms Valerie Christine (Val)
For services to outdoor bowls
Ms Val Smith is New Zealand’s most internationally capped outdoor bowls athlete, playing 667 games for New Zealand.
Ms Smith joined the Nelson Bowling Club in 1992 and has been a member of the Blackjacks representing New Zealand in lawn bowls since 2003. Her career in bowls is decorated with two World Championship Titles and a total of nine world championship medals. She has participated in five Commonwealth Games, winning one silver and three bronze medals. She has won the National Open Bowls Championship multiple times. She retired from international competition in early 2025, and continues to play across national, provincial and club levels. She was awarded the New Zealand Player of the Year award in 2021, was a finalist in the Halberg Sportswoman of the Year in 2008, and has been twice awarded Nelson Sportsperson of the Year. She was a driving force behind creating and then running Bowls New Zealand’s Player Leadership Group within the High-Performance framework. She is one of Bowls New Zealand’s few Performance Coaches, holding the highest level of coaching certification within the organisation. Ms Smith has also represented New Zealand Football at Under 21 and ‘B’ level, and Nelson at a regional level in football, hockey, indoor hockey, cricket, indoor cricket, softball and touch rugby.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WRIGHT, Mr Paul Bertram
For services to the real estate industry and philanthropy
Mr Paul Wright is an influential real-estate leader, committed to community service, youth development and support, and corporate responsibility.
As a Director and previous Chairman of Harcourts International, Mr Wright helped grow the company from a startup to a leading New Zealand franchise and a globally recognised brand. In 2008 he co-founded the Harcourts Foundation, which has directed $10 million to more than 1500 charities in education, healthcare, disaster relief, and community causes. He helped establish the Harcourts Academy, lifting professional standards through training and development. He co-founded and chairs the Inspire Foundation, empowering young New Zealanders with grants, mentoring, and education. He has lead support with more than $2 million in grants given to 700 grantees across the arts, education, community service, sport, music, dance and the sciences. In 2011 he developed GRIT, an Inspire Foundation initiative focused on youth mental resilience and wellbeing. He has hosted an annual Christmas appeal, mobilising hundreds of people over 30 years to donate gifts for children to the Christchurch City Mission and other charities. Mr Wright is an active mentor and adviser to individuals, charities, businesses and boards.