To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BAXTER, Emeritus Professor George David (David)
For services to physiotherapy and health
Emeritus Professor David Baxter is an academic and researcher with expertise encompassing musculoskeletal pain, particularly ageing pain, physical activity and health, and photo-biomodulation.
Emeritus Professor Baxter was the inaugural Director of the National Science Challenge – Ageing Well (the Challenge), established in 2014, and led the Challenge to become the pinnacle of research and science activity focused on the health and wellbeing of older New Zealanders. Under his leadership the Challenge enabled a range of research projects directly improving the wellbeing of communities and individuals. At the University of Otago, he has previously served as Dean of the Physiotherapy School, as Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences, and as the Dean of the Graduate Research School. He was appointed a member and then Chair of the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand from 2015, and a Member of the Australia Physiotherapy Council Accreditation Committee. He is the Co-Director of the New Zealand-China Non-Communicable Diseases Research Collaboration Centre and is a member of several Expert Advisory Groups including ACC’s Acupuncture Group between 2017 and 2019. He has authored and co-authored more than 270 research papers, peer-reviewed journals and contributed to textbooks, and has been awarded more than $20 million in research grants. Emeritus Professor Baxter has been the Editor-in-Chief of Physical Therapy Reviews since 1995.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BOHM, Ms Gillian Lorraine
For services to health
Ms Gillian Bohm has been instrumental in advancing the quality and safety of healthcare in New Zealand.
Ms Bohm began nursing in 1967 has since been a key founder and leader of quality improvement and quality assurance systems in healthcare. She has held several national leadership roles including Senior Advisor at the Health Funding Authority and Principal Advisor at the Ministry of Health. She was the inaugural Chief Advisor on the Quality Improvement Committee and moved to an equivalent leadership role with the Health Quality Safety Commission (HQSC) in 2011, guiding the establishment of both. She initiated and delivered New Zealand’s first ever quality improvement science education programme while at HQSC. She helped to develop the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Standards and has received industry awards recognising her contributions. In 2007 she directed the establishment of the first National Mortality Review Committee. She was a member of the academic and programme committee for the annual International Quality Forum organised by the American Institute of Healthcare Improvement and the British Medical Journal. She has been an active member of the Australasian Institute of Clinical Governance, Joint Commission International, the Australian Association for Quality in Health Care. Ms Bohm has led actions to advance the consumer participation in the design, delivery and evaluation of health and disability services.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BRINDED, Associate Professor Philip Michel Jose (Phil)
For services to psychiatry
Associate Professor Phil Brinded is a pioneer in the field of forensic psychiatry in New Zealand.
Associate Professor Brinded has contributed to the area of mental health since the beginning of his specialist training as a psychiatrist in 1981. He was a member of the assessment team for the 1988 Mason report looking into the procedures used in psychiatric hospitals, and helped implement its recommendations at Hillmorton and Porirua Hospitals. He has served as a Member of the New Zealand Parole Board since 1993, guiding its challenging work in deciding when, if at all, those subject to life sentences might be released into the community. He has also served on the New Zealand Public Protection Order Review Panel. His academic career has included positions as senior lecturer in psychological medicine as well as an associate professorship at the Christchurch School of Medicine. His extensive academic writing career includes numerous book chapters and academic articles, one of which won the best article award for the Royal New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry in 2001. Associate Professor Brinded has been the Vice Chair of the Forensic Section of the Australian and New Zealand Royal College of Psychiatrists, and was appointed as an Expert Witness to the United Nations Assistance Khmer Rouge War Crimes Tribunal in 2009.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BROWN, Mr Fergus Graham
For services to the tourism industry
Mr Fergus Brown contributed to the development of New Zealand’s tourism industry for more than 44 years until his retirement in 2024, including as CEO of Holiday Parks of New Zealand from 2003 to 2024.
From 1975, Mr Brown promoted New Zealand tourism at regional, national and international levels. While representing Tourism New Zealand in Asia during the 1990s, he opened new offices in Taiwan and South Korea, and helped to establish a tourism bridgehead in China by developing a group visa scheme for mainland China visitors in partnership with Immigration New Zealand. With extensive marketing experience and knowledge of the tourism industry, he has been appointed to numerous boards and trusts over the past thirty years, including the Pacific Area Travel Association Trust, Tourism Industry Aotearoa and Tourism Industry New Zealand Trust. At a national level, he has supported reasoned collective leadership within the tourism industry, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. He received the 2019 Marsh Tourism Industry Champion Award and the Sir Jack Newman Outstanding Industry Leader Award in 2024, recognising his individual outstanding contribution over many years. He has previously been the Director of Tourism Industry Aotearoa, and served as Vice-Chair of the board from 2014. Mr Brown drove the installation of fast chargers for electric vehicles at holiday parks in New Zealand.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BROWN, Mr Graham Vincent
For services to the venison industry
Mr Graham Brown has contributed to the food and hospitality industry for more than 40 years, particularly as a global ambassador for New Zealand-farmed venison.
Mr Brown was chef and owner of the critically acclaimed Scarborough Fare restaurant in Christchurch from 1983 to 1991. He has worked for the New Zealand Game Industry Board Cervena since 1991 as a chef, international food education and product developer. He has travelled the world promoting premium New Zealand-farmed venison to chefs, importers and both wholesale and retail customers through educational demonstrations at top culinary schools, food expos, celebrity and corporate events and supermarkets. He has developed venison cuts to suit each individual export market along with recipe formulations for markets in North America, Europe, Scandinavia and China. He had a strong influence in Cervena becoming the second most recognised red meat brand behind Angus Beef in North America, within three years of taking up his international role. He has established Cervena as the red meat of choice in several culinary schools in America and Europe. Within New Zealand, he works with educators at various Polytechnics with educational demonstrations similar to his overseas activities. Mr Brown captained the New Zealand team at the 1987 World Culinary Festival in Vancouver, winning gold and silver medals, and gold at the Frankfurt 1988 Culinary Olympics.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BURTON, Mr David Paul
For services to food writing
Mr David Burton is among the most awarded New Zealand food writers across his longstanding career.
Mr Burton has been writing about food for more than forty years, serving as a food columnist and restaurant critic for The Evening Post and its successor The Dominion Post from 1982 to 2018. He continues to contribute restaurant reviews to Cuisine magazine, as he has done since 1992. His 28 writing awards include seven for his books on food history, most notably ‘The Raj At Table: a culinary history of the British in India’, which was published in London, Boston, Barcelona and New Delhi. ‘French Colonial Cookery: A cook's tour of the French-speaking world’, was also published by Faber. In French translation it appeared as ‘La Cuisine Coloniale’, in a coffee table edition. His first book, ‘200 Years of New Zealand Food & Cookery’, won an award and has spanned four editions since 1982. He lectured for the Bachelor degree programme of Le Cordon Bleu New Zealand from 2012 and upon his retirement in 2024, was appointed an Ambassador of the school. Mr Burton has been a long-standing judge of numerous New Zealand food producers awards and chef's competitions, and served on international juries for the Slow Food Awards and San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
CARTY, Mr Peter Hardy Ballantyne
For services to fly-fishing
Mr Peter Carty is considered a master fly-tier, the art of tying feathers to imitate small organisms to catch trout and salmon, in the sport of flyfishing.
Mr Carty’s feather patterns are used in New Zealand, the United States, Australia, Europe and Asia and he has been named among the top five fly-tiers worldwide. He was one of three principal authors of the 2005 book ‘Masters of Fly-Tying’ and he has been published in John Roberts’ ‘The World’s Best Trout Flies’ (1994). He was a fly-tying contributing writer for the New Zealand Fish and Game magazine for 12 years. He was at the forefront of New Zealand’s professional tourist trout fishing guiding industry for 30 years, beginning in 1985, and was one of a group of guides who helped New Zealand become established as a popular international fly-fishing destination in the 1990s. Mr Carty has been actively involved with and promoted Casting for Recovery, which helps women recovering from breast cancer by teaching them the rudiments of fly-casting and fly fishing, for which he ties all the flies for participants.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
CATO, Ms Suzanne Noreen (Suzy)
For services to music, television and education
Ms Suzy Cato has been a central figure in children’s programming, music, and education for more than 35 years, using her profile to promote literacy, mental health, and well-being for young people and their families.
Ms Cato became a household name in the early 1990s as the host of children’s television show “You and Me”, guiding children through educational activities, stories, and songs. This was followed by “Suzy’s World”, and other television projects including “Bryan & Bobby” with the New Zealand Police. She is an accomplished author and singer/song-writer, having released several children’s books and albums dedicated to children’s music. She frequently participates in community events, educational workshops, and charity initiatives to help promote children’s literacy and well-being, at a local and national level. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she produced online content including storytelling, science experiments and musical activities for children, creating a sense of connection, continuity and normalcy, and helping children continue to meet educational milestones. She has volunteered her time and expertise to the New Zealand Book Council, Storylines Children’s Literature Charitable Trust, and MENZA. She is Ambassador of organisations such as the SPCA and Pink Shirt Day. Ms Cato is a founding member and Chair of Kiwi Kids Music Trust, and is a key organiser of the New Zealand Children’s Music Awards each year.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
CONRAD, Mr Hohepa (Joe)
For services to Māori, particularly kaupapa waka
Mr Joe Conrad (Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Kuri, Ngāi Takoto, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Hauā) has been on the Committee of Ngā Waka Federation since 1996 and an executive member since 2003, also holding the role of kaihautū (captain) of Ngātokimatawhaorua.
Mr Conrad’s longstanding involvement with waka aims to support Māori and ensure waka-related knowledge is preserved. He is the main organiser of waka pageantry for Waitangi Day commemorations, overseeing waka crews from across the country over five days of training and events. He has forged relationships through waka culture with indigenous communities on the Northwest Coast of America since 2005 and The Netherlands since 2010. He has championed women’s involvement in waka crews. He has contributed to numerous ceremonial waka events through Toi Māori since inception, including waka displays overseas. He was an executive member from 1996 until the early 2000s of Te Aupōuri Ki Tamaki Association, an Auckland-based iwi group focused on reconnecting Te Aupōuri descendants with their culture. He helped organise fundraising events for their home marae Potahi. He became a founding member and Treasurer of Te Aupōuri Ki Tamaki Charitable Trust, supporting iwi Treaty negotiations. He had a key role in the establishment of Waka-te-hāua Taiāpure (fish reserve). Mr Conrad became kaumatua and cultural advisor on the Board of Tautoko Tane Male Survivors Te Tai Tokerau in 2023, supporting male survivors of sexual violence.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DE BLOIS, Mr Peter Michael
For services to music
Mr Peter de Blois has dedicated his life to music, particularly as a singer, choral conductor, and educator.
Mr de Blois was a founding member of the Dunedin Youth Choir in the late 1980s and a member of the New Zealand Youth Choir before being appointed as its Assistant Musical Director. He sang in the Ely Cathedral Choir in the early 1990s and was a Music Examiner with the Trinity College of London Examinations Board between 1999 and 2007. He served as the Director of Music at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Auckland between 2000 and 2010, where he established two children’s choirs and scholarships for junior choristers and directed the choir at events of importance such as state funerals, and Anzac Day commemorations. He has been both a Regional and National Finale adjudicator for The Big Sing competition prior to becoming a Music Teacher and Head of Department at secondary schools in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Now based at Southland Girls’ High School, he directs the all-comers choir Sanguine and co-directs the auditioned choir Femme which features regularly at The Big Sing National Finale. Mr de Blois is an Honorary Associate of The Royal School of Church Music for services to church music in New Zealand.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DEVENISH GIDDINGS, Dr Celia Jane (Celia Devenish)
For services to women's health and education
Dr Celia Devenish has contributed to obstetrics and gynaecology for more than 40 years as a doctor, educator, and a member of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG).
Dr Devenish has been a Fellow of RANZCOG since 1981, holding senior leadership roles including Chair of the New Zealand Specialist International Medical Graduates Panel, serving as a member of the College Council and Board, and as Chair of the New Zealand governing committee Te Kāhui Oranga ō Nuku. She is a highly regarded teacher and mentor for undergraduates, midwives, and registrars, working as Senior Lecturer and Tutor at the University of Otago Dunedin School of Medicine since 1981, and receiving numerous teaching awards including the Dean’s Teaching Award on three occasions. She has developed training frameworks that support rural healthcare providers in the South Island, ensuring equitable access to education and support, enhancing healthcare delivery for women in remote areas. She has organised and facilitated additional training sessions and prepared teaching resources in her own time, and is credited with inspiring many medical students to specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology. Dr Devenish has undertaken research on improving maternal and neonatal outcomes with a particular focus on placental dysfunction and premature birth, informing clinical best practice and benefiting women and families nationally.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DEVINE, Ms Sophie Frances Monique
For services to cricket
Ms Sophie Devine is the current captain of the New Zealand women’s cricket team, the White Ferns.
Ms Devine was selected for the White Ferns in 2006 at age 17 and became one of the youngest-ever members of the team. She is one of the most experienced and dominant players both in New Zealand and the cricketing world internationally, taking over the captaincy of the White Ferns in 2020. She led the White Ferns for the New Zealand-hosted ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2022, scoring her sixth ODI century in the tournament’s opening match against West Indies. She then led the White Ferns to a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. In 2024, she led the White Ferns to their maiden T20 World Cup title in the United Arab Emirates. She holds numerous cricketing records including scoring the fastest ever 50, from 18 balls, in Women’s Twenty20 International. In the 2019/2020 season, she became the first cricketer to score five consecutive 50-plus scores in T20 internationals. She is a member of the Wellington Blaze team and has played in the Women’s Big Bash League season for the Adelaide Strikers and Perth Scorchers. Ms Devine was a member of the New Zealand women’s hockey team, the Black Sticks between 2009 and 2012, playing 36 matches.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DOBSON, Mrs Judith Mary (Jude)
For services to the community, broadcasting and historical preservation
Mrs Jude Dobson is a notable figure in the entertainment industry, who is actively involved in community charities and military history preservation.
Mrs Dobson began her television career in 1989 and went on to anchor several prime-time lifestyle shows. Since 2002, she has been a director, producer and writer. She used her communications expertise to produce audio-visual resources for parents of newborns, toddlers and children, many of which have been widely and freely distributed through charities and government agencies. She has been an active supporter of the Breast Cancer Foundation, Cure Kids, Life Education Trust and Plunket. She has led fundraising efforts for several Auckland high schools and contributed to their leadership programmes. She is dedicated to preserving New Zealand’s military history, self-funding in part several documentaries and publications relating to the First and Second World Wars and playing a role in establishing Te Arawhata - the New Zealand Liberation Museum in Le Quesnoy, France. In 2023, Mrs Dobson’s documentary capturing the first-hand memories of WWII aviators in the Royal New Zealand Air Force received a prestigious New York Festivals Radio Award. Mrs Dobson also helped WWII SOE agent Pippa Latour secure a publishing agreement and was later asked to write Latour’s posthumously published best-selling memoir.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DRUMMOND, Professor Bernadette Kathleen
For services to dentistry and education
Professor Bernadette Drummond has contributed to the field of dentistry since the late 1970s and has been recognised with a range of fellowships and research awards.
Professor Drummond was Senior Lecturer in Paediatric Dentistry at the University of Otago from 1988, later becoming Head of Department of Oral Health, Associate Dean of Postgraduate Studies and Chair of Paediatric Dentistry. She was instrumental in the development of the DCIinDent programme in Paediatric Dentistry for all 10 specialist disciplines at the University. She has an extensive record of publications in Paediatric Dentistry and other dentistry fields. She was Clinical Professor of Paediatric Dentistry at the University of Leeds from 2017 to 2021. She has been active in many dental organisations, serving a term as the President of the Australia and New Zealand Society of Paediatric Dentistry, Vice President and President of the Australasian Academy of Paediatric Dentistry, President of the Otago branch of the New Zealand Dental Association, and on international committees. She has been a significant contributor to the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (RACDS), including as the first female President from 2008 to 2010. Professor Drummond has volunteered her time with dental organisations throughout Australasia, aiming to improve children’s oral health particularly in underserved populations, and has provided long-term dental care for children with special health care needs.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
EASON, Mr Daryl Kelvin
For services to wildlife conservation
Mr Daryl Eason has been instrumental in the recovery of kākāpō from the brink of extinction.
Mr Eason began volunteering for the New Zealand Wildlife Service at Mount Bruce Wildlife Centre in 1984, before going on to a four-decade long career with the Department of Conservation. At the age of 20, he was manager of the Burwood Takahē Breeding Centre near Te Anau, refining techniques to successfully incubate and hatch takahē eggs, rear them in captivity with an innovative system of puppets to ensure the chicks did not imprint on people, and then develop ways of ensuring the young takahē learnt the life skills they would need to survive in the wilds of Fiordland. In 1996 he joined the Kākāpō Recovery Group as a Technical Advisor, where he has devised many innovations in the management of nesting kākāpo, the artificial incubation of eggs, hand-rearing of chicks, the collection of sperm and artificial insemination of female kākāpō. His efforts have significantly contributed to the increase in the kākāpō population from 51 in 1995 to almost 250 today. Mr Eason has contributed to conservation science through the publication of more than 20 reports and papers, and in 2021 he was inducted into the Central Hawkes’s Bay College Hall of Honour.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ELLIOTT, Ms Susan Elizabeth (Sue)
For services to the arts and governance
Ms Sue Elliott has made substantial contributions to promoting arts, sports and heritage in Wellington.
Ms Elliott served on the Wellington Stadium Development Committee, playing a key role in selling $15 million worth of memberships, and 15 years on the Wellington Regional Stadium Trust. She won a TVNZ Marketing Award for her marketing and fundraising campaigns to build the Stadium. She was a founding Trustee of the Wellington Museums Trust in 1995, and during her time as a Board member of the Wellington International Festival of the Arts for 12 years, her understanding of drivers for commercial sponsors was critical to its efforts to raise several million dollars. As Trustee of Wellington Sculpture Trust since 2002 and its Chair since 2013, she led the fundraising and installation of six permanent sculptures, eight 4 Plinths Sculpture Awards and instigated Wellington’s annual PARKing Day. In 2018, she co-founded Public Art Heritage Aotearoa New Zealand to document, promote and protect New Zealand’s twentieth-century public art works and preserve a unique facet of the country’s history and identity. Ms Elliott has held key roles on the National Trust Board of the Life Education Trust, the New Zealand Medals Trust, the Bougainville Library Trust and in 2020 she received a Winston Churchill Fellowship.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
GILMOUR, Rear Admiral James Leslie (Jim), (Rtd.)
For services to the New Zealand Defence Force
Rear Admiral Jim Gilmour was a member of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) from 1985, and in 2018 was appointed as Commander Joint Forces New Zealand (COMJFNZ), retiring in 2024 as the longest serving commander in the position.
Rear Admiral Gilmour served in various appointments at sea and ashore during his career as a pilot, undertaking several key leadership roles. He was selected in 2008 to command the newly commissioned HMNZS Canterbury. He led maritime relief operations following the 2009 Samoa Tsunami and following the 2011 Canterbury earthquake. He was appointed in 2011 to command Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, part of a Combined Maritime Force comprising naval vessels from many countries, to conduct counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. In 2016 as Maritime Component Commander, he led the multinational maritime response for the Kaikōura earthquake relief efforts. During his time as COMJFNZ, New Zealand faced unprecedented domestic and global events with the Christchurch Mosque shooting and Whakaari eruption, COVID-19, the fall of Afghanistan, the war in Ukraine and Cyclone Gabrielle. Rear Admiral Gilmour commanded NZDF forces in support of the Government’s responses to those events, along with commanding ongoing overseas missions in the Middle East, Korea, Europe, Japan, Israel, the Sinai Peninsula, South Sudan and the Pacific Islands.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HARDY, Mr Kirk Brian
For services to drug abuse prevention and education
Mr Kirk Hardy co-founded The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA) in 2005, revolutionising comprehensive drug education and drug testing programmes across various industries and reduced incidences of drug-related accidents and injuries throughout Australasia.
In the early 2010s, Mr Hardy led the development of a world-first substance information app, providing prevention and education tools to the public. Half of the app’s revenue was donated to children’s hospitals. He oversaw the launch of Imperans, a ground-breaking workplace drug testing digital platform, that enabled quicker test result turnarounds and greater accuracy in workplace testing processes. He oversaw the creation of the CSI Drug Recognition Training Programme, adapted from United States law enforcement training for workplace application, equipping managers and professionals to identify and manage drug-related risks. He has fostered international collaboration, speaking at global conferences, facilitating expert visits to Australia and New Zealand, and supporting education and prevention initiatives with US experts. In North America, he served five years on the Board of the Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association (DATIA), and helped establish the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association (NDASA) in 2017, now one of the largest drug testing associations in North America. As one of NDASA’s founding Board members, Mr Hardy created its International Partnerships arm to foster collaboration and promote high-quality international standards in workplace drug testing.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HENWOOD, Mr Dafydd Morgan (Dai)
For services to the entertainment industry and charitable fundraising
Mr Dai Henwood has been a trailblazing and multi-award-winning figure in New Zealand comedy across television and the stage for more than 25 years.
Mr Henwood was awarded Best New Face in 1999 from his work on ‘Pulp Comedy’ and received the Billy T Award in 2002 for most promising young comedian, spurring him to tour internationally. He won The Fred Award for Best New Zealand Show in 2007 and is a seven-time winner of Best Male Comedian at the annual New Zealand Comedy Guild Awards. He has been a household name since 2009 through his role on TV3’s ‘7 Days’ and his television work has expanded to hosting a range of shows, including ‘Dancing with the Stars’ (2018) and ‘Dai’s House Party’, a home-based stand-up comedy showcase during the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020. He has been a generous mentor for up-and-coming comics and has donated funds, merchandise and his time to numerous charities, notably the Cancer Society. From his own experience, he has been a vocal advocate for men’s health and those living with bowel cancer. Mr Henwood was instrumental in Radio Hauraki’s ‘Day in Loo’ event raising funds and awareness for bowel cancer and hosted the televised fundraising show ‘The Comedy Treatment’, raising more than $250,000 for the Cancer Society in 2023.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HUME, Professor Patria Anne
For services to sports science and injury prevention
Professor Patria Hume is recognised for her work utilising evidence-based interventions to influence best-practice policy development to reduce sports-related injuries and improve sports techniques around the world.
Professor Hume has been a World Championships competitor, international coach and judge in rhythmic gymnasts. She established SportSmart in 1999, a nationwide sports injury prevention programme for ACC. She collaborated with industry partners and academics from varied disciplines, which resulted in SportSmart being developed into numerous sport-specific programmes such as “RugbySmart” and “NetballSmart”. For 25 years she has been lead reviewer of SportSmart, most recently reviewing the programme for all New Zealand sporting bodies. She was inaugural Director of the Sports Performance Research Institute of New Zealand (SPRINZ) from 2000 to 2009. With SPRINZ, she established the Rugby Codes Research Group in 2010. She led the Global Rugby Health Research programme in 2015, which contributed to improved concussion injury awareness and management nationally and internationally. Her contributions to sporting codes include analysis of techniques for rowing, netball shooting, grinding biomechanics for sailors, shin and mouthguard impact testing, and development of a gymnastics vaulting feedback system. Professor Hume has served on boards for Drug Free Sport New Zealand, Sports Medicine New Zealand, GymSports New Zealand, Sport and Exercise Science New Zealand, among contributions to numerous other national and international organisations.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
LANE, Mr Gary Rodney
For services to conservation and philanthropy
Mr Gary Lane is an experienced businessperson with a background in the food industry who has made philanthropic contributions, particularly to conservation.
Mr Lane built a predator-proof fence around his property, the Wairakei Golf and Sanctuary, to protect a range of native flora and fauna. Since building the fence in 2012, his property has been used to care for young kiwi from Remutaka, Tongariro and Taranaki until they have grown to a suitable weight for release into the wild. He has encouraged his peers to contribute to projects and funds to ensure the local kiwi population grows and hosts school groups at the sanctuary. More than 120 kiwi have hatched at his property, which has helped form a founding population at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari to support a release plan for kiwi across Taranaki, Whanganui and south Waikato. He has been Director of the Predator Free 2050 board since 2016. In 2019 he funded the construction of a hatchery and incubation facility at Wairakei Golf and Sanctuary, which is now a critical part of the organisation Kiwis for Kiwi’s vision to reverse the declining kiwi population. Mr Lane has funded the Lane Capital Scholarship at the University of Auckland since 2011, providing $8,000 per annum for students experiencing financial hardship who otherwise could not afford to study.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MARSHALL, Ms Julia May
For services to children's literature
Ms Julia Marshall has contributed to literature community for a number of years.
Ms Marshall is the founder of Gecko Press, a small New Zealand publishing company established in 2005 which translates and publishes carefully selected children’s books from some of the best authors and illustrators in the world, ensuring New Zealand children are exposed to stories from different cultures. Each year it publishes a top selling book in te reo Māori. Engaging local authors and illustrators, she has encouraged all those involved in a book’s production to work together. She has received numerous awards including New Zealand Thorpe-Bowker Publisher of the Year 2008, Winner Creative Gold Wellington Regional Business Gold Awards 2010, 2013 Best Children’s Publisher of the Year in Oceania at Bologna Children’s Book Fair, 2017 Publisher of the Year at the New Zealand Book Industry Awards, and the Margaret Mahy Medal in 2021. She has served the Publishers Association of New Zealand as President and been on the Board of READ NZ Te Pou Muramura. Ms Marshall is well regarded by her peers for her advocacy for every child’s right to love reading.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MARTIN, Mr Peter David, JP
For services to the community, particularly Pacific and LGBTQ+ communities
Mr Peter Martin has been involved with the governance of a range of organisations on a voluntary basis for more than 50 years.
Mr Martin was particularly involved in helping establish and develop charities supporting Pacific families who have children with physical or mental disabilities. He has been Secretary of Malologa Trust since 2004, a medical services charity supporting Pacific families with children with mental disabilities. He was Secretary of the national Pacific disability provider, Pacific Information Advisory Services (PIASS Trust), from 2002 to 2023. He was Secretary of Vaka Tuatua Ltd from 2004 to 2021, a charitable company which provides health services to Whatu Ora. He was Secretary, Treasurer and Chair between 2003 and 2011 of Outline New Zealand, being made an Honorary Life Member in 2011. During this time, he oversaw this telephone counselling service for the LGBTQ+ community during a challenging period pre-dating the statutory legal rights and community support that exists today. He has contributed his services to the Manukau Beautification Charitable Trust and the Village Square Trust over a number of years. Mr Martin was a Regional Governor of Jaycees for 22 years, representing New Zealand at international conferences and 27 clubs on the national council, and is an member of the Mediators Institute of New Zealand.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MEXTED, Mr Murray Graham
For services to rugby
Mr Murray Mexted is a former All Black and an advocate for rugby union.
Mr Mexted was selected to play for the All Blacks rugby team between 1979 and 1985. He was recognised as a world class player, known for his athleticism, skill and leadership. He played 73 matches for the All Blacks, including six as captain and toured England, Scotland, Australia, Fiji, Wales, France, Romania, the United States, Canada and South Africa during his career. He played 114 matches for Wellington Rugby Union, including its 1981 Ranfurly Shield win and was made a Life Member for his efforts. He joined the SKY TV commentary team in the 1990s, sharing his insights on matches from a player’s perspective for 20 years. In 2001 he founded The International Rugby Academy of New Zealand (IRANZ). His vision for IRANZ was to provide aspiring players and coaches with the tools, guidance and mentorship needed to reach their full potential in rugby and in life. He has personally helped more than 100 IRANZ graduates achieve international status. His work has helped to enhance coaching standards and talent recognition in rugby, across the globe. Mr Mexted is a Life Member of two rugby clubs, Tawa Rugby Football Club and Wellington Football Club, of which he became Patron in 2019.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MORGAN, Mr David Ross
For services to aviation
Mr David Morgan is a distinguished leader in the New Zealand and international aviation communities.
Mr Morgan has dedicated more than 40 years to the aviation industry, predominantly with Air New Zealand, where he has held key leadership roles, including Chief Pilot and Chief Operational Integrity and Safety Officer. His commitment to safety and sustainability has seen him take on key roles as council member and Vice President of the Aviation Industry Association where he has shaped the national safety system improvements. He also serves on the International Air Transport Association’s Operations Advisory Council, previously as Chair, where he has contributed to international civil aviation global aviation safety and operational enhancements. As part of his commitment to mentoring aviation and business leaders, he serves on the Massey University Business School's Advisory Board, providing strategic guidance for education and leadership and has supported the Walsh Scout Flying School for more than 40 years. Mr Morgan has made further contributions through roles with the New Zealand Defence Employer Support Council, the Air Force Museum Trust Board, and previously as a Patron of the New Zealand Defence Force Limited Service Volunteer Scheme.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
NARAYANAN, Mr Panchanatham (Pancha), QSM, JP
For services to multicultural communities
Mr Pancha Narayanan was President of the New Zealand Federation of Multicultural Councils (MNZ) from 2003 to 2009 and was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal for his contributions in 2010.
Since 2010, Mr Narayanan has continued supporting multicultural communities locally and nationally, serving again as the President of MNZ from 2017. He has overseen growth of MNZ from 11 to 26 fully established societies across the country. He is credited with the vision and leadership of the internationally recognised community-based approach for cultural integration and inclusion of immigrants anchored in the bicultural foundations of New Zealand, Huarahi Hou. He has mobilised multicultural communities in times of crisis, from natural disasters to the COVID- 19 pandemic and the 15 March 2019 terror attack, as well as fostering days of national multicultural celebration. He is a prominent advocate for empowering and including women, youth and the rainbow community within multicultural contexts to ensure their voices are heard. He contributes on boards and committees of national significance. Locally, Mr Narayanan has been President of the Upper Hutt Multicultural Council since 2015, making significant contributions to enhancing social and cultural cohesion. This includes working with Te Atiawa and Orongomai Marae on cultural exchange initiatives and with the Upper Hutt City Council on Multicultural Strategy Development.
HONOURS
Queen’s Service Medal, New Year 2010
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
NATION, Mr Peter Arnold
For services to the agricultural industry and governance
Mr Peter Nation was Chief Executive of the New Zealand National Fieldays Society from 2016 until retiring in 2024, having contributed to the rural sector since the 1980s.
Mr Nation served on the Board of Fieldays from 2004 to 2016, and various other associated committees from 1995, having become involved through his ANZ Regional Manager Rural role as sponsor representative and Banker, supporting capital investments such as the Mystery Creek Pavilion. As Chief Executive, he has overseen the Society’s annual organisation of the National Fieldays event at Mystery Creek, the biggest agricultural event in Australasia, and successfully steered the event business through the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. He has been a Board member and Chair of the Waikato Chamber of Commerce since 2019. He was a community representative member for Waikato Regional Council’s Waikato Plan Leadership Committee from 2020 to 2023. He was a Council member of Agritech New Zealand from 2020 to 2022. He managed the New Zealand Animal Management business unit as National Sales Manager of the Gallagher Group from 2004 to 2016. Between 2002 and 2012 he was variously Trustee, Treasurer and Chair of the New Zealand Farm Environment Award Trust, having assisted with establishing the organisation. Mr Nation served several years on the St Pauls Agribusiness in Schools programme advisory board.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
NAYLOR, Mrs Gillian Christine (Gill)
For services to rural communities, particularly women
Mrs Gill Naylor was National President of Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) from 2020 to 2024.
Mrs Naylor joined Cambrian St Bathans branch of RWNZ in 1990, later representing RWNZ at regional and national level, joining the National Board in 2018 before being elected National President. As National President she has advocated, inspired and empowered women from across the sector, strengthening rural communities through social connection. She has advocated with government ministers and agencies on a range of issues impacting rural women and communities to ensure access to social, health, welfare and education services, including school bus routes and banking services. She was awarded Life Membership of RWNZ in 2024. She was a member of RWNZ’s Education and Scholarship Committees, considering applications for grants and scholarships, and was a member of the judging panel for the NZI Rural Women New Zealand Business Awards. She was a member of RWNZ’s Adverse Events Relief Fund Committee through a period of very high demand after Cyclone Gabrielle. She has been a Trustee of the New Zealand Landcare Trust, who facilitate sustainable land and water management through community involvement, since 2020. Mrs Naylor was a Trustee of the Life Education Trust Heartland Otago Southland from 2013 to 2022, and in 2021 received a Life Education Trust New Zealand Distinguished Service Award.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
O'SULLIVAN, Mr John Daniel
For services to business and philanthropy
Mr John O’Sullivan has built the family-owned Tumu Group of businesses since 1978, mainly centred on the East Coast of the North Island and currently employing more than 600 staff.
Through Tumu Group, Mr O’Sullivan has invested significantly in local infrastructure and organisations including the Hawke’s Bay Community Fitness Trust, Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union, Hawke’s Bay Rescue Helicopter, the Hawke’s Bay Foundation, Te Mata Peak Trust and Kaweka Hospital. He was a Board member of ITM Co-operative for eight years. He financially supported the core training team of Outward Bound during the COVID-19 lockdowns. In 2021 he supported establishment of Mates 4 Life, a charitable trust focused on mental health in the workplace. His businesses have employed work to release prisoners, helping them rehabilitate. He has also provided contract work to a skill-building programme within the local prison. In 2014, he set up Tumu Group’s charitable arm, The Evergreen Foundation. The Foundation established a scholarship programme for rangatahi at Lindisfarne College and a health fund supporting second opinions in cancer and other specialist services. Through the Evergreen Foundation, Mr O’Sullivan created a Cyclone Gabrielle Relief Fund, raising more than $3.4 million for the East Coast region’s recovery, with a special focus on the heavily impacted horticultural and agricultural sectors.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PARDINGTON, Dr Fiona Dorothy, MNZM
For services to photography
Dr Fiona Pardington (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha, Ngāti Kahungunu) is an internationally acclaimed photographer active since the 1980s, who was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2017 for her services to photography.
Since 2017, Dr Pardington has represented New Zealand at the London Art Fair and Art Basel Hong Kong, participated in the 2018 major international exhibition ‘Oceania’ at London’s Royal Academy of the Arts, and was the first New Zealander invited to participate in the Sharjah Biennial 16 in the United Arab Emirates in 2024. She collaborated with the Wellcome Collection Science Museum in London in 2019, resulting in the exhibition at Christchurch Art Gallery ‘Orphans of Māoriland’. She has held four solo exhibitions in New Zealand galleries since 2017 and has been featured in numerous national group exhibitions. She has donated photographs to the collection of the Aigantighe Art Gallery in Timaru and Christchurch Art Gallery, as well as for a charity auction to support Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari wildlife reserve in Pukeatua. She has also donated funds for the Arts Foundation of New Zealand Te Tumu Toi for their Springboard award for emerging artists. Dr Pardington has sourced historical bird remains, including Huia parts, from overseas auctions and donated them to Canterbury Museum.
HONOURS
Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, Queen’s Birthday 2017
Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters (France), 2016
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PARRY, Dr Susan
For services to gastroenterology
Dr Susan Parry spearheaded the establishment of the New Zealand Bowel Cancer Screening Programme and the New Zealand Familial Gastrointestinal Cancer Service.
Dr Parry worked as both a consultant gastroenterologist and Clinical Head of Department at Middlemore Hospital from 1994 to 2012. She was the first female to be elected President of the New Zealand Society of Gastroenterology. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, she led a Working Party convened to review the evidence for a bowel screening programme in New Zealand. Through her chairing of the National Health Committee on Population Screening and her work in the Screening Unit, she led a focused effort to improve colonoscopy services and ensure the system was better prepared for screening. As Clinical Director of the Ministry of Health’s National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme, she has been involved in primary care, patient information, data collection, community outreach, equity, and educating the public about participation on television and radio. More than 2,500 asymptomatic individuals have been identified with unsuspected colorectal cancer through the programme since she helped establish it in 2017. She has co-authored more than 90 peer reviewed publications and book chapters, and in 2010 was made Honorary Associate Professor of Medicine at Auckland University. Dr Parry is a Life Member and past Chair of the International Society of Hereditary Gastrointestinal Tumours.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PERCY, Mr David Robert
For services to fire safety technologies, business and the community
Mr David Percy established the Lower Hutt-based business Pertronic in 1982, which has produced fire detection, alarm and warning systems since 1986.
As Pertronic grew, Mr Percy has maintained a policy of at least 17 percent of annual gross revenue being invested into Research and Development as technology advances, allowing Pertronic to remain competitive internationally and evolve with technological change over 40 years to enhance fire safety protection. Updated versions of Pertronic’s alarm control systems developed in the 1990s continue to lead the fire alarm systems market in New Zealand. Pertronic’s products are widely used from small commercial buildings to large-scale complex facilities and infrastructure installations nationwide and in Australia. Pertronic is now the only operational New Zealand-based manufacturer of advanced Automatic Fire Detection and Alarm Systems and exports compatible products to Southeast Asia, the South Pacific and Australia. Through Pertronic, he has supported STEMM education and local organisations including sport and social clubs, and businesses through the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce. He has served on a number of New Zealand Fire Alarm Standards Committees. He has been recognised by fire protection associations for his contributions, as well as receiving multiple business and innovation awards. Mr Percy is an Electrical Engineer and a Fellow Member of Engineering New Zealand.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
POWER, Mr Eric Clive (Clive)
For services to swimming
Mr Clive Power been a pioneer of swimming in New Zealand, dedicating more than 50 years to coaching and mentoring both coaches and swimmers at all levels.
Mr Power has been instrumental in the success of some of New Zealand’s top swimmers and swim coaches. Starting his coaching career in Te Awamutu in 1967, he has held several positions at regional, national and international levels including as New Zealand Swim Team Coach for several tours, Commonwealth Games, Olympics Games and Paralympics Games. He was Brazil Head Coach at the first FINA Youth Championships in 2006, following which he implemented the foundations for Swimming New Zealand that drove the high-performance template ‘Mining for Gold’. He was instrumental in creating a development programme prior to the 2012 Paralympics, which achieved outstanding results for the following 2016 Paralympic Games, with New Zealand winning ten medals, 21 finals reached and more than half the swimmers achieving personal bests. He prepared the New Zealand Swim team for the 2016 Rio Olympics, serving as interim Head Coach from 2015 to 2016. He was Paralympics New Zealand Selector for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Mr Power has won Coach of the Year awards at local, regional and national levels almost every year between 1999 and 2014.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SOUTHEE, Mr Timothy Grant (Tim)
For services to cricket
Mr Tim Southee is a former New Zealand international cricketer who has captained the New Zealand cricket team in all formats of the game, and is the Black Caps all-time leading international wicket-taker with 770 dismissals across all formats.
Mr Southee made his Test cricket debut for New Zealand against England in 2008, and was the mainstay of the New Zealand attack in all three forms of the game until his retirement from international cricket in 2024, appearing in four ICC Cricket World Cups, seven T20 World Cups, two Champions Trophy tournaments, and a World Test Championship Final. He played 394 matches for the Black Caps across all formats, claiming 776 wickets, scoring 3,288 runs, and taking 195 catches. He is the only player in world cricket to claim more than 300 Test wickets, 200 ODI wickets and 100 T20 wickets, is New Zealand’s second most successful test cricket bowler with 385 Test wickets, and is the leading T20 international wicket-taker of all time. Mr Southee has presented Northern Districts in New Zealand domestic competitions since debuting as an 18-year-old in first-class cricket in 2007, and competed for various teams in the T20 Indian Premier League from 2011 to 2023.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SPENCE, Mrs Gail Patricia
For services to language education
Mrs Gail Spence has spent more than 40 years contributing to language education in New Zealand.
Mrs Spence has held voluntary executive roles with the New Zealand Association of Language Teachers (NZALT) since the 1980s, including terms as President from 1996 to 1998 and 2000 to 2001. She is currently Project Leader of the 50-year history of NZALT. She contributed to NZALT’s journal ‘The New Zealand Language Teacher’ from 1975 to 2022 and has presented papers at both national and international language conferences. She was employed as the inaugural Curriculum Facilitator: Languages by the Ministry of Education from 2001 to 2007. She oversaw languages added as a new learning area in the New Zealand Curriculum and commissioned pedagogical research into this new learning area. 14 languages had published curriculum guidelines for the first time, and she wrote ‘Learning Languages: A Guide for New Zealand Schools’ (2002). From 2007 to 2022 she worked with NZQA, publishing companies and education providers on more than 60 contracts to support Learning Languages for international languages, te reo Māori and Pacific languages. Materials Mrs Spence developed to teach languages from early childhood to Year 10 are still used today and have been foundational for developing NCEA pathways for te reo Māori and the five most spoken Pacific languages in New Zealand.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SPOONLEY, Distinguished Professor Emeritus Paul
For services to sociology
Distinguished Professor Emeritus Paul Spoonley served 42 years as a teacher and researcher in sociology with Massey University, retiring in 2021.
Professor Spoonley held various roles with Massey University from 1979, including as Academic Director, Regional Director (Albany) and Distinguished Professor of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. He fostered strong relationships with local authorities and the community through community-based research. He served as Pro Vice-Chancellor of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences between 2013 and 2019 and was Co-Director of the National Centre for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism. He was appointed as a member of the Independent Panel of New Zealand Police’s “Understanding Policing Delivery” and was Chair of the Research Management Committee. He was a member of the Marsden Fund Council and he chaired the Social Sciences Panel from 2017 to 2024. He has published 29 books and has more than 300 peer-reviewed academic journal articles and is a regularly contributor to the media. He has been a research fellow at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Germany, since 2013 and he is a Fellow and Board member of Auckland Museum. Professor Spoonley was a Senior Fulbright Scholar at the University of California Berkeley.
HONOURS
New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
STRUTHERS, Mr John Bradley
For services to cycling, the cycling industry and business
Mr John Struthers has supported New Zealand cycling since 1981, when he organised New Zealand’s first major BMX meeting.
Mr Struthers continued as the major supporter of BMX for many years, assisting with track building, sponsoring the National Championships and manufacturing a complete range of BMX bikes. More than 200 boys and girls were under some form of sponsorship during that time. In 1985 he established the Avanti Bicycle Company, a pioneer of aluminium alloy bicycles, which sold more than 200,000 bikes in New Zealand, and exported to Australia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia and China. The company was possibly the first in the world to have a full range of alloy bicycles, with this style of bike now one of the most popular worldwide. His company established 33 AvantiPlus Dealers and 81 other outlets in New Zealand as well as 55 dealers and 120 similar stores in Australia. Through the Avanti brand he has generously donated to teams and individuals, many of whom have achieved national and international success in BMX, road and track cycling and triathlon. Gold medal winners Sarah Ulmer and Hamish Carter rode Avanti bikes at the 2004 Olympic Games. Mr Struthers funded the naming right sponsorship of the Cambridge velodrome (the AvantiDrome) for the first 10 years to help it become established.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
VELA, Mr Mark William Joseph (Mark Vella)
For services to mental health care and education
Mr Mark Vella has contributed to primary mental health care and disability support services.
Mr Vella taught children with cerebral palsy at Carlson Special School and he oversaw integration efforts at the Mt Roskill Intermediate Physically Disabled Unit, such as ensuring the installation of an elevator. He has been seconded as a visiting teacher and has supported schools with students experiencing behavioural difficulties and liaising with the parents. He has also been a manager in the Special Education Service where he led a team of psychologists, speech language therapists, visiting teachers, and advisors for the deaf. He has been a Senior Advisor on Special Education to the Minister of Education. Within the health sector and whilst at ProCare Health he has helped to introduce a primary mental health programme, enabling access to extended General Practitioner interventions and cognitive behaviour therapy for patients with depression and anxiety disorders. He was instrumental in the development and securing of funding for Gandhi Nivas, an early intervention programme preventing family harm, as an Advisory Board member on a voluntary basis since 2014. Mr Vella has been CEO of the primary health organisation Total Healthcare Charitable Trust for 16 years, through which he has been a strong enabler of initiatives that support high needs patient populations.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WAKE, Ms Jennifer Mary (Jenny)
For services to theatre and television
Ms Jenny Wake has encouraged children and young people in theatre through her company Calico Theatre, which she founded in 1991.
Ms Wake has created works for children to perform in schools and communities, as well as plays for adults to perform for children. She has adapted various well-known literary works, staging productions of these herself and making these works available along with props and costumes for schools to stage. She has supported people working in children’s theatre in New Zealand through ASSITEJ (International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People) since 1996. She was the sole New Zealand representative to ASSITEJ for many years, creating opportunities for New Zealand practitioners. She was the National Coordinator of Performing Arts and Young People of Aotearoa (PAYPA) and ASSITEJ New Zealand from 2016 to 2020, and remains on the PAYPA Board. She instigated the 2016 Big Dreams Gathering, which brought together people in the sector and resulted in PAYPA’s inception. In her television career, she has written, directed and produced ‘Play School’, one of New Zealand’s best-loved children’s series, and wrote for ‘Bumble’ and directed ‘What Now’. She has produced hands-on learning experiences for the Hawke’s Bay Museum and Art Gallery (MTG), including drama-based programmes. Ms Wake was on the Board of Creative Napier from 2001 to 2010.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WALKER, Mr Neil William, JP
For services to primary industries and the community
Mr Neil Walker has held various roles promoting the development of the dairy and apiculture industries.
Mr Walker began his career on a dairy farm in South Taranaki, before moving into senior roles with dairy industry and science bodies. He facilitated 300 projects through the Foundation for Research Science and Technology, connecting the dairy industry with government and universities in New Zealand and Australia. He was New Zealand’s representative at the Food Standards for Australia and New Zealand authority from 2011 to 2017. He was a key figure in establishing mānuka honey as a major export, chairing the Primary Group Partnership to develop high-active mānuka plantations and the Apicultural Development Review Board, which consolidated the apiculture industry. He has been a Justice of the Peace since 1991, and has held key roles in various community, religious and environmental organisations. He has contributed 40 years of service to CCS Disabilities Taranaki, leading the drive to fund the demolition and rebuilding of their premises, and was made a Life Member in 2014. Mr Walker is serving his ninth term on the Taranaki Regional Council, and is currently its Deputy Chair.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WALKER, Ms Sarah Louise
For services to BMX and sports governance
Ms Sarah Walker has been an internationally accomplished BMX rider and currently represents New Zealand as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Ms Walker is a twelve-time BMX World Championship medallist, including winning gold medals in 2007 and 2009. She competed at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, placing fourth, and London 2012 where she won silver, becoming New Zealand’s first Olympic medallist in BMX Racing. She was appointed to the IOC Athletes’ Commission in 2016, and in 2022 was elected as the Second Vice-Chair. As Chair of the IOC Steering Committee, she led the creation of the Athletes’ Rights and Responsibilities Declaration, that tackles the most relevant issues they face today, including integrity and clean sport, governance and communication, careers and marketing, safeguarding and competition. As Chair of the IOC AI Working Group, she has also led the creation of the Olympic AI Agenda. She became an Independent IOC member in 2024 as part of the governing body responsible for overseeing the Olympic Movement. She has promoted sports in schools, organised community outreach programs, and worked with policymakers to secure funding and resources for sports facilities, programmes, and events. Ms Walker has mentored many young BMX competitors to success at national and international competition levels.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WILD, Dr Richard John
For services to animal welfare and the veterinary sector
Dr Richard Wild has made a significant impact across the veterinary sector, championing animal welfare and rights.
After relocating from Australia in 1993, Dr Wild has had substantial impact in improving animal welfare across New Zealand, starting at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry as a circuit veterinarian. In 2005 he became the founding President of the Food Safety and Biosecurity special interest branch of the New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA). He was instrumental in adding animal welfare to the remit of this branch, ensuring this was a central focus for the NZVA. He led the veterinary profession’s contribution to the Government’s Business Growth Agenda. For this project, he successfully engaged groups like Federated Farmers, DairyNZ, Beef and Lamb, New Zealand Pork, RNZSPCA, and the veterinary profession to align their goals. While National Animal Welfare Coordinator at the Ministry of Primary Industries, he has been instrumental in developing New Zealand’s animal welfare standards and regulations. His work was fundamental in setting up a better system for veterinary certification for transport of defective animals and he has been central to the development and implementation of education campaigns for new regulations. He was President of the NZVA from 2009 to 2012 and won the 2016 NZVA President’s Award. Dr Wild has chaired the Animal Welfare Network Aotearoa since 2021.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WOODMAN-WICKLIFFE, Mrs Portia Louise
For services to rugby
Mrs Portia Woodman-Wickliffe (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahu) is the top try scorer in women’s Sevens history and has been a leading figure in New Zealand women’s rugby.
Mrs Woodman-Wickliffe was initially a professional netballer before being introduced to rugby through the Go4Gold programme and joining the first Black Ferns Sevens team to play in the World Series in 2012. She has played a vital role in the New Zealand women’s rugby sevens team since 2013, helping secure a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics and gold medals at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics. She helped the Black Ferns to Rugby World Cup victories in 2017 and 2022. She is considered one of the greatest women's rugby players ever, having been recognised as the World Rugby Women’s Sevens Player of the Year, World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year and World Rugby Women’s Sevens Player of the Decade in 2020. She has broken several records, including the first woman to score 200 and later 250 tries in the Sevens Series. She has helped make women's rugby more visible, respected, and accessible for future generations. Mrs Woodman-Wickliffe has promoted gender equality in sports and encouraged more investment and support for women's rugby, including participating in various programmes providing mentorship, training, and resources to help young women develop their sports skills and confidence.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WRIGHT, Mr Wayne
For services to education and philanthropy
Mr Wayne Wright has dedicated decades to the service of education and the community through philanthropy and entrepreneurship.
Mr Wright is a prolific entrepreneur, moving from his first business as a lawn mowing contractor, to a kiwifruit orchard business, to a retaining wall construction company with offices across the United States and Mexico, and to a telecommunications company in Alabama. He and his late wife co-established BestStart Educare, originally known as Kidicorp, in Tauranga in 1996, and has grown the business to become New Zealand’s largest Early Childhood Education (ECE) provider, with around 260 centres and more than 4,000 staff caring for around 20,000 preschool children. BestStart provides a number of unique programmes to improve education outcomes for students and has won multiple awards, including Most Trusted Early Childhood Centres four times. He has invested more than $60 million in the early childhood education sector, and in 2014 established the Wright Family Foundation, which has distributed charitable funds of $50 million to support education, arts and social programmes over 10 years. Notably, this has included the establishment of Birthing Centres in Tauranga, Lower Hutt, Palmerston North and Mangere that offer extensive postnatal support, of which Mr Wright has been Chair and advisor.