The Board, Support Coordinators, and volunteers said farewell to Board member and past chairperson in May. Board Chairperson Lucy Griffiths thanked Andreas and acknowledged his contribution to the service, especially in the critical establishment phase.
Tor recognise his contribution the the Board gifted Andreas a stunning pounamu taonga, created by local artist Brad Martin. The pounamu stone that makes up the pendant is from a special collection gifted to Brad.
The fractured stone gives character to the artwork and is a feature of Brad’s art as the rough uncut portion of the taonga. The pounamu represents the joining aspects of Andreas’ life – his role as a pediatrician and his faith. The pendant end has a tongue-like shape, which represents the way that Andreas speaks up for other people and advocates on their behalf.
We are very grateful for the time and knowledge that Andreas has gifted to Hōkai Tahi over the years – he will be greatly missed, and we wish him and his whanau the very best in the next chapter.
