Keremete Tom Pickering

"Te Whare O Ngāpuhi, Tāmaki Makaurau ki Te Rerenga Wairua. Ko ngā paatu ko Ngāti Whātua, Te Rārawa, Te Aupouri, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāpuhi ki roto. Ko ngā Rarangi Maunga ngā Poutokomanawa i hikia te Tahuhu o Te Whare O Ngāpuhi."

Born and raised in South Central Roskill South, Keremete currently resides in West Auckland. A father of four, he maintains strong connections to his whakapapa and the communities he serves, valuing family, sport, and community engagement for positive health outcomes.

As a passionate advocate for Māori rights, Keremete has extensive experience in cancer prevention and has supported rangatahi through mana-enhancing initiatives at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Manurewa Marae. He has also worked on alcohol harm reduction initiatives with CAYAD and played a key role during the COVID-19 rollout in Te Tai Tokerau with Ngāti Hine Health Trust, ensuring whānau received essential health services.

Keremete's career spans Tāmaki Makaurau to Whangārei, Moerewa and Kaitaia, providing valuable insights into the unique challenges faced by Māori communities. With a solid foundation in tikanga marae and Māori health organisations, he is dedicated to Hāpai Te Hauora's vision of Oranga Whenua, Oranga Tangata.