Mana Whakahaere Governance

Te Hiringa Mahara Board is chaired by Dr Barbara Disley, supported by Tuari Potiki as Deputy Chair. The other board members are: Professor Sunny Collings, Kelly Feng, Rae Lamb, Wayne Langford and Josiah Tualamali'i.

Our Board must make sure that it effectively seeks and understands the views of Māori as tāngata whenua, of people with lived experience of mental distress or addiction (or both) and the people who support them, as well as Pacific people, and other groups and populations who are at greater risk of experiencing poorer mental health and wellbeing.

Board members are appointed for their governance and mental health and wellbeing sector expertise but do not act as representatives or advocates for specific communities. They do, of course, draw on their perspectives, insights, and expertise to inform Board discussions and decision-making.

Dr Disley began in her role as Board chair in July 2026. Our first Board chair was Hayden Wano, whose term ran from February 2021 to July 2026. 

Dr Barbara Disley, Chair

Barbara has extensive leadership and management experience leading large teams within the Aotearoa New Zealand education and health sectors.  She has held a number of senior public sector positions including chair of the first Mental Health Commission and Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Education where she had responsibility for special education.

Barbara was Research and Evaluation Director at Cognition Education, undertaking a number of international education sector reviews and evaluations. Barbara has been the Chief Executive of a number of non-government organisations including the Mental Health Foundation and Richmond Fellowship. She was the Chief Executive of Emerge Aotearoa, New Zealand’s largest national mental health, addictions, disability and social housing provider.  

Barbara has been involved in a number of government reviews including chairing the review of the ACC Sensitive Claims pathway and as a panel member of the 2018 He Ara Oranga Mental Health Inquiry. She was a panel member for the Confidential Listening and Assistance Service which heard the stories of over 1000 people who had experienced abuse or neglect while in state care. Barbara has been on the Ministry of Health Mental Health and Addiction Assurance group.   

Over the past few years Barbara has been a Gateway Reviewer for the New Zealand Treasury.  She is Chair of the Global Leaders Exchange for mental health and disability. She has a doctorate in education from Macquarie University Sydney and in 2011 was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to mental health.

Tuari Potiki, Deputy Chair

Tuari is of Kāi Tahu (Kāti Taoka) descent. He has an extensive background in the Māori health, education and justice sectors with more than 30 years experience in Māori alcohol and drug and mental health services, as a clinician, and manager. He is currently Chair of the New Zealand Drug Foundation, former Chair of Needle Exchange Services Trust (NEST), and is a Board member of Te Rau Ora (a Māori health workforce development organisation).

Tuari has worked at Te Rito Arahi (Māori Alcohol and Drug Service, Christchurch), the Community Alcohol and Drug Service (CADS) Christchurch , and was Manager of the Taha Māori Programme at Queen Mary Hospital, Hanmer Springs. He was also General Manager of Strategic Operations of the Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand (ALAC) and held a management role at the Ngāi Tahu Development Corporation. From 2012 to 2023 he was Director of Māori Development, at Otago University.

Tuari was an advisor to the National Addiction Centre from its inception and currently chairs the Roopu Whakahaere of Te Whare Tukutuku, a Te Rau Ora initiative developing whanau-led programmes to reduce drug harm.  He has played a significant role in informing the education and training of the workforces working in the addiction treatment sector.  He has lived experience of substance dependence and will strengthen the alcohol and other drug harm reduction lens in our governance. 

Professor Sunny Collings, Board member

Sunny is Chief Executive of Health Quality & Safety Commission Mō Te Tāhū Hauora. Prior to joining the Commission her previous roles included Chief Executive of the Health Research Council of New Zealand and Dean and Head of Campus at the University of Otago, Wellington.

A University of Otago graduate, Sunny has a background as a clinician and researcher, having practiced as a Consultant Psychiatrist for more than 25 years and led a research team at the University of Otago Wellington. Her own research focused on suicide and suicide prevention from a critical perspective.

Sunny has broad expertise as a researcher, manager, and senior leader in the clinical mental health sector, in health academia, and in suicide prevention.

Dr Kelly Feng, Board member

Dr Kelly Feng MNZM is the Chief Executive of Asian Family Services (AFS), New Zealand’s leading provider of culturally responsive mental health, addiction, gambling harm, and wellbeing services for Asian communities.

Originally trained as a medical doctor in China, Kelly migrated to New Zealand in 2002 and later requalified as a registered social worker. Her unique background brings together clinical insight, social practice, cultural leadership, and systems thinking. 

Before becoming Chief Executive in July 2022, Kelly served as National Director of AFS from 2016, leading the organisation’s growth, transformation, and transition to full autonomy. She has been a national leader in Asian mental health, addiction, gambling harm, suicide prevention, and culturally responsive service development for more than two decades.

Kelly has pioneered several important initiatives, including the Asian Mental Health Services pilot at Waitematā DHB in 2007 and the founding of Asian Wellbeing Services in 2016. Under her leadership, AFS has expanded its national services, developed innovative digital solutions, strengthened school-based mental health support, and led research-informed programmes that address systemic gaps for Asian communities. 

She is a strong advocate for embedding Asian voices in policy, strategy, research, funding decisions, and service design. In 2022, Kelly was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in recognition of her significant contribution to health and Asian communities in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Rae Lamb, Board member

Rae Lamb has extensive governance and leadership experience within the health sectors in New Zealand and Australia. Her recent career is marked by senior roles as a statutory decision maker in both countries, and as a chief executive for a large NGO in the mental health and addiction sector in this country (Te Pou).

Rae's governance experience includes serving as a trustee on the international board for the Cochrane Library, contributing to global evidence-based healthcare initiatives. She has also served on the ACC Independent Ethics Committee, providing oversight and ethical guidance for complex health-related decisions. More recently, Rae has continued her commitment to quality improvement as a board member, and now as the chair of the board, for the Health Quality and Safety Commission, Te Tahu Hauora.

As New Zealand’s Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner for six years and Australia’s Aged Care Complaints Commissioner for eight, Rae provided strategic leadership in advocating for patient rights, driving improvements in care quality, and strengthening systemic accountability.

Wayne Langford, Board member

Wayne, his wife Tyler and three boys dairy farm in Golden Bay, milking 250 cows on a Once-a-Day milking system. The Langfords have a rich history in Golden Bay, going back six generations, with their heritage including the historic Langford Store at the top of the Aorere valley.

Wayne has held governance roles in the mental health, veterinarian and rural education space. He is often referred to as the YOLOFarmer, a social media platform highlighting mental health in the rural sector. He is also the co-founder of Meat the Need, a charity providing farmer-donated mince and milk to food banks all across NZ.

Wayne still loves milking his cows, coaching kids' rugby and swimming in Golden Bay's beautiful rivers over the summer.