Our Teams

Dardanelle McLean-Smith

Elected Board Member - Chairperson

I aho mai taku manu I te keo o Aoraki mataū.
Rere atu ia ki Waitakitaki awa noho ai tō Kāti Huirapa whaitua.
I reira kohikohi ai āna poa mo ōna marae, ko Waihao, ko Puketeraki, ko Arowhenua, ko Te Pā o Moki ērā.
Ko Kāi Tahu, ko Kāti Mamoe, Waitaha ōhoku iwi.
Ko Kāti Huirapa, Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki, Ngāti Irakehu ōhoku hapū.

Dardanelle was born and raised in Ōtautahi has a passion for whānau success. She has been actively involved from a young age with her hapū, being a participant, volunteer and trustee wherever tautoko is required. Dardanelle is passionate about rakatahi and whānau development. From a long line of servant leaders within the Waihao community, Dardanelle acknowledges that executive leadership of a rūnanga can be challenging, but it is also a position of privilege, which Dardanelle hopes the decisions of the executive board will continue to grow and nurture Waihao whānau.

In 2016 Dardanelle became a mama to Leila, who is named after her great-grandmother who grew up on the shores of Te Waihora. Leila is Dardanelle’s greatest achievement to date and she enjoys knowing that being actively engaged with Waihao will be another space Leila can learn and grow her Tahutanga and reo.

Karyn Reid

Elected Board Member - Deputy Chairperson

Ngāi Tahu / Ngāti Mamoe
Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki / Ngāi Taoka
Toa ( Winnie Brunton) née Huruhuru grew up on Māori Rd.
I’m a descendant of Chief Te Huruhuru.

Born in Oamaru, educated at Waitaki Girls High School.
Went through Māori Affairs Trade Training at Christchurch Polytechnic in Hairdressing.
Did a Hairdressing apprenticeship in Oamaru, then went to Auckland and did a film and television makeup course.
Started a Hairdressing business in Oamaru which I have been running for nearly 30 years.

Outside work, I have 2 big dogs that keep me fit and entertained, I love being outdoors in nature, I have a big garden with lots of native bird life. In 2016 I did a large native planting on the Alps to Ocean cycleway here in Oamaru which I maintain.

The business and people skills gained over many years will be an asset on the Board, I look forward to growing our footprint and future proofing our Marae for generations to come.

Kurt Scoringe

Elected Board Member

Melissa Slatter

Appointed Board Member

Waitaki Awa, Waitaki Takata. Melissa is of Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe and Kāi Tahu descent, with her Waihao whakapapa coming downTe Kapa/Koukou and the Loper line, together with Pakinui and the Harpur line. Nanny Peti Scoringe (nee Loper) was born and raised on Māori Road. Uncle Jack Scoringe built our Waihao Wharenui. Her whānau left the takiwā some 6 generations ago, and moved to the North Island. Melissa remembers fondly the kōrero with her Nana Audrey Kershaw about their Māori whakapapa which sparked her curiosity to connect with her Kāi Tahu taha. Melissa studied at Waikato University (B.Soc Sci) and Massey University (M.Phil) and has spent all of her working career is a Resource Management Act Town Planner. Melissa has held a number of leadership and governance roles throughout this time, including a 6 year term on two school boards. She is a member of Te Ahi Tūtata Taumata - the Beca Māori Staff Governance group. This special opportunity to be on the Waihao Executive is an exciting one as our Rūnanga tackles significant challenges with legislative reform, climate change and affirming our tino rangatiratanga in the place of our tīpuna. The opportunities these present to our whānau are pivotal, mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri ā muri ake nei. Melissa currently lives in Kirikiroa with her partner Gavon, and their son Anake. Along with cultivating her māra kai, Melissa has set herself a wero to weave a kete a fortnight to progress her raranga skills, and is loving her Te Pūtaketanga o Te Reo immersion journey this year with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

Sam MacDonald

Appointed Board Member

Sam was born and raised on the West Coast of the South Island, before moving to Otautahi Christchurch to attend the University of Canterbury. He is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Director, and currently serves as a Christchurch City Councillor, where he Chairs the Finance Committee. Sam holds various board positions including as a Trustee of Development West Coast and a director of Christchurch City Holdings Limited.

Kahu Jones

Associate Board Member

Juliette Stevenson (TRONT Representative)

Juliette is of Kāi Tahu descent on her mother’s side and holds whakapapa connections to Te Rūnanga o Waihao. As a child, she spent many hours at the marae, surrounded by whānau and watching her older family members serve the rūnaka — experiences that shaped her sense of identity and belonging from an early age. In her mid‑twenties, Juliette began serving her rūnanga herself. Over the years, she has contributed in a range of roles, including serving on the Executive Committee, the Waihao Holding Company, and as the Hauora Lead for Waihao.
Grounded in her Kāi Tahu whakapapa, Juliette brings a strengths‑based, people‑first approach to her mahi. She blends cultural values with practical, grounded leadership to support better outcomes for whānau across the region. Her commitment to equitable, culturally anchored hauora pathways continues to shape her work and advocacy.
Juliette is married to Jason, and together they have two sons, Thomas and George. They live in Tihi o Maru, where Juliette remains closely connected to both her community and her cultural identity.
In November 2016, Juliette was appointed as the Alternate Waihao Representative to Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, stepping into the full Representative role in February 2026.
Alongside her rūnanga responsibilities, Juliette is strongly involved in community leadership. She serves on the board of Aukaha and on the board of Victoria Trust. She is also the Chairperson of Food Rescue Aoraki and is actively involved in several sporting clubs throughout the region.
Professionally, Juliette is a Registered Nurse with 20 years’ experience across health and social services, working in both frontline and management roles. Her career spans District Health Boards, Primary Care, and the Māori Health sector — reflecting a lifelong dedication to community wellbeing and mana‑enhancing practice.

Brenden Reid (TRONT Alt Representative)

Wendy McNaughton

Chairperson

Parris Heath

Marae Komiti Member - Trustee Rep

Maddison McLean-Smith

Marae Komiti Member

Taylah-James Bentley-Eddington

Marae Komiti Member

Tewera King

Upoko

Wendy Heath

Kaikaranga

Damien McNamara – Manahautū | General Manager

Iwi Affiliations: Kāi Tahu, Kati Mamoe, Waitaha, Ngāti Hateatea.

Damien brings extensive operational leadership experience, with a focus on people development, strategic planning, and process improvement.
In his most recent role as Operations Manager for a civil contractor, he led a team of 10 internally, while balancing workloads, and contractors to bring work plans together so work could flow and continue easily.

Damien is community-minded first and values-led, outside of work Damien is an award winning astronomer and astrophotography, with a deep interest in dark sky advocacy, and tātai aroraki.
Damien lives in Ōamaru with his wife and whānau, and affiliates to Waihōpai, Puketeraki, Moeraki, Waihao, and Tūāhuriri through his Tipa ancestory.

Brenden Reid – Kaiwhakarite | Administrator, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Alternate Representative - Te Rūnanga o Waihao

Iwi Affiliations: Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Kati Huirapa, Ngāi Taoka,
Ngāti Tarāwhai, Ngāti Rongoheikume, Ngāti Rereahu, Ngāti Te Whatuiāpiti.

Brenden is connected to Waihao, through his Taua, Ruth Huruhuru Hill, Ko ōna tīpuna, Te Huruhuru, Te Maima Peneamine, Rawiri Te Maire, Merika Heikura.

Brenden brings over 25 years’ experience in Administration, Information & Archive Management, and Library Systems, having held roles with respected organisations including National Australia Bank, the State Library of Victoria, Macquarie Bank, and S&P Global Ratings, the State Bank of NSW, and Youngs & Co Brewery, Wandsworth, London SW.

Brenden offers strong cultural competency alongside proven skills in systems, analysis, and organisational efficiency.

Shyra Allcock - Kairukuruku/Marae Co-ordinator

Iwi Affiliations; Ngati Awa,Ngati Whatua & Te Arawa

Shyra has lived in Te Waipounamu since 2023 and has strong whānau and community-based values, her ties to kaupapa such as Te Whare Tū Taua O Aotearoa has allowed her to stay connected and maintain strong relationships in both Aotearoa & Ahitereiria.

Her most recent role was a disbility support worker,which she worked in for 5 years for a client who was the youngest child in Australia to have Spinal Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM).

She lives in Waimate with her partner nō Ngati Tūwharetoa and daughter.

Her Hapu is Ngati Umutahi Me Te Uri o Hau.