‘Kua tāwhiti ko te hāerenga mai, kia kōre e hāere tōnu He tino nui rawa ōu mahi, kia kōre e mahi nui tōnu.’
‘We have come too far, not to go further We have done too much, not to do more.’ Ta Hemi Hēnare, 1988.

Four times a year our quarterly newsletter provides a snapshot of the incredible work of our ACE sector. Our stories are compelling and uplifting and remind us that community learning transforms lives and communities.

In March 2024 we were delighted to confirm the permanent appointment of Hannah Pia Baral as CEO of ACE Aotearoa. Hannah has been a previous Director of ACE and has a deep knowledge of the sector. She has recently returned to Aotearoa from Australia where she held a senior role which contributed to her extensive experience and leadership capabilities.

The Board has also confirmed that Analiese Robertson will continue in her role as Executive Officer Business Development with AA Focus as well as working on specific ACE Aotearoa projects with Hannah. You will recall that Analiese took secondment from her role as Director of ACE Aotearoa to pursue this opportunity with our social enterprise arm. We will take time to thank and acknowledge Analiese for her commitment and wisdom in leading ACE Aotearoa at a time to be confirmed.

Storytelling is a powerful way of engaging with the world and this year‘s conference, Tuia te kōrero, Whiria te tangata What is the Story?, will be an opportunity to connect with our own unique stories and upskill in the way we communicate with learners, funders and the wider community through story. We hope that it will also be an opportunity for those participating in the annual Festival of Adult Learning Ahurei Ākonga in September, to discover new and creative ways of reaching out to their communities to promote what they do so successfully. We hope to see many of you at the conference which provides a great networking and learning opportunity, and which will also set the scene for the Festival later in the year.

Members of the ACE Aotearoa team and Board actively promote the value of sector membership. We expand sector reach through whanaungatanga with Ako Aotearoa, Community Research, Inspiring Communities and other organisations that share our sector kaupapa as well as contributing to public service capability. Sector membership means we present with a united and strong voice that is reflective of the wider community that we represent. We encourage groups and individuals in the sector to take the formal step of joining ACE Aotearoa and contributing to that strength that comes from numbers.

ACE Aotearoa has a Board of strong and diverse members who each bring depth and dimension to our kaupapa. Current Board members include:

• Charissa Waerea
• David Do
• Jay Rupapera (Tangata Whenua Co-chair)
• Kathryn Hazlewood (Tangata Tiriti Co-chair)
• Pale Sauni
• Lottie Vinson
• Deleraine Puhara

We will work hard to strengthen the role of ACE in tertiary education in 2024. We know that our sector faces change ahead with a new government, and we look forward to ensuring that the ACE sector is strongly and strategically positioned to continue to deliver on our kaupapa and values in a consistent and supportive way.

Please visit here to read more about our Board members.

Jay Rupapera, Co-chair Tangata Whenua and Kathryn Hazlewood, Co-chair, Tangata Tiriti