Lisa Chase

I was born and raised in Moawhango. I worked mainly in Europe in international marketing before returning home in 2002 where I farmed in the Rangītikei on blocks under my own farm business on general and Māori land. Alongside farming I had a corporate career in agri-business marketing working for FarmSafe and Fairfax Media. From 2017 I began working with a number of regional Māori business networks as a researcher and then for Te Puni Kōkiri as Regional Economic Development advisor/ whenua for Te Tai Hauāuru. Currently I am an advisory trustee of a Awarua land block, part of the Te Reureu whenua working group and the Tūwharetoa Farm Collective.

In 2018 I was a Ministerial Board appointment to the NZ Walking Access Commission; Risk & Audit & Māori Strategy sub committees and have been a member of the NZ Institute of Directors since 2016.

In my past spare time I have represented Manawatū in Māori rugby, completed the Speights Coast to Coast and National masters Kayaking. I enjoy the outdoors, recreational activities and many sporting codes.

My motivation to be on this Trust is my connection to the whenua. From about 2007, along with my dad I have been over much of Owhaoko on horseback. Retaining manawhenua over this taonga is my reason for wanting to be a trustee.

I hope to bring a strategic lens to our engagement with key stakeholders to ensure the best   commercial arrangements. I have a mix of practical Māori farming knowhow, business and experience in the machinery of government at a Wellington level having been involved in cross agency and triage of PGF’s project across Aotearoa. Recently embarked on a Masters in Agribusiness with a specific interest in the Māori Food, Value chain. How we may prosper from the taonga that we have, in balance with our environment is a challenge I welcome.