Climate Action Tai Tokerau is governed by the Climate Change Taitokerau Northland Trust.
Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn
Catherine (Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kurī) is a Trustee of Climate Action Tai Tokerau. Holding a Master of Laws, and as a recipient of two UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Indigenous Fellowships, her career has been grounded in a commitment to human rights, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and climate justice. Catherine is a cofounder of the Whangārei Inner Development Goals Hub, and currently is an environmental educator with EcoSolutions.
Dr. Carol Peters QSM
Carol is a community development advocate with a PhD in community-led development who served two terms as a Whangārei District Councillor. Over decades of grassroots advocacy with organisations like Whare Āwhina, she initiated and supported transformative regional initiatives including Open Arms, Whakaora Kai (Food Rescue Northland), and Tai Tokerau Climate Action. Awarded a Queen’s Service Medal for her dedication to social and economic development, she continues to champion housing affordability, community resilience, and regional arts. Carol is the Chair of Climate Action Tai Tokerau.
Jenni Moore
Originally from a sheep farm in Canterbury, Jenni has been living in Northland and working in the health sector in Northland since 1989. She is a Registered Nurse with her Masters in Nursing and has worked in many fields mostly, community based including Quality, Māori health, Nursing education, and Aged Care. A priority has always been striving to reduce inequities of outcomes for Maori and Pasifika. For relaxation Jenni loves to walk in the bush ride her bike, paint and play music with her friends.
Joe camuso
Joe Camuso is an environmental engineer and former Rivers and Natural Hazards Manager at Northland Regional Council, holding a Master’s in Environmental Engineering. A passionate champion for climate adaptation and clean energy across Te Tai Tokerau, he has played a pivotal role in accelerating regional low-emission transport. Joe established New Zealand’s first EV taxi service in Whangārei and pushed for fleet electrification across local councils. As a key driving force behind Northland’s charging infrastructure, he was instrumental in rapidly expanding the regional EV charging network, making clean transport accessible right up to Cape Reinga.
Dr. Lily George
Lily (Te Kapotai, Ngāpuhi) is a social anthropologist and researcher specialising in Maori health research, indigenous research ethics, intergenerational healing, and whānau wellbeing. Her work centres on self-determined Indigenous methodologies, intergenerational knowledge, and community-led research to support transformative outcomes for Māori communities. She has served in key academic and leadership roles—including Chair of the New Zealand Ethics Committee—advancing ethical research practices, youth suicide prevention, and rehabilitation pathways for incarcerated women. Lily currently works for the Far North District Council.
Marcus Powell
Marcus is an acclaimed musician and songwriter best known as the lead guitarist and co-writer for iconic Kiwi rock band Blindspott, whose chart-topping hits have amassed tens of millions of streams on Spotify. Grounded in a passion for youth development and creative empowerment, he spent over a decade as the founder and leader of the Crescendo Trust of Aotearoa. Today, Marcus serves as a Trustee for Climate Action Tai Tokerau and co-founder of Within Nature, leveraging music, holistic wellbeing, and community leadership to inspire regional environmental resilience.
Peter Bruce-Iri
Peter is a researcher, author, and the Project Lead for Climate Action Tai Tokerau, supporting regional community-led climate action. His work centres on how natural living systems and eco-restoration can stabilise local and global climates, insights detailed in his books How Plants Cool and Heal the Climate. In 2026 he published Spiritual Solutions for Healing the Climate advocating the need to develop a unified and peaceful world as an essential foundation for effective climate action.
Rakesh Pinao
As a science graduate and meteorologist Rakesh has studied the science of our climate system, as a project manager he has traversed the challenges of making change, and as a citizen he has ridden the journey of hope and disappointment of global efforts to place people and planet at the centre of our decision-making. Rakesh has worked on regional climate change adaptation at the Northland Regional Council working primarily to establish and maintain climate partnerships with district councils, iwi/hapu groups, and national agencies.