Whatever It Takes Trust in Napier welcomes new CEO, former police area commander Sam Aberahama.
Born and bred in Hastings, parents are from Cook Islands who immigrated to NZ in the 1960’s. Sam was schooled at Camberley primary school, Heretaunga Intermediate and Hastings Boys High school.
Sam left school and joined the Royal NZ Air Force where he remained for 3 years before joining the NZ Police and was posted to Otahuhu in South Auckland. He later policed in Ōtara, Manurewa and Papakura over the following 10 years in policing.
In 1998 Sam and his young family transferred to Hawkes Bay where he worked as a Detective Sergeant in Hastings, he spent the following 10 years working throughout Te Matau a Maui in a number of promotional roles up to Detective Inspector.
Sam saw an opportunity to lead policing in Tairawhiti in 2009 after a period of relieving and became the Tairawhiti Police Area Commander in 2010.
Sam worked with Iwi and Communities throughout Te Tairawhiti for the following 14 years and he credits much of the successes achieved down to the strong relationships built. A number of those in attendance at Sam’s pōwhiri are a testament to the relationship that Nga Pirihimana have built.
Sam is excited to come home to Te Matau a Maui and continue to work alongside our staff at Whatever it Takes, Iwi and community into the future. Sam’s priority is to get alongside our Kaimahi and whaiora to better understand their amazing mahi. He will work hard alongside the Senior Leadership Team and the Board of Trustees to build on the successes that Whatever it Takes Trust has built over the past 20 years.
Read more at the NZ Herald.