Pale Sauni completed his term on the ACE Aotearoa Board at our AGM this year. Pale was elected to the Board in 2014 and then again in 2017 and was co-opted to the Board in 2021 to serve until 2024. We thank Pale for his unforgettable time on the Board and the huge contribution he made. We are grateful that Pale will continue to contribute to the sector and champion the ACE kaupapa among Pasifika communities. Here we share with you Pale’s thoughts and farewell.

Talofa, malo le soifua.
When asked if I could pen some reflections on my time on the ACE Aotearoa Board, I began with a smile. A big smile. A sigh of satisfaction, that for a short time in my education work life, something that mattered, materialised in a governance that made sense.

In a world of social media, live feeds and AI, nothing was more satisfying and redemptive than being able to sit with a team of forward-thinking and purposeful Board members to create, design, maintain and define ideas and strategies which would benefit and accelerate the understanding of appropriate teaching and learning. All this while eating, laughing, sometimes crying, always challenging and mocking, debating, agreeing and disagreeing and most importantly, still remaining friends. Why? Our purpose.

Each meeting included caucus discussions around cultural practice, catching up with our personal lives, what was top of mind, the latest in education and health trends, what the government was saying, and the community priorities and aspirations for the learner. As much as I had contributed to the whole Board, there was so much more that I have learned from the collective.

I will always be grateful for the opportunity to serve in this way. I am grateful to the late Jo Lake, and more recently Analiese Robertson for steering this ship and further enhancing my migration story.
Fa’afetai, Ia manuia
Pale