Deputy Chief Executive – Regional Partnerships at the Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP) Aiolupotea Sina Aiolupotea-Aiono has become the newest recipient at the Ministry to receive a Public Service Medal.
Established by the Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the medal is awarded annually on or near to Public Service Day (November 7), to honour public servants who go above and beyond what is expected to serve the people of New Zealand.
Aiolupotea is among nine other recipients of the award this year, and she joins the likes of past fellow Pacific recipients Matalena Leaupepe (MBIE), Isabel Evans (MOE), and MPP’s Diane Fenika, who received medals in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
Her passion to deliver outcomes for Pacific peoples and communities embodies the spirit of service, while she knows what it takes to build sustainable relationships with communities - living and breathing it every day in her role as Deputy Chief Executive Regional Partnerships.
Aiolupotea’s spirit of service is built on understanding, trust and mutual respect among Pacific communities, through the many relationships she has nurtured for over 25 years working with a wide range of ethnic-specific, pan-Pacific, local, regional and national groups.
She is a leader who always goes above and beyond, through her responsibilities for the ministry’s Regional Community Engagement teams, Programme Delivery teams and Providers, and Aiolupotea puts in long hours with her team to deliver what is needed for communities.
Leading from the front with care and integrity, she empowers her team and the communities she works with to deliver outcomes based on Pacific wellbeing.
State Services Minister Hon Chris Hipkins says Aiolupotea is a worthy recipient of the New Zealand Public Service Medal.
“Public servants make a real difference to the lives of New Zealanders and it is important their exemplary work, achievements and contributions are acknowledged,” he says.
“The Government’s COVID-19 response and recovery efforts have been implemented by the Public Service, and I want to take this opportunity to thank our public servants for their work over the past nine months.”
New Zealand’s Royal Honours system includes extensive options for the recognition of public servants, particularly those in the Armed Forces and uniformed services, like Police, and Fire and Emergency New Zealand.
The Public Service Medal exclusively recognises the work, achievements, and contribution of core public servants, such as rangers protecting the environment, customs officers protecting New Zealand’s borders, social workers helping families, officials keeping courts going and corrections officers in prisons.
In 2020, ten public servants were awarded medals and 14 received commendations.