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About PHAC membership
The Terms of Reference for the PHAC allow for a minimum of 5 and maximum of 7 members.
Chair: Kevin Hague
Appointed November 2022 to November 2025
Kevin Hague is the former chief executive of the West Coast DHB, the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand and the New Zealand AIDS Foundation, and is also a former Member of Parliament. He has considerable experience in the health and wellbeing sector, and particular expertise in public health and health promotion. He is an experienced leader in the public, private and community sectors and is currently the Deputy Chair of Te Hiringa Mahara (the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission). He has an academic background principally in mathematics, physics and public health, and lives on the West Coast of the South Island.
Beverly Te Huia
Appointed November 2022 to November 2025
Beverly Te Huia (Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngai Tahu) is Public Health Strategist/Manager at Kahungunu Health Services, based in the Hawkes Bay. She is a public health strategic leader in local Iwi-led organisations and health services and undertakes research and evaluation in Hauora Māori health.
She has qualifications in midwifery, health science and public health, and board and chair experience on national and regional groups.
Associate Professor Jason Gurney
Appointed November 2022 to November 2025
Associate Professor Gurney (Ngāpuhi) is Director of the Cancer and Chronic Conditions (C3) Research Group at the Department of Public Health, University of Otago, and is based in Auckland. He is an epidemiologist and public health researcher with a focus on cancer, and he’s also seconded part-time to Te Aho o te Kahu Cancer Control Agency.
He has board and committee experience in the last 10 years in the field of health care delivery, cancer and research, and a significant list of publications with a focus on the cancer and health equity for Māori.
Associate Professor Ruth Cunningham
Appointed November 2022 to November 2025
Associate Professor Cunningham is public health medicine specialist and epidemiologist based at the University of Otago in Wellington. Her areas of focus are mental health, improving the physical health of people with mental health conditions, and the use of linked data for health equity research.
She led the Public Health Strategic Response Team early in the COVID-19 response and has been seconded into senior roles in mental health and addictions and public health at the Ministry of Health. She has a strong interest in public health education and workforce development and has been involved in public health education at undergraduate, postgraduate and professional levels.
Professor Peter Crampton
Appointed November 2022 to November 2025
Professor Crampton is a Professor of Public Health at the Kōtahu Centre for Hauora Māori, University of Otago. He has qualifications in medicine and public health and is a Fellow of the New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine. He has an extensive career history of work in Māori and Pacific health, is a past member of the Health and Disability Review Panel, and a past Harkness Fellow.
Faumuina Professor Fa’afetai Sopoaga
Appointed October 2024 to October 2027
Professor Sopoaga has over 30 years of experience as a medical doctor and over 20 years of experience as a public health medicine specialist. She currently serves as the Director at the Va’a o Tautai – Centre for Pacific Health and Professor at the Dunedin School of Medicine at the University of Otago. Professor Sopoaga was awarded the companion of New Zealand Order of Merit in 2022 for services to Pacific health and tertiary education. She led the establishment of the Va’a o Tautai – Centre for Pacific Health in 2018 to support the development of Pacific research and capacity building.
Professor Sopoaga has been engaged with various Pacific community and health organisations across New Zealand, including the Pacific Islands Advisory & Cultural Trust (Invercargill), Pacific Trust Otago (Dunedin), Oamaru Pacific Islands Community Group, Vaka Tautua, and Le Afioaga o Aotearoa (Auckland). Her recent research projects focus on development of Pacific students in higher education and health sciences. Her areas of research include Pacific mental health and wellbeing, Pacific health workforce and capacity building, Pacific health medical curriculum.
Dr Caroline McElnay
Appointed October 2024 to October 2027
Dr McElnay has over 30 years’ experience as a medical doctor and as a public health medicine specialist. She is currently the Clinical Lead, Immunisation, in the National Public Health Service and was the Director of Public Health at the Ministry of Health from 2017 to 2022.
Dr McElnay is currently Chair of the Assessment Panel and Member of the Education and Training Committee at the New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine. She is also Vice-President of Living Streets Aotearoa. She was previously President of the New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine and the Director of Population Health, Health Equity Champion, and Clinical Director of Population Health at Hawke’s Bay District Health Board. Dr McElnay was awarded the Queen’s Service Order in 2023 for her services to public health.
Former committee members
Sir Collin Tukuitonga from December 2022 to December 2023.
