Who is in the High Commission

The High Commission is staffed by a team of seven staff from Wellington and 21 locally engaged staff.

Policy

High Commissioner, Ms Marion Crawshaw

Marion is a career diplomat who has previously been posted as Deputy High Commissioner to the Solomon Islands, Deputy Representative to the OECD in Paris, as well as to Suva and Rome. She was seconded to the New Zealand Police as National Manager Policy, where she established New Zealand Police’s Policy Group. Most recently Ms Crawshaw was the Director of the Knowledge Services Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, developing a programme of knowledge management projects for the Ministry.

Deputy High Commissioner, Mr Nathan Glassey

As Deputy High Commissioner, Nathan is primarily responsible for supporting New Zealand's trade and economic relationship with PNG, for the High Commission's public diplomacy and for supporting regional and multilateral engagements. He also manages the Head of Mission Fund for small development projects.

Policy Support Officer / PA to the High Commissioner, Mrs Denise Ruha

Denise provides administrative support to the Policy Team and is the personal assistant to the High Commissioner.

Operations, Immigration and Consular

Consul/Second Secretary (Administration), Ms Angila Woodham

As Consular/Second Secretary (Administration), Angila is primarily responsible for the High Commission’s administration which includes security, property and asset management, human resources, finance, consular and immigration services. Angila is supported by a team of locally engaged staff. Prior to her current posting, Angila was a Consular Officer in Wellington. She has also spent time in our High Commission in Niue, as well as in the Deputy Secretary’s (Multilateral) Office, Asia Division and North Asia Division in Wellington.

New Zealand Aid Programme

Counsellor (Development), Mr Dimitri Geidelberg

Dimitri is the Country Manager for the New Zealand Aid Programme. Before coming to PNG he worked on the Cook Islands development cooperation programme. Dimitri was previously posted to Suva where he had responsibility for Pacific regional organisations and multi-country programmes. Prior to that, he worked in Canberra, both at the New Zealand High Commission and on secondment to AusAID.

First Secretary (Development), Mrs Heather Wright

Heather was posted to Port Moresby as First Secretary (Development) in October 2008. Heather has oversight of all New Zealand's rural economic development projects, notably agriculture, and all education sector and capacity building programmes (including scholarships). She was previously posted to the New Zealand High Commission in Niue.

First Secretary (Development), Mr Pati Gagau

Pati was posted as First Secretary (Development) to the NZ High Commission in Port Moresby in 2008. In this role, Pati manages New Zealand’s support to the health sector in PNG; and to Bougainville, which includes policing, capacity development initiatives, and civil society. Pati first joined the Ministry in July 2003 as a Development Programme Manager, having management responsibility for New Zealand’s development assistance to the Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea.

Development Programme Co-ordinator (Rural Economic Development), Ms Viola Digwaleu

Viola works with civil society organisations and assists with New Zealand's education sector programmes. She joined the High Commission in September 2009.

Development Programme Co-ordinator (Health), Mr Robert Turare

Robert’s responsibilities include civil society organisations, principally in Bougainville, and New Zealand’s emergency responses. He joined the High Commission in September 2009.

Development Programme Administrator (Small Projects), Mr John Koi

John joined the New Zealand High Commission as Project Officer in 1999. He coordinates New Zealand's Small Project Fund and provides administrative support for a number of the aid projects.

New Zealand Defence

Defence Attaché, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Taylor

Richard is responsible for liaison between the New Zealand Defence Force and the Papua New Guinea Defence Force and other PNG governmental agencies, and providing advice to the High Commissioner and other staff with respect to defence and security issues. He has previously served in a number of roles in the NZDF, including a six-month deployment to Bougainville in 2003 as part of the Peace Monitoring Group. Richard is also accredited to Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, and performs similar roles with respect to those countries.

PA to the Defence Attaché, Mrs Rhonda-Marie Anderson

Rhonda-Marie provides administrative support to Defence Attaché as his personal assistant.