Danelle Whakatihi

Danelle Whakatihi currently serves as the General Manager Customer and Community and holds the position of Chief People and Performance Officer at Palmerston North City Council since February 2023. In addition, Danelle is a member of the Board of Directors for Manawatū Rugby Union Inc, a role assumed in March 2024. Previous experience includes Group Manager People Capability at the Ministry of Education of New Zealand from May 2022 to February 2023, Positive Workplace Culture Programme Lead at Fire and Emergency NZ from March 2021 to June 2022, and National Manager HR Service Delivery at the New Zealand Defence Force from November 2017 to March 2021. Danelle also held the position of Regional Director at the Ministry of Social Development from February 2016 to February 2017. Danelle’s educational background includes attendance at Victoria University of Wellington from 1995 to 1997 and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa from 2000 to 2002.