Cook Islander Teremoana Yala of Porirua, was awarded the MNZM (Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit) on May 9, for services to the Cook Islands community.

Yala has assisted with the purchase a church building, helped revive the Cook Islands Manawatu Association, and started groups for budgeting, cooking and driver licensing.

She started a weekly Tivaevae group for Cook Islands women and has been member of Palmerston North City Council’s committee overseeing Highbury Community Hall.

Yala helped establish a World War One Pacific war memorial and is member of the Cook Islands Translation Panel and also involved with Lift Education.

She was Assistant General Secretary of the 43rd Diocese South Pacific District Council of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World and Cook Islands Commissioner of Girls’ Brigade.

A well-known Cook Islander, she has a long active in a wide range of public and social activities involving Cook Islands interests.

Yala has had extensive experience working in the Cook Islands Public Service, a total of more than 35 years across several agencies but most specifically the Ministry of Justice, the Office of the Head of State and the Cook Islands High Commission. 

She worked as Chief Administration Officer for the Cook Islands High Commission in Wellington for 14 years, and during that time she was Acting High Commissioner on a number of occasions. She has also had experience working in the Cook Islands domestic and offshore banking sectors, as well as tourism. 

Yala was the former Cook Islands High Commissioner to New Zealand from 2016, replacing former High Commissioner Tekaotiki Matapo.