Title comes out of left field
When Karen Poutasi found out she was being made a dame, it was a left-field surprise during lockdown.
The former director-general of health, Poutasi has been awarded the honour for services to education and the state, for her work in health and as chief executive of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
‘‘I was extremely surprised and extremely honoured, it came from left field.’’
She said the honour was a reflection on the people she had worked with.
‘‘You don’t do health and education without connecting with iwi, with primary care, with teachers, and that’s what makes things happen.
‘‘So I hope, that was my main thought, that those I have worked with in health and education see this as a recognition of the work that they too have done.’’
Poutasi is perhaps not as instantly recognisable as the person who fills the directorgeneral of health position today, but it was her teams that developed the first iteration of New Zealand’s pandemic plan.
‘‘We didn’t have a pandemic plan until then.’’
She said it had been developed further since her time – she was in the role from 1995 to 2006 – but the basics had stayed the same.
‘‘The phases of ‘keep it out, stamp it out’, it has been quite interesting watching those come through.’’
She was glad not to be in the role today, saying she wouldn’t wish it on anyone, although has had a role to play in the fight against Covid-19, in her role as commissioner of the Waikato District Heath Board.
After her stint at the Ministry of Health, she moved to the chief executive role at NZQA, the body which oversees NCEA.
While the jump from the health sector to education may seem like a big change, she said in both roles it was important to listen to people and learn what they need.
‘‘We said, what do learners need in the modern world?’’
This included starting the work to put NCEA online.
‘‘You can see with Covid-19 why that is really quite a critical thing to be able to have our high stakes exams online.
‘‘In a future world you could do them anywhere, anytime.’’
In 2006, Poutasi was appointed Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to health administration.
In 1993, she was awarded the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal.