When flooding devastated Auckland homes in early 2023, Saunoa (Noa) Samasoni stepped up to help the recovery.
In her seconded role as Senior Project Manager at Kāinga Ora, Noa leads the team responsible for managing the major works required on the 657 flood-impacted Kāinga Ora properties.
Noa began her Kāinga Ora career in the Customer Support Centre in 2016 and now oversees the servicing of more than 8,000 Auckland homes.
In her maintenance leadership role, Noa is responsible for negotiating contracts with business partners and designing cross-departmental initiatives aimed at streamlining internal processes.
Noa helped design the award-winning Te Mahi Ngātahi maintenance programme, which has improved the process for maintenance partners and provides a better experience for customers.
The initiative was named runner up in both the Social Housing Excellence and Innovation categories of the Australasian Housing Institute’s 2022 Australasian Brighter Futures Awards.
Noa is committed to delivering for Aotearoa New Zealand and New Zealanders through her strong work ethic, driving cross-departmental initiatives to improve efficiency despite significant time constraints and challenges.
Her collaborative approach to engaging and partnering with others is demonstrated in her work with external stakeholders, sharing knowledge and ideas to enable continuous improvement.
In August, Noa was named Te Tohu mō te Kaiārahi Rangatahi o te Tau | Young Leader of the Year at the Te Hāpai Hapori | Spirit of Service Awards, which recognise public servants and initiatives that exemplify the spirit of service and demonstrate an outstanding commitment to New Zealand.
In her nomination, Noa’s colleagues said she consistently places the needs of others above her own and has a genuine concern for the wellbeing of her team, peers, customers and community.
