Tribal Affiliation: Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Te Whiti
Born and raised on the Kapiti Coast, Philippa is the daughter of Ralphe and Nui Biss. She attended Wellington Teachers College before moving to Taranaki to begin her teaching career in Ngāmotu. She has lived in the shadow of Taranaki for 37 years with her husband Graeme. They have two tamariki and four mokopuna. Whānau is the foundation of her life.
Her whānau, parents and grandparents provided her with strong values of manaakitanga and aroha, along with respect for all and working hard in all you do.
Philippa is passionate about education and has spent her career in teaching and leadership roles. Her key focus is on improving educational opportunities and outcomes for tamariki, rangatahi and their whānau.
Philippa’s interests include raranga, running, kororā monitoring and spending time with her whānau.
He aha te mea nui o te ao?
He tangata, he tangata, he tangata