Andrew Little’s office director David (Dave) Hawkins worked as his senior private secretary in opposition and government. Photo \/ LinkedIn<\/p>\n
Little has changed the traditional chief of staff role to that of an office director, hiring Dave Hawkins who worked a similar role in Little\u2019s ministerial office.<\/p>\n
Hawkins describes himself as a \u201clong-time Little lieutenant\u201d, serving as his senior private secretary (SPS) both in opposition and throughout Little\u2019s tenure as a minister. As well as the SPS role, Hawkins also took on advisor and press secretary duties for other portfolios including GCSB and NZSIS. <\/p>\n
After Little left parliament in 2023 Hawkins took up a job at the Defence Force.<\/p>\n
Respected as a forthright and efficient operator, his role is to be across the operations and includes managing the staff in the office, as well as balancing policy, logistics, strategy, and communication responsibilities.<\/p>\n
Much of Hawkins\u2019 time in Little\u2019s first 100 days involved working with the mayor and councillors on the triennium plan<\/a>, which involved negotiations to secure the numbers for the plan\u2019s majority support.<\/p>\n He took over from Tory Whanau\u2019s former chief of staff, Nadine Walker, who is now working as a freelance senior consultant.<\/p>\n As a political appointee, Hawkins is a fixed-term employee until the next local body election.<\/p>\n Chief advisor, Alex Marett, salary band $139,009-$188,070<\/p>\n Another changed role in the mayor\u2019s office is that of a chief advisor, a higher-ranking position from the senior advisor role under previous mayors.<\/p>\n Marett\u2019s job as chief advisor is similar to that of a ministerial adviser: getting into the weeds to provide balanced policy and political advice to the mayor.<\/p>\n Also a political appointment, Marett is a former Beehive staffer and well connected in the local Labour Party.<\/p>\n She was a senior researcher in Little\u2019s opposition leader\u2019s office before working as a ministerial advisor for Labour ministers between 2018 and 2021, including as a special advisor for Covid-19 to then-minister Chris Hipkins.<\/p>\n Her most recent position was outside of politics as the executive director of the Council of Medical Colleges.<\/p>\n Marett was Little\u2019s campaign manager for his mayoral bid, working alongside her partner Neale Jones<\/a> who did communications and strategy for the campaign.<\/p>\n Jones was Little\u2019s, and subsequently Ardern\u2019s, chief of staff in Parliament, and now runs Wellington lobbying firm Capital Government Relations. <\/p>\n Marett\u2019s role is fixed-term until the election.<\/p>\n Principal communications advisor, Phil Reed, salary band $118,337-$160,156<\/p>\n His second time in the role, Phil Reed previously worked for former mayor Celia Wade Brown as a press secretary, writing speeches and coordinating media.<\/p>\n Reed was a senior press secretary in Parliament for the Labour Party when in opposition in 2016, working for Little, then Ardern until the 2017 election, after which he worked for former minister Iain Lees-Galloway until 2019.<\/p>\n He then left the Beehive took up various contractor communications roles in the public service.<\/p>\n Responsible for managing the mayor\u2019s media strategy and engagements, dealing with journalists, and helping with social media, Reed\u2019s role is helped by Little\u2019s open approach to media, with the mayor well versed in dealing with journalists and often happy to make himself available for interviews.<\/p>\n Also a political appointee, Reed is a fixed-term employee until the election.<\/p>\n Until recently, there was a second communications role in the mayor\u2019s office, last held by Annabelle Parata Vaughan, who was appointed under Whanau.<\/p>\n The position remains unfilled since Parata Vaughan left in January for a role with the Green Party in Parliament.<\/p>\n As a cost-saving measure, no moves have been made to fill the role, with speech writing and correspondence duties now shared across the remaining staff.<\/p>\n Office manager, Kate Hamilton, salary band $103,494-$140,021<\/p>\n A longstanding council officer, Hamilton manages administration and coordinates responses to residents\u2019 correspondence and requests for help.<\/p>\n She is a permanent council employee first appointed to the mayoral office under Tory Whanau.<\/p>\n Functions and events coordinator, Michelle Carroll, salary band $83,666-$113,195<\/p>\n Another longstanding council officer, Michelle Carroll is responsible for organising citizenship ceremonies and events hosted by the mayor. <\/p>\n She also provides administrative support to Deputy Mayor Ben McNulty.<\/p>\n A permanent council employee, Carroll was first appointed to the mayoral office under Tory Whanau.<\/p>\n Executive assistant to the mayor, Tiumalu MG Sialava\u2019a, salary band $96,866-$131,053<\/p>\n Tiumalu MG Sialava\u2019a coordinates the many requests for meetings the mayor receives, and is described as an administrative superstar who keeps the office running.<\/p>\n Little is Sialava\u2019a\u2019s third mayor, having served the same role for Andy Foster and Tory Whanau. Sialava\u2019a is another permanent council employee.<\/p>\n Ethan Manera<\/a> is a Wellington-based journalist covering Wellington issues, local politics and business in the capital. He can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Andrew Little’s office director David (Dave) Hawkins worked as his senior private secretary in opposition and government. 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Photo \/ LinkedIn<\/p>\n
Andrew Little’s executive assistant, Tiumalu MG Sialava\u2019a, also worked under former mayors Andy Foster and Tory Whanau. Photo \/ LinkedIn<\/p>\n