The justice minister also announced two other new commissioners
Dr Stephen Rainbow has been named the new chief human rights commissioner.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith made the announcement. He highlighted Rainbow’s achievements throughout his career, which included “managing government relations for New Zealand's largest infrastructure project, lecturing at Victoria University, serving as director of Urban Strategy at Wellington City Council, and working as national manager of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust”.
Rainbow has also advocated for LGBT rights, sat on the Wellington City Council, and was on the Burnett Foundation Aotearoa’s board.
Goldsmith also revealed that Dr Gail Pacheco would be the incoming Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner and that Dr Melissa Derby would be race relations commissioner. Pacheco is director of Auckland University of Technology’s NZ Policy Research Institute in addition to being an economics professor; she has led large-scale, multi-institutional projects for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Ministry for Women, Ministry of Education, and the Human Rights Commission.
Meanwhile, Derby is a Waikato University senior lecturer. She was a recipient of a Fulbright-Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Graduate Award for her research on early literacy and the role of whānau in developing foundational preliteracy skills.
The new leaders will succeed outgoing Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner Dr Saunoamaali’i Karanina Sumeo, who spent a chunk of the past year as acting chief commissioner and acting race relations commissioner.
