Thomas is a public servant based in Wellington with experience in providing policy advice, project management, and Māori capability training to a range of government organisations. He has governance experience in the areas of iwi and sports. He places high priority on maintaining a close connection to the haukāinga and shares a deep commitment to supporting the future development aspirations of Ngāti Rangitihi whānau at home and abroad. Having been raised in Matatā alongside many of his cousins, Toma attributes his drive and passion for the Iwi to the many examples of leadership he became accustomed to growing up at the Pā and within many whānau of Matatā