Barry Shea
Barry Shea, of Te Horo, received the Insignia of a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the Ministry of Social Development. Mr Shea has worked for the Ministry of Social Development for 45 years. He was the regional manager for the Waikato, the National Manager for Interagency Collaboration Initiatives, and more recently the General Manager of Senior Services. He was instrumental in developing the Strengthening Families programme for families in need. He played a lead role in the implementation of some 30 Heartland Service Centres, which were designed to provide services in rural communities. More recently, Mr Shea was involved in the instigation of the SuperGold Card for senior citizens.