Neena Chauhan is ready to serve and give back to the Te Puke community.

Surrounded by friends and whānau, Neena was formally sworn in as Te Puke’s newest Community Board member at Council chambers.

Neena fills the vacant seat after the resignation of Anish Paudel in August. Nominations for the position closed in early September and Neena was the only one nominated, avoiding the need for a by-election.

She has called Te Puke home for the last 23 years and is a passionate educator for young tamariki and an advocate for the Indian community in the region.

“Te Puke has given me so much and this is my time to give back. From day one it’s been about serving the community and that will be my focus,” says Neena after being sworn in.

Western Bay Mayor James Denyer is looking forward to working with Neena.

“Our Community Board members play an important role in representing and advocating for their local communities. I welcome Neena to our team of elected members and look forward to her making a strong contribution to the Te Puke community in her new role.”

Neena's swearing in means the Community Board returns to a full complement of board members. She joins Chairperson Kassie Ellis, Dale Snell and Karen Summerhays as the representatives for Te Puke, alongside Councillors Grant Dally and Andy Wichers.

The next Te Puke Community Board meeting is at 7pm on Thursday, November 23, at the Te Puke Library and Service Centre.