Mayor Tapsell is of Te Arawa descent and the first Māori woman elected as Mayor of Rotorua. She leads a Council responsible for over $1.5 billion of community assets and has priorities to deliver outcomes for community, housing, environment and infrastructure.
Mayor Tapsell has served 11 years in local government after being elected at 21 years old and was Chairperson of Council's Operations & Monitoring Committee. She has also worked in tourism and top finance firms BNZ Business Partners and Deloitte. Mayor Tapsell is a qualified Resource Management Commissioner, has a Bachelor of Management Studies from the University of Waikato, and Diplomas in Business and Marketing.
Mayor Tapsell is a strong advocate for communities and ensuring a strong local voice. Prior to becoming Mayor, she was the Deputy Chairperson of the NZ Community Board Executive Committee which represents 110 boards across the country.
