Lili hails from the villages of Lauli’i and Falelima in Samoa. She and her husband Turi, have four adult children.

A former secondary school teacher, she worked as Education Advisor and Strategic Advisor to the Government of Tokelau for over ten years. Lili has had extensive board experience in organisations such as Foundation North, AUT and Education Council. She is currently Mission Services Manager, The Salvation Army Worship and Community Centre, Newtown, and serves as a board trustee for an Auckland secondary school.

She is an advocate for equitable educational outcomes for all learners, to advance the health and wellbeing of all citizens and communities in Aotearoa.