Pacific Security College welcomes new Advisory Board members
New Pacific Security College Advisory Board Members (clockwise from top left) Cherol Ala Ianna, Lautoa Faletau, Manumatavai Tupou‑Roosen and George Hoa’au. Photos: Pacific Security College
The Pacific Security College has welcomed four new members to its Advisory Board, further deepening the breadth of expertise and regional perspectives guiding its work.
The new board members – Dr Manumatavai Tupou‑Roosen, Mrs Cherol Ala Ianna, Ms Lautoa Faletau and Mr George Hoa’au – bring extensive experience across security, government, regional bodies, law enforcement and higher education.
Pacific Security College Director Professor Dave Peebles said he was delighted to welcome the new appointees, who will provide strategic guidance grounded in Pacific leadership and perspectives.
“The College is fortunate to have such experienced and respected leaders from across the region on our Advisory Board. Their insights are invaluable in shaping the College’s activities and future direction,” he said.
“We are particularly pleased to welcome our first board members from Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. Strong representation from across the Pacific is important to the College’s role in supporting Pacific Islands Forum member countries.
“We deeply appreciate the wisdom and guidance our board members share as we work together to contribute to building a safe, secure and resilient Blue Pacific.”
The College’s Advisory Board is appointed by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and comprises dedicated representatives from Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia who have served at senior levels of regional and international organisations and national governments.
New Pacific Security College Advisory Board Members
Dr Manu Tupou-Roosen was the first woman Director-General of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA). She served from November 2018 to November 2024, following her unanimous appointment by Fisheries Ministers. Prior to this, she led the FFA’s legal team for more than a decade. She has researched and worked in fisheries and more broadly for nearly 30 years. She is currently the Head of School for Ecology and Resilience Development at Pasifika Communities University.
Mrs Cherol Ala Ianna serves as Director-General of Vanuatu’s Ministry of Youth, Justice and Community Services. She was previously Director-General of the Prime Minister’s Office from 2022 to 2025, and Director-General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs from 2016 to 2022. Mrs Ala was Chair of Vanuatu’s National Recovery Committee, which is responsible for managing the recovery process after a disaster, until 2025 and remains a member of the committee. She has played a pivotal part in shaping national policy, coordinating interagency responses to emerging security challenges, and strengthening institutional resilience in alignment with the Boe Declaration’s expanded concept of security.
Ms Lautoa Faletau is an international development consultant with more than three decades of experience supporting law enforcement cooperation and governance reform across the Pacific. She has worked across national and regional institutions, beginning her career with Tonga Police before joining the Australian Federal Police (2006-2022), where she led the design and establishment of the Pacific Community for Law Enforcement Cooperation. Ms Faletau worked in the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police (PICP) Secretariat, is a founding member of the PICP Women’s Advisory Network, and has championed the integration of gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI) principles in Pacific policing.
Mr George Hoa’au serves as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs, Solomon Islands. His career spans both national and sub-regional arenas, including his tenure as Deputy Director-General of the Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat (2020-2023) and earlier service as Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Solomon Islands (2005-2013). In his current leadership role, Mr Hoa’au is driving justice sector reforms, while also establishing regional justice-to-justice partnerships and legal twinning initiatives with Fiji, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.
The four new members join the existing Advisory Board comprising Board chair Air Chief Marshal (retd) Mark Binskin; Rhea Moss-Christian; Hon Rimbink Pato KC OBE; Tuiloma Neroni Slade; Ross Ardern, and Colonel (retd) Litea Seruiratu.
