Marilyn Kohlhase has had a diverse working life spanning 40 years in development aid, university administration, trade union education, equal employment opportunities and corporate learning and development. With another Sāmoan woman she established an early Pacific education consultancy whilst carrying out governance roles in tertiary education, development in the Pacific, Pacific broadcasting and the arts. She was on the former Creative NZ Arts Board and Chair of the CNZ Pacific Arts Committee for six years. She was co-founder of Okaiocainikart that morphed into Okai@Reef Gallery and ran various pop-ups as Akateretere Arts. After the role as inaugural Chair of the Pacific Advisory Group of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, she joined the Auckland Museum Institute Council where she is working on a Pacific initiative. Marilyn continues to mentor a number of Pacific artists and is in the process of establishing a small Museum in Glen Innes.