Moses is a NZ-born Sāmoan, the son of Leaula Mose Faleolo (Falelima/Sāleaula), a retired machine operator of 39 years and former Ranui Pacific Islands Presbyterian Church Treasurer of 25 years, and Pepe Fetu’una’i Faleolo (nee Ma’alo Talataina) (Leusoali’i/Lepā), a Justice of the Peace for 10 years, Waitakere Court Lay Advocate for 10 years, Early Childhood Educator for 20 years, and Bachelor of Education graduate. His mother passed away from a fatal hit and run after a vehicle hit her while she was a pedestrian on July 17, 2018.
Moses is a paramount Sāmoan chief and carries the title Gisa (ngeesa). He has a PhD in social work and social policy, which is the first of its kind in the world. He collected dozens of life histories from gang members in 2011. He is a registered social worker, and he served for over a decade as a youth justice social worker, managing youth offenders and prospects in adult gangs with unresolved trauma as well as being a youth worker specialist providing one-to-one approaches to young people with behavioural issues. It was this experience that he took into university classrooms for 15 years as a senior lecturer and published numerous book chapters, articles, and a book. His academic career has been featured on television, radio, and print media.
His governance experience and community involvement span over three decades and counting. Over the last three years, he was recently appointed by the Hon. Carmel Sepuloni in 2022 to serve on the NZ Social Work Registration Board. He was also invited to the NZ Police Wellington District Commander’s Pacific Advisory Forum last year. He was invited to form a Pacific Advisory Panel and work on a National Apology and as a Pasifiki and academic expert to the Trauma-Informed Advisory Panel due to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into State and Faith-Based Care Abuse by the Ministry for Children Oranga Tamariki, since 2021. He has been the Chair of the Kelston Boys’ High School Board of Trustees since 2019.