Tame is of Te Arawa whānui and Ngāti Ruanui descent. He has worked for Puna Consultants Ltd, Animal Health Board, the Department of Conservation, the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regional councils and Te Tira Whakamātaki.
Tame came through the school system with total immersion in Te Reo Māori and has more than 10 years of experience in biosecurity and biodiversity management.