Amanda Hema and Max Baxter have joined the Board of Trustees of Toiora o Waikato | Wellbeing Waikato.
They join Chair Delwyn Abraham, Mike Rolton and Don Scarlet, bringing the Board to five trustees. A further appointment by Waikato-Tainui is expected.
Chair Delwyn Abraham said: "Amanda and Max bring a deep understanding of the Waikato and its communities, alongside substantial leadership and governance experience. Their wisdom will complement the Board to provide sound stewardship and clear strategic direction to help elevate the economic and social shifts needed to lift the wellbeing of our region, as Wellbeing Waikato enters its next phase.”
Amanda Hema is currently Head of Engagement at the University of Waikato. Her previous leadership roles include Chief Executive of the South Waikato Investment Fund Trust (SWIFT), Chair of Creative Waikato, and Group Manager of Community Services at South Waikato District Council. Her experience spans economic and community development, organisational leadership, stakeholder engagement and building partnerships across the region.
Max Baxter served as an Ōtorohanga District councillor from 2010 to 2013 before becoming Mayor from 2013 to 2025. He chaired the Mayor’s Taskforce for Jobs from 2017 to 2024, helping transform the organisation into a national delivery model that established 37 rural employment hubs and supported more than 7,000 youth employment opportunities. He is currently Independent Chair of Hauraki District Council’s Audit, Risk and Finance Committee.
His regional leadership roles included Deputy Chair of the Waikato Plan and co-chair of its Education, Youth and Employment workstream. In 2025, he received the Pepene Eketone Medal in recognition of his service, leadership and contribution to Te Nehenehenui – Ngāti Maniapoto.
Executive Director Harvey Brookes said: “We have spent the past several years developing a distinctive role in the region – bringing together evidence, community experience and different perspectives to help understand the issues affecting people’s wellbeing and identify opportunities for change. Amanda and Max bring valuable experience and relationships, and I look forward to working with them and the wider Board as we continue to develop our contribution to the Waikato.”
