Heydon was appointed as a Trustee by the Māori Land Court on the 5 December 2024

I have lived in Waitara for most of my life, although I did play semi-professional Rugby League in Sydney in my early twenties.

In 2008 I studied at Te Waananga o Raukawa completing 3 years of Iwi and Hapū studies, Te Reo Māori and Rangakura Batchelor of Bilingual Teaching.  For the last 18 years I have been employed by Manukorihi Intermediate as a full time teacher.

I bring strong people skills to the board as I have coached and organised sports teams, tournaments, and campaigns.  I have also managed international artists along with organising festival events where budgets have had to be managed and met.  These activities have also meant that I have had to find and work with companies and contractors to ensure that the events happened without a glitch. 

I have good communication skills and consider that networking is an important aspect of any role that I take on. My organisational skills are an asset to any task that I undertake.

I am a former member of the Taranaki Rugby League board, and I am currently a member of the Waitara Rugby League Board where I have built years of governance experience.

I believe that my experience and skill sets contribute immensely to our people.  I am committed to playing an integral part in establishing Ngāmotu Marae while ensuring strong policies and procedures are adhered to, as a result, taking on accountability.