Tēnā tātou katoa,

My name is Michele Badenhorst. I was born in South Africa and moved to beautiful Aotearoa with my son Darion (currently 15) in 2019.

Aotearoa quickly became the home we now love. And although our whānau still reside in South Africa we have been fortunate in meeting whānau who have embraced us as their own and feel closely connected through these loving relationships. We realise how fortunate we are to have these connections and to have the privilege of residing in Aotearoa.

I have over 10 years’ experience in providing support to senior leadership in various industries. In 2019 I started as PA in the Public Health Unit Waikato DHB (at the time). During the COVID-19 Pandemic I was appointed as Logistics Lead within the Public Health Unit Emergency Response team as well as providing continuous administrative support to the wider Waikato DHB response and leading a team of PHU administrators who directly supported contact tracing and welfare mahi. Although this was a challenging time for all, our unit became very connected, and I feel I carry these valuable connections and experiences which have shaped me both professionally and personally. In my role I wore many hats and built on my experience by embracing new challenges. I also enjoyed the opportunity of working in the project management space during this time.

In 2022 I worked as EA in the Community Growth team at Waikato District Council, and more recently (albeit briefly) worked as EA to the Regional Director, Te Manawa Taki at Te Aka Whai Ora.

My decision to move to Te Rau Ora was based on my previous experience working under the leadership of the CE, Riki Nia Nia.

I have a passion to support and serve and I feel blessed that I have the opportunity to do so as part of the Te Rau Ora whānau.