Hemi is of Te Ati Awa, Ngati Toa and Ngati Raukawa descent.
He is currently CEO of Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa Trust, the post-settlement governance entity for Te Atiawa. As well as a board member for Taranaki Mounga, Hemi is also on the Board of Venture Taranaki and until recently, a Trustee of Taranaki Arts Festival Trust (TAFT) and WOMAD NZ. Hemi’s previous roles included General Manager for Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Mutunga and executive administrator and secretary for the Taranaki Māori Trust Board. He also worked for Taranaki Iwi Trust for more than two years with a diverse range of responsibilities including advice and work for the successful negotiation of the settlement of the Taranaki Iwi Treaty Claim.
Hemi’s work is underpinned by a strong cultural base and has a passion for the taiao (environment). He is excited by the challenges and opportunities to restore the ecological richness that reflects the mana and mouri of Taranaki Mounga. He is also keen to explore ways in which the project re-establishes the iwi’s footprints on the mounga, upholding and fulfilling the role as kaitiaki and leaving a legacy of innovative inter-generational strategies that strengthens the connection to him.