Board

Board members are appointed by the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors Committee (NZVCC) from nominations made by the organisations listed. The Chair is appointed by NZVCC. The Deputy Chair is appointed by NZVCC from the appointed Board members and after considering the advice of the Board. Functions of the Board are defined in the Constitution.

The AQA Board

AQA Board

Sitting Left to Right: Professor Emerita Deborah Willis, Emeritus Professor Pat Walsh (Chair), Dr Kaye McAulay
Standing Left to Right: Daniel Haines, Professor Neil Quigley, James Heath, Professor Jack Heinemann, Emeritus Professor Sheelagh Matear (Executive Director AQA)

Emeritus Professor Pat Walsh PhD (Minnesota)

- Chair of the Board

Emeritus Professor Pat Walsh has been chair of AQA since 2015. He was Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University of Wellington from 2005 to 2014.  He also chairs the board of the Copyright Licensing Authority. Emeritus Professor Walsh is the New Zealand representative on the Council of the University of the South Pacific and a member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Audit and Risk Committee.

Professor Emerita Deborah Willis PhD (Well), BA, MA (Hons) Canterbury, Dip Teaching.

Emeritus Professor Deborah Willis was the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Victoria University of Wellington from 2004 - 2014. During her term she was also PVC of the Faculty of Education.

She lectured in the Victoria University School of Education for over 10 years specialising in curriculum, assessment and evaluation issues. Previously, following a period of teaching and research in the Pacific region, she was appointed Director of the Victoria University Teaching Development Centre and then Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Academic) with responsibility for academic policy and all aspects of teaching and learning quality. 

In 2016 she was appointed acting Dean of the Waikato University Management School.

Emeritus Professor Willis has served on numerous internal, national and international review panels and was an inaugural member of the national tertiary teaching awards committee. In 2005 she was appointed by the Government to chair the Teaching Matters Forum. She served as the New Zealand representative on the Grants Committee of the University of the South Pacific for six years.

 

Professor Neil Quigley BA MA(Hons) Canterbury PhD Toronto

- Vice-Chancellor nominee

Professor Neil Quigley is the nominee of the Vice-Chancellors on the AQA Board.  He was appointed as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waikato in 2015, having served as Provost at Victoria University of Wellington prior to that.  He is currently also Chair of the Board of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, and Chair of the Board of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.  Professor Quigley holds a PhD from the University of Toronto.

 

Professor Jack Heinemann BSc(Hons) Wisconsin-Madison, PhD Oregon

- New Zealand Tertiary Education Union Nominee

Jack Heinemann is a professor in the School of Biological Sciences, at the University of Canterbury where he has worked as a teacher and researcher for over 25 years. He has a BSc with honours from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1985) and a PhD from the University of Oregon (1989). He was inducted as a Fellow in the Higher Education Academy in 2020, received the New Zealand Association of Scientists Research Medal in 2002, and the American Society for Microbiology ICAAC Young Investigator Award in 1993. Jack is the author of over 100 scholarly publications. He is the proud mentor of many university students.

Daniel Haines BA MBA

Daniel (Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi) has bones in the Hokianga, but his heart is in Tāmaki Makaurau. Employed at Panuku Development, Daniel leads the Māori outcomes team where he partners with iwi to build the biggest Māori city in the world. He has also held elected roles in workers and student unions.

Daniel has a BA and MBA from the University of Auckland.

Dr Kaye McAulay PhD 1st Class Honors (Victoria)

Dr McAulay has a background in both senior business and academic positions. These include; CEO of Standards New Zealand, Partner in KPMG Peat Marwick and Professor of the Graduate School of Business and Government Management VUW. 

 

James Heath BA

- New Zealand Union of Students' Associations (NZUSA) nominee

James Heath is a student at the University of Otago studying a Masters of Politics with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. He is the former President of the Otago University Students’ Association, sits on the boards of Student Job Search Aotearoa and KiwiHarvest Limited, and is a member of the Institute of Directors.