Board

Our incredible board members

Josh Dennis
Matt Hegan
Krista Dixon
Ashley Shearer

Josh Dennis

Josh loves seeing people succeed and using his legal skills to help organisations make great decisions, think about the big picture and manage risk.

By day he is an in-house lawyer at Zespri, and by night (well weekends anyway), he plays bass in a covers band. To keep sane, he also enjoys running and endures the gym.

Prior to his legal career, Josh served as an officer in the Royal New Zealand Navy. He is an experienced leader in both professional and volunteer contexts.

Josh successfully batted way out of his league in marrying his wife Sara, and they have two beautiful school-age daughters.

Matt Hegan

Matt has eaten a lot of humble pie whilst learning to surf. It tasted like sand. He occasionally looks to the longboard and for small, easy waves to continue that learning journey. Matt is a psychologist and loves the practical nature of Live For More and the process of applying the learnings of the ocean and surfing to the lives of the young men that LFM serve.

Krista Dixon

Krista is the founder and Executive Director of Live for More Charitable Trust. She was born and raised in America, but has lived in New Zealand since 2009 and considers Aotearoa New Zealand her home. Krista lives in Arataki, Mount Maunganui with her husband Jared and their daughter Praise. Krista is passionate about working with people caught up with drugs, alcohol and crime and seeing them move forward to succeed in life. Krista has a degree in Psychology from UCSB and a post-graduate certificate in Drug and Alcohol Studies from the Auckland University. She has been a registered DAPAANZ Drug and Alcohol Clinician since 2010. Krista has volunteered in NZ prisons for years and loves spending time with those behind the wire, supporting them to make positive life changes. Krista is a passionate surfer who’s long had a dream to use surf therapy as a means to reach troubled youth. Krista’s dream of surf therapy began in 2012 and she later founded Live for More in 2015 to pursue surf therapy full-time.

Ashley Shearer

Ashley is passionate about changing pathways, experiences and outcomes for young people affected by addiction, mental health challenges and the justice system. She was the former Principal Advisor for Youth at Ara Poutama Aotearoa, New Zealand’s Department of Corrections, when she first became aware of Live for More’s successful innovative approach to healing and wellbeing for young men, where other approaches were struggling. She has been supportive of the kaupapa ever since.

Ashley has a PhD in youth justice transformation focusing on children’s rights, restorative justice principles and the power of advocacy coalitions to drive change. She was awarded a Fulbright Visiting Scholarship exploring new approaches to young adult justice that acknowledge their age and stage of development

As tau iwi and tangata Tiriti, Ashley remains guided by Te Tiriti o Waitangi since moving to Aotearoa twenty years ago.