I started early last month.
Q: What are the objectives of your role?
As an area manager it is our role to work with dairy farmers, partners, and stakeholders to deliver the required elements of DairyNZ’s strategic programmes.
The role provides technical leadership and expertise infarm systems and plays a critical part in maintaining a strong and influential presence with dairy farming communities, local industry partners and stakeholders providing leadership and enabling partnerships.
This covers a range of work, including our impact and satellite events with local farmers.
Q: What is your connection, other than DairyNZ, to the dairy industry and what is your work experience outside of it?
My husband Dave and myself have been a part of the industry together since 2007, and we have progressed our way from contract milkers through to 50/50 sharemilking over that time and we are now excited to be heading into the farm ownership space. We are in the process of forming an equity partnership with another Southland couple, which is an exciting next step for us in our dairy farming careers.
While raising our family and working towards our goals I also worked part-time for Agrifocus, as an account's technician, so I had some sector connection through that role as well.
Q: Do you have any other family members working in the dairy industry?
Yes, my husband's parents were also dairy farmers, but they have now retired, and my brother and sister-in-law own a dairy farm in Clifton.
Q: What motivates you to get out of bed each morning?
Life and the fact we get to jump out of bed each day and live it.
