Diana Power, of Millers Flat, was the successful applicant for the new part-time role with the Cancer Society, and she will cover Central Otago and the Queenstown Lakes district.
The first Central Otago-based Relay for Life was held a year ago in Cromwell and raised $201,130.
More than 1300 people took part.
The society's Otago and Southland division chief executive, Wendy Houliston, said it was one way of returning the funds to the community.
"Staff in Invercargill and Dunedin have been covering the area up until now, but there are certain advantages in having a health promotion officer based in Central Otago.
You can respond and be more alert to local needs," she said.
The entire amount raised at the Relay for Life would be used for the society's support services in the district.
"We'll be learning and looking and listening to what the community wants," Ms Houliston said.
Mrs Power (45) has a nursing background and lives on a Millers Flat farm with her husband and three children.
Her role will focus on the society's smokefree campaign, the Sun Smart programme and encouraging physical activity and healthy eating.
"Between 30% and 35% of cancer can be preventable and I'll be providing information on all the lifestyle factors that can influence whether people develop cancer," she said.
Mrs Power will work with schools, other health agencies and workplaces to get the message across about being smokefree and sun smart.
"There's a huge focus on outdoor workers because we've got so many of them in Central Otago in the viticulture and horticulture fields and they need to know the facts about melanoma and the damage the sun can do."
"Also, we have so many outdoor events in this part of the world, which makes our population really at risk from melanoma and so many people seem to think that will never happen to them."
