Q: Is the rumour that you’ve retired true?
I hate the word retired with a vengeance. I finished on June 30 and I’m tidying up some loose ends at present. I’m in transition to my next chapter.
Q: How long have you been with the trust?
I have been a trustee since 1997 and a co-ordinator for more than seven years.
Q: What’s the biggest reward of working for the trust?
Seeing a smile on a person’s face as the cloud around them lifts and they move forward after seeing there is light at the end of the tunnel because some of them can be in very dark places.
Q: What is the biggest challenges rural people have faced in your time with the trust?
Mother Nature is the biggest challenge. Drought hit the region many times including my first year with the trust, my first year as a co-ordinator and earlier this year. In-between those droughts there have been many floods and snowstorms. One of the biggest challenges for farmers at the moment is all the compliance that’s been thrown at them and sometimes what central and local government are asking them to do are different, but farmers need to get their heads around the changes and adapt.
Q: What are your plans for your free time?
I’ll spend more time with my husband — we’ve got our 50th wedding anniversary coming up — and with my children and seven grandchildren. There’s nothing better I like than watching my grandchildren play sport and watching them grow.
Q: Do you think you’ll stay in Mosgiel?
Of course. I’m not shifting anywhere. We are very happy here. I lived on the Strath Taieri between 1973 and 2003 and it got in my blood — it’s a wonderful place, but not in a drought.
