My family has deep roots in the district, farming near the Wairoa River for 3 generations. My husband is a rural fencer. We have two children and I’ve worked as a community advisor for part of this coastal-rural district for 6 years – coordinating projects, assisting elected representatives with community planning and informing/advising not-for-profit groups on funding, events, governance, resource sharing and attempting to make the council system more accessible and user-friendly by referring people to the right place and following-up to ensure resolutions.

Current affiliations are as a company director for a university bookshop, school board of trustees’ chair, secretary for a Landcare group and helper for various children’s sports teams.

My educational background includes a recreation and sport diploma, degree in horticultural science and post-graduate qualifications in environmental management.

Other past experience includes being self-employed as a cut-flower grower when my children were small; managing students’ association services at the University of Auckland – including being a board member for their pub and radio station; managing a regional job search agency for tertiary students; as well as a number of other organisational and contract roles.