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Rural Women New Zealand National Council

Rural Women New Zealand is an Incorporated Society and is registered with the Charities Commission. The elected Council consists of the National President, National Finance Chair and seven National Councillors elected from seven regions across New Zealand. Its role as the governance body of the organisation is to establish and monitor the long-term direction of the organisation and also communicate the values that will guide behaviour in achieving those goals.

The Executive Officer is responsible for managing the day to day affairs of the organisation, the achievement of board-approved strategic goals, annual plans and objectives.

Liz Evans – National President

Liz is the Rural Women New Zealand National President and was elected in May 2010 having first joined the organisation in 1974. Liz also serves on the NZ Landcare Trust Board, the Rural Communities Trust Board and the Access Homehealth Ltd Board.

Appointed as a Justice of the Peace in 1984, Liz is a partner in the Evans family high country farm business in Marlborough, which produces ultra-fine merino wool, Angus cattle and deer.

Liz is a graduate of the Kelloggs Rural Leadership Programme 1986. Other leadership roles and training have been attained through Rural Women New Zealand and earlier through the Correspondence School Parents’ Associaton, having taught three children by Correspondence at primary school level.

Marie Appleton – National Finance Chair

Marie has served at all levels of the organisation and has just completed seven years as National Councillor for Region Seven, The Top of the North Island. During this time she has been part of the Health Portfolio Committee and has also served as our International Officer.

As part of Marie’s role as National Finance Chair for Rural Women NZ she also sits on the Access Homehealth Ltd Board.

Marie immigrated with her husband to New Zealand in 1966 to go farming. Later they share milked on a Town Supply Farm in Karaka for 10 years and then owned and operated a Rural Mail business for over 16 years.

Currently, Marie is also the Vice Chair of Franklin Hospice Charitable Trust, a Court sitting JP and on Franklin Community Care Committee. In 1998 as a result of her work with Rural Women NZ and in the community she was awarded a MNZM (Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit).

Margaret Pittaway – National Councillor, Lower South Island (Region 1)

Margaret joined Rural Women NZ in 1996 and was elected to the National Council in 2011. She was the founding member of the Central Otago Women in Agribusiness Group, past President of the Cromwell Branch and Central Otago Provincial.

As a retired nurse her key specialties are in rural health and social issues. Margaret says she is “looking forward to working with members in the Lower South Island and growing the strength of Rural Women NZ together!”

Kerry Maw – National Councillor, Canterbury (Region 2)

Kerry was raised in Christchurch before marrying a farmer and moving to the Dorie district near Rakaia. Her working career included public relations, media and communications management, project management, quality systems, biosecurity, EEO, and ten years in the South Island management team of MAF Quality Management’s meat inspection service. After leaving work to raise her family, Kerry studied part-time and completed a Diploma in Child Psychology.

Kerry has been President of her local Seafield Branch in Mid-Canterbury and represented Canterbury Region in two National Speech Contests. Now, as Councillor, Kerry is responsible for the National Speech Contest each year. Kerry has been on Council for four years and worked in the Social Issues portfolio committee before now heading the Health portfolio committee.

Pam Thomlinson, National Councillor, Top of the South (Region 3)

Pam comes from Raspberry Bay in the Mahau Sounds and is a retired teacher. She originally joined the organisation in 1963 and is currently a member of the Mahakipawa branch.

Her interests span Rural Women NZ’s key portfolio areas of land use, biosecurity, education and health and she’s been particularly active in drawing attention to the problems associated with ‘freedom camping’.

While living in Southland Pam was involved in sheep and deer farming, and on moving to the Marlborough Sounds was involved in horticulture. She’s committed to ensuring our organisation grows and develops and that rural areas are not forgotten.

Anne Finnie, National Councillor, Lower North Island (Region 4)

Anne has been involved with Rural Women NZ for the last 24 years and became a National Councillor in 2009. Anne farms 760 ha with her husband in the eastern hill country of the Tararua District. They have three grownup children and the arrival home of their eldest son has allowed Anne to take on this position within Rural Women NZ. “Being the Councillor for this region is time consuming and challenging but it is also exciting and rewarding. Living rural is simply the best!” says Anne.

Wendy McGown, National Vice President & National Councillor, Bay of Plenty/Coromandel (Region 5)

Wendy joined Rural Women New Zealand in 1975 and has held the office of President, Secretary and Treasurer at all levels from branch to inter-provincial. She is currently the National Councillor for the Bay of Plenty/Coromandel Region and the Rotorua Provincial Secretary/Treasurer.

She has held positions in other organisations also; Federated Farmers, School PTA, Dog Trails and the local Hall Society.  She is continuing her education in financial matters with MOYB and has also attended the Federated Farmer’s Leadership course.  

Wendy is a mother of four children, has seven grandchildren and with her husband Rusty they farm 650 acres. In her spare time she works for the Lakes District Health Board as a causal Play Specialist in Children's unit.

Shirley Read, National Councillor, Waikato/Taranaki (Region 6)

Shirley has been a member since 1990 and was elected to the National Council in 2011 as the Regional Councillor for the Waitako/Taranaki region.

Previously Shirley has held various positions within Rural Women NZ, including Secretary, President and Provincial Delegate.  She has also previously held the position of President of the New Plymouth Toastmasters Club.

Shirley currently runs a dairy farm in Urenui with her husband and son. She has a passion for rural New Zealand which she plans to continue to develop as part of her role on the Rural Women NZ National Council.

Mary Dale-Taylor, National Councillor, Top of the North Island (Region 7)

Mary lives on a small lifestyle block on the outskirts of Whangarei. She has been involved with Rural Women New Zealand since 1999 and is a member of the Kiripaka Branch. She has keen interest in all Rural Women NZ's portfolios, especially education.

For Top of the North Island, membership and growth is a priority and new energies and strategies must be created to achieve this. She is looking forward to working with a team of members who share the same vision — women who care for the betterment of those living in our rural communities and for Rural Women New Zealand.

Noeline Holt, Executive Officer

Noeline has worked for RWNZ since 2006 and is committed to her role addressing inequities in rural communities. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in English Literature, with papers on social policy and Maori (1994) and is completing a Post Graduate Diploma in public health.