Bay of Plenty nurse Wendy McGowan has been elected as the new national president of Rural Women New Zealand.
Mrs McGowan farms a 260 hectare dairy support unit in Kaharoa in Bay of Plenty, as well as working at the Rotorua Hospital children's unit.
She says she's looking forward to taking a leading role in highlighting the 2014 United Nations International Year of Family Farming.
The Rural Women national councillor for Canterbury Kerry Maw will be her vice president.
The organisation is planning a series of events in March and April around the country to highlight the important role of family farms in prosperous provincial economies.
