The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards Trustees have chosen Cantabrian Natasha Tere as Chair at a recent trust meeting.
Mrs Tere has been a supporter of the Awards since becoming involved via the national sponsor family in 2009 and has been
a member of the Trust since 2017. She has held several senior management roles within the New Zealand agriculture
industry and has recently been consulting in a vast array of projects including the EV Car sharing project for
Christchurch City Council.
Mrs Tere feels privileged and delighted to be the new Chair and acknowledges previous Trust Chair, Woodville farmer Ben
Allomes, who has guided the Trust through a time of change with technology, introduced the Recognition of Prior Learning
Diploma and transitioned to a new General Manager. “We are woven into the DNA of the New Zealand dairy industry. We are
an industry voice with over 7000 people directly engaging with the programme each year,” says Mr Allomes.
As the new Trust Chair, Mrs Tere says her goal for the future of the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards is to continue to
evolve with the needs of the industry, to celebrate continued diversity and the changing landscape.
“What we focus on and judge educates our entrants and volunteers and drives change through sharing and taking those best
practices back to the farm and on to the next farm as they develop their careers and move on,” she says.
“The Awards give dairy farmers the opportunity to independently benchmark themselves against their peers, and to be part
of a network who cares about the well-being of our people, our land and our communities. The Awards inspire growth and
leadership within our Industry and at all levels from dairy trainees through to equity owners.”
In 2016 Mrs Tere was a finalist for the Woman of Influence Awards in the rural category and was awarded a Nuffield
Scholarship in 2013.
She holds tertiary qualifications in Agribusiness Management and Livestock Production Management and a Masters in
Project Management.
“I value both formal and informal education and believe entrants, team leaders, regional managers, exec members and the
board of trustees all learn from their journey with the NZDIA,” says Mrs Tere. “Having introduced Diploma RPL this year,
our vision is that all entrants in the future will have the opportunity to become qualified.”
The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, DeLaval, Ecolab, Federated Farmers,
Fonterra, Honda, LIC, Meridian, and Ravensdown, along with industry partners Dairy NZ and Primary ITO.
Entries for the 2020 Awards programme are open until November 16th. Further information can be found at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.