The New Zealand National Fieldays Society has elected Waikato farmer and businesswoman Jenni Vernon as its first female president/board chair in the organisation’s 55-year history.
She has held the position of vice-president for the past three years while having been on the board for the past 10 years. She was elected unopposed at the society’s annual general meeting held on March 21. The role of president/chair governs the society, which owns and operates Mystery Creek Event Centre and is also the owner of Fieldays, the southern hemisphere’s largest agricultural event.
Jenni farms a dry stock unit in partnership with husband Gordon and son Simon, at Te Akatea, in northwest Waikato. Initially training as a teacher, she has spent more than four decades in farming and governance. She was also the first female Nuffield Scholar and the first woman chair of Environment Waikato. Jenni’s first encounters with Fieldays date back to her NZ Young Farmers days helping with car parking.
She says she feels privileged to take up the role of president. “This organisation has a proud history of delivering world-class events, including Fieldays. In the past 55 years, many before me have worked hard to create what we now see before us.
“Given a large part of my career has been involved in agriculture it seems natural for me to continue to contribute to the society, supporting the growth in agriculture through our purpose of advancing the primary sector through innovation, education and globalisation.
