Friday, 30 October 2015 12:16

Co-founder retires... again

Written by  Pam Tipa
Hilary Webber (left) with DWN chair Justine Kidd. Hilary Webber (left) with DWN chair Justine Kidd.

Dairy Women's Network (DWN) needs to keep working closely with partners such as DairyNZ, Agri Womens Development Trust, beef farmers and AgITO, says its retiring trustee, Hilary Webber.

"All of us need to work together for the betterment of dairy woman and for the betterment of the New Zealand dairy industry to make it, firstly, more profitable – which we need at the moment and, secondly, more sustainable,"

Webber, a co-founder of DWN, was presented with a Certificate of Leadership and Service; she rejoined the board in 2013.

Trustee Cathy Brown says that in 1998 Webber, with other Waikato dairy women, had a dream to set up a professional body for dairy women.

They decided to use technology to link women and the first e-digest was established. "This was before rural broadband so that was no mean feat."

"DWN has grown from a Waikato group to a national organisation with over 8000. We are a world leader for women in dairy. We will always hear a voice which says 'think bigger, learn more'," Brown said.

That e-digest connection built relationships throughout NZ as women built their knowledge. It was a vital platform for learning from others and Webber actively shared her knowledge.

"I remember the hot conversations when Fonterra was formed; in fact I think we learnt more from those conversations than from the industry."

Webber became the founding chair in 2002 and the organisation was able to get funding to hire the first general manager, Linda Clark. On this platform Dairy Days were extended throughout the country.

"Hilary was passionate about continued learning and supporting women to be the best they could be for the business of dairy and she is very keen to continue that way with the regional groups in the area," Brown said.

Webber says the dream of a network for dairy women started for her as she visited farms as a director of Dairy Group.

"I saw women on farms in the early 1990s carrying buckets, doing the accounts, many of them in cowsheds milking, doing the office work and the cow records.... But when you went to dairy company meetings they weren't there," she said.

"They were the invisible, silent force of our industry. When I look back from 2015 to the early 1990s, what a wonderful change we've had. We have women now starting to come into the boardrooms in numbers."

More like this

Musical chairs

OPINION: DairyNZ's director elections has seen scientist Jacqueline Rowarth re-elected for another three-year term.

DairyNZ levy to increase?

Retiring chair Jim van der Poel has used his final AGM to announce the intention to increase the DairyNZ farmer levy for the first time in the industry-good body's 17-year history.

Tributes to retiring 'Jim the farmer'

Doing what is right, not what is easy, has been the hallmark of Jim van der Poel's leadership of, and advocacy for, the dairy industry, attendees at the DairyNZ annual general meeting heard last week.

Featured

New ag degrees at Massey

Changing skill demands and new job opportunities in the primary sector have prompted Massey University to create a new degree course and add a significant major into another in 2025.

The show is on!

It was bringing in a new Canterbury A&P Association (CAPA) show board, more in tune with the CAPA general committee, that has ensured that Christchurch will have a show this year, says CAPA general committee president Bryce Murray.

National

'Quite a journey'

Former Synlait chief executive Grant Watson says the past two years have been quite the journey.

DairyNZ levy to increase?

Retiring chair Jim van der Poel has used his final AGM to announce the intention to increase the DairyNZ farmer…

Former Fonterra CEO dies

Former Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings passed away in the Netherlands over the weekend.

Machinery & Products

Milk Sustainability Centre launched

The recently announced Milk Sustainability Centre – a collaboration between global giant John Deere and milking and feed specialists De…

Data connection made easier

New Holland and Case IH are introducing new advancements in their precision technology stack to make farming easier and more…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Feed from farmers

OPINION: The country's dairy farmers will now also have a hand in providing free lunch for schools.

Brighter future

OPINION: The abrupt departure of Synlait chief executive Grant Watson could be a sign that Chinese company Bright Dairy, the…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter