Regional leader award
Eastern Bay of Plenty farmer Rebecca O’Brien was named the 2024 Dairy Women’s Network (DWN) Regional Leader of the Year.
Usmar received the award last night at DWN’s ‘Brighter Braver Bolder’-themed annual conference in Southland.
She beat stiff competition from two other finalists, Emily Williams, and Roseanne Megaw, who were also scored highly by the judges.
Usmar, who farms near Matamata in the Waikato, is a full time AB Technician for LIC. She has also set up a Native Plant Nursery, donating the plants to the local schools and teaching them about the different varieties and how to plant them onto a nearby dairy farm.
She is passionate about teaching others and is mentoring and inspiring young woman working alongside ITO to attract women to the dairy sector.
Usmar is regional leader, committee member for the 2023 Brighter Braver Bolder conference and a member of DWN Te Awamutu Business Group.
DWN chief executive and Judge, Jules Benton says with such amazing women, as always, it was an extremely hard decision to choose the 2023 DWN Regional Leader of the Year.
“For the judges, they summed up Rachel in one sentence, ‘if you could choose a poster girl for DWN you need to look no further than Rachel’.
Benton says her passion for all things DWN is awe inspiring and it was an incredible experience to learn all she has managed to achieve in the last few years.
“She is a driven woman who has very clear and defined goals which are driven by her strong sense of achievement. She has a strong understanding of her “leadership why” and infectious enthusiasm for having a go at anything and everything then donating it to others for the greater good. Leadership for Rachel is anything you put your mind to!
“The judges loved hearing about the joy she gains from the on-going growth and development she provides others with, and the strength she gets from her closeknit tribe. She is an amazing woman, who has only grown through her Regional Leadership role.”
