7 December 2004 Federated Farmers President new Lincoln University Chancellor

 

NZ Federated Farmers president Tom Lambie of Totara Valley, South Canterbury, has been elected Chancellor of Lincoln University.

Mr Lambie, who has been a member of Lincoln University Council since February 2002, succeeds the Hon. Margaret Austin who is retiring from the Chancellorship at the end of December after five years in the job.

He was elected unanimously by members of Lincoln University Council at their final meeting of the year today. (7 Dec.)

Mrs Austin will remain a Council member until the end of January, by which time she will have completed 10 years' service, spread over two periods of appointment.

A Bachelor of Agricultural Commerce graduate of Lincoln University (1980) and a Kellogg Rural Leadership Scholar (1995), Mr Lambie has been National President of Federated Farmers since 2002. He was National Vice-President from 1996-2002 and is a past South Canterbury Provincial President.

He farms a 308-hectare dairy farm near Pleasant Point and the property has been fully Bio-Gro certified organic since 1991.

Also elected today is a new Pro-Chancellor (deputy to the Chancellor). Mr Don Couch of Lyttelton succeeds Ms Charlotte Williams of Wellington who has been Pro-Chancellor since 2002 and also held the position in the early 1990s during Lincoln's first years as an autonomous university.

Mr Couch is deputy kaiwhakahaere (chairman) of Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu. He has been the Rapaki representative on the Runanga for six years and spent 30 years in Canada working in management roles in tertiary education.

On the motion of Ms Williams the Council carried a unanimous acknowledgement of Mrs Austin's contributions to Lincoln University and her dedication to education in general.

There will be a formal farewell for the retiring Chancellor in the New Year.

 

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand