Rotorua's Deryck Shaw has been elected to New Zealand Football's executive committee.
The WaiBOP Football board member was one of four new national executive members elected until 2018, at a national congress in Auckland last week.
It is the first time in more than 20 years that someone from the Waikato/Bay of Plenty has secured a place on New Zealand Football's executive committee. The last representative from the region was Bevan Clement in the early 1990s.
Shaw was arguably the stand-out candidate in a national field of 10 seeking a seat at the table.
Shaw is perhaps best known as the chairman of the Lakes District Health Board but he also serves as chairman for Te Puia (NZ Maori Arts and Crafts Institute) and is a board member of CTAS (National shared services health group).
He has a professional background in economic development, market research, business development, and resource management, and more than 30 years of experience in consultancy.
He is owner and director of APR Consultants and majority owner of Principal Holdings Ltd (which owns the Rotorua Business Hub). He is a chartered director of the NZ Institute of Directors and was named Rotorua Business Person of the Year for 2014.
This year he was also named as a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Shaw's football background includes seven years as head of Rotorua United AFC, where his son used to play, and years of coaching and refereeing at junior level. He is also a member of the WaiBOP United (national league) board.
However, his new-found status at national level means he must resign his WaiBOP duties under revised New Zealand Football statutes.
"Deryck's success is a loss to the immediate region, but is absolutely wonderful for football in New Zealand," WaiBOP head Patsi Davies said.
"He has a depth and breadth of governance, commercial and football experience and is ideally equipped to make a major contribution to the code at national level."
Also elected to the New Zealand Football executive committee were Phil Barry (Wellington), Sue Griffin (Christchurch), and Michael Anderson (Auckland, re-elected).
They join Bill Moran, Paul Cochrane and Mark Aspden (president).
At the 2015 congress a further three executive members will be elected, taking the body to its full complement of 10.