Outgoing Whanganui mayor Annette Main is standing for the Whanganui District Health Board at the October 8 election.
Ms Main, who has completed two terms as mayor, will not seek re-election in that role, but has put her name forward for one of seven elected DHB seats.
She believes her experiences as mayor and as chair of Safer Whanganui will be put to good use on the DHB.
"As a passionate advocate for our community on a local, regional and national level, I have developed respectful and professional relationships across many sectors and can provide constructive input on decisions which affect the area covered by the health board," Ms Main said.
She said the biggest challenge for the DHB was "retaining what we have".