"It's a good council, they do good things but I'm seeing them from a different perspective than they see themselves and just looking for a different way of doing things."
Ms Davis was born in Wellington but grew up in the Hawke's Bay, where her father was a vicar.
She has a degree in planning, as well as diplomas in psychology and dispute resolution.
Until recently, her hobbies were squash and gardening, but she has recently dispensed with high-impact sport in favour of golf.
Ms Davis and her husband live just outside Greytown, where they have a 10ha lifestyle block with cattle, chickens and three alpacas.
Part of the appeal of her new role was the chance to work in Wairarapa rather than commuting, Ms Davis said.
Another attraction was the opportunity to work with Wairarapa people.
"It's part of a small community - people are nice to people - and that's great. That's why I really wanted to work in Wairarapa ... people are fundamentally nice to everyone."
While still settling into her new role, she had received a warm welcome from councillors and staff, she said. "People are just so nice, they've made me feel very, very welcome ... they call themselves a bit of a family, and it's true."
The big issue for council in the coming years would be a possible amalgamation or reorganisation, she said. "It's an interesting time because with amalgamation sitting out there we can't do big changes - we've got to be quite circumspect."
She saw her role as supporting council to make decisions, including giving tough advice when needed.
