New role grounds for job satisfaction

SHOW STARTER: Melissa Warren is the new face of the Solway Showgrounds, currently preparing for the next Masterton A&P Show in February. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

With spring sun shining and scenery out the window including trees, pasture, and fat happy sheep, it's not a bad day at the office for new Solway Showgrounds manager Melissa Warren.

"It's a great view," Miss Warren says.

Miss Warren, 26, started last week as secretary manager for the Masterton A&P Association, replacing long-serving predecessor Ally O'Neill, who has retired.

Miss Warren is a former Wairarapa College student who had first moved to Masterton from Napier as a teenager.

She graduated from Massey University with a Bachelor of Business Studies, before starting her career in a fundraising role for the Telecom Foundation in Auckland.

The call of home was strong, however, with "family ties and a partner back in Wairarapa".

So for the past two-and-a-half years Miss Warren has worked as a project co-ordinator for Trinity Schools.

The job involved "doing a whole stream of things for those guys", including organising a jubilee and a centenary.

Miss Warren then went into business for herself, picking "marketing, communications, research pieces", before seeing the advertisement for her latest role, which she describes as a "great opportunity".

She sees the showgrounds - 32ha "right in the heart of Masterton" - with schools all around, as a space that is not yet "fully utilised" to its potential.

"There is so much opportunity for the community to get use out of [the grounds]," she said.

Miss Warren is aiming at "getting the community here, and comfortable coming here, seeing the beautiful, beautiful grounds here and what they could be using them for".

"There is six acres (2.4ha) of native bush there," Miss Warren said, wondering aloud about the potential for a walking track.

For now, however, "the main thing is the up-and-coming A&P Show", in February.

"It's a big part of the role," Miss Warren said.

"You think about the different parts, you've got livestock, you've got equestrian - which is huge at the Masterton show, you've got the livestock nursery, and the food section and entertainment.

"There's all those different things, it's capturing that rich history in a way that's relevant for today, and helping the community connect with that."

Wairarapa A&P Association president Allan Williams said there had been a good selection of applicants for the position and Miss Warren had "some really good, positive ideas for promoting the showgrounds" along with a good background in business, including fundraising.