Larissa Mastakova - 3rd Lady President since the societies inauguration

At our Annual General Meeting in May, Larissa was elected as the New Zealand Orchid Society's third woman President.

The New Zealand Orchid Society is now 78 years old. For most of those years, the role of President has been held by men.

Kathleen Alison became our first woman President in 1967. She served for one year.

It was another 41 years before a woman was elected to the role again.

In 2008, our 60th year, Leigh Leaity became our second woman President. She was re-elected in 2009 and 2010, but stepped down during her third term.

Larissa joined the New Zealand Orchid Society in 2016. Over the past 10 years, she has given a great deal of her time to the society.

She has served on the Executive Committee for several years and was Secretary during our 75th Anniversary Show.

Organising the 75th Anniversary Show was a huge job. The event included a conference with three guest speakers from overseas, making it a special celebration for the society.

Larissa is also a member of our judging team. This involves giving up many weekends to judge orchids at shows.

You will also often see Larissa helping at our shows and working with our team when we create orchid displays at other events.

Larissa has been a valued member of the New Zealand Orchid Society for many years. We are confident she will continue to give her time and experience to support our orchid community.

Congratulations, Larissa, and best wishes for your time as President.

Lyn presenting the NZOS President Badge to Larissa.