FIONA Hart, long-term chief operating officer at farm systems group Riverine Plains, has left the organisation after 18 years of service.
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Ms Hart was instrumental in the early days of the group, which services a catchment area of north-eastern Victoria and the far southern Riverina.
In honour and recognition of the significant role Ms Hart played within the organisation she was awarded a Riverine Plains Life
Membership - the first ever presented by the group.
Riverine Plains Chairman, Ian Trevethan, said Ms Hart's name was inexorably linked with Riverine Plains and her departure marks the end of an era.
"I'd like to acknowledge and thank Fiona for the huge contribution she's made to the organisation over such an extended length of time," Mr Trevethan said.
"Over the past 18 years, Fiona's high personal morals and values have become embedded in the culture of Riverine Plains and are a big reason that the group enjoys the respect that it does," he said.
Riverine Plains was established in 1999 to improve the flow of agricultural research and other information across the southern NSW and north-east Victorian border region and Ms Hart was originally employed in 2003 to help manage the group's activities and develop its scope as a farming systems group.
Ms Hart said she had loved her time with the organisation.
"It would be impossible to thank everyone that I've worked with over the years, however I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the members, past committee members, current board members, staff, sponsors, researchers, project partners and associates with which I've had the honour of working" she said.
"I'd like to especially thank the group's past Chairmen David Cook, Adam Inchbold, Andrew Russell, Evan Ryan, John Bruce and current Chairman, Ian Trevethan, for their leadership and contributions to the organisation.
"Riverine Plains has an exciting future ahead and I look forward to keeping in touch with the group's successes," she said.