That is how South Otago’s Camille McAtamney was described by her nominator.
Camille is best known through her long-standing role as Otago regional co-ordinator with the Ballance Farm Environment awards, a position she has held for more than 12 years.
Unflappable, organised, reliable, ever-smiling and always willing to go the extra mile, she plays a key role in co-ordinating the regional committee, securing entrants for the awards and supporting other regional co-ordinators around the country.
She is also involved with seeking sponsorship to help ensure the success and sustainability of the programme.
It is one of two part-time jobs Camille is able to do from home on a 540ha farm at Puketi, near Clydevale, where she supports husband Simon with the day-to-day running of the predominantly sheep operation.
She is also administrator of the Otago Catchment Community which supports catchment groups throughout the region.
After moving to South Otago when she married Simon, Camille quickly became immersed in the Clutha Valley community, particularly in all child-related things following the arrival of their two children.
Fraser is now in his third year studying science at the University of Otago and Gemma has been helping at Camp America in the United States.
Camille and Simon’s hefty involvement with the Ballance Farm Environment Awards began as the Otago regional winners in 2007 and, from there, Simon went on to chair the regional organising committee and to be a judge, while Camille became regional co-ordinator.
It was fortunate the two roles were complementary with each other, often involving the same people, and she was able to balance that with helping on the farm when needed.
"What I do is flexible. I feel pretty privileged to work on the farm, do these two jobs and then go and do community stuff," she said.
Camille is on the governance group for Otago South River Care, she is involved with the South Otago Theatrical Society, including appearing on stage, and also has a young buddy she supports through Presbyterian Support Otago’s buddy programme.
She steps in when required at the local school, including filling in for the office administrator, and then there were "all the usual community things".
She felt very lucky to live in the Clutha Valley, saying it was an awesome community, and she stressed that she was only one of many that contributed.
"If you don’t have these motivated ... people, you don’t have a good community," she said.
And it was the people that was the driver behind her community and rural involvement, saying it was easy to "get pretty stuck in your own wee world if you don’t get out and about".
Being involved with the Ballance Farm Environment Awards was also such a positive aspect of farming and she was in awe of some of the things that entrants were doing.
— Sally Rae
