She moved to Palmerston North to study German language at Massey University, and met her future husband, a dairy farmer.

[2][3] On graduating, she lived on the family dairy farm at Hiwinui while beginning her teaching career.

[4] In 2010 Wood was elected chair of the Central Football Federation, covering Manawatū, Hawke’s Bay, and Taranaki.

[4] Wood was elected to the FIFA Council during the OFC Extraordinary Congress in Auckland on 9 March 2019, to serve from 2019 to 2023.

[4] In the 2024 New Year Honours, Wood was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM), for services to football governance.