The new National Folk Festival boss is a dog-loving, vintage-car driving, community-vibing force of nature

Heidi Pritchard, the new managing director of the National Folk Festival, in the festival offices at Mitchell with Rosie, one of her foster dogs. Picture supplied

Heidi Pritchard, the just-appointed managing director of the National Folk Festival, is characteristically enthusiastic about her new role after 11 years with the National Library and 12 years with the National Museum.

"Clearly, I stay and I build," she said, of her previous tenures.