Foundation for Australian Agricultural Women

B.Bus (Rural Mgt)

Clare is currently an Agribusiness Analyst for the National Australia Bank in Armidale, NSW. She has held several positions in the agribusiness industry, including Publishing and Communications officer for the Australian Farm Institute (AFI). The AFI conducts research into key policy areas which impact on the Australian farm sector and promotes policy solutions to benefit the rural sector. During her time with the Institute, Clare was responsible for the editing and production of the AFI's publications including the quarterly Farm Policy Journal. Clare also worked for Rabo Financial Advisors in their succession planning area where she fostered a keen interest in farm business planning and wealth management.

Clare grew up on a family owned mixed enterprise property in Armidale, NSW where she still maintains an interest and involvement. Clare completed a Bachelor of Business (Rural Business Management) and an Advanced Diploma in Farm Management at Marcus Oldham College, Geelong Victoria.

B.Rur.Sc (UNE), M.Sc Bus Mgt (Vic) AICD

Rebecca is Brand Manager for the Australian Agricultural Company (AAco).

She has spent 10 years working in the beef industry in Australia, the UK, Canada, US and Zimbabwe. She completed a Bachelor of Rural Science from the University of New England and a Masters degree in Business Management in the Agriculture and Food Industries from the Royal Agricultural College, in England.

Rebecca was the 2004 NSW Rural Woman of the Year and is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program. She is a currently a Director of Queensland Polo.

B.Sci(Ag)(HONS) USyd MBA

Fiona has a 14 year career in advocacy, policy development and project management, mainly in the agricultural industries. She worked with NSW Farmers' Association, as a policy manager and then General Manager of Policy, and was responsible for the rural and regional affairs portfolio, which included a wide spectrum of social services, infrastructure and community support and development issues. Throughout this time she was responsible for progressing major initiatives such as an increase in nurse practitioners, the re-launch of the NSW Rural Health Action Group, and the expansion of drought support programs to recognize the impact of drought on the broader community and the need for wider assistance and support mechanisms. She is involved, with setting up a web-based business to promote regional food (within Australia and internationally) and also undertakes business consulting projects.

PhD(UNSW 1993) M.Litt (UNE 1990) Dip.Comp.Applic.(RMIHE 1989) B.Soc.Stud.(U Syd 1982)

Margaret Alston was appointed Professor of Social Work and Head of Department at Monash University in 2008. Prior to this Margaret was Professor of Social Work and Human Services and Director of the Centre for Rural Social Research (a subprogram of the Institute of Land, Water and Society) at Charles Sturt University. She is also an Honorary Professor at the University of Sydney. Margaret has taught in a number of areas in the Social Work discipline and has significant responsibilities in the postgraduate area. She is currently supervising several PhD students and several more have already graduated.

Margaret is a past member of the Board of General Practice Education Australia (GPEA), and was on the Editorial Committee for Australian Social Work in 2001-2. In recent years she has served on the board of the Family Services Council, Family and Community Services Department, Canberra and the National Women's Advisory Group overseeing the Rural Women's Policy Unit in the Department of Primary Industries and Energy, Canberra. At state level, she has also served on the NSW Government Ministerial Women and Sport Task Force and has been a member of the women's reference group for the NSW Anti-discrimination Board.

B.Pharm, G.Dip.Comm.Pharm

Toni Riley has worked in community pharmacy in various roles and mainly in rural and regional areas of Queensland and Victoria. Toni has managed and owned a group of rural and regional based pharmacies. Toni is a strong advocate of improving the services and technologies available to rural pharmacies and the status of women within pharmacy. This belief has been one of the stronger motivators for Toni to nominate for President of the Victorian branch of the Pharmacy Guild. Toni is the Chair of the Australian Association of Consultant Pharmacists.

G.Cert.Wine.Mkt. (ECU 1993), B.Bus (CU 1993) AICD

Jackie was raised in metropolitan Perth and began her career in the finance industry holding positions in Perth and Busselton.

In 1997 Jackie, together with her husband Matt, established a 22 hectare vineyard and boutique wine production company in Margaret River where they now live with their three daughters. In addition to the day to day viticultural operations, Jackie manages the logistical, sales and export functions of the business. Jackie is a Ministerial appointment to the South West Region Planning Committee, a state decision making authority dealing with land planning matters. She sits on the Margaret River advisory of Silver Chain; a WA based charity providing residential care facilities and is on the executive of the local Business and Professional Women's Club and the Parents and Friends Association at her children's school. She is also an active member of the Margaret River Wine Industry Association.

Jackie served as the FAAW Treasurer from 2006 to 2008.

Val Lang AM is a farmer as part of an extended family which produces mainly wool and grains . She works and lives an hour's drive south of Ballarat, Victoria.

She is currently on the board of her region's Catchment Management Authority (Deputy Chair)and Vice President of Australian Women in Agriculture. Val is also active and on the executives of a number of local community and conservation organisations.

Val has a commitment to sustainable agriculture and the environment. Val has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science, a Diploma of Education, is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Alana is a farm partner, rural consultant and family therapist from Benalla in Victoria. Her business involves strategic, business and personal planning for rural and farming families.

Alana is active in the rural women network in Australia. She is an inaugural member of the Victorian Rural Women's Network reference group and Australian Women in Agriculture and is currently a Director of the Victorian Women's Trust.

Alana served on the FAAW Board as President, Secretary and Treasurer.

BA Comms (CSU 1991)

Claire is a former journalist and public relations consultant who grew up on her family beef cattle property at Ebor, in northern NSW. She now lives on the Central Coast of NSW and has a communication and publishing business, which works principally with Government, academic and professional associations and community groups.

Prior to setting up her own business, Claire was the founding executive officer of the Australian Beef Association. She was involved in showcasing Australian grass-fed beef at the Second International Women in Agriculture Conference in Washington in July 1998 and in the same year was an Australian Farm Journal Top 100 Young Rural Achiever.

Between 1996 and 1997, Claire has worked as the Media and Communications Manager for Cotton Australia, prior to which she was a journalist with Rural Press for five years, including 18 months in the Hobart press gallery.

Claire served as FAAW Secretary from 2002 - 2005.

BA Journalism (UQ 1991)

Paula Heelan lives on a cattle station, Ulcanbah, north east of Clermont in central Qld with her husband Peter, son, Matthew, 17 and daughter, Alice, 7. The Heelans breed and finish Droughtmaster cattle for the domestic market.

She writes for major newspapers, magazines and industry publications and also for community organisations, particularly those relevant to her area. As a freelancer she enjoys writing feature stories - usually about rural lifestyles and occasionally runs photography workshops.

Paula has served on the FAAW Board since 2005 and as Vice-President since 2006.

MPubRel, BA, Dip Ed (UNE), Grad Dip (teacher-librarianship) QUT

Chris successfully lobbied for and trialled the first remote, home based teleworking project officer position for the state government's Office of Rural Communities in 1997. Since 1997 she has worked in four different roles for the Queensland state government (mostly with QDPI) and has wide ranging experience in project management, public relations and community development work. She is now working as a consultant on a range of short term contracts in the communications and project management field. She has done extensive advocacy work to promote teleworking at a national level. She is an Australian Rural Leadership Program graduate. She is a partner in her family sheep and cattle enterprise.

Chris served as FAAW President between 2003-2005.

B.Comms (UQ)

Chrissy Arthur is a news journalist with ABC Radio in Longreach and has worked for ABC in various locations for the past 11 years - including in Tamworth, Muswellbrook, Rockhampton and Toowoomba. Her ABC experience has included roles as a rural reporter, program presenter, journalist and station manager.

She was born and raised on a dairy farm at Scone in NSW - began her journalism career as a cadet at a Rural Press newspaper and worked for three years with a NSW Senator before deciding the media was where she wanted to be.Chrissy studied law and also just completed a communications degree. She is married and has three daughters - Isabella, Grace andAlice

She is particularly interested in community development and working to ensure healthy rural communities, having lived and worked almost entirely in rural/regional centres.

MBA, B.Comm (UQ)

Karen has been involved in the Heck Group for most of her life. The Heck Group is a fifth generation family sugar business and one of the largest landholders in South East Queensland. It owns and operates sugar and ethanol production plants, cane farms, an industrial products packaging plant, an industrial land development, a joint venture in a green energy co-generation project and is a key driver for industry and infrastructure development in the region.

As a mother of young children, Karen is interested building a community which gives greater support to the parenting role. She supports the advancement of women in business, particularly in the rural sector.

MelanieTrethowan has a Masters in Business (Marketing) and is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Programme and the Vincent Fairfax Ethics in Leadership Award.

Since 1996 Melanie has operated a marketing consultancy business specialising in small business, local government and professional services. Melanie's skills lie in marketing, business management and communication.

Born and bred off the land and currently based in Mudgee (central west NSW), she also has a strong interest in regional and economic development. Melanie is on the board of the Central West Community College, the local ADFAS committee and involved with the NSW Cancer Council through Relay for Life and advocacy.

Noela McKinnon lives in Canberra and has professional expertise in teaching, sociology and health education, and in policy development with Government. She has a BA (Honours) from the University of Queensland and is currently completing a PhD at Charles Sturt University, Wagga, in female GP recruitment in rural areas. This follows work at the National Rural Health Alliance as a project researcher, where Noela was responsible for organising, undertaking and analysing interviews with 114 female GPs in rural and remote communities across Australia. Her substantial report outlined supports available to female GPs in rural communities and indicated additional strategies are required to improve female GP recruitment and retention to rural and remote communities. This report has been endorsed by the General Practice Partnership Advisory Council and acknowledged by the Minister for Health.

BA., Dip Ed., Ma App Science

Cathy is the managing director of a consultancy firm which specialises in working in rural community engagement. She runs leadership courses, facilitates meetings and professional development activities, is a board member and chair of a number of organisations and is actively involved in agri political organisations such as the Victorian Farmers federation.

Alexi Kentish lives in south east of South Australia, where she practices as an agronomist, facilitator for producer groups and TAFE lecturer for the Certificate in On-farm Training. She is part of the Kentish family potato and beef growing business where she manages the crop monitoring. Alexi has a keen interest in growing crops in a sustainable fashion and is trialling growing potatoes free of chemicals. Alexi is a past chair of the South East Soil Conservation Board and a member of the Steering Committee of 'Stopping the Gaps' (labour force skills certification and training project). Alexi was a Regional ABC Rural Woman of the Year in 1997.

Helen Brown is a senior journalist and presenter with ABC Radio's rural department. She is currently working on a series of reports about life in the Outback, to coincide with the Year of the Outback 2002. Helen has also presented the Radio National programs "Bush Telegraph" and "A Country Breakfast". In 2000/2001 she worked with BBC Radio in the UK, as a producer/journalist with a food, farming and environmental program. Helen is vice-president of the Rural Press Club of Victoria, (president 2000-2001) which supports and encourages journalists who report on rural and regional issues.Helen's early years were spent working in her parents' farm supplies business, and then moving into regional television newsrooms in Victoria. While doing her Journalism degree in Adelaide Helen entered the ABC's rural department, which led to the role of rural reporter for western Victoria, and then national affairs reporter based in Melbourne. Helen's parents and siblings all still farm in the Mallee country of Victoria and South Australia, and she travels back when she can for passionate debates about life in rural and farming communities.In 1998 Helen was named as one of the Australian Farm Journal's top 200 young rural achievers.

As a director of SG Communications, Lynda Day (Gronmark) worked closely with rural commodity organisations for over 10 years. With a background in advertising, and qualifications in marketing and media, Lynda produced audio communication programs for members of the Australian Cotton Foundation, Canegrowers, Australian Meat & Lifestyle Corp, Dairy Corporation, AWB and Australian Wool Corp. Since the birth of her premature son in 2001, Lynda has focussed on developing her range of premature baby clothes "Earlybirds", which she has successfully marketed throughout the world making the brand a market leader.

Drawing on earlier careers in mental health services, tertiary education, occupational health and safety, business development and research enabled Kate to consult to government and industry since 1984 via her company Optimum Consulting Services Pty Ltd. During this time Kate has worked extensively in Australian industry sectors, especially in manufacturing and mining (including client operations in PNG), health, education, public services and private administration. She has also worked in the rural sector in viticulture, wine and meat production and shearing, with a number of farm management groups. Kate is a director of several unlisted companies and member of the council of Womens' Health Victoria. Her past associations include commissioner and independent expert on the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Commission and council memberships with the Western Melbourne Institute of TAFE and the Victorian Womens' Domestic Violence Crisis Service.

Helen moved to Lucindale in South Australia from a childhood in Adelaide to take up a teaching appointment. Marriage to a local farmer followed necessitating a career change to grazing. Helen now has two sons both of who work in the agricultural sector.Helen continued her work in education in part-time capacity for many years, breaking new ground in many of her positions, including as the inaugural Kindergarten director and first Learning Centre manager at Lucindale. Helen also initiated Wool 2000 - a local farming group centred on education and technology transfer in the grazing industry.The first Chair of South East Women in Business and Regional Development, Helen was committed to raising the level of business skill of women in her region. She is currently active in a number of local committees, including TAFE and Farm Safe, secretary of the Health Advisory Committee and a director of the Area Consultative Committee.

Susan is a chartered accountant and a partner at BDO Kendalls Chartered Accountants in Brisbane, with more than 25 years experience in advising small business. Susan is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has experience in business advice, succession and governance. Susan was aDirector of Queensland Rural Adjustment Authority for10 years. She is also a director ofthe QLD Rail, Port of Brisbane Corporation, and Cerebral Palsy League of Queensland and QUT Enterprise Holdings Pty Ltd. Susan was the treasurer of FAAW between 2000 - 2001.

Nancy has a lifetime's experience in the Beef and Sheep grazing industries and has a broad knowledge of livestock. For 35 years, as the Owner/Manager of the Pomanda Working Kelpie stud, she has bred dogs for the Australian and Overseas markets. She has been a member of various Boards and Committees ranging from Natural Resource Management to Education, and has Chaired several. Formerly a South Australian, she now lives on a farm near Casterton in Western Vic.

Debra Heitmann is the Director, Organisational Performance at Sydney Opera House, responsible for a wide range of corporate functions including finance, IT, marketing, people and learning, administration and employee services and corporate affairs. Previously she held a number of positions in Westpac, was employed for a period as Chief Executive of the Australian Council of Businesswomen and was Senior Manager, Business Services with KPMG. Debra has achieved a number of awards including Telstra Businesswoman and Australian Institute of Management awards. She has also represented Australia in a number of international forums on improving women's access to finance and business and wealth creation. Debra is a chartered accountant and registered tax agent who holds an MBA.

Broadcaster; programming, operations and management, including leadership of the ABC's 58 station radio network as General Manager Local Radio and administration of the ABC's International Development Department with training consultants in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and South Africa. Special expertise in staff motivation and facilitating corporate change. Andrew now operates his own consultancy AB Communicates which offers broad assistance in 'communications' in working with individuals and organisations in how they can more effectively communicate, develop skills in public speaking and handle the media, and representation particularly in regional Australia.
Achievements: Initiated the Australian Rural Woman of the Year Award, Royal Flying Doctor Service Appeal Awards: Public Service Medal in 1995 Australia Day Honours.

Communications Manager (The Woolmark Company) Member of : Australian Marketing Institute, Australian Businesswomen's Network, AWiA, Rural Press Club of Victoria, Tasmanian Women in Agriculture; Participant in the Australian Rural Leadership Program

Regional Director of Agriculture, Barwon, NSW Agriculture. Member of: New England North East Regional Development Board; North West Catchment Management Committee;and River and Groundwater Management committees for the Namoi, Gwydir and Border Rivers.

Principal Policy Officer, Department of Primary Industries Queensland. Certified Practising Agriculturist. Member of: Queensland Rural Industry Training Council; Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology; Queensland Rural Women's Network; Australasia Pacific Extension network; Future Profit Advisory Council.

Lisa is a director and agribusiness professional with 19 years' of experience within a diverse range of roles. Lisa worked for AWB Limited holding a wide range of positions including General Manager National Grower Services Division and State Manager in Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia. Her earlier career was with the Victorian Farmers Federation and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

She is Deputy Chair of the Board Directors of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and a Board Director of the Cotton Research and Development Corporation. She is also a Member of the Albert Park Advisory Group to Parks Victoria and the Victorian Advisory Committee to LandCare Australia Limited. Lisa has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science Degree (Honours), has completed the Australian Rural Leadership Program, Australian Institute of Company Directors Course Diploma and Australian Graduate School of Management Senior Managers Development program.

• Lucy Broad (1995 - 1996)
• Christine Dunn (1995 - 1998)
• Deb Goundrey (1999 - 2000)
• Ruth Liepens (1995 - 1996)
• Edwina Lefroy (1995 - 1996)
• Helen Morris (1995 - 2000)
• Mary Salce (1995 - 1996, Founding President)
• Diane Smith-Gander (1995 - 1996)
• Helen Sykes (1995 - 1998)
• Deborah Thiele (1995 - 1996)
• Rae Wardlaw (1995 - 1998)
• Jill Wilson (1995 - 1996).