Helen Warnock is a partner at Kennas Chartered Accountants located in Rockhampton. She has worked with the firm since leaving university helping rural clients with their taxation, business improvement and succession issues. She has a Bachelor of Business, a Graduate Diploma of Taxation and is a Fellow member of the Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand.

Helen lives on a beef cattle property at Morinish 50 km North West of Rockhampton with her husband and son, so fully understands the issues and challenges faced by rural women. She enjoys visiting client’s properties and meeting with the family groups to discuss their business issues.

She recently completed RSC’s Grazing for Profit and Next Steps programs.

Helen is looking forward to continuing with the QRRRWN board for another year.

Marie Cameronhas a background working for state and localgovernments in regional and rural North Queensland and remotelocations in North West of Western Australia. She also has a longcareer working in community development in the resources sectorpreviously with Hail Creek Mine supporting the Mackay and Isaacregions, and currently with Origin supporting the Western Downs.

Marie has served in various positionson many Committees andBoards within the not-for-profit sector and community organisationsregionally, and at state and international levels. In 2019 she wasawarded a scholarship through the Australian Institute of CompanyDirectors and has successfully completed directorship trainingthrough this agency.

Marie holds a Bachelor of Business(Distinction), along with anAssociate Diploma (Accounting) and Diploma of Business (HR). Shehas recently completed post graduate studies in sustainabledevelopment and is currently working towards completing herMasters

Gail Russell, GAICD, has a diverse working and volunteer career. Born and raised on a farm in Mackay, and attending an all girl’s boarding school in Rockhampton, she originally qualified and worked in the sugar industry as a sugar chemist around the Mackay region. Changing direction later on saw her work in the finance sector – from a small loans outlet to manage the money market desk of a large merchant bank in Sydney and then to a credit union after moving back to Queensland.  She has always held high level administrative positions for employers and their clients, and this has included, board support, events organisation and management, and general administrative functions.

Now living in Cairns, she is a director (voluntary) of the Cairns RSL Club Ltd and member of one of the committees assessing applications for their Community Benefit Fund.  She is also secretary and everything coordinator to a busy sports club that has hosted large sporting and other fundraising events.

She is a Graduate of the Institute of Company Directors, holds Diplomas of Events and of Management.  She also has Sugar Technology and Securities Institute Certificates.

QRRRWN has held a special role in my life over the last couple of years.  It has kept me informed, involved and connected with other likeminded women in our ever-changing world.  I first become involved with QRRRWN as a part of the History Project with Cecily, transcribing interviews, doing book reviews, and interviewing members from which I gained an immense appreciation for the strong history and achievements of many amazing women.  Gosh, did they have some stories to tell!

I have worked in the rural industry for 30 years, mostly remotely, as a single mother with two children (now grown and gone). I am a beef breeder and producer situated in central Western Queensland and am slowly expanding my enterprise, and value adding to my business through various creative endeavours.

My skillset is large and varied; a horse trainer, contract musterer, dozer operator, truck driver through to station manager, branded beef marketing and business management, all in a male dominated arena… My strengths are Project Management, visionary and futuristic outlooks for our industry and I consult with various media channels to best promote our rural identity.  I have been featured in Graziher magazine, Wander of the West campaign with Edwina Robertson, Channel 7’s Queensland Weekender program and the Queensland Country Life.  My story has also been used a brand ambassador for various organisations like RB Sellars, and Ergon Electricity.

I feel strongly that QRRRWN’s remote members need as much support as possible.  There are a great many remarkable, talented, resilient women who are forging careers, businesses and creating strong focus on community and family, and do it with very little resources.  I would love to have these women onboard, growing the organisation and diversifying QRRRWN into more remote areas through networking, knowledge, creativity and upskilling.

I am a passionate advocate, contributor and participant in the rural industry and would love to contribute to this amazing organisation.

Sarah Grayson is originally from the UK and has been a police officer for 26 years in a diverse range of fields and locations – from homicide and anti-terrorism work in London to crime prevention, community development and road safety in rural and remote Queensland.

Sarah’s wealth of experience, knowledge and skills adds tremendous value to rural Queensland communities. She has a natural ability to form trusted relationships across culture and demographics. Sarah’s integrity and easy rapport have enabled her to flourish in her outback Queensland policing role, and she loved every minute of it.

Sarah’s dedication has been acknowledged through the many projects she has initiated and delivered. In 2016 she received two prestigious awards: the Qld Road Safety Award for Ongoing Commitment to Road safety, and the Australasian College of Road Safety for Innovation for her project Stay on Track Outback. She was also a finalist in the Queensland Police Service Award for Excellence for her Project WASTID Drug Ice Awareness.

Sarah also has a passion for fitness and is an avid boxer. She sees tremendous benefit in this sport, not just for her own personal fitness, but as a way to connect with others in her community. She previously ran the Charleville Blue Light Boxing Gym and held weekly classes for all ages and abilities. She believes in the value of getting physically active and sees boxing as having the power to break down barriers and unite people in a way little else can.

A move to the Moreton Bay Region enabled Sarah to enhance her community work through innovation and partnerships with local agencies for a youth drug & alcohol project; community events; successful grant applications; sponsorship and more.  Sarah is dedicated to working with her community, supporting and empowering women across the state and being the voice for the future.

Jessica Goldie is a barrister at the private bar in Toowoomba. She practices predominately in criminal and family law. Jessica was born and raised in Toowoomba and has worked all throughout regional Queensland. 

Jessica has extensive advocacy and legal experience, having worked for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions from 2009 to 2018. Jessica was first called to the bar in February 2012, and shortly thereafter was appointed as a Crown Prosecutor for the State at the age of 23. 

As a Crown Prosecutor, Jessica appeared as lead counsel in over a hundred serious and complex criminal jury trials across regional Queensland, including Toowoomba, Cairns, Townsville, Ipswich, Roma, Dalby, Warwick, Mount Isa, Bowen, Charters Towers and Gladstone. Jessica has also circuited to Mornington Island, Doomadgee and Normanton for Court cases involving serious criminal allegations.

Jessica went to the private bar at the beginning of 2018 after completing her Masters in Family Law. She continues to represent clients all over Queensland, particularly in remote and regional areas. Jessica has a keen interest in ensuring access to justice for those living in remote and regional Queensland. That experience has allowed her to become familiar with the struggles that women often face in regional communities and plans to bring this knowledge to her work on the Board of QRRRWN. 

Jo is a Bundaberg girl – born & raised with hern3 sisters in the cane growing district. Her husband hails from Rockhampton & they lived & worked in Mount Isa for three years, before returning to Brisbane to continue their corporate careers and raise their family.

Jo works at Hastings Deering (Caterpillar) as a General Manager and has more than 20 years’industry experience in several companies including Aurizon, Glencore and Amcor Ltd. Her expertise includes business strategy, commercial performance, transformational change, digitalisation and organisational development.

Jo is passionate about helping women create their own paths and reach their potential. She worked part-time for 17 years in senior leadership positions, raised 3 boys, assisted others through mentoring and coaching and created workplace programs to drive flexibility, diversity and inclusion. Her efforts were recognized when she won the 2020 Exceptional Woman in Queensland Resources award.

Jo holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Central Queensland and a Bachelor of Applied Science from the Queensland University of Technology. She is also a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a certified member of the Australian Human Resources Institute