PROPOSED BOARD – 2021
Meet our Nominees for 2021 and beyond
QRRRWN’s Board is composed of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Board Members. These positions are completely voluntary and are elected annually by QRRRWN members at the AGM held at the QRRRWN Conference.
At the 30th January 2021 (for 2020) AGM, Financial Members will be able to approve the motion for each of the new Nominated Board Members:
We are delighted to introduce our nominees for the following roles in the Committee of Management in QRRRWN
- Juliette Wright – Vice President – New Nominee
- Priscilla Stevens-Guiney – Secretary – New Nominee
- Jo Best – Board Members – Returning Nominee
- Erika Entz – Board Members – Returning Nominee
and welcoming our Virtual Assistant
- Dannielle Kirkwood
Would like to pass on a heartful thank you to our immediate past board members
- Davida Melksham – immediate past Vice President
- Marie Cameron – immediate past Secretary
- Sarah Grayson – immediate past Board Member
Nominees of the QRRRWN Board
Juliette Wright
Vice President
P: 1300 795 571
An inspired and passionate social justice campaigner, Juliette Wright is on a mission to alleviate the effects of poverty across Australia. Establishing an online platform in 2009 to connect those who have with those who need and championing it to become one of Australia’s leading charities, Juliette is changing how society helps its most vulnerable and marginalised people, in and out of natural disasters and emergencies. Juliette is also a grazier.
Founder and CEO of GIVIT, Juliette created the portal to ensure quality goods get to where they are needed most by safely connecting and inspiring an online network of givers. Juliette’s vision, hard work and determination have resulted in more than 2.5million items donated through GIVIT’s website to directly assist Australians in need. Juliette’s passion is supporting each community by ensuring local donors give to local residents in need. The GIVIT model ensures the right people get the right things, in the right way – always buying locally.
As a prominent social justice campaigner, Juliette has been awarded 2015 Australia’s Local Hero by the National Australia Day Council, National Resilient Australia Award by Australia’s Attorney-General, The Australian National Innovation Challenge Award, Ernst & Young Queensland Entrepreneur of the Year, Toastmasters Communicator of the Year, Moreton Bay Citizen of the Year 2016 and inducted into the Australian Businesswomen’s Network Hall of Fame.
Priscilla Stevens-Guiney
Secretary
P: 1300 795 571
Priscilla is the Director of the Vice Presidents Office, Global Development. In addition, Priscilla is a Director/Board member for Ecological Society of Australia and previously performed roles as Committee Chair, Committee Member and Treasurer. Her experience/expertise is in environment, conservation, tourism and the higher education sector. As a Director, Priscilla provides senior executive and advisory support to the Vice-President Global Development and represents the office across a range of strategic and operational matters. Priscilla is a commercially focused and collaborative business partner with a proven record in leading highly complex projects in areas such as systems innovation and integration; whole-of-organisation change leadership, business continuity and critical incident preparedness and response.
Prior to joining CQUniversity, Priscilla worked in the field of conservation and protected area management at Parks Victoria and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.
Priscilla is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Harvard Business School and earned her MBA from Australian Institute of Business, a Bachelor in Applied Science (Parks, Recreation and Heritage) from Charles Sturt University and is currently completing her Professional Doctorate with CQUniversity. Priscilla is based in Rockhampton.
Jo Best
Board Member
P: 1300 795 571
Jo has been serving on the QRRRWN Board since May 2020.
Jo is a Bundaberg girl – born & raised with her 3 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 is an executive manager at Hastings Deering (Caterpillar) and has more than 25 years’ experience in several companies including Aurizon, Glencore and Amcor Ltd. Her expertise includes transformational change, business strategy, turnaround commercial performance, visible leadership and employee experience.
Jo is passionate about helping women create their own paths and reach their potential. She has 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
Erika Entz
Board Member
P: 1300 795 571
Erika has been serving on the QRRRWN Board since May 2020.
Erika Entz has always been very passionate about people, customers and businesses. Learning & Development and improving Business Processes is the core values of how she lives. Not only she enjoys gaining knowledge, but she always quotes… Gain to Share.. You have to gain knowledge to be able to share knowledge. Certainly something Erika has been doing for decades.
Currently employed as Head of Implementation & Professional Services at simPRO Software as a global role covering AU, NZ, UK and US implementations operations. simPRO is a global operations management software for trade services industries. Working in the ever changing and hyper growth SaaS industry Erika accustomed to change, and delivering exceptional service to internal and external customers. Other strengths include business operations and systems efficiency and deployment, learning & development, leadership lunch & learn and development program and high performance teams program.
Her core role is to create strategy, tools, resources and deploy them globally allowing to hire, onboard, educate the Implementation Consultants and also played an inherent role in the development of the customer education program.
Erika has previously served on the Committee of Management as well as President of QLD for AIOP (Australian Institute of Office Professionals).
The passion to learn and passion to share the knowledge and support organisation lead Erika to wanting to contribute to organisations such as AIOP as Committee Member and President QLD Division in the past and now to QRRRWN. She hopes to bring value and benefits to the members and partners by understanding the needs, collaborating with fellow Board Members and Members and Partners. Erika’s focus is IT/Data and Systems.
Current Members of the QRRRWN Board
Tracey Martin
President
P: 1300 795 571
I am a wife and mother living on a cattle station in North Queensland. My husband’s family have owned and operated the grazing property since the 1940’s. I have had a love of rural areas and rural life since my nursing days in Dirranbandi (circa 1998) when I did some relief nursing work, and also explored Central Queensland with a friend from Clermont through visiting various rodeos and properties where she worked.
I am challenged by rural life and also enthusiastic about the different opportunities it presents for my family and me. I am always learning. I am deeply interested in and concerned by social and political issues impacting on the agricultural industry and women in the home and workplace. I see a strong future for women, our families and communities in RRR Australia as we work together.
To find support of my own, last year I started a network of women through the old girl network at my high school in Brisbane focused on old girls and future student in RRR areas. It’s intended to be a source of support and sharing. I am also volunteering with a leadership group of graziers on issues affecting grazing businesses in the Reef catchment. The RRR life has exposed me to the differing needs and challenges, ways of doing things, cultures that vary by region and industry segment, and the deep values and beliefs that drive RRR Australia and its women.
I wish to apply my professional and interpersonal skills and enthusiasm to RRR Australia through an organisation that is committed to the needs of women. I believe working with the Board will be a forum where I can contribute to steering a direction to achieve QRRRWN’s goals and maintaining the strong legacy of QRRRWN. The influence of women in their families and community can be a change agent for all of RRR Australia. Women are crucial, the needs of women are unique, and organisations such as QRRRWN in supporting, educating and guiding us – are essential.
Helen Warnock
Treasurer
P: 1300 795 571
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.
Gail Russell
Grant Writing - Leader
P: 1300 795 571
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.
Julie Mayne
People & Member Network Experience
P: 1300 795 571
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.
Jessica Goldie
Governance, Legal & Strategic Planning | Sub Committee, Sponsorship | Sub-Committee, International Women’s Day
P: 1300 795 571
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.
Dannielle Kirkwood
Board Virtual Assitant
P: 1300 795 571
Dannielle Kirkwood is the owner of Dog Box Creative and specialises in remote marketing solutions, specifically for the agricultural industry. She is passionate about livestock and agriculture and has completed a Bachelor of Agribusiness through UNE Agriculture, and also holds numerous property, marketing and social media qualifications.
Dannielle’s is passionate about supporting rural, regional and remote communities by working together with agricultural businesses to harness their full potential across traditional, online and social media platforms.
Dannielle has previously worked in the property industry and has more recently held roles in marketing, agriculture and regional tourism. Based in Central Western NSW on a cattle breeding property, Dannielle is raising a young family and running her own business remotely. She looks forward to working with and supporting the QRRRWN board and members.
Past Presidents
The QRRRWN has been ably led by a variety of committed, enthusiastic women since it was founded in 1993.
| YEAR | NAME |
|---|---|
| 2017-2019 | Melissa Barnett |
| 2014-2017 | Alison Mobbs |
| 2010-2014 | Georgie Somerset |
| 2009-2010 | Georgie Somerset and Wendy Agar (joint presidents) |
| 2007-2009 | Linda Silburn |
| 2006-2007 | Andrea Middleton |
| 2004-2006 | Di Gresham |
| 2001-2004 | Moya Sandow |
| 2000-2001 | Lillian Lever |
| 1999-2000 | Rosemary Burnett |
| 1997-1999 | Barbara Anderson |
| 1996-1997 | Myra Dingle |
| 1993-1996 | Jan Darlington |