My role in the organisation is to help achieve its vision by designing a range of programs in all sorts of places around this Country.  I then get the pleasure of being part of the delivery team who brings to life the program by facilitating and engaging others to bring a whole heap of alternative perspectives. 

In my spare time, I love to walk in the bush, swim in the ocean and ski in the wintertime If I can bring my dogs to any of those places then that is even better. I also enjoy making lots of stuff out of coloured glass – windows, lamps, mosaicking.

Where does your passion for leadership and rural, regional and remote Australia come from?

My passion for leadership development started when I worked with adolescents in a summer camp in Maine, USA on the shores of Moosepond. I was 24 years of age with the responsibility as a trip leader and cabin counsellor for a gaggle of girls. That summer I found my passion and my mentor who was my camp director. She is now hitting her late 80s and she believed in, challenged and nurtured me and in turn, I did that with the next generation. I have returned many times over several decades and taken different leadership positions at camp. I have even taken my stepdaughter, husband and nieces for a month to experience camp.  

What’s your favourite memory or most memorable moment in rural, regional and remote Australia?

My favourite rural, regional and remote memory is riding my horse Dolly. At age 10, my friend and I were allowed to ride all over Bathurst by ourselves. Oh, the adventures we had. Saturdays in the summertime were really special, we got to ride down to the Macquarie river and swim with our ponies for hours on end. Mum would meet us with a picnic lunch before our afternoon adventure.    

What’s your professional background?

I have a passion for working, teaching and facilitating programs in the great outdoors.  Something I have done for over half of my life, and I still feel young.   I love it when people realise they are capable of so much more than they first thought. Prior to the ARLF I taught Outdoor Leadership at TAFE NSW leading a team of incredibly passionate staff developing graduates to be job ready to work in Outdoor Education or Outdoor Guiding roles.  Before that, I worked at Outward Bound Australia, an experiential learning organisation. I worked with a diverse range of people in all sorts of wonderful locations in this great country of ours.   

Three things you love about working at the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation?

• Work is fun, well most of the time.
• I get to meet some incredible people in rural, regional and remote Australia.
• I get to have creativity in programming and that is refreshing.