Meet Tom, mentor in the Drought Resilience Leaders Mentoring Program.
What do you do for a living?
I’m the operations manager at Cavan Station, a 10,000-hectare grazing property near Yass in New South Wales. A major component of my current role is to introduce changes in landscape management with the end goal being to build resilience into the landscape, and for this resilience to flow through to the business and the people. I also own a family farm at Quandialla in New South Wales.
Why did you apply to become a mentor?
As a participant of the Australian Rural Leadership Program C27 I’ve been encouraged to apply and I’ve developed the confidence and courage to do so. I enjoy helping others succeed.
How will you support your mentee?
In the first instance, I will listen and seek to understand their needs. I will draw on my experience where relevant to share stories, processes and networks. I hope to be able to encourage them to make informed decisions based on their needs.
Have you had a mentor before?
Not in a formal manner. However, forming trusting relationships with peers and professionals and engaging over important topics allows for transformative change.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Growing up on a family farm, I experienced drought regularly. It was something that I believed was out of our control and just part of farming. Now I believe that we can plan for variable rainfall and take control of many of the impacts.
