Anne Tiernan
Dean, Griffith University Business School
Professor Anne Tiernan is Dean (Engagement) of the Griffith University Business School. A political scientist with earlier careers in federal and state government, teaching, and consultancy, Anne has written extensively on the political-administrative interface, governmental transitions, and policy advising.
She is author of Lessons in Governing: A Profile of Prime Ministers’ Chiefs of Staff and The Gatekeepers: Lessons from Prime Ministers’ Chiefs of Staff (both with R.A.W. Rhodes, Melbourne University Publishing, 2014), Learning to be a Minister: Heroic Expectations, Practical Realities (with Patrick Weller, Melbourne University Press, 2010) and Power Without Responsibility: Ministerial Staffers in Australian Governments from Whitlam to Howard (UNSW Press, 2007). With Julianne Schultz, Anne co-edited Griffith Review 51 ‘Fixing the System’.
Anne is a Member of the Board of the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) at Old Parliament House in Canberra. This, and her work as Co-Editor of the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Australian Politics (with Professor Jenny Lewis), makes her optimistic about Australia’s democratic future.
LinkedIn: Anne Tiernan
Twitter: @AMTiernan
Christine Castley
CEO, Multicultural Australia
Christine is the Chief Executive Officer of Multicultural Australia, with substantial expertise in organisational transformation, community engagement and service delivery. Prior to this, she was Deputy Director-General in the Queensland Department of the Premier and Cabinet and the Queensland Department of Housing and Public Works.
Christine has a strong track record in delivering significant reform and innovation projects, including for adult and youth justice, disaster management response and recovery and public sector ethics and integrity reform. In 2014-2015, she led the Secretariat for the Special Taskforce on Domestic and Family Violence, chaired by the Honourable Quentin Bryce, which delivered the landmark ‘Not Now, Not Ever’ Report.
Christine is a passionate advocate for equal access to justice and services for everyone regardless of their gender, beliefs, or circumstances, drawing on her lived experience as a first-generation migrant to do everything possible to help the most disadvantaged people in our community, including refugees, migrants and asylum seekers. Christine holds a Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Arts (English and Communications) and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Queensland.
Web: multiculturalaustralia.org.au
Facebook: /multiculturalAU
Twitter: @mda_qld
Instagram: @multiculturalaustralia
Youtube: /mdaqld
LinkedIn: /mdaqld
Elizabeth Clark
Longreach artist and resident green thumb
Elizabeth come from a family of seven girls. They were all born and raised on a property in Western Queensland. Elizabeth returned home after finishing boarding school, supposedly to help her widowed mother run the property, later on she went down to Victoria to work for a couple of years.
She married and went to live on a sheep stud at Blackall for 11 years where she had two children. Elizabeth and her husband eventually returned to Longreach and bought into the family property, where they raised and educated their children.
She loves the west because of the people and what the area offers. For her, it is a wonderful area to raise a family, bush kids learn to be independent and reliable. Apart from enjoying working as a partnership with her husband, her hobbies are gardening, painting and photography.
Heather Hale
President, Longreach Arts & Cultural Association Inc
Heather’s art and culture journey began in earnest in 1981 when she became involved with the then Longreach Cultural Association, learned to spin and pot, and soon became a spinning tutor as well as teaching pottery to children. This has led to involvement with many sectors of the Longreach community including the Longreach Cultural Association, and the Longreach Arts Council, which amalgamated to became Longreach Arts and Cultural Association in 2013. She is the 2021 President of the Association. From 2006 through to 2013 Heather represented the North West Region as a board member of the Queensland Arts Council/ Arts Link Queensland. For 11 years Heather was a business partner in, and an actor/presenter at Banjo’s Outback Theatre and Wool Shed. Now a content maker and presenter for ABC Western Queensland, she loves to bring to radio audiences the stories and passions of other people.
Facebook: @HeatherHale
LinkedIn: HeatherHale
Jeanette Young
Queensland Chief Health Officer
Dr Jeannette Young PSM, MBBS, MBA, DUniv (Griffith), DUniv (QUT), FRACMA(Hon) is the Queensland Chief Health Officer and one of the Deputy Directors-General in the Department of Health. She has specialist qualifications as a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators and as a Fellow by Distinction of the Faculty of Public Health of the Royal College of Physician of the United Kingdom. She is an Adjunct Professor at Griffith University, QUT and UQ.
Her normal role includes responsibility for health disaster planning and response; aeromedical retrieval service; licensing of private hospitals and schools of anatomy; policy regarding organ and tissue donation, blood, medicines and poisons, cancer screening, communicable diseases, environmental health, preventive health; and medical workforce planning and leadership. Since January 2020 she has been the State Health Incident Controller for the management of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Whilst she has concentrated on the pandemic response Bronwyn Nardi followed by Professor Keith McNeil have been Acting DDG for Prevention Division.
Dr Young is a member of numerous states and national committees and boards including the National Medical and Medical Research Council and the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee.
Website: @QueenslandHealth
Facebook: @QueenslandHealth
Jody Brown
Grazier
A local grazier, with a passion for nature and an enthusiasm for experimenting with regenerative approaches to loving the landscapes, communities, and ecosystems that we connect with. Despite being a self-confessed part time hermit, Jody has drawn on her creative storytelling and communication skills to propel her into advocacy for the causes that concern her; landscape restoration, the challenges and opportunities presented by climate change, and the exciting prospect of a sustainable and prosperous future for agriculture and rural communities.
Facebook: /Latrobe-Station-255231704529818
Instagram: @latrobestation/
Joy McClymont
Leading Health & Fitness Coach, Off The Track Training
Joy McClymont is the Chief Health & Fitness Trainer, and creator of Off The Track Training, a virtual health and fitness organisation that develops programs and establishes supportive virtual communities for people living in isolated situations. As a mother of four, and grazier with her husband Paul on their sheep and cattle station west of Longreach, Queensland, Joy believes that merging healthy fit habits with life, is critical when it comes to living a quality life.
Joy's philosophy is based on connecting and supporting people to prioritise healthy habits that merge with their lifestyle and allows them to be consistent for long term gains. She believes that health and fitness needs be achievable for anyone living anywhere which is why she has focused her business on overcoming the fear, feelings of social isolation, lack of support and strain on internet connections that inhibit the progress of everyday people. Seeking the possibilities beyond the impossible as individuals and a community, empower all of us to embrace change and seek progress.
Facebook: /offthetracktraining
Twitter: @OTTTJoy
YouTube: Off The Track Training
Web: joysfitnesshub.com
Julia Cook
Longreach Patrol Group Inspector, Queensland Police Service
Julia has been a police officer for over 30 years. She is married with two teenage boys and enjoys the outdoors and keeping fit. Julia has served in diverse roles in both rural and urban communities across Queensland.
During her service she has been the recipient of numerous awards including the State and National Resilience Australia Award, runner-up Woman of the Year Award, Qld Regional and Rural Women’s Network and QPS Excellence in Leadership. She is the first female to be appointed to her current role as Patrol Group Inspector in Longreach Patrol Group which covers over 236000km2. Leadership in the QPS is an opportunity to influence and support others in achieving goals and contributing to community safety and maximising public value.
Julia has also attained a Bachelor Commerce (HRM, Organisational Behaviour, Industrial Relations), Post Graduate Certificate Disaster Management and Advanced Diploma in Public Safety (Emergency Management).
Karen Sherlock
Senior Mental Health Clinician from the RFDS (Qld Section)
Karen has been practicing psychology for the past 20 years after completing her Degree in Psychology at Charles Darwin University in the NT. She began her career as a counsellor in a non-profit organization then moved to part time roles in rehabilitation counselling and lecturing at CDU.
She then worked for an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counselling and delivering workshops, later joining the NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services Department providing support for staff, particularly after experiencing significant trauma, and assisting with the recruitment process. Managing her own private practice in Mt Gambier, SA for 6.5 years she then joined the RFDS (Qld) in December 2017 at Mt Isa for 7 months. Returning after funding was re-instated to the same role with the RFDS she has been based in Charleville for the past 2.5 years.
Having a love of the Australian bush and outback she has been privileged to have had many roles that have allowed her to spend significant time in very remote locations assisting those with mental health concerns.
Keelen Mailman
Station Manager, Mt Tabor Station
Keelen Mailman is a proud Bidjara woman from Western Queensland. She has managed and cared for Mt Tabor station, on her traditional lands, for 24 years, and was recognised in 2005 by the Queensland Museum as the first Aboriginal woman to hold such a role in Australia.
A gifted athlete in her youth, Keelen’s personal story is full of pain and challenge, and ultimately, overcoming. It is brilliantly told in her autobiography, published in 2014, The Power of Bones.
Keelen’s leadership in the Aboriginal and wider Australian community has been recognise by numerous awards. In 2007, she was a Queensland finalist in the Australian of the Year; in 2009 undertook a Rural Leadership course; 2016 State and National awardee of Bernados Mother of the Year, and 2021, she was awarded the Order of Australia for her commitment and contribution to her community and her culture.
She is a natural storyteller and is much in demand as a speaker.
LinkedIn: Keelen Mailman
Leann Wilson
Owner, Regional Economic Solutions.
A Bidjara/Kara-Kara First Nations and South Sea Islander descendent, Leann Wilson is an experienced executive and owner of Regional Economic Solutions, who has been a pioneering forefront in opening dialogue and delivering outcomes for business, government, and communities.
Regional Economic Solutions being built on the principle of impartiality. Leann brings a unique understanding that it is not her role to decide what is best, rather, to neutrally broker deals that are agreeable, sustainable, ethical, and beneficial to all parties.
Leann is a recognised as a reconciliation leader and become one of the top 100 “Woman of Influence” 2019 by Financial Review. She has an extensive network that nurtured throughout her career in spanning community, government, not-for-profit, education and private enterprise. She has co-designed and led significant strategic engagement processes across multiple sectors, including within the resources industry, played key advisory roles in policy development and been instrumental in creating trauma aware and healing informed pathways across Australia.
Facebook: @RegionalEconomicSolutions
LinkedIn: @LeanWilson
Leanne Kohler
CEO, Desert Channels Queensland
Leanne has a strong people-first management style and many years’ experience in government administration and private business. Having lived and worked in rural and remote communities all her life, she has a clear understanding of the issues and challenges they face. Outside of work Leanne would like to spend more time with her two sons, Garreth (18) and Jacob (9). Leanne grew up in Alpha, and moved to Longreach 32 years ago, working first for the Dept. of Primary Industries then, from October 2002, as the founding CEO of fledgling natural resource management group, Desert Channels Queensland.
While growing this organisation from a shoe-string budget and a staff of three, to a multi-million-dollar budget and 19 staff, Leanne also built a successful commercial company under the DCQ umbrella. Since 2009 DC Solutions has donated 100% of its commercial profits to the DCQ Foundation for more on-ground natural resource management works to be undertaken that the community have identified as a priority. Six years ago, Leanne also purchased and runs a busy local café, Darcy’s Diner employing 11 locals, whilst operating and managing BB’s Bistro at the Longreach RSL employing another 11 locals. Leanne is an advocate for the disability sector and is currently the Secretary of Outback Independent Living, a community group working at establishing day respite, short, long term, and emergency accommodation for people with disabilities.
LinkedIn: DesertChannelsGroup
Instagram: @desertchannels
Facebook:@desertchannels
YouTube: @desertchannels
Twitter: @desertchannels
Michael Jeh
Educator and Public Speaker, A Few Good Men Project
Michael Jeh is a former first-class cricketer and Oxford Blue who is now heavily involved in running education programs around gender violence prevention. One of the things that really drives him is a project called A Few Good Men. It is essentially a men’s revolution, a movement aimed at getting men to take total ownership of the way we treat women. He is also a White Ribbon Ambassador, which speaks up and act to prevent men’s violence against women. His clients include professional sporting teams, schools, universities, corporates, and prisons. He is passionate about empowering good men to take ownership of this important issue and is unafraid to challenge men to be the solution rather than the problem. He is the father of teenagers, lives in Brisbane and in his spare time, he is a wildlife ranger in Africa where he takes clients on exciting walking safaris.
Website: michaeljeh.com
LinkedIn: @MichaelJeh
Mylinda Rogers
Deputy Mayor, Barcaldine Council
Mylinda spent most of her life in the west. After school she drifted and worked in the Northern Territory and Western Qld. She worked on cattle properties eventually settling north of Jericho where she and her husband manage a cattle station for 25 years while raising two daughters, which for her, that is the most important job. She dabbled on art for most of her life but started a business in 2020. In 2016 she was elected to council at Barcaldine and then became Deputy mayor in 2020.
Web: scrapmetalsheila.com.au
Facebook: /scrapmetalsheila
Instagram: @scrapmetalsheila
Nicole Bond
Media & Communications Manager, Remote Area Planning and Development Board
Nicole Bond is a skilled videographer with almost two decades experience producing broadcast quality news and current affairs content including as a journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 2004 - 2018 where she was awarded several state awards for her videography and journalism. In 2018 she was named the Queensland Rural Remote Women’s Network storyteller of the year. Her focus is now on developing documentary work from Outback Queensland and since 2018 Nicole has been the Media and Communications Manager for the Remote Area Planning and Development Board (the regional organisation of councils for the central west).
Nicole has lived in Longreach for the past 12 years with her husband and three children and is an active community member. She has been the secretary of the Vision Splendid Film Festival in Winton for the past 5 years, long running master of ceremonies for the Channel Country Ladies Day weekend of women’s health and empowerment and currently on the steering committee for the Tackling Regional Adversity Through Integrated Care/Queensland Writers Centre creative project.
Instagram: @media.bond
Twitter: @reporterbond
LinkedIn: @NicoleBond
Pip Courtney
Reporter Presenter, ABC TV Landline
Pip became the host of Landline in 2012 after joining the program in 1993. The daughter of well-known Tasmania print journalist and editor Michael Courtney, she joined the ABC as a cadet in Hobart in 1986.
After beginning her career in news, she combined her love of journalism and agriculture when she joined Landline, moving to Brisbane in 2003.
Pip has won numerous awards for her agricultural journalism including a Queensland Media Award for Excellence in Rural Journalism, the Rabobank Star prize for rural broadcasting (Qld), the National Rabobank Star prize and the International Star Prize for Rural Broadcasting for her 2011 two-part feature on the coal seam gas industry in Queensland.
In 2018 Pip was inducted in the Queensland Press Club’s Rural Journalism Hall of Fame.
LinkedIn: PipCourtney
Twitter: @pipcourtney
Facebook: @pipcourtneyjournalist
Quentin Bryce
Dame Quentin Bryce, AD, CVO is an Australian academic who served as the 25th Governor-General of Australia from 2008 to 2014. She is the first woman to have held the position, and was previously the 24th Governor of Queensland from 2003 to 2008.
Ronda Lewis
Member of Education Officer, QSuper
Ronda Lewis has worked in Financial services for most of her life, in approximately over 40 years. She is a member of education officer at QSuper and has been working there for 10 years. Ronda Lewis loves working with QSuper members aiming to give a better outcome for them, both throughout their working life and in retirement. She enjoyed her work and loves the fact that even if someone is getting close to retiring, they are never too old to make a difference.
LinkedIn: Ronda Lewis
Sandy Gillies
CEO, Western Queensland Primary Health Network
Born and raised in Winton in Western Queensland, Sandy Gillies began her career in health as a nurse in Charleville in the State’s South West, where she gained invaluable experience at the coalface of rural and remote primary health care.
Often working with scarce resources across vast distances, Sandy developed a deep understanding of the challenges of outback health, particularly the plight of Indigenous communities in the region.
A proud Gunggari woman, Sandy is passionate about improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people, a trait that led her to work as an Aboriginal Health Worker, then onto senior roles with the Queensland Mental Health Commission in 2013 and the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council in 2015.
In 2017, the Western Queensland Primary Health Network (WQPHN) recognised Sandy’s expertise in meeting the challenges of Indigenous health and her Strategic Planning and Project Management skills, appointing her an Executive Manager with a focus on commissioning Mental Health Services and Healthy Ageing Initiatives across almost 1 million square kilometres of Western Queensland.
Sandy’s ability to manage adversity was tested in a region prone to natural disasters, including the protracted drought, unprecedented flooding, and the ongoing pandemic. Her rapid response to the 2019 flood crisis in the North West was recognised by the Royal Flying Doctor’s Service, who named her an “RFDS Local Hero” for going above and beyond her official role with the WQPHN.
Her selfless qualities, her leadership abilities, her engagement skills, and her passionate desire to help improve the health of all Western Queenslanders led to her appointment in 2021 to the role of Chief Executive Officer of the WQPHN, making her the first Indigenous person to be appointed CEO out of the 31 Primary Health Networks across Australia.
LinkedIn: @SandyGillies
Shami Gushure
Senior Mental Health Clinician, Royal Flying Doctor Service
With nearly 15 years experience in the mental health field, she have been fortunate to travel and work in five countries to expand her knowledge and experience. Since joining the RFDS in 2019, she had spread her wing’s even further and have a growing passion for the future of mental health in outback Australia.