Elizabeth has facilitated several community, regional, organisational and leadership development projects and programs in regional WA, across Australia and in Papua New Guinea (PNG), and is co-founder of regionally focussed consultancy, agdots. In addition to her consulting work, Elizabeth is a Board Director for the RRR Women’s Network of WA and the East Kimberley Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EKCCI), Company Secretary for Job Pathways, a Councillor with the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) Young Farmers’ Council, a Champion for Country to Canberra and ministerially appointed to the Industry Funding Scheme Appointments Committee.

She has previously been a Commissioner with the Agricultural Produce Commission, Non-Executive Director with ASX-listed Wide Open Agriculture (ASX:WOA) and Board Director with Australian Women in Agriculture for five years, being elected as Vice President, President and Company Secretary during her tenure. Elizabeth is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and an Associate and Fellow of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (FARLF), having won a scholarship from Fairfax Agricultural Media to undertake the intensive 18-month leadership program. She has completed a Bachelor of Business and a Master of Food Security, focussing on food security in the WA Wheatbelt.

In 2014, Elizabeth was awarded Most Outstanding Emerging Leader at the inaugural Women in Australian Agribusiness 100 and in 2016 was awarded WA Young Achiever of the Year for her voluntary and community contributions. In 2017, Elizabeth was selected to participate in the Aus-PNG Network Emerging Leaders Dialogue facilitated by the Lowy Institute and DFAT, which brought together young and dynamic leaders from across the two countries.

Sue has worked for three decades holding successive and extensive Board and leadership roles across all levels of industry and government. Some of those roles include Landcorp Board, Chair of the Economics and Farm Business Committee of the National Farmers Federation, Chair of WA Regional Development Trust (oversights Royalties for Regions Program), Chair Landcare Advisory Committee, Ag Produce Commissioner, Fruitwest Board, National Rural Advisory Council, and Australian Research Council. Sue is currently a member of the Racing & Wagering WA Board.

Sue understands the nuances of Government policy and programs, and also how the agribusiness and regional development sectors work, and is an effective connector between the two.

Sue and her husband’s family developed a pioneer greenfields orchard project Moora Citrus in a new horticulture area in the Wheatbelt of WA which transformed the Citrus Industry and catalysed the development of Horticulture in this region. They brought private equity into their family farm business, capitalised the new development, and helped to develop the export market for citrus for WA, along with their business partners. In the past they managed a mixed cropping and livestock farm in WA’s wheatbelt growing grains, oaten hay, wool and pork.

Sue not only has “skin in the game” but works to help regional and local organisations to combine strategy and business development as a tool to create sustainable business models. Sue has worked for decades as a consultant working across Agriculture, Regional Development, and Natural Resource Management sectors. Sue has the ability to identify clear opportunities and bring together the right people to connect, think and take actions that create value on many levels.

Sue is a powerful and influential communicator and a sought-after presenter on topics relating to Regional Australia and the future of the Agrifood Sector. Sue is an inspiring speaker, MC and is a professional facilitator enabling groups to have crucial conversations to perform.

Sue believes in actively giving back and sits on the Board of the Foundation for Regional and Rural Renewal (FRRR) and is a co-founder of AgZero 2030, a Collective formed to support WA Agriculture to be part of the climate solution by being Net Zero by 2030.

For her work, Sue has been awarded the Centenary Medal for Service to Regional Australia in 2002, awarded the 2010 RIRDC Rural Woman of the Year for Australia and Western Australia and in 2018 was inducted into the Western Australia Women’s Hall of Fame.

Hellene aspires to create positive change and impact for regional communities and agriculture.

A city kid with a degree in Arts Management from WAAPA, Hellene isn’t your conventional farmer. On moving to rural WA in 2008, Hellene found a fit with not-for-profit ‘grower groups’ and has worked with some of WA’s leading producer-driven organisations including West Midlands Group, Rural Edge and Grower Group Alliance.

Hellene has a reputation as an astute executive and change manager. She leads teams in difficult and challenging markets to create sustainable business models that bring about success for the sectors they serve. As Executive Officer of the West Midlands Group she transitioned the fledgling Landcare group to a professional producer-driven NFP, setting it up to become one of Australia’s pre-eminent farm research, development and extension organisations.

Hellene has extensive knowledge and experience business development and creates and activates networks quickly. In her role as Executive Manager of the agricultural sector’s leading business skills provider, Rural Edge (then known as PinGWA) she implemented a growth strategy which resulted dramatic increases in demand (100%), delivery (30%) and participation (40%).

In addition to her role with Agdots, Hellene is the Co-owner and Business Manager of a successful broadacre cropping and cattle operation in the Midwest of WA, is a Shire of Mingenew Councillor and a member of the Ministerially appointed Grain, Seeds and Hay Industry Funding Scheme Management Committee.