Awards Program INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE SYDNEY DARLING HARBOUR 7 MARCH 2019 7 MARCH 2019 Contents Order of proceedings 3 Message from the Governor of NSW 4 Message from the Secretary of FACS 5 Message from sponsor First State Super 6 Finalists NSW Premier’s Award for Woman of the Year 8 NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year Award 12 NSW Business Woman of the Year Award 16 Community Hero Award 20 Harvey Norman Young Woman of the Year Award 24 Rex Airlines Regional Woman of the Year Award 28 First State Super Lifetime Achievement Award 32 Local Women acknowledged and celebrated 36 With thanks to our sponsors 50 1 2019 NSW WOMEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS2019 NSW WOMEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS 1 Order of proceedings Welcome Natarsha Belling, Master of Ceremonies Welcome to Country Yvonne Weldon Proudly supported by Opening remarks NSW Department of Family and Community Services His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret’d), Women NSW Governor of New South Wales Keynote addresses Jessica Fox, World Champion and Olympic Medallist in Canoe Slalom Professor Hala Zreiqat, 2018 NSW Premier’s Woman of the Year Award presentations Local Women acknowledged and celebrated NSW Premier’s Award for Woman of the Year NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year Award NSW Business Woman of the Year Award Community Hero Award Harvey Norman Young Woman of the Year Award Rex Airlines Regional Woman of the Year Award First State Super Lifetime Achievement Award Platinum sponsor’s address Deanne Stewart, Chief Executive Officer, First State Super Official proceedings close A hot breakfast will be served during the award presentations. An opportunity for official photographs and networking will occur after official proceedings have concluded. 2 2019 NSW WOMEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2019 NSW WOMEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS 3 Message from His Excellency Message from the Secretary, General The Honourable NSW Department of Family David Hurley AC DSC (Ret’d), and Community Services Governor of New South Wales The 2019 NSW Women of the Year Awards are a fitting recognition The 2019 NSW Women of the Year Awards celebrate women across of the accomplishments of the many extraordinary women in New NSW who are changing our state for the better. South Wales who make positive and transformative contributions to Every nominee has made a big contribution to their community and our communities. each deserves to be publicly applauded. From the most rural and remote corners of New South Wales, to On behalf of the NSW Department of Family and Community the centre of our largest cities, NSW Women of the Year nominees Services, I offer my warmest congratulations to all of the nominees, are changing lives through their passion and commitment. The finalists and winners. achievements of these exceptional women will inspire the next generation so they, too, can make a positive difference to New Michael Coutts-Trotter South Wales. SECRETARY Linda and I congratulate all nominees, finalists and winners of the NSW DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES 2019 NSW Women of the Year Awards. General The Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret’d) GOVERNOR OF NEW SOUTH WALES 4 2019 NSW WOMEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2019 NSW WOMEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS 5 Message from Sponsor First State Super I’m delighted to see our continued involvement in these important awards which recognise the incredible talent of women in NSW. As one of Australia’s largest super funds, which includes over two thirds women, we are acutely aware of the contribution and benefits our members bring to communities across the country. As an equal opportunity employer, we at First State Super are mindful of the obstacles and challenges women face in juggling the many facets of their personal and professional lives. So, it’s appropriate to take the time to celebrate their achievements and their contributions. The Women of the Year Awards and International Women’s Day is a great time to stop, to celebrate, and Finalists to say thank you. All the women who have been nominated for these Awards have sought to make a difference: their resolve, their achievement and the positive impact they have on our communities not only locally, within NSW, but nationally is impressive. On behalf of First State Super, and me personally, congratulations and thank you for your contribution. Deanne Stewart CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER FIRST STATE SUPER 6 2019 NSW WOMEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2019 NSW WOMEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS 7 Finalists NSW Premier’s Award for Woman of the Year Associate Professor Payal Mukherjee Laura O’Reilly Associate Professor Payal Mukherjee is an adult and paediatric Ear, Nose Laura is a social entrepreneur who is working to create change in and Throat (ENT) surgeon specialising in ear surgery and cochlear Australia’s disability sector. Inspired by her experiences as the sibling of a implantation. Her mission is to advocate for gender equity in the workforce young man with cerebral palsy, Laura co-founded Fighting Chance in 2011, and educational institutions and to be a role model to future generations of a not-for-profit organisation supporting more than 450 young adults with women. disability through the operation of its two social enterprises, Avenue and Payal is the Deputy Chair of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Jigsaw. (RACS) NSW State Committee, the ENT Research Lead at the RPA In 2014, Laura and her brother, Jordan, co-founded Hireup, an online Institute of Academic Surgery, and a member of the Meniere’s Research platform which gives people with disability the power to find, hire and Fund (Sydney Medical School). Payal is also proud to be a strong advocate manage their support workers. With more than 50,000 registered users on the promotion of surgical innovation, gender equity in surgery as well as on the platform from every state and territory in Australia, Hireup is domestic violence affecting patients and health care workers. As a Clinical revolutionising the attendant care space. Associate Professor at the University of Sydney and an Adjunct Professor Laura is a graduate of Cambridge University and UNSW, where she at the University of Wollongong, Payal places particular importance on studied history and law respectively. In September 2014, Laura was research and teaching whilst also practicing at the Sydney Adventist awarded The Australian Woman’s Weekly Woman of the Future and in Hospital and RPA Hospital. 2016 was a finalist for NSW Young Australian of the Year. Payal is completing a PhD in disruptive technologies in ENT specialising in medical applications of augmented reality, virtual reality, 3D printing and bioprinting with a focus on global translation of Australian innovation in biotechnology. As a mother to a young daughter, Payal is passionate about education and literacy development. Payal is committed to mentoring children and junior doctors into pursuing STEMM careers in surgery and medical technology. Payal embraces thinking outside the square and driving cultural change. 8 2019 NSW WOMEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2019 NSW WOMEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS 9 Finalists NSW Premier’s Award for Woman of the Year Ruan Sims Tracey Spicer AM Firefighter, professional rugby league player, leader, role model, media Tracey is passionate about the rights of women and girls. In her 30-year commentator, NRL Ambassador, domestic violence and mental health career as a journalist, author and broadcaster, Tracey has anchored advocate. Ruan is passionate about using the platforms provided through programs for ABC, Network Ten, Channel 9, Sky News and Radio 2UE and her work and sport to engage, educate, empower and enable people from written countless columns for Fairfax and News Corp. She now amplifies all walks of life. others’ voices through the social enterprise, Outspoken Women. Ruan has represented Australia in rugby league, rugby union and rugby Tracey has written, produced and presented documentaries on topics sevens in five World Cups, winning three of them. She has also captained such as female foeticide and domestic violence in Bangladesh, Kenya, her country and state in rugby league and was the first woman to sign a Uganda, Papua New Guinea and India. She is an Ambassador for professional rugby league contract in 2016. ActionAid, World Vision, Cancer Council NSW, The Full Stop Foundation, It is her fervent belief that if you create or provide people with NSW Kids in Need, SISTER2sister and Patron of the Pancreatic Cancer opportunities and empower and equip them with the correct tools and Alliance. support, they will experience great success. It may not be on the football Since October 2017, Tracey has spearheaded the #MeToo movement in field, or the television screen or the fire ground, but seeing someone Australia, producing award-winning investigations with Fairfax and the achieve their goals can inspire others to take the first step in chasing their ABC. In March 2018, she created NOW Australia, a not-for-profit own. organisation helping people who have been sexually harassed in the workplace. Her efforts resulted in the world’s first national inquiry into sexual harassment in the workplace by the Australian Human Rights Commission. Tracey’s memoir The Good Girl Stripped Bare is a bestseller, while her essays have appeared in books including Women of Letters, She’s Having a Laugh, Father Figures and Unbreakable. Her TEDx Talk, The Lady Stripped Bare, has almost five million views. In 2018, Tracey was awarded an Order of Australia for her work as the national co-founder of Women in Media and as an ambassador for charitable and social welfare groups. 10 2019 NSW WOMEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2019 NSW WOMEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS 11 Finalists NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year Award Jeanette Crew Sharlene McKenzie Jeanette is a Mutthi Mutthi woman from South West NSW.