CONGRATULATIONS Barbara Grey

CONGRATULATIONS Barbara Grey

Foundation Fellow Barbara Grey, a rural communicator from Mungindi in Queensland is the runner up, behind WA’s Caroline Robinson, in the prestigious 2011 RIRDC Rural Woman of the Year award.

The winners were presented with their awards at a gala dinner in Canberra on Tuesday 24^th May, by the Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Dr Mike Kelly.

Barbara is Chair of the Women’s Industry Network – Cotton and Non-executive Director of the Cotton Co-operative Research Centre. She is a graduate of Course 15 of the Australian Rural Leadership program, has just completed an Advanced Diploma in Business and is currently enrolled in a Masters of Business Administration.

Barbara is committed to strong, healthy and productive rural industries and regional communities and is deeply concerned about what she believes is a growing disconnect between rural people and government and decision makers.

Her Award ambition is to implement a pilot education program that will empower aspiring rural and regional women leaders to gain a better understanding of the political process and government decision making which will help give them a stronger and more effective voice for rural industries and regional communities.

Barbara will use the Bursary to build her skills in project facilitation to give her the competencies to deliver on this pilot program. In the longer term, she believes the pilot could be replicated and become a regular training initiative for rural and regional women.