Georgie Somerset - President Georgie is a beef producer and rural leader with experience in agribusiness, rural tourism and regional development. Her specialities are identifying opportunities, resolving issues and creating linkages and networks across various sectors. She's actively involved in a family-owned beef property in the South Burnett and the mother of three children. Georgie sits on the National Rural Advisory Council (NRAC), the Queensland Rural Skilling and Labour Strategy Industry Advisory Group and is a current participant on the Australian Rural Leadership Program. She's also involved in community committees and organisations including AgForce and Isolated Childrens' Parent's Association. Georgie believes in lifelong learning and education and has completed diplomas in company directorship, rural business management, freelance journalism and agriculture. She also believes in staying in touch with the world through a range of media; good coffee; champagne and a chat; and is evidence that living in a remote location doesn't isolate you from information or influence. Georgie was a founding vice president of the QRWN and held the position of media coordinator for ten years. She's passionate about rural women.
		Gaylene Smith - Treasurer Gaylene divides her time between Brisbane and the Mary Valley and is a financial consultant with a focus on business planning and marketing - particularly employee benefits, salary packaging and superannuation. Gaylene's professional roles have included manager of the HESTA Super Fund, Brisbane City Council Super and most recently in strategic and development roles in self managed super funds and salary packaging. Her formal qualifications in management, marketing and financial services combine with practical experience in organisations and business to engage and inform on financial opportunities, particularly for women. Gaylene has presented financial seminars to various groups and conferences throughout Australia, principally in the management, health and community sectors. Gaylene has contributed her expertise and experience as a director of numerous organisations including Womensport Queensland, Queensland Rowing, Moreton Bay Sports Club and Women in Super and she's looking forward to continuing to build this support with rural and regional communities, as well as continuing her association with various sporting activities.
		Linda Silburn Linda is the CEO of BIEDO, a not-for-profit NGO, based in rural Queensland, with an impressive list of achievements in terms of practical on-ground outcomes. BIEDO specialises in economic and community development, sustainability management and innovative problem solving. BIEDO's ethos sums up Linda's approach to work and life: "Integrity, Excellence, Action, Results". She believes firmly that you have to believe in what you do and make a difference every day. She also believes in lots of laughter, good food, and dark chocolate as indispensable to good performance, good working relationships and good results. Linda was shortlisted for the Australian Institute of Management's Qld Rural Manager's Award in 2008 and the Telstra Qld Business Woman of the Year Award (NGO / Community Category) in 2007. She was also the QRWN's State President from 2007 to 2009 and the Tertiary-Secondary Industry representative on the Burnett Mary Regional National Action Plan Board from 2003 to 2006. Linda is a member of a primary production family in the Burnett Inland. Her work, studies and activism for the rural sector and rural women is inspired by her parents, who taught her that anyone can do anything regardless of gender, background or geography. She was also inspired by the women she saw (as she grew up in Goomeri) who lived and worked "invisibly" in their communities, making a difference every day.
		Sarah Due Sarah originally hails from Cheepie in far western Queensland where she was involved in the family sheep and cattle property for more than 10 years. The family businesses are primarily sheep wool producers, but they also run cattle and an SRS ram breading program. Sarah is a University of Queensland Gatton graduate, completing her Bachelor of Agribusiness in 2006. Sarah has previously worked in the service industry sector, has a rural background, and currently works for AgForce Queensland as South East Queensland Regional Manager covering a large and highly populated territory.
		Bev Ryan Bev offers book coaching and publishing services to organisations and non-fiction authors who want to raise their profile through publishing their own book. She also offers career coaching to people in transition who are looking at all options including self-employment. Bev published the magazine ‘Honestly Woman’ - which was the QRWN member magazine for several years - and brings both online and print communications and marketing experience to the Board. Her varied career also includes teaching, government roles, community and employment programs, and small business. She's also the founder of the Women’s Publishing Network, which supports members publishing non-fiction. Having grown up on a dairy farm in the South Burnett and with teaching experience in regional Queensland, Bev has an appreciation for rural and regional life even though Brisbane is now her home. She's well-travelled and happily pursues her own business and career interests now that her four children are grown, while sharing a happy home with her partner, a former Kiwi farm boy. Bev is keen to assist with communications and growth of membership for QRWN.
		Alison Mobbs Alison Mobbs is director and secretary of Mobbs Cattle Co Pty Ltd at Blackall in the central west of Queensland and her interests are very wide-ranging. They include business, agriculture, education, local government, the arts, health and community development. Running a beef cattle enterprise with her husband in central western Queensland, she shares her time between the property and town for the education of their three children and is currently one subject away from completing a Master of Business Administration majoring in Leadership. She also has qualifications in education and rural business, has studied community engagement and has facilitated the formation and development of a range of community groups and businesses. Over the last 20 years Alison has completed a great deal of project-based work in both a paid and voluntary capacity from conceptualisation, consultation and strategic planning to fund-seeking, planning, delivery and acquittal, in a range of areas from health, to the arts to education. Having fulfilled many local leadership roles and enjoying growth in this area of her life, Alison's passions include acting as an advocate for rural communities employing ethical and authentic leadership practices.
		Linda Hygate Linda has a passion for agriculture and rural development. She's worked in the field of agricultural production and environmental management for over 20 years, starting in South Australia with stints in western New South Wales, eastern Victoria, Melbourne, Townsville and has recently moved to Brisbane to pursue her passion for environmental management for the sheep and beef industries across Australia. Linda is passionate about recognising the role that women play in rural and regional development and the challenges that exist while living and working in these environments. She's also passionate about bridging the difference between food production and urban consumers and recognises and understands the growing divide between producers and consumers with a foot in both camps and the ability to see the different perspectives. After a career spanning agricultural consultancy, research and policy analysis (primarily in livestock production), Linda retrained in Environmental Policy and Education in 2007. Wishing to be closer to family located in South-East Queensland, she sought employment in Queensland. After spending nearly four years in North Queensland, she moved to Brisbane in late 2011. This provides a wonderful opportunity to combine work, family and great friendships. Linda has formal qualifications in Agricultural Science and Economics, Environmental Policy and Education and Program Evaluation. Her other passions include reading, travel to new places, bush walking, writing and spending time with friends and family.
		Meryl Brumpton Meryl is a rural leader with experience in health, training, child protection and communication. She's married to a grazier and lives on the family beef cattle property north of Roma in south west Queensland. Meryl is the mother of four children ranging in age from nine to 22 and loves gardening, reading, handicrafts, travelling and spending time with her extended family. She also enjoys the opportunity to enjoy fine food and cultural and entertainment events when visiting more populated areas. Her specialities are corporate governance, managing and leading change, finance and human resource management. She's also held executive and senior management positions in a number of state government departments. Meryl is enthusiastic about acknowledging the role of women in rural leadership positions and the challenges they encounter whilst trying to balance work and family commitments.
		Karen Brook Karen Brook is the Managing Director of Karen Brook Studios, a holistic, full-service, brand strategy and design agency. She's an outback girl who's passionate about delivering creative solutions to businesses and organisations in regional and remote Australia and those that engage with it. Karen works across small business, government and corporate organisations in tourism, agriculture, local government, mining and resources. Her affinity with the geographical, political, environmental and lifestyle challenges which can face rural Queensland allows her to assist her clients to show the local community (and the world beyond) that they have a world class product or service. Karen has a n in-depth knowledge of remote outback communities, coming from a family of organic beef producers at Birdsville in Queensland's Channel Country. At the heart of who she is, is an unshakeable belief that the Australian outback is the best place in the world. She aims to inspire and motivate men and women from all sectors, across urban and rural Australia to work collaboratively in achieving their personal and professional successes. In 2009 Karen was named as one of 150 Young People Creating Queensland and she has an impressive list of achievements for someone so young. She has a personal interest in youth development and supporting the younger generation in pursuit of their goals and aspirations and was a participant in the 2010/2011 Queensland Leadership Program thanks to a rural scholarship from the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation.

2010-2011	Georgie Somerset
2009-2010	Georgie Somerset and Wendy Agar (joint presidents)
2007-2009	Linda Silburn
2006-2007	Andrea Middleton
2004-2006	Di Gresham
2001-2004	Moya Sandow
2000-2001	Lillian Lever
1999-2000	Rosemary Burnett
1997-1999	Barbara Anderson
1996-1997	Myra Dingle
1993-1996	Jan Darlington