2012 Australian Capital Territory Finalists Announced
23 Aug 2012
Influential public service leaders named as ACT Business Awards finalists
A group of inspiring ACT women, who collectively have more than a century of
leadership experience in the government and community sector, were today named among finalists for the 2012 Telstra ACT Business Women’s Awards.
Air Vice-Marshal Margaret Staib is the senior military officer accountable to the Chief of the Defence Force for the oversight and assurance of the Defence logistics capability. A military logistician with 31 years experience, she is Commander of Joint Logistics Command, which conducts 26.4 million inventory transactions and manages about 500,000 consignments a year to Australian Defence Force operations around the world.
Dr Helen Watchirs, a human rights lawyer for 30 years, is one of the three Commissioners of the ACT Human Rights Commission. She has managed nearly 1000 discrimination, vilification and sexual harassment complaints in the past eight years and conducted human rights audits of places of detention. Her expert work in the area of HIV/AIDS and human rights is regarded as best practice internationally.
They are among six finalists for the White Pages® Community & Government Award. The other finalists are:
- Lily Viertmann, whose 21-year career in Commonwealth and State public sectors including Queensland Treasury has led to her current role as CFO for the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities;
- Rachelle Towart, CEO since 2007 of the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre (AILC) and creator of Leadership Plus, an AILC alumni organisation that drew 142 Indigenous leaders to its inaugural conference in 2011, the largest such gathering in decades;
- Bernadette Brady, Director of Patient and Family Centred Care in the ACT Health Directorate and responsible for patient input in redesigning health care systems. In a long nursing management career, she has won ACT Government Service achievement Awards in 1993 and 2012; and
- Lynne Harwood, whose 14 years in accounting has been followed by more than a decade in the community sector. She is CEO of Communities@Work, a not-for-profit organisation that co-ordinates community services from 35 locations, assisting more than 13,000 people a year.
Kate McKenzie, Group Managing Director Telstra Innovation, Products & Marketing and Ambassador of the Telstra Business Women’s Awards, said the Awards were a celebration of the enormous diversity of amazing business women in the ACT.
“For 18 years, the Awards have shone a spotlight on the achievements of inspirational women. In 2012, the 14 ACT finalists range from women who have shown courage and determination to start and grow their own businesses to others who are influential leaders in local business, government and community sectors. The innovation in ideas and technology they reveal is vital to the future of the Territory’s economy,” Ms McKenzie said.
Michelle Sherwood, Executive General Manager, Strategic Marketing, Sensis said: “The calibre of this year’s Community and Government Award finalists is testament to the passion and dedication of women in business around the country. White Pages® is delighted to celebrate these women for the difference they are making
to the lives of Australian communities through their work in government departments, statutory bodies and not-for-profit organisations.”
Winners of the 2012 Telstra ACT Business Women’s Awards will be announced at a gala luncheon on Thursday 27 September in Canberra.
The ACT winners proceed to the national finals of the Telstra Business Women’s Awards that will be announced in Sydney on 21 November. The winners share in $200,000 in cash and prizes split amongst the state/territory and national winners, and become part of an exclusive national business alumni with wide networking opportunities.
Finalists for the 2012 Telstra ACT Business Women’s Awards are:
Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award
| Karen Bradley |
Mitchell Personnel Solutions, Mitchell |
| Suzie Hoitink |
Clear Complexions Clinics, Bruce |
| Deborah May |
Advancing Women, Ainslie |
| Amanda Pulford |
FitSistas Pole and Fitness Studio, Braddon |
Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award
| Gail Bowdern |
Capital Radio Network, Mitchell |
| Emma Luscombe |
Antique Salon, Canberra City |
White Pages® Community & Government Award
| Bernadette Brady |
ACT Health Directorate, Civic |
| Lynne Harwood |
Communities@Work, Canberra |
| Air Vice-Marshall Margaret Staib |
Department of Defence, Canberra |
| Rachelle Towart |
Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre Ltd, Yarrumandi |
| Lily Viertmann |
Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Canberra |
| Helen Watchirs |
Human Rights Commission of the ACT, Canberra City |
Nokia Business Innovation Award
| Lynne Harwood |
Communities@Work, Canberra |
| Suzie Hoitink |
Clear Complexions Clinics, Bruce |
| Emma Luscombe |
Antique Salon, Canberra City |
| Deborah May |
Advancing Women, Ainslie |
| Amanda Pulford |
FitSistas Pole and Fitness Studio, Braddon |
marie claire Young Business Women’s Award
| Megan Fritsch |
Athlete Career And Education, Australian Institute of Sport, Bruce |
| Emma Luscombe |
Antique Salon, Canberra City |
| Jocelyn Parsons |
Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Braddon |
More information on the Telstra Business Women’s Awards can be found at
www.telstrabusinesswomensawards.com
Media contacts:
Jane de Gault | 0419 818 956 | Telstra
Rod Bruem | 0438 288 010 | Telstra
www.telstra.com.au/abouttelstra/media-centre/
Reference: 224/2012
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Telstra Business Women's Awards Network