Board Members

Councillor Jan Clifford was re-elected in the 2020 Queensland local government elections as the representative for the Whitsunday Regional Council, making this her fourth successive term as a Councillor. Jan is well known for her energy and commitment to the well-being of the Whitsunday area and its citizens and is an active member of the community, serving on many boards and committees and volunteering at events.

Jan has called the Whitsundays home since early 1995 after a long career across Australia in various management, sales and marketing roles. Jan has always been a strong advocate for protecting and preserving the natural environment in the Whitsundays, both on the mainland and in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

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Jacquelene Brotherton is the immediate past Chair of Transport Women Australia Limited, Jacquelene has long advocated for women in non-traditional careers in transport and logistics, through various mediums including speaking, writing, implementing training forums, bringing together successful career women to provide mentors, and winning sponsorships for learning initiative breakfasts and scholarships for higher learning opportunities, through industry associations and supporters.

The programs at TWAL included the Creating Connections Mentoring program, the Driving the Difference scholarships, the Trish Pickering Memorial Award, the Dream Maker Awards, and the Young Gunnette Award. She has promoted diversity and inclusion within the road transport industry through her Big Rigs column, through her membership with community associations, through podcasts and speaking appearances.

Wendy lives with her family on a remote cattle property at the bottom of the Gulf of Carpentaria near the Queensland-Northern Territory border town of Camooweal. A director in her family’s beef grazing enterprise Wendy has also been involved in local and wider community groups for over twenty-five years. Access to education and improved communication services in rural and remote Australia have been a focus for Wendy, and she is dedicated to ensuring communities and families in geographically isolated areas have a voice. Wendy is currently the Independent Chair of the Regional, Rural and Remote Communications Coalition and Chair of the Agforce Qld Telecommunications and Social Policy Reference Group.

Originally growing up on a generational family farm at Ceduna the chance for Karen and her husband to participate in the experimental Blue Crab fishery in Gulf St Vincent in 1989 was the platform for life today as a Primary Producer in a Capital City. Over 3 decades on - 3 adult children, numerous boats and a dedication to Blue swimmer crabs means they operate a vertically integrated fishing business from their base in Largs North, South Australia. Karen is the immediate past President of Women in Seafood Australasia and a Board member since 2012. A graduate of NSILP (National Seafood Industry Leadership Program) Karen was active within the SA Peak Industry body Wildcatch Fisheries SA, spent a number of years organising the biannual SA Seafood awards and is Past President of SABCPFA ( SA Blue Crab Pot Fishers Association) Much of Karen’s   time is now spent within their business Two Gulfs Crab which produces premium crab meat for restaurants and customers.

Nicole is currently the Chair of the National Rural Health Alliance and has held other board positions over the past 15 years, including executive roles. She is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has graduated from the Company Directors Course. Nicole O’Reilly has developed her management and leadership skills over the past 15 years and is currently is the Senior Lecturer Occupational Therapy at Charles Darwin University.

Narelle Hanrahan is the Victorian Director and Treasurer of Australian Women in Agriculture (AWiA) and a passionate advocate for rural communities and agriculture. She brings extensive experience across the seed and agribusiness sectors through her role with Elders Rural Services Australia, working closely with suppliers, customers and industry stakeholders. Having lived and worked in regional communities across Australia, Narelle combines professional expertise with first-hand farming experience and an understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing rural and regional communities. An active member of the Country Women’s Association (CWA) for more than 15 years, Narelle has held a range of leadership and volunteer roles. She participated in the National Rural Women’s Coalition (NRWC) Muster Program in 2023. Narelle brings strong financial management, governance and administration skills and is committed to supporting women in agriculture and ensuring rural and regional voices are heard.

Jade believes country towns should be places people choose to build a life, not places they leave to find one. A strategist and ideas person, she moved from the United Kingdom to Western Australia as a teenager and built her career across State Government and the First Nations sector before establishing her business and raising her family in regional WA. As Managing Director and co-founder of The Wander Collective, Jade works across regional and remote WA with government, Aboriginal corporations, not-for-profits and businesses. Her holistic, asset-based approach focuses on community strengths, connections between people and sectors, and the broader ecosystem of a place. Jade holds a degree in Indigenous Knowledge, History and Heritage and is a Social Impact Fellow. Raising her two daughters in the Great Southern, she is passionate about ensuring regional communities have the opportunities and support to genuinely thrive, not simply survive.

Ellie Corley is a practical visionary specialising in health, social justice and environmental issues. With more than 20 years’ experience managing reputations and advising boards, she helps organisations become a force for good, balancing people, planet and profit. Ellie has extensive experience building strategic partnerships and addressing complex social and environmental challenges, with a strong commitment to tackling inequality and ensuring overlooked voices are heard. Her career includes serving as Global Communications Director for Richard Branson’s non-profit foundation, Virgin Unite, where she helped scale global initiatives supporting women and girls. She has also held senior roles with The Energy Saving Trust and Conservation Volunteers Australia, where she founded the C-Suite Leaders for Nature™ Forum. More recently, Ellie has driven partnerships at Farmers for Climate Action, supporting rural leaders through the New Season scholarship. Having previously lived rurally on a farm in Cambridge, UK, she now lives in Northern Rivers, NSW.