Media release
12/02/07

New England ag scientist selected for rural leadership training

Agricultural scientist Carol Watson of Ruby Hills, Walcha, has been selected for the latest Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP).

Run by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation chaired by David Crombie, the ARLP number 14 program selected a group of 30 from about 150 applicants across Australia.

Carol is partner in a sheep and cattle production business with her husband Andrew Burgess at Ruby Hills, Walcha, in the New England district of New South Wales.

She has an honours degree in agricultural science from The University of Queensland and is currently studying for a Graduate Diploma in Psychology at the University of New England.

Carol was one of the first women to work in livestock extension in the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries in the 1980s before moving to the private sector as nutritionist for a stockfeed manufacturer in Australia and New Zealand.

In the 1990s, Carol moved to the New England as a consultant for the Agricultural Business Research Institute (ABRI) where she was chief executive officer for a range of cattle breed societies.

Carol has been involved with local community organisations in education and agriculture in recent years. She is working towards directorships in the corporate sector where she can be influential and make a difference for rural communities. Carol has just been invited to work on the board of the new NEGS Limited, the new operators of the New England Girls School in Armidale.

She is honoured to be part of the ARLP program, sponsored by Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), which selects participants based on their capacity and desire to make a difference in the rural sector.

The program develops leadership skills and offers networks with other social capital, which is essential to effecting change in an industry. It is the human connections that provide the capacity to link industry expertise with the production sector.

The ARLP puts together a diverse group of rural people with capacity to lead. An essential ingredient for successful leadership is to be determined, have the ability to act, be self reflective and have a broad view of the world - extensive life experience is an important factor.

Other Walcha ARLP graduates previously sponsored by the wool industry include Hugh Nivison, director on the AWI board.  

Further information, contact Carol Watson on 02 6777 2102
Photo attached