Emma Koch (Chairman)

Tammy Whitehead 

Tammy a country girl at heart has performed a wide variety of roles in public service, hospitality, timber processing, transport, farming and retail over the past 30 years.

Thanks to sponsorship by the Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation she undertook the Australian Institute of Company Directors residential course in Canberra.  With a business management and accounting background she is well equipped with broad business skills and knowledge of issues faced by SME’s.  She is currently owner and Director of Glenara Transport Pty Ltd and Whiteheads Timber Sales retail yards.

She has put considerable energy into contributing to the effective management of various organisations such as the Forest Industries Training Network (FITNET), Forest Users Group Inc. and recently Edenhope Historical Society. She is a past board member of Heritage Industries (now run by Bedford Group) and Plantations Timber Association Australia (PTAA) (now AFPA) the peak national body for Australia’s plantation products and paper industry.

Continuing to fulfil her various business responsibilities, in 2003 Tammy achieved the dream of travelling around Australia for the year with her then 9 year old son.

Roslyn Caldow (Secretary)

Roslyn has worked in the transport industry alongside her husband Haydn for the last 17 years.  For 10 of those years Roslyn managed a career in teaching as well, working 2 days a week teaching year 2 students.  The learning and development of children has been a lifelong passion for her.  She has 3 children of her own and loves being a Mum.

Roslyn’s business involves her being a “jack of all trades” dealing with customers, employees and suppliers.  Working in a small business requires many skills and her responsibilities include wages, Occupational Health and Safety, accounting and sales to name a few.

As a small business owner working from home Roslyn realises the great importance of having any organisation that focuses on the personal and professional development of women and is pleased to have the opportunity as board member to serve the community.  It is vital that we continue to provide access to information, skills training and networks to support women and their contribution to the economic prosperity of the Green Triangle.

Her other interests include family holidays, music and reading crime books.

Sally Mattschoss 

Originally from the York Peninsula, Sally studied a degree in Business & Economics before moving to Mount Gambier in 2008 to persue her career in banking with Westpac.

Sally has always had a passion for baking and has turned this hobby into a successful business venture supplying local cafes with her delicious melting moments and attending the Mount Gambier Library Markets. This hobby has scaled back in the past year due to her new work commitments as a Small Business Banking Manager.

Sally lives with her partner Jimmy on his family farm in Mingbool and loves the diversity that the South East has to offer

Elaine Pollock (Executive Officer)

Elaine has worked in partnership with business, community and government to facilitate community and regional development for the past 13 years.  Her innovative approach has realized sustainable initiatives across the Limestone Coast having been instrumental in the establishment of Women in Business & Regional Development Inc and Stand Like Stone Community Foundation.

Her passion for regional development is well recognised and Elaine is credited with attracting over $12 million in government funding for the Limestone Coast.  Much of this funding is a direct result of her project development and grant writing skills.

Elaine believes engaging people in positive ways can make a real difference in fostering economic development and based on this philosophy she has facilitated many networks and driven many projects.

A mother with four daughters and six grandchildren Elaine in semi retirement enjoys spending time with family.  A budding artist Elaine is a member of the Threadmill Fibre Artists group and enjoys exhibiting with fellow artists working with paper to create abstract collages.

Maria Gentile 

Maria has been in business for over 25 years – from a fashion house to selling insulation and for the past 16 years managing Caffe Belgiorno with her husband Walter.  Together they have built this restaurant and Tapas Bar in Mount Gambier into one of the best hospitality venues.  In 2010 Maria opened Cafe Belgiorno by the beach in Robe.  Maria’s strong sense of family and community has seen her make a positive contribution to the students of Melaleuca Park Primary.  Maria has three daughters and a granddaughter named after her.

Catherine Clarke

Catherine commenced practice as a country solicitor in Mount Gambier in 2005 after completing her law degree and joined Andersons Solicitors Mount Gambier Office in early 2011.  Catherine attended school in Mt Gambier before studying at the University of Adelaide for both her degrees - B Sc (Biomedial Science) and Law.   She returned to her home town to be closer to her family.  Catherine lives at Mingbool with her husband and two children.   Having lived and worked in Mount Gambier for a number of years, Catherine has a solid understanding of the legal needs of the community.  She is a member of Law Australasia

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Pip Rasenberg

Pip is passionate about the South East, was born and bred on a family farm in Western Victoria and calls herself a Jack of all trades having worked as a farmer, Nurse, calf rearer, written a number of specialist Dairy beef books and publications in collaboration with the New South Wales Department of Agriculture. She imported the second live shipment of fullblood wagyu cattle into Australia for Mayura Station and ran an extensive and very successful embryo transfer program for a number of years after a severe farm motor bike accident.

Pips main focus in semi-retirement is environmental management and a strong focus on protecting the valuable water resources of the South East for future generations of farmers and the amazing wetland habitats of the Upper and lower South East.

Her other hobbies are woodcarving, photography, travelling to visit her children and grandchildren in Christmas Island and Canada, and when time permits reading.

Pip is hoping her life skills will be useful in her new position with the WiB&RD Board and is looking forward to working with other passionate and committed rural women.