Women in Business & Regional Development

Elizabeth Hodges (Chairman)

Born in Mount Gambier, Elizabeth moved to Adelaide for study at the Elder Conservatorium and then worked with the ABC in the early days of television. After her marriage, Elizabeth lived in Melbourne, had 3 children and later helped establish with her husband Peter, "Hodges Funds Management", which specialised in direct equity investments for its clients.

After Peter's death in 1998, Elizabeth returned to Mount Gambier to live on the family farm and has served on the board of two family farming enterprises based in Mingbool and Kingston. Elizabeth is actively involved with local committees and is a member of Mount Gambier Soroptimist International; she joined Women in Business and Rural Development in early 2006.

Elizabeth is a committed Christian and her interests include bridge, gardening, music, reading and her family and grandchildren.

Wife, mother, granny; with a career involved in tourism from the family farm, Teatrick at Wolseley in South Australia.

Liz established Teatrick Lavender Estate in 1991 and has won numerous awards for presentation, attention to detail with the business and community input, including 1999 SA Enterprising Women of the Year and 2002 PIRSA Bursary for the 3rd World Rural Women's Congress in Spain, as well as an Australian Horticulture Scholarship (England and Europe). A participant in the 2006 SA Rural Leadership Program. Currently member of Limestone Coast Tourism and Limestone Coast Farmers Food Group and Farmers Market. Founding member and past President of Women in Business and Regional Development and currently a committee person as well as a Network Leader in the Tatiara.

In 2007 Liz as a SA Delegate, attended the  4th World Congress of Rural Women in Durban,  South Africa.  Whilst in Africa volunteered at the Women's Business Centre, in Ingwavuma, South Africa.  Liz currently markets the beautiful hand embroidered products that are produced by the Zulu women artist's living in the Aids stricken area.

In 2008 Liz was a SA RIRDC Rural Woman's Award finalist and also was nominated for the SA Women's Honour Roll.

Socially, Liz enjoys the challenge of golf.

Elaine Pollock (Secretary, Public Officer)

Elaine has worked in partnership with business, community and government to facilitate community and regional development for the past 12 years until retirement in July 2009 in her role as Chief Executive Officer with the Limestone Coast Area Consultative Committee. Her innovative approach has realised sustainable initiatives across the Limestone Coast being instrumental in the establishment of Women in Business & Regional Development Inc. and Stand Like Stone Community Foundation.

Her commitment to 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 successful projects.  Her passion is evident in everything she tackles.

Having worked for over 30 years for the Australian Government Elaine has undertaken key management roles in the employment, training and welfare areas and her interest in the labour market led to post graduate studies at Deakin University.

Not content with retirement Elaine joined the team at Tony Stacey Management in August 2009 combining her talents in regional development and experience in finance and staff management, strategic and business planning to build economic prosperity throughout South Australia. 

Recently appointed to the board of the Migrant Resource Centre of SA Elaine looks forward to actively supporting the effective resettlement of migrants and refugees across the Limestone Coast.  Other advocacy roles will include chairing the Limestone Coast Migrant Settlement Committee and the Limestone Coast Migrant Resource Centre Advisory Committee.

June Kain (Treasurer)

Growing up in Mount Gambier, June is known by many people for her musical background which includes playing piano accordion, piano and organ for dances, weddings and background music.

As partner in sheep, cattle and potato enterprise with husband John, June has actively participated in all aspects of the farm including financial management which led to her interest in computing.

Once all 4 children had started school, June returned to the workforce.  A highlight of her employment was her position as Regional Finance Manager, National Parks & Wildlife, which led her to initiate a computerised financial management system which was adopted by the Dept. Environment and Planning for use throughout the State’s Regional Offices.  June’s role included system development, production of training manuals and training of 80 Departmental Staff.

In 1994, June joined City of Mount Gambier to manage “The Lady Nelson” Visitor & Discover Centre where she introduced computerised systems for management of service delivery and online marketing.

June’s knowledge and interest in tourism assisted in the development of Amble In Self Contained Accommodation, a family business providing comfortable accommodation in Mount Gambier and Nelson.

On retirement, following 12 years as Tourism Manager, June’s passions for tourism and system development has led her to develop www.roomshere.com, a national accommodation website which displays vacancies, packages and last minute rates, directing all enquiries to accommodation businesses for personal service not offered by online booking systems.

June's knowledge and interest in tourism assisted in the development of Amble In Self Contained Accommodation, a family business providing comfortable accommodation in Mount Gambier and Nelson.

June has maintained a large voluntary component in all aspects of her personal and working life, with considerable involvement in large events such as the Ulysses AGM, and CMCA Motor Home Rally.

June is currently President of the Nelson Tourist Association and Treasurer of Women in Business & Regional Development.

Carlien Lavers

Carlien moved from Adelaide to the South East region in 2003 with husband and business partner Darren Winter after having purchased the old Safcol factory in Millicent. Together they have spent the past few years developing the site into an aquaculture tourism complex. Limestone Coast Trout now grows out 30,000 rainbow trout each year, selling them around the region and into Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne. They also cater at festivals and events around South Australia with Fish & Chips in a Cone.

Carlien is also involved in Limestone Coast Food and is a great supporter of the regional food industry.

She has two children, Cooper and Izabel.

Dr Anne Johnson

Dr Anne Johnson is a health and education consultant and is based in Penola where she has been a resident since December 2007. Anne previously worked for over 7 years as Associate Professor of Public Health at Flinders University and was deputy head of department. Anne has a long history of working in the health sector, and initially worked as a registered nurse at the Adelaide Children's Hospital before making a career change to working in health promotion and public health.

For the period of 1st May 2008 - 30th April 2009, Anne was fortunate to be chosen to participate in the Vodafone Australia Foundation World of Difference Program. Vodafone Australia Foundation fund four Australians a year to work for their favourite charity. Anne chose to work with Kidsafe SA Inc. for the 12 months to improve linkages between Kidsafe and rural and remote communities to reduce unintentional and preventable child injuries.Anne has been President of Kidsafe SA for over 9 years and on the board for 16 years.

Anne has been the Chair of the Patient Journey Steering Committee for Country Health SA for three years, and was a Ministerial appointment to the National Health Council and the Advisory Committee on Consumer and Community Engagement with the National Health and Medical Research Council for the past three years. Anne has recently been appointed as a member of the Health Advisory Council for the Mount Gambier and Districts Health Service.

Anne has received several prestigious awards in recognition for her leadership and outstanding contributions to health and education. The awards include:  

* Lifetime Achievement Award, Kidsafe SA. In recognition of long term
leadership and outstanding achievements in child injury prevention, October
2009

*The Primary Health Care Practitioner Award, from The Public Health
Association of Australia (SA Branch) and The Australian Health Promotion
Association (SA Branch), in October 2008.

*The Leadership Award, from the Australian Health Promotion Association (SA
Branch), February 2005 in recognition of outstanding leadership in health
promotion in South Australia.

*The National Kidsafe Inaugural Excellence Award for outstanding
contribution to Child Injury Prevention in Australia in October 1998.

*The Women's and Children's Hospital Staff Recognition Award for Excellence,
where she was a winner of the Category 'Creativity and Constructive Ideas'
in April 1998.

Tammy Creaser

After working in banking for 10 years, Tammy Creaser decided it was time for a career change and embarked on a Certificate IV in Information Technology. The study commanded a weekly 400-kilometre round trip – all while raising three young children! Tammy knew, however, that the qualifications would lead to greater opportunities, as at the time, Information Technology was a relatively new concept for country areas.

Tammy won a contract teaching Information Technology, Website development and image editing at the local TAFE, and continued external studies in website development, image editing, programming, social media, project management, communication and leadership.  

In 2000, she launched her own business specialising in the sale and repair of computers, developing websites for local companies and delivering one-on-one training and group training in software packages. The following year, she gained a part-time position as Project Officer  - Electronic  Information for Rural Solutions SA (PIRSA). This role has evolved considerably over the past eight years, with Tammy relishing the constant changes in technology and trends, and the opportunity to engage with Information Technology networks. She now works four days a week with PIRSA as a Web Publisher - Information Communication & Technology (ICT) while continuing to operate Tammy Creaser Web Design & Training.

In addition, Tammy and her husband Dean operate a Bordertown-based trucking business carting grain, fertiliser and rubble.  Dean manages the day to day operations, while Tammy manages the office. Tammy is continually working hard to achieve the ideal work/life balance.  She enjoys spending time with her family and friends and travelling when possible.

Karen Leslie

Karen Leslie is originally from London, England and moved to Mount Gambier in July 2007 with her husband, Adrian Jameson, and a 1971 classic purple Ford Mustang.

Her first position was as an electro-encephalographer measuring people’s electrical brainwaves, and it was here that she was first introduced to computers.  

In 1988 Karen became a computer operator and was then promoted to analyst programmer in a well known UK company. However after several years working in global companies she decided that she wanted to go it alone, so in 1996 she set up her own IT consultancy business, KLJ Universal. The company has clients in the UK, Europe, Asia and now in Australia. In recent years the company has branched out into creating websites for local businesses using free content management systems.

In 2008 she became a published co-author in the book ‘The Path to Success’ with international coaches and educators such as Jack Canfield, Brian Tracey and Sandy Forster.

To be in control of their own destinies Karen and Adrian have become property investors and share option traders. In the UK they were part of a property investment education forum and were often being asked how they were so successful. In 2009 they wrote an online course called 'Money Magnets Successful Personal Finance' which clearly explains the early steps to achieving wealth and has participants from Australia, the UK and the USA.

Karen is a certified life coach and a member of the International Coaching Federation.

In her ‘spare’ time she is an active member of the Rotary Club of Mount Gambier West, a member of Toastmasters, part of the local Welcome Program for Skilled Migrants and is learning how to belly dance.

Elke Unger

Elke Unger was born, reared and educated in Adelaide.  She has front line experience in small family farm management, having been married to a farmer for 28 years.  She is a mother to two adult children, and runs a farm-based research and development project breeding meat rabbits for possible future farm diversification.

Her job as a Rural Services Officer (RSO) with Centrelink at Mount Gambier also confronts the realities of country living. Elke’s role is to help farmers, small businesses and individuals access the Australian Government’s services. The position also requires a considerable amount of travelling and public speaking to various community groups and organisations, and has also evolved over time to include the elderly and other people who have limited access to Centrelink offices due to distance.

For the first 27 years of her working life, Elke was a primary and high school teacher in the South East.
Her background in training, education and accountancy left her well equipped to run a nationally Registered Training Organisation which she part-owned and operated for nine years, servicing small businesses in the South East. She now has enormous respect and empathy for small business owners in regional areas.

In her spare time, Elke is extensively involved in emergency services. For the past 40 years, she has been a St John volunteer, and currently holds the senior position of Regional Superintendent.  This role not only requires regular travel to Adelaide, but commands a large part of Elke’s weekends in community response work.  She is also a trained and active Country Fire Service fire fighter.

Belle Baker

Belle Baker is the owner of the Naracoorte-based marketing agency Baker Communications. As 'director of possibilities she helps companies in rural and regional Australia to grow by tailoring and delivering marketing strategies designed to help them dominate in the market place. 

In addition she has separate business venture designing and selling wallpaper for wheelie bins. Her online store, beautifulbins.com, has gained national recognition due to it's niche market, powerful web presence and fund raising potential.

Belle says few people saw promise in the 'bin game' during the early days, but such innovative thinking has always been her style. After growing up on a farm near Lucindale, Belle spent the next decade living and working everywhere from Adelaide to Casterton, New Zealand, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London, gaining experience in everything from event management to hospitality.... and certified fire breathing! Her career highlights include organising Investor Conference at Nuclear Power Stations across the UK and Canada and working in investor relations (Financial PR) in London for British Energy, Sainsbury Supermarkets and Rio Tinto. 

Belle has a highly successful track record of 'bringing out the best in people' whether it be her young son George or her latest small business client. She is passionate about the diversity of the Limestone Coast and it's melting pot of industry.            

Nadine DiGiorgio (Executive Officer)

An independent operator with more than 25 years in the tourism and hospitality industry, Nadine DiGiorgio has spent the past decade in key project and event management, designing and delivering conferences, expos, events and weddings of all sizes, styles and budgets. She has consistently achieved dynamic success for a diverse range of stakeholders ranging from Telstra to the Taste the Limestone Coast Festival and Tatiara Meat Company, and is highly regarded for her exceptional organisational skills, commitment to excellence, keen eye for design, and solid network of vendor relationships.

Nadine is also the executive officer of Women in Business and Regional Development, an organisation which endeavours to boost the level of active participation of women in promoting economic growth, business prosperity, employment and creativity. As part of her role, Nadine has organised a range of programs targeting skills development, mentoring and training in strategic alliances, including the highly successful mentoring program Biz Boost, and, more recently, the breakthrough marketing program Web 2.0 Game Plan. Nadine has designed and implemented successful marketing campaigns including brochures, e-newsletters, web site promotion and press releases resulting in extensive television, radio and print coverage for these projects. She has also been pivotal in sourcing tens of thousands of dollars in sponsorship and Government grants in order to make them as accessible as possible to regional participants.

Nadine is passionate about helping the Limestone Coast harness its full potential, and she is widely recognised for her drive, vigour, vision, professionalism, and attention to detail. These same strengths are also applied to her family’s highly successful cattle stud and her personal role as a wife and mother to two teenage daughters.

Kate Facy (Project Coordinator)

Kate Facy’s strong financial and strategic thinking skills and experience in retail and commercial lending have proven to be major assets during her involvement in a range of community boards and regional projects. She has worked widely across South Australia and regional Victoria and has an exceptional track record when it comes to negotiating with various stakeholders and establishing and maintaining networks. She also has a sound understanding of regional issues and a demonstrated ability to develop creative and strategic solutions that contribute to regional development.

Since 2007, Kate has been a project co-ordinator for Women in Business and Regional Development Limestone Coast, an organisation which serves as the catalyst for accelerating the level of active participation of women in promoting economic growth, business prosperity, employment and creativity. As part of her role, Kate has organised a range of programs which have provided more than 530 participants with skills development, mentoring and training in strategic alliances.
The most recent project, Dare to be Different, is focusing on change management, advanced leadership and business skills.

Kate has been a project officer and workforce co-ordinator with the Limestone Coast Division of General Practice, developing innovative initiatives to assist with the recruitment and retention of general practitioners in the Limestone Coast Region. She has also been a logistics coordinator for a major regional Employment Forum targeting the agriculture and horticulture industry.

Kate is a partner in All Building Maintenance Limestone Coast, a building maintenance business specialising in great communication with customers and timely professional solutions to maintenance in the Limestone Coast.

and has served on the board of two family farming enterprises based in Mingbool and Kingston