Gold Coast Harvey Norman Women of the Year: meet the finalists
The Harvey Norman Women of the Year has uncovered countless stories of inspiring women. Today we introduce to you the finalists, and open voting for people’s choice.
Women of the Year
Don't miss out on the headlines from Women of the Year. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Harvey Norman Gold Coast Women of the Year has uncovered countless stories of inspiring, innovative and influential women making a difference in our city.
Have your say on who should take out the title of People’s Choice at womenoftheyear.com.au
CHAMPIONS OF SPORT
Presented by Harvey Norman
Natasha Price
Wheelchair track and road racing athlete. Natasha developed a neurological disorder in 2012 that left her a wheelchair user. In her short but successful sporting career, she has so far won the 2019 Auckland Marathon as well as being selected to represent Queensland in the 2020 National Track and Field Championships in Sydney (postponed due to the COVID-19). She works to make our community more accessible and inclusive by running workshops, site visits and accessibility and inclusion auditing for businesses who want to open their doors to a wider demographic.
Glynis Nunn
Glynis mentors and coaches young athletes in her role as executive director of The Gold Coast Academy of Sport, a not-for-profit organisation. She strives to run all programs cost-neutral to reach as many local athletes as possible. Recently diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), Glynis chose to go public with her condition to inspire others to overcome their health hurdles. An Olympic 1984 heptathlon gold medallist, her sporting achievements automatically make her a role model, but she has leveraged her success into establishing opportunities for others, not just elite athletes but Gold Coasters of all backgrounds and abilities.
Renee Cohen
Gold Coast Titans General Manager Community and Game Development. Using the power of sport to uplift those who need a helping hand, Renee drives programs in game skills and participation and indigenous culture and education. One of her young charges, Ethan Sloane, has captured the hearts of the club as Chief Morale Officer, after graduating from Mudgeeraba Special School where he took part in Titans programs.
THE ENTERTAINERS
Presented by The Star Gold Coast
Sue Porrett
Owner of the Pink Flamingo Spiegelclub and Aerial Angels, Sue has built two successful businesses and put on a string of world-class shows domestically and internationally. She has given many Gold Coast performers the platform to do what they do best. Dedicated to teaching young students aerial arts, she is also an excellent role model for her own triplets. The entertainment industry has been hit hard with COVID-19 and Sue’s businesses have had to temporarily close, however, her positivity has been an inspiration to her staff in difficult times.
Lucy Fisher
Festival Director, Gold Coast Film Festival. Lucy is dedicating to advancing the Australian film industry, the Gold Coast, and recognition and balance for women in the film industry. The GCFF was cancelled in March just as the program was launched. Months of hard work has been put on hold, but Lucy has already introduced gender parity across all her events.
Amy-Louise Anderson
Secondary school drama teacher and head of production at Gold Coast Little Theatre. Amy has been involved in community theatre since before leaving school. A single mum who also works full time, she put her heart and soul into her art, both as a director and actor. Many of her acting and drama students have left school and followed their dreams of theatre, with quite a few being successful thanks to her encouragement.
YOUNG WOMEN
Presented by Gold Coast SUNS
Tani Bloudell
East Coast Fundraising Coordinator and volunteer for Radio Lollipop. Tani, 23, has been volunteering on the Gold Coast since she was 12. She started with Riding for the Disabled, helped the kids at Mudgeeraba Special School and fed the homeless with Homeless Connect. As a 17-year-old, she raised over $1M in educational resources for Tupou High School in Tonga, a school with 800 students and no desks or chairs. She sourced and shipped six 40ft containers worth of resources and refurbished a hospital that was destroyed by a cyclone. Tani also established a sister school exchange program between Tupou High School in Tonga and All Saints, whereby a Tongan student is given private school education and campus accommodation at the Gold Coast school every year. Tani has created her own foundation, E.D.G.E (Everyone Deserves Global Education), to establish a network of educational resources for less fortunate communities. She has overcome multiple challenges in her life including surviving a major car accident in 2015 that took away the use of her right arm for over 18 months.
Alex Wells
At 15, Alexandra petitioned local politicians for funding to start the Gold Coast Inclusive Sports Program. The program is now entering its fifth year and has 100 participants and more than 50 teenage volunteers. She is now working on a model of the program that can be rolled out in other communities. Alexandra also works for GC Day, an organisation where parents of children with disabilities can drop their children so they can have a break. She plays sports with the kids and teaches them how to cook. Her voluntary roles are juggled with studying sports journalism at university and working at Event Cinemas.
Izellah Connelly
Izellah, 13, is on her way to international pop stardom. The St Hilda’s student released single Where Nobody Knows Me, recorded in LA. It follows a string of previous releases, including her first song, Unbeatable, performed live on the ABC ME program. Izellah started singing lessons at age five and at seven auditioned for Opera Australia’s production of The King & I, where she scored the role of Arun. At age 10 she was one of the four Matildas in the Australasian tour of Matilda the Musical, in which she did 84 shows. In January Izellah became the first Australian to record and release a song in Bahasa Indonesia, which received national media attention.
CHAMPIONS OF EDUCATION
Presented by Southern Cross University
Romy Mayer
Race engineer and Dare to Be Different ambassador. Romy is instrumental in the performance of the Red Bull Holden racing car and the team of mechanics behind it. Despite travelling with the team for 189 days last year, she is heavily involved in educating the future generation of female engineers. Romy is an ambassador for Dare To Be Different, which aims to increase the participation of women in all forms of motor racing and change the views of women in perceived male-dominated industries. Romy developed the STEM workshop, which combines a task of building a LEGO race car and programming it to execute different commands. In response to COVID-19, she launched an online program for Gold Coast high schools and colleges to inspire girls getting involved in STEM careers.
Sue Dalton
The principal of Miami State High School received a flood of nominations from parents and her colleagues. They describe her as a “true hero” and an “incredible lady and role model to so many children and families, turning Miami High School around into a caring, bonded community and motivating students and parents to always strive to achieve”. Sue encourages all female students at Miami High to be whatever they want to be and is a strong supporter of woman in sport. Sue has created many opportunities for students to see what a good leader looks like, including travelling to the United Nations.
Julia Crilly
Julia is a professor in emergency care at the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service and Griffith University. She leads and supports research in the emergency department, focusing on understanding emergency health care delivery for vulnerable patient groups, and improving the working environment for staff. She has independently and jointly been involved in gaining more than $6 million in grants to fund research projects that enable clinicians and students to be mentored. She progressed from studying for a Bachelor of Nursing at Griffith University and then working as a nurse at the Gold Coast Hospital to, at the age of 40, becoming a professor across both institutions. She gives her time unstintingly to the training, teaching, supervision and mentoring of medical, nursing and pharmacy women in their research endeavours.
MENTORS
Presented by Optimus Developments
Larissa Rose
Director and senior environmental manager of Glowing Green Australia. Larissa has led environmental education programs in Queensland schools, government community grants and devised sustainability plans and environmental auditing for schools and companies nationally. As well as taking on nine female interns over the past two years as central team members of Glowing Green Australia, Larissa has mentored scores of young women starting careers in environmental science through her role as an adjunct lecturer at Bond University. She also works with Study Gold Coast to mentor interns and students. In 2019, Larissa was appointed mentor to Global Shapers Gold Coast, an organisation providing opportunities for youth to develop the relationships and experience needed to affect change that shapes future prosperity of the Gold Coast. Recently she used social media to invite students studying environment, sustainability or climate change to lean on her as a mentor, since many don’t have a lecturer or teacher to connect with physically during COVID-19 restrictions.
Danielle Lim
Solicitor and principal of DSL Law. Danielle runs a boutique law firm specialising in retirement law. She worked for a top-tier law firm for many years before deciding that retirees needed a more personal connection and approach. Danielle was nominated by one of her staff who said: “She has a heart for her work and she is a great mentor reminding us that we work for families and people not just the dollar.”
Nicole Joy
Founder Becoming Mum podcast and Nicole Joy Inspire movement. Nicole is a young Gold Coast entrepreneur, a primary school teacher by trade, who has published two cookbooks. She launched her own pyjama range, Frankie and Nicole, and has run women’s wellness retreats. Her nomination said the most inspiring thing about her is the way she shared her recent IVF journey through podcast Becoming Mum, becoming a mentor to many mothers going through the same thing. “You only have to read the beautiful comments from other women and mothers to see how she has impacted their lives and perspective on motherhood and made it relatable and OK, to feel that you are not alone.”
WELLNESS WARRIORS
Presented by Southern Cross University
Karla Gilbert
Karla received the most nominations in the Wellness Warrior category for her work empowering educators, parents and kids to make healthier choices. A seven-time ironwoman champion turned stand-up paddleboarding star and health coach, Karla partnered with Kool Kids centres across the Gold and Tweed coasts to put bliss balls, chia puddings, sushi bowls and fruit smoothies on the lunch menu for children. A mother of two, she is an accredited nutrition and health coach and certified Level III and IV fitness trainer, with certificates in child nutrition and nutrition. She shares her learnings and easy, healthy recipes free online and in a fortnightly column for News Regional Media.
Joely Davie
Joely Davie, CEO World Gym Australia, group fitness co-ordinator, wellness and vegan advocate and spin cycle master. Joely’s nomination says she’s so much more than a motivator, business owner and fitness instructor: “She has inspired and empowered hundreds of people to live a healthier, happier, more active life and achieve goals they never dreamt possible all while running a multimillion-dollar company. Joely is constantly spreading love and empowerment through every form of social (media) and every World Gym franchise.”
Dr Cherie Hugo
Director, My Nutrition Clinic and founder of The Lantern Project. For the past seven years, Cherie has had a calling to improve the quality of life of elderly Australians through good food and nutrition. She founded the not-for-profit The Lantern Project, a national collaboration of individuals, industry and government agencies working together to seek solutions to the aged-care crisis. Her drive to advocate for change led her to undertake a PhD in aged-care nutrition. Cherie’s PhD research identified that just $6 is the average spend on food per person per day in aged care, causing national outrage. This ultimately led to the establishment of a Royal Commission into aged care. Since then she has developed a world-first solution to lower malnutrition among the elderly and improve quality of life.
ANGELS AMONG US
Presented by St Hilda’s School Gold Coast
Melissa McGuinness
Founder of YOU CHOOSE Youth Road Safety. Melissa received the second most nominations in the Angels Among Us category, including this recommendation from Senior Constable Tracey Clouston: “Melissa’s son Jordan died in one of the most horrific car crashes in recent history on the Gold Coast in 2012. He was speeding and under the influence of alcohol and cannabis when he collided with a stationary vehicle on the M1, killing four occupants in the other vehicle. Since 2017, Melissa has self-funded presentations to high-school students throughout the Gold Coast and all over Australia called YOU CHOOSE Youth Road Safety. I am not alone among police officers in Queensland in asserting that this is the most effective, impactful and emotionally engaging presentation of its type I have ever seen. Parents, educators and students themselves have repeatedly told me first hand that Melissa is literally saving lives and protecting families from the misery of road trauma every time she delivers her message. It never ceases to amaze me that she finds the strength to share her son’s story with teens – 17,000 of them in the past 12 months.”
Kathrine Peereboom
Founder and CEO of registered Australian charity Spectrum Support Ltd, dedicated to the safety, health, education and inclusion of autistic Australians. As a mum of three autistic kids, Kathrine understands the segregation and prejudice that exists. She has led Spectrum Support into the spotlight on dozens of occasions, but Kathrine’s greatest achievement is Project Elios. With the understanding that her boys will grow to be big, just under 2m tall, and non-verbal, she knew that there would be trouble with the law if she didn’t do something to educate emergency services on the nature of autism. Teaming up with the Mental Health Intervention Unit, her message was developed into training modules that are now required viewing for every police officer in NSW, and soon Australia. Her work is self-funded.
Therese White
Clinic nurse consultant at Robina public hospital. This mum of two daughters puts everyone else first, running a busy emergency department. She rarely has time to stop for lunch and dinner, particularly amid the COVID-19 chaos when her skills are needed more than ever.
ENTREPRENEURS
Presented by Westpac Private Bank
Amreeta Abbott
Chief of Growth, NowInfinity. Amreeta is one of Australia’s most successful fintech CEOs. Her company NowInfinity launched in 2012, operating from the Corporate Centre in Bundall. NowInfinity is a technology platform that enables accountants, lawyers and financial advisers to easily set-up and manage entities. In January Amreeta’s business was acquired by an ASX listed company Class Limited for $25m. This was the first ever acquisition by Class, a leader in the technology services sector, and saw Amreeta offered a new role as head of growth. Less than 1 per cent of start-up businesses ever achieve the entrepreneur’s dream of a multimillion-dollar sale, with female-led technology start-ups an even rarer feat. She is a mentor to many local women.
Tamika Smith
Executive director and founder, Top 100 Women in Construction, a technology-based professional industry association for women working in the construction sector. It connects almost 14,000 individuals worldwide. Recently named internationally as The Most Influential Woman in Construction by BUILD, Tamika’s expertise ranges from project management and development to sales. Starting work in the construction sector at 19 and having her own company from 21, Tamika’s career has scaled further into residential projects with specialisation in delivering community, social and affordable housing. She is a leader and champion for women in one of the most male-dominated industries in the country.
Naomi Spies
Director/Owner, Ruby Communications. The PR professional is the mother of two children and managed her pregnancies while opening two offices. She initiated PR training workshop series, teaching small businesses how to promote their own businesses. Naomi has set the standard that Ruby Communications will invest 25 per cent of their time into any non-profit who approaches the agency. She is currently assisting Support the Girls, Bravehearts and Hear & Say with their PR, major fundraising and community engagement campaigns. The recent Bravehearts 777 campaign raised almost $400,000 to help protect Australian children.
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