Women of the West Award 2015

Elizabeth Reay, a resident of Kurrajong, has been nominated for her dedication and leadership in improving the health and wellbeing of the Nepean/Blue Mountains communities.

Elizabeth has led the way by coordinating and writing a successful submission for the formation of the new Nepean-Blue Mountains Medicare Local, which was previously separated into four smaller organisations. Elizabeth actively involved consumers in the process and volunteered much of her own time during the transition. Her passion and drive ensured that the community would have a strong, locally responsive organisation in the region to support 'non-hospital' health care.
Her compassion for those suffering from mental health problems has driven her to become a strong advocate for the cause. Elizabeth has successfully set up the Partners in Recovery program, which identifies the specific needs of each individual and allows for easy access to health services.

While managing all of this, Elizabeth continues to participate in research to ensure a viable and innovative primary health care service is delivered to consumers.

Elizabeth Ricketts has been nominated for her dedication to the learning and welfare of young people in Western Sydney. As Principal of St Aidan's Primary school in Rooty Hill, Elizabeth is extremely passionate about enhancing the education of children in under privileged areas.

Having been described as 'strong-willed, passionate and determined', Elizabeth believes that success stems from modelling the behaviour of never giving up, to colleagues and students. Having completed her own doctorate and continuing to update her IT skills, Elizabeth is herself a lifelong learner and is an example of her philosophy of never giving up.
Last year, under Elizabeth's leadership, St Aidan's exceeded the national average in every aspect of the literacy and numeracy tests (NAPLAN). Her contemporary teaching style ensures that all students have access to the latest technology, such as Apple Macbooks and iPads, as well as introducing robotics as an area of learning. Caring for the welfare of all her students, Elizabeth enriches their lives by organising school trips to the theatre and to experience symphony orchestras that they may not otherwise have had the opportunity to do.

Her genuine interest in knowing every student and their capabilities means that she does not stop working over the holidays, which includes organising reading packs for students over the summer break.

Debra Hansel, a resident of Quakers Hill, has been nominated for her passion, and perseverance in supporting the elderly in our local Aboriginal communities.
Debra has been involved in the Community Sector in Western Sydney for over 30 years. She has been instrumental in providing opportunities for socially isolated elderly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to create cultural connections with each other and their communities. The program, known as Teleyarn, has been described as a success due solely to Debra's enthusiasm and leadership.
Her passion has allowed for the program to grow exponentially, with the number of clients increasing almost tenfold since her arrival. Debra advocates on their behalf and works with other organisations to ensure their health, accommodation and basic needs are met.

Debra also established the Wolkara Elders' Group, which connects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders by organising events for members. Transportation is provided to and from their homes so that Elders can attend and be involved in local community services.

In 2013, Debra was awarded the Australian Red Cross Service Award in recognition of her work with Teleyarn and the Wolkara Elders' Group.

Jacqueline Hornjik has been nominated for her extraordinary talent and passion not only for the arts in the community, but also her amazing dedication to enriching the lives of those with disabilities.
A working mother of three children, one of whom has autism, Jacqueline has been inspired and driven to create disability and autism friendly arts experiences by carefully considering the placement of interpreters, the placement of the Auslan (Australian Sign Language) audience, lighting requirements and the visual elements of the actors involved in the production.

In her current role as Theatre Producer for the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, she has produced two award-winning productions – the Auslan-interpreted A Streetcar Named Desire, which she also directed, and the Way Out West Festival for Children.
The Festival brings together a selection of Australia's most outstanding artists presenting films, performances, and workshops which engage and inspire the imaginations of the whole family. Jacqueline's dedication has seen the visitation figures of the Centre grow tremendously and has opened the door for children with special needs to engage with art and culture.

Jacqueline was also a founding member of the Liverpool Performing Arts Ensemble, which produces and presents theatre performances each year.
Jacqueline was the winner of the Engagement Arts Centre Award for the 2013 Way out West Festival for Children.

Sue Walsh has been nominated for her relentless focus on improving the learning outcomes of students in Western Sydney who often face social and economic barriers.
Sue is responsible for the learning agendas of 80 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Parramatta and manages a team of 125.
Sue designed and coordinated a principals coaching and mentoring program that is dedicated to supporting every principal in the system. Now in operation in schools in the Parramatta and Broken Bay Dioceses, it partners principals with colleagues to continually challenge them and improve their leadership qualities.

She also places a strong focus on students. Sue co-led a system-wide reform to use data to monitor, innovate and refine contemporary teaching practices, to respond to each individual student's needs. This proved to be successful, with a significant improvement in the system's overall NAPLAN results.

Sue works in partnership with international leaders to ensure adherence to best practice and invites their feedback on her own leadership. She demonstrates her belief that a Greater Western Sydney education can be a top quality, world-class education.

Jennifer Armstrong has been nominated for her generous support and her ability to inspire women to overcome adversity and regain confidence.
Jennifer founded the Beauty Bank, a charity putting together care packages of unwanted toiletries and other beauty products for women in need.
She helps victims of domestic violence lift the feeling of shame and helps victims know they are not alone. The Beauty Bank helps these suffering women to build their self-esteem. Currently, the charity relies solely on word of mouth and social media to encourage donations.

The growing demand has seen 500 beauty packs distributed to women in refuges across Sydney.

Jennifer has also worked extensively with the Dandelion Support Network, conducting fundraisers and raising thousands of dollars in much needed funds. She has connected with Community Medic, an organisation that supports the homeless in Western Sydney to provide packs for a women's homeless shelter.

Gina Field has been nominated for her leadership in business. She is the owner and operator of Nepean Regional Security, a manpower security company located in Penrith. Gina commenced work as a security officer at the age of 19; at a time when it was almost unheard of to be a female in such a male dominated profession. She went on to open Nepean Regional Security and 17 years later employs 40 personnel and operates a fleet of cars across Sydney.

Being described as one of the most powerful business people of Western Sydney by the Sunday Telegraph, she now strongly advocates for females to feel comfortable to venture into areas of employment that are typically male orientated. She also attends school presentations, council meetings and business functions. She freely gives time to talk to community groups such as Ropes Crossing and Jordon Springs on security and safety in the home.

Gina is also a strong supporter of small businesses, featuring in several television shows. Gina has been on the Board of the Penrith Valley Chamber of Commerce for 11 years, and was recently appointed to President. In just 6 weeks, she increased the revenue and membership by 15 per cent. This voluntary position has allowed her to target small businesses in the region and encourage their growth by attending regular council meetings. In 2014 for her efforts, she received the Medal of Appreciation from the Australia Day awards and also flown to Canberra to be presented with a certificate from the Prime Minister for her contribution to small business.

Gina was also the first female to serve on the Board of the NSW Crown Lands Trust and also on the NSW Police Security Licensing and Enforcement Committee, showing she is just as passionate to break stereotypes as she was 27 years ago.

It is no surprise that Gina and Nepean Regional Security have won over 20 industry awards, recently receiving bronze in the International Business Awards with over 4500 entries and is one of the most awarded security companies of the state.

Mary Waterford, a resident of the Blue Mountains, has been nominated for her commitment to improving services in the community.
From a young age, Mary has been involved in projects such as the establishment of the first Australian women's refuge, ELSIE, in Glebe, and the Women in Prison movement, ensuring that women receive the best possible outcomes and rehabilitation from their incarceration.

She is instrumental in new initiatives, including the ZEST Awards which celebrate and promote life in Greater Western Sydney, and the Stronger Voice for Greater Western Sydney, which promotes innovation and creativity of the community sector.
In her role as Executive Officer at the Western Sydney Community Forum, she led the organisation into new partnerships, including the Sydney West Airport Alliance with the NSW Business Chamber and local councils. Leading the change, she enabled the community sector to be part of the conversation in developing infrastructure and jobs for the region and ensuring a voice for the disadvantaged.
Mary's constant lobbying was the driving force in having land transferred from the Government to a number of community services, now known as the Blue Mountains Aboriginal Cultural and Resource Centre. She also works closely with Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation.

She volunteers much of her own time to sit on the board of several agencies and committees. In 2014, Mary was voted one of the most influential people in the not for profit sector by the Pro bono Australia Awards.

Ruth Fattal has been nominated for her passion to create beautiful pieces of clothing and accessories that stand the test of time and make women feel confident and beautiful.
At just 24 years of age, she is the Director of Ruth Fattal Haute Couture. Her label offers a unique and personalised style of service to her clients. She works tirelessly and volunteers much of her own time to involve clients in every step of the process and holds regular VIP shows to continually inspire others.

Her ability to create fashion that is bespoke, tailored, carefully crafted and unique is an important point of difference.
Ruth has been working with Pop Up Parramatta, a project of the Parramatta City Council to support upcoming artists in the area. Constantly challenging and refining her leadership skills, she has learnt much from specialist mentors in the program. Ruth has since been able to give back to the community that has given her so much, by holding intern placements and inviting work experience students to her company to see the inside workings.
In 2014, Ruth was named winner of the Rising Star Category at the Western Sydney Awards in Business Excellence and also a winner of the Lord Mayor of Parramatta Young Entrepreneur Business Awards.

Cathryn Ricketts, a resident of Quakers Hill, is nominated for her tremendous ability to inspire performing arts students and support and guide those who are struggling.
Cathryn is a well-respected drama teacher who has created many productions, with opportunities for high school students to participate in performances. Her production, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, is a multimedia fairy-tale about cyber bullying and was supported by the Department of Education and Communities. Her production I am Marcus was awarded second place at the Focus on Ability Short Film Festival, a production to raise awareness and highlight the needs of autistic youth.
Her compassion extends to students who are considered at risk. Cathryn is known to be a strong advocate for foster care, having four foster sisters herself, and works closely with case managers to achieve the best outcomes for these students.
Cathryn's strong connection with her Aboriginal heritage and her role as Aboriginal coordinator means she creates individual education plans for students with an indigenous background and ensures the curriculum is adjusted to cater for their needs and wellbeing.

Cathryn is the recipient of the 2014 National Teacher of Excellence in State and Territory Teaching Award.