Sandy was first elected President of NCWQ in 2023. She is the Immediate Past President of the Quota Club of Brisbane, and has had an association with Quota for more than two decades.
From 2019 Sandy has served on the NCWQ Management Committee and on the Quota International Region 13 Board as Treasurer. Sandy has been serving on the NCWQ Executive Committee as Recording Secretary, and from November 2023 as President.
As Past Governor of QI District 30 Sandy is no stranger to volunteering. While in Primary School in Western Queensland Sandy recalls being a member of the Red Cross, as a teenager in Capricornia she supported Horse Riding for the Disabled and volunteered at the Jardine Street Spastic Centre. While at University she also helped out at the Early Intervention Special Education Program. Sandy also served for two years as a member of and then Chairman of the Board of South Burnett Catholic College (St Mary’s).
Her career spanning 35 years in Education saw her many roles focusing on helping others. Sandy, mother of two, has a Diploma in Education, Post Grad in Special Education, a Master in Education – Guidance and Counselling, Certificate in Emotional Release Counselling, training in grief counselling, mentoring and art therapy.
Now retired, Sandy supports her local community by coordinating the collection of toiletries for the local Women’s Crisis Centre, Maybanke and the Mental Health Unit at the Redland Hospital with support from her Quota Club and the local community. She has also held a number of Teal Events raising money for Ovarian Cancer Research. Sandy enjoys living close to family, art and craft, aqua aerobics and kayaking.
Ronda is a delegate for Forum Communicator’s Inc to NCWQ and is a NCWQ Bursary Coordinator. She has a background in Business Management and IT and has been a Company Director, Company Secretary and Board Member.
Ronda possesses high level organisational skills and has considerable experience in various voluntary administrative roles including President/Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer and on Constitutional Committees and Finance Committees responsible for administering large budgets. She also has a vast amount of experience in conducting large events and functions.
For her commitment to sport, Ronda has received numerous awards such as Queensland Government Service to Sport Award, Queensland Sports Administrator of the Year, Distinguished Service Awards and Long Service Awards and Life Memberships. She is an internationally qualified hockey Tournament Director who has been in charge of numerous international, national and state tournaments. She was appointed to the technology team for hockey at the Commonwealth Games in 2018.
Ronda has conducted hockey officiating courses and workshops for many years and mentors and assesses officials, both men and women, for their State and Australian accreditation. She has been recognised by all levels of government for her work with hockey and in 2013 was awarded an OAM for her service to the sport.
Ronda hopes to see improved gender equity in sports management in future, with the appointment of more female CEOs to state and national sporting organisations.
I am a social impact leader committed to helping for-purpose organisations create lasting and meaningful change. My work is grounded in a deep belief in equity and inclusion, and I’m especially passionate about empowering the next generation of female leaders.
Throughout my career, I’ve worked at the intersection of policy, advocacy, and community empowerment. I currently hold multiple roles that allow me to extend my impact:
🤝🏻 Founder and Managing Director, Carnelian Foundation, empowering children & young people affected by family violence and mental health.
🚀 Operations Director, Foundations for Tomorrow, advocating for intergenerational fairness and sustainability
in policy decisions.
💭 Consultant, Researcher, Speaker – focused on educational outcomes, gender equity, economic security and foresight practices to support organisational development and wellbeing of future generations.
I hold a Master of Business Administration, Graduate Certificate of Education, Bachelor of Government and International Relations and Diploma of Marketing & Communications. Currently studying Graduate Diploma in Research Studies. Justice of the Peace (Qualified).
Bec 's career experience spans state and local government, as well as more than six years as digital content manager for a Brisbane-based communication and marketing agency.
She has built an enviable reputation as an efficient operator, always on the lookout for new ways to streamline business processes while maintaining exceptional quality.
She has prepared annual reports, correspondence, reports and briefs, priding herself on attention to detail and always giving 100% to every task.
She manages business and event-related social media platforms along with email marketing, website development and customer experience programs.
Leah is a respected General Counsel and Company Secretary with more than 20 years professional experience commercial risk analysis, contract negotiations, dispute management and company secretarial practice in the resources, infrastructure and construction industries; while providing improved practical and innovative business solutions to senior executives and boards to better manage commercial and legal risk and to maximise business objectives for public and private organisations.
Leah is a passionate supporter of charities, particularly those championing women and families in South-East Queensland where she is currently Chair and Non-Executive Director of A Brave Life (member 3 years); current committee member providing membership secretarial support for the National Council of Women Queensland (member 4 years); treasurer of the local Neighbourhood Watch Association Committee (member 7 years); committee member advocating for in-house legal counsel interests with Queensland Law Society (member 7 years); and active political committee member and advocate supporting women for election (many many years, formally 4 years). Prior to that Leah was Chair and Non-Executive Director of Brisbane Women’s Club (member 5 years); Co-Chair of the Brisbane Committee for UN Women Australia (member 5 years); and committee member for Starlight Children’s Foundation of Australia (volunteer 4 years). Leah has also volunteered supporting Women’s Legal Service Queensland, Journey 2 Learn, Squash Australia and supported a number of school activities and events, including as a P&F committee member, rowing coach for school-girl rowing and debating coach and adjudicator. Leah has extensive charitable and not for profit experience fundraising, managing and acquitting grants, hosting events and managing volunteers.
Leah is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors; fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia; and registered legal practitioner of the Queensland Supreme Court and High Court of Australia. Leah has completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course; holds a Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance from the Governance Institute of Australia; Masters of Commercial Law from the University of Melbourne, Bachelor of Law (Honours) from Queensland University of Technology; and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Queensland.
Leah is a proud mum to three girls; and married to a wonderful ‘girl-dad’ husband.
Kathy has been involved with NCWQ since 2011, and has been associated with ESA for many years. Now retired, Kathy has worked in a variety of contexts, both overseas and inter-state, in roles ranging from small business to writing and photography, but the main focus has been in adult education.
A wide-ranging career both within Australia and internationally has developed broad skills in communication, management and coordination, adapting to change. Writing skills in varied contexts, evidenced by production of second edition of self-funded booklet on cancer experiences, distributed to support other women and their families experiencing cancer.
Coordination, team work and management skills in bursary coordination role, working with over 100 people, including sponsors for 40 bursaries in 2020; coordinators and selection panel members; and recipients. Flexibility in adapting established processes within the COVID-19 environment to meet the required outcome of meeting sponsor conditions in the selection and recognition of bursary recipients.
"The 115-year history of NCWQ provides the knowledge, strength and basis for ongoing growth and relevance of the organisation today. I have the commitment, time and passion to be part of an NCWQ that continues to reflect the needs of women and families through ongoing support of our advocacy and research role through the advisers; enabling female students through the bursary program; and emerging directions, focussing on what NCWQ offers to its affiliated organisations and associates."
Born in Sudan to a Greek mother and Egyptian father, I was exposed to blended cultures at a young age.
An adventurous spirit led me on world travels before I settled for a while in London, where I met my English husband.
My command of English and Arabic set up unique opportunities to expand my cultural horizons as an interpreter and cultural guide for the Arabic Visitors Services, UK for almost five years.
After migrating to Australia in 1986 I worked as a freelance interpreter/translator for nearly twenty years before founding M.E.C.C.A (Middle East Connect and Cultural Advisors) which offers translation and cross-cultural advisory services for Business and Cultural Exchanges between Australia and the Middle East and North Africa.
In the same year, I founded AVS (Arabic Visitors Services) which provides translation, travel, and cultural exchange services.
I am a strong advocate for marginalised and disenfranchised members of society and use my mediation and translation abilities to support these communities.
Traveling, watching the ocean, and listening to international songs uplift my Spirits and keep me balanced.
Sarah’s an accomplished governance and business coordination professional with more than two decades of experience across state and local government. Her career has been defined by her ability to bring structure to high-pressure settings and build trusted relationships with senior leaders and multidisciplinary teams within both high-profiled major infrastructure programs and complex organisational environments.
She actively contributes to fostering a positive and high-performing team culture with a strong focus on staff development and capability, with over 8 years’ experience with Local Government Authorities.
Her recent studies reflect her commitment to continue with personal and professional development and an extension of her understanding in recognising that teams shape sustainable practices within the workplace. She was granted the highest scholarship awarded from Australian Institute of Management to complete a Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Strategy after successfully completing a Diploma of Project Management.
Sarah has been recognised for her professionalism, discretion, emotional intelligence and brings a solutions-focused approach to her work and is highly regarded for her reliability, honesty and commitment. Her leadership style is grounded in collaboration, open communication and a genuine interest in supporting others to succeed.
Outside of work, Sarah is an active and community-minded and volunteers regularly at Parkrun and enjoyed triathlon training when she was younger (albeit some years ago), with a current focus on swimming, yoga and general fitness. She is an enthusiastic reader and has volunteered at the Brisbane Writers Festival. She is also a member of Zonta, a frequent attendee at the Brisbane Comedy Club at the Powerhouse and someone who values social connection and community involvement.
Since relocating back to Brisbane over two years ago, Sarah has re-established strong ties with family and friends and continues to deepen her engagement with local community organisations such as the Quota Club of Brisbane.
Dr Rachael Murray is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Biomedical Sciences, is Head of the Inflammation and Tissue Repair group and is Immediate President of the Australasian Wound and Tissue repair Society.
Dr Murray undertook her PhD at the University of Leicester in the UK studying the proteasome and immune proteasomes in mammalian cells, followed by a postdoc position at the University of Oxford Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine in Oxford studying proteasomes in yeast.
In 2001 she moved to Adelaide to work at the University of Adelaide on a deubiquitinating enzyme that regulates intracellular trafficking. Dr Murray then undertook a highly successful postdoc at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland looking at how macrophages cytokine secretion and inflammation.
Dr Murray was then awarded an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship to establish her own research group at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead working with the Burns Unit to look at ways to alter inflammation in burn wounds and modulate scar formation. In 2012 she moved to QUT to take up an ECARD position and continue her research in tissue repair and inflammation.
Dr Murray has played a key role in the NCWQ Bursary Program for the past two years, assisting with website construction for the nomination and judging process, as well as assisting with delivery of the Bursary Presentation.