DUBBO-based engineer and infrastructure entrepreneur Jillian Kilby has won the 2018 Agrifutures NSW Rural Women’s Award, capping a huge night at Parliament House that put regional women front and centre.
The girl from Coonamble founded The Infrastructure Collective in 2009 while living in Walgett, and now services clients across Australia and the United States.
Ms Kilby was chosen from a shortlist of four finalists: Active Farmers founder Ginny Stevens from Mangoplah, rural speaker, health advocate, photographer, and blogger Shanna Whan from Narrabri, and GOTERRA managing director Olympia Yarger from Canberra.
The moment our @AgriFuturesAU 2018 Rural Women's Award winner was announced by @GladysB! Congrats @JillianKilby - a fantastic role model for young rural women #RWA2018@nswdpi@CountryCanberra@NSW_RWNpic.twitter.com/M8VdwX9YFG
— Hannah Wandel (@hannahwandel) April 10, 2018
Ms Kilby said she would use her $10,000 bursary to develop and conduct a Regional Start-ups Insight Study to develop better space and services for new and growing business owners in NSW.
Huge congratulations to the winner of this year’s Rural Women’s Award @JillianKilby and to all of the inspiring finalists. @NSW_RWN@ShannaKWhan@Activefarmers@AgriFuturesAU#2018NSWRWApic.twitter.com/CgA3CDlgEa
— Gladys Berejiklian (@GladysB) April 10, 2018
She will compete in the national final in September.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and NSW ag minister Niall Blair were joined by state MPs from across the political divide as well as reps from National Farmers Federation, NSW Farmers.
Great to see the work & passion of rural women working the length & breath of NSW. Congrats to Jillian Kilby for being the 2018 NSW Rural Woman for the year. #nswpol@AgriFuturesAU#ruralwomensawardspic.twitter.com/9h11F86cgK
— Penny Sharpe (@PennySharpemlc) April 10, 2018
It was a big night for rural women with DPI’s departing manager of business and social resilience programs Sonia Muir getting an emotional send-off at the end of the evening.
More to come