Yesterday I attended a lunch held by the Illawarra Women in Business in which I was excited to witness the presentation of the inaugural Illawarra Women In Business Awards, and be part of the launch of Illawarra Leaders, an initiative founded by Wendy Fogarty, from Important and Imperative Business Solutions, Noreen Hay, Member of Parliament, and myself. Working with Wendy and Noreen has been such an energising and inspiring experience, and launching this initiative for the women in the Illawarra community has enabled me to meet a number of talented businesswomen in the region.

Being able to contribute to the community in which I have made my home is a fantastic opportunity, and I look forward to working more with businesses in the Illawarra.  Illawarra Leaders provides a unique opportunity for women in the Illawarra to share their resources and knowledge, and to provide role models and mentors for young women aspiring to be successful leaders in their businesses, as well as providing a place for women to share their achievements and seek inspiration.

The launch of such an initiative in the region is affirmation of the need to share and communicate with one another – after all, we cannot have ‘community’ if we do not ‘communicate’. The environments in which we live and work are integral to our own being, and the launch of Illawarra Leaders is an offering to women who seek to be in the right environment.

There is much of what I value in work and community evident in this initiative, yet without the hard work and vision of Wendy, who shared her idea with me, it may have easily been left aside as an ‘idea’, one of many I have not followed through. How many ideas, for ourselves, for our work, for our community, for others, do we ‘put off’ and forget about, or plan to launch ‘one day’? I’m most grateful to Wendy for her passion and drive - she’s a fabulous example of taking an idea from conception to actualisation! 

Visit the site at www.illawarraleaders.com