Born in Mount Gambier, Elizabeth moved to Adelaide for study at the Elder Conservatorium and then worked with the ABC in the early days of television. After her marriage, Elizabeth lived in Melbourne, had 3 children and later helped establish with her husband Peter, "Hodges Funds Management", which specialised in direct equity investments for its clients.

After Peter's death in 1998, Elizabeth returned to Mount Gambier to live on the family farm. She serves on the Board of two family farming enterprises based in Mingbool and Kingston. Elizabeth is actively involved with local committees and is a member of Mount Gambier Soroptimist Internation; she joined Women in Business and Rural Development in early 2006.

Elizabeth is a committed Christian and her interest include bridge, gardening, music, reading and her family and grandchildren.

Sandra Parsons

(Deputy Chairman)

Elaine Pollock

(Executive Officer)

Elaine has been Executive Officer with the Limestone Coast Area Consultative Committee since May 1996 and prior to this, worked for the Australian Government for 30 years within the employment and welfare arena.

A strong supporter of women, Elaine has provided advice, counselling, support and guidance to women interested in returning to the workforce.

Elaine has a great passion for the Limestone Coast and the many opportunities it provides in terms of careers and lifestyle and currently holds an Executive position on the newly formed Focis on Youth, a peak body seeking to support the successful transition of students into work and further training.

A community minded person, Elaine has, over the years, been on many local committees and looks forward to continuing in a volunatry capacity well into retirement.

Partner in beef cattle enterprises. Farm Manager. Owner: Pomanda Working Kelpie Stud, supplying working dogs to farmers throughout Australia and for Export. Chariman: Focis on Youth, the Limestone Coast Local Community Partnership between schools, students, the community and DEST.

Thirty-three years ago, Nancy began to develop a business of a type not traditionally run by women. It became a success and the business is still running today. Nancy used skills learnt by trial and error to expand her product. She is also very aware of the value of her intellectual property. An example is the writing, publishing and marketing of "Your Kelpie, Training the Working Kelpie" (now in its 6th print). She understands the need for women entrepreneurs to access relevant information to assist them to achieve their goals of creating sustainable businesses.

Nancy has experience on a variety of Boards, in areas including Natural Resource Management, Events Management, Business Development, Education and Training and Agricultural Women's Issues. She was the ABC Radio South Australian Rural Woman of the Year.

Anne has been a Coonawarra resident since 1962, except six years in New Zealand where she and her husband James farmed on his family property. In those days, farming, dressmaking and motherhood took up her time. In 1984 Chardonnay Lodge was built, and Anne has always been heavily involved as a director and company secretary, payroll administration and daily running of the business.

The restaurant has been open every night in that time and her evenings revolve around reception, restaurant work and function management. Anne has three sons involved in other careers. Anne is a member of the local ladies Beef and Burganday Club, Black Swans, the Penola District Business and Tourism Association and more recently, Women in Business and Regional Development.

Carlien moved from Adelaide to the South East region in 2003 with husband and business partner Darren Winter after having purchased the old Safcol factory in Millicent. Together they have spent the past few years developing the site into an aqauculture tourism complex. Limestone Coast Trout now grows out 30,000 rainbow trout each year, selling them around the region and into Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne. They also cater at festivals and events around South Australia with Fish & Chips in a Cone.

Carlien is also involved in Limestone Coast Food and is a great supporter of the regional food industry.

She has two children, Cooper and Izabel.

Liz Ballinger: wife, mother, granny; with a career involved in tourism from the family farm, Teatrick at Wolseley in South Australia.

Liz established Teatrick Lavender Estate in 1991 and has won numerous awards for presentation, attention to detail with the business and community input, including 1999 SA Enterprising Women of the Year and 2002 PIRSA Bursary for the 3rd World Rural Women's Congress in Spain, as well as an Australian Horticulture Scholarship (England and Europe). A participant in the 2006 SA Rural Leadership Program. Currently member of Limestone Coast Tourism and Limestone Coast Farmers Food Group and Farmers Market. Founding member and past President of Women in Business and Regional Development and currently a committee person as well as a Network Leader in the Tatiara.

Socially, Liz enjoys the challenge of golf.

Commander Sandra (Sandy) Coulson was born in Mount Gambier, South Australia on 11 April 1953. She joined the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) as an Officer Cadet in late 1974. Sandy was the first female Executive Officer (Second in Command), the first female member of the Directing Staff of the RAN Staff College at HMAS Penguin and was also the first female Senior Naval Officer.

Since moving back to Mount Gambier, Sandy has coordinated the arrangements of the area's Bicentenary celebrations, the annual Port MacDonnell Bayside Festival; she was the Executive Officer of the Mount Gambier Chamber of Commerce, spent 2 years as a part-time Community Development Officer for the District Council of Grant and worked with volunteer community groups and young people across the district. She was nominated for the 2003 SA Great Awards in the Community section.

SInce making signaficant adjustments to her lifestyle, Sandy remains active in Legacy, is a member of the Board of The War Veterans Home in Adelaide, a member of the Limestone Coast Women in Business & Regional Development committee and is the Deputy Chair of the Lifeline SE Board. She is also the only regional member of the SA Premier's Anzac Day Council and a member of the Limestone Coast Multicultural Network Board.