Two WA grain farmers awarded the leadership opportunity of a lifetime thanks to CBH and Grower Group Alliance

Two of WA’s most well-known farmers have been awarded a professional development opportunity of a lifetime after receiving scholarships to complete a 10-month, $15,000 program run by Leadership WA. Julie Freeman, of Mullewa, and Simon Wallwork, of Corrigin were announced the successful recipients of CBH Group and Grower Group Alliance’s co-funded Growing Leaders Scholarship Program. Each year, the two organisations choose regionally-based agricultural leaders to take part in the Leadership WA’s Signature Leadership Program. They will spend the next 10 months honing their leadership skills through the program aimed at high-performing senior leaders from government, private and not-for profit sectors across WA. Leadership WA chief executive officer Dominique Mecoy said the program, now in its 19th year, was a “unique development experience” and participants would learn from some of the state’s most insightful and progressive leaders. “We find that having regional and grower representation on the program provides all participants with valuable insights into WA agriculture as a vital part of our economy and regional communities,” she said. “Our enduring partnership with CBH has helped us further strengthen leadership in these areas.” Mrs Freeman narrowly missed out on a spot in last year’s program, but the strength of her application meant she was pre-allocated a position for this year’s scholarship — a decision she said she was “thrilled” about. The well-known farmer runs a mixed enterprise with her husband, and holds a number of community roles including as deputy chair and board secretary at Geraldton Grammar School. She was previously the vice chair at Mullewa Community Resource Centre, and has also served as the treasurer at Mullewa District Agricultural Society. Mrs Freeman said as a grain grower, she understood the value of community as a cornerstone for agriculture. “It is important to have thriving regional communities with sustainable populations to provide the foundation for our industry to keep growing,” she said. “Agriculture needs people and people need communities. “My hope is... the course will set me on the path to being a strong advocate for the Wheatbelt.” Also a well-known grain grower, Mr Wallwork is the chair of AgZero2030 and farms at Corrigin with his wife. With a big focus on progressing climate solutions in agriculture, Mr Wallwork has held a range of leadership positions in recent years. This includes serving as vice president and president of the Corrigin Farm Improvement Group and as the inaugural executive officer at Noogar Land Enterprise Group. Mr Wallwork said he hoped the program would help him become a better leader in an industry facing the threats of climate change. “The WA agriculture sector and rural communities are facing significant challenges and opportunities from climate change and global decarbonisation,” he said. “How we respond will shape the future success of our industry and our regional communities. “I aim to be an effective leader in this transition.” Grower Group Alliance chief executive officer Rikki Foss said the GGA continued to have a strong focus on developing the human capital within WA agriculture and was proud to support the Growing Leaders Scholarship Program. “The program is a terrific way to help build the leadership capabilities of growers and others involved in the grains industry, and I extend my congratulations to Julie Freeman and Simon Wallwork for being awarded these prestigious scholarships,” she said CBH Group chief relations officer David Paton said the scholarship would help both recipients to “take on further leadership positions”. “This is vital for the sustainability of regional communities and the agricultural industry,” he said. “We are proud to support Julie and Simon in their development journey. “The funding of these scholarships is part of CBH’s continued commitment to building leadership capacity within our regional communities.” To find out more, view the GGA and CBH websites.