Queensland Agriculture Workforce Network (QAWN)

Leanne Kruss

• Email: leannefnqagriculture@gmail.com
• Phone: 0431 743 633

Leanne covers the Cassowary Coast to the Northern Peninsula area and west to the Mount Isa region.

Leanne has extensive agribusiness skills and facilitates development opportunities for rural areas to be competitive, responsive and focused on sustainable growth. She is passionate about innovative workforce development and supporting the next generation of leaders.

Colette Williams

• Email: workforce@bowengumlugrowers.com.au
• Phone: 0427 009 929

Colette covers the area from Proserpine up to Ingham and out west to Cloncurry.

Prior to working within the agriculture industry, Colette worked heavily in Human Resources Management and was a long-term standing member of a Workforce Development Committee. Recruitment, attraction, and retention to the education sector were key functions of the committee and to her previous role of School Principal.

Colette's focus over the coming years is to grow her profile so she is at the forefront of North Queensland growers’ minds when thinking about recruitment, attraction, and retention with the agriculture industry.

Colette is hosted by the Bowen Gumlu Growers Association.

Peter Albertson

• Email: peter_albertson@canegrowers.com.au
• Phone: 0457 201 927

Peter covers the Central Queensland region, which spans from Proserpine to Rockhampton.

Peter has experience in conducting and managing research projects in forestry, macadamia, sugar cane and the biofuel industries. His goals are to identify and reduce current and future labour shortages across the agricultural industries.

Peter is hosted by CANEGROWERS Mackay.

Meg McCosker

• Email: meg@chrrup.org.au
• Phone: 0419 137 998

Meg McCosker is based in Emerald where she works to support the agricultural industry and rural job growth across the Central Highlands and Central West regions.

Meg was born and raised in Emerald and continues to be involved with her family on a mixed cropping and livestock operation east of town. Upon graduating high school, Meg went on to complete her Bachelor of Agriculture (majoring in Crop Science and Agribusiness) at CQUniversity. Prior to the Agriculture Workforce role Meg was an agronomist working across the Central Highlands region.

Meg McCosker is based at CHRRUP Limited.

Kylie Jackson

• Email: kylie.jackson@bfvg.com.au
• Phone: 0488 533 801

Kylie covers the area from Gladstone to Gympie and west to the Banana Shire.

Kylie has a background in career development and training, and has strong connections with training organisations and jobseeker providers, the Office of Industrial Relations, and the Fair Work Ombudsman.

Kylie is passionate about educating the local workforce about agricultural career opportunities and working one-on-one with businesses to address their workforce needs.

Andrew McCarthy

• Email: amccarthy@qfvg.com.au
• Phone: 0499 833 868

The Southern Queensland region includes the Darling Downs and Lockyer Valley west to Bulloo and Quilpie.

Andrew is employed by Growcom and works with all agriculture industries including feedlots, poultry, and pork production.

Andrew has many years of experience working in south-west Queensland. He has been a grain trader, has experience in human resources (HR) in the higher education sector, a mental health mentor and has developed 3 small businesses, including a small farm.

Andrew, with his finance, small business and HR background, wants to help as many agriculture enterprises and employees as possible by coordinating information to empower them.

Blair Brown

• Email: bbrown@growcom.com.au
• Phone: 0456 639 098

Blair covers the area from Noosa to the Gold Coast and west to Ipswich and Kilcoy.

Blair has years of senior management experience in workforce operations and vocational education and training. Blair is determined to work with agribusiness to create sustainable workforce strategies to gear them for a connected, agile and reliable future.

Blair is employed by Growcom, and works with all agriculture industries including feedlots, poultry, and pork production.