HELEN CREED
B.A., Dip. Social Studies
Chairperson
Helen brings a wealth of experience to the role of Chair from both the early childhood education and care sector and various Board and Committee positions. She has held senior roles in government, in the non government sector and in the union movement, including as the National President of the Union responsible for staff in ECEC and Executive Director of the Department responsible for licensing and funding ECEC services.
Helen’s current roles also include being a Senior Sessional Member at the State Administrative Tribunal, and a Board Member of the Water Commission Corporation and the Gaming and Wagering Commission.
Helen’s awards include the WA Women’s Fellowship, awarded in 1989 for her to study the provision of employer provided child care in the United States, the Centenary Medal awarded in 2001 in recognition of her contribution to child care and in 2018 being inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame.
> AGM Chairperson’s Report 2022
> AGM Chairperson’s Report 2021
> AGM Chairperson’s Report 2020
> AGM Chairperson’s Report 2019
MARK MORRISSEY
Adjunct Associate Professor, Bachelor Nursing Science
Mark has worked in the delivery of community child health, early childhood education, public health, mental health, health surveillance, immunisation and child development and has expertise in the development, delivery and evaluation of programs and policy. He has been Executive Director Community Child and Adolescent Health in Western Australia and until recently, Commissioner for Children and Young People in Tasmania.
DANELLE SMITH
MIF MAcc CA
Treasurer
Born in Canada, Danelle completed an undergraduate degree in Business Administration in the Finance Stream from Brock University, Ontario. Following on from this, Danelle made the decision to undertake post graduate studies abroad and gained a Masters degree in International Finance from the University of Amsterdam. This lead to an internship at ING Barings and subsequently the position of Global Relationship Manager with the Investment Bank. In 2000 Danelle relocated to London and took on a role with NM Rothschild & Sons, in their Equity Capital Markets Division. Whilst on holidays in Australia in 2003, Danelle met her now husband and made the decision to remain in Australia and raise 2 beautiful daughters. Since Equity Capital Markets was not available in country WA, Danelle undertook further studies, completing a Master in Accounting from Curtin University in 2010 and began work at RSM Australia Pty Ltd in April 2011. Danelle then went on to receive her Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting in 2014. Danelle is still working as a Senior Manager in the Business Advisory Division at RSM in Moora.
LUCY KING
Barrister & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of WA, Bachelor of Laws, B.A. Politics and International Studies
Lucy commenced practising as a lawyer in 2005. Since that time, Lucy has specialised in the areas of property and commercial law. She has worked as a consultant lawyer and then in-house counsel with Megara, a boutique property development group, since 2012. In her role as in-house counsel, Lucy advises on corporate compliance and governance, all aspects of property acquisition, due diligence, structuring, capital raising, finance, construction contracts, agreements for lease and strata titling.
Balancing living in the Wheatbelt with her husband and three daughters while maintaining a professional career in Perth. Lucy is a passionate advocate for women’s participation in the workforce and the quality support systems required to enable them to do so.
DR JACQUIE HUTCHISON
Dip. Teaching, Bachelor Education, Master Education, PhD (Management)
Jacquie, currently an Assistant professor at the UWA Business School, brings to the Board extensive experience in education and public sector employment. Prior to becoming an academic, Jacquie worked in senior positions in education, trade unions and media organisations. In her early career, Jacquie led projects investigating the impact of school leadership on educational outcomes.
Consistent themes throughout Jacquie’s working life are equity and diversity, leadership and employment. Research and teaching interests have been Indigenous education, women’s employment and economic well-being, organisational conflict and participative decision-making. Jacquie is a regular facilitator in the ASPIRE program delivering leadership development to regionally based students, and currently she is engaged in a four year project looking at what motivates people to nominate for local government.
YVETTE HARRISON
B.Education
Yvette has worked as a teacher, Principal and Public Servant with the Department of Education for over 30 years and for most this, her career has been based in the Wheatbelt. Currently her role is the as the Coordinator of Regional Services within the Wheatbelt Education Region. Yvette has taken on roles as a Committee Member of a disability advocacy organisation and a Committee Member of several Early Years Networks across the Wheatbelt. She is currently the Executive Officer for the Wheatbelt Human Services Managers Forum South.
SUZANNE WOODS
Dip Teach; B.Ed; GAICD
As a lifelong resident of regional WA, educator and farmer, Suzanne has a thorough understanding of rural communities. She has extensive experience in regional development and agribusiness, along with teaching and school leadership skills developed during her career in education. She firmly believes that regional Western Australia has a significant role to play in the continued development of the state and the provision of key services are integral to regional growth and sustainability.
Suzanne’s board roles currently include Secretary and Director, Australian Fodder Industry Association; Secretary/Treasurer and member, Calingiri Progress Association; Chair and member, Calingiri Primary School Council; and previously included Vice Chair and member, Grains Seeds and Hay Industry Funding Scheme Management Committee; Chair and Director, Goomalling and Districts Community Financial Services (Bendigo Bank) and Chair and member, Heartlands WA.
Suzanne was awarded the Victoria Plains Citizens of the Year in 2000 and the WA Rural Women’s Development Award in 2003.
WENDY NEWMAN
B.Ed; M Commerce; GAICD
Deputy Chairperson
Wendy Newman currently runs Quintessence Consulting and is a Non-Executive Director. In addition to her position with REED Inc., she is Deputy Chair of WA Country Health Service, Board member of Directions Workforce Solutions Inc and a member of the RDA Wheatbelt Inc Board, where she Chairs Lumen, the Wheatbelt Regional University Centre.
After a varied career in secondary and tertiary education and the trade union movement, Wendy ‘re-invented’ herself when she met the Farmer. She has run the Dowerin GWN Field Days, been Chair and CEO of the Wheatbelt Development Commission and has held many advisory positions including the State Government’s Rural and Remote Education Advisory Council and Technology Industry Advisory Council. She has held national and state board positions in agricultural education and research,
Wendy holds a Master of Commerce (Management), a Bachelor of Education and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Her skills lay in individual, community and organisational development and her passions are designing and advocating for service reform that meets regional and remote need (and actually makes a difference on the ground), time with family and friends and travelling our great state.
SCOTT WILDGOOSE
Scott is Executive Manager Corporate Services at the Shire of Narembeen. He recently celebrated the birth of his first child which increased his focus on the importance of early years learning and development. ‘I believe REED offers an essentially and often undervalued service to Wheatbelt communities and the development of children should never be overlooked. I am a passionate advocate for the needs of children and the benefits of early years education and believe that my professional skill set, and passion will be of value to the REED board’.
