Bec Fing (Goondiwindi)
Bec Fing has been involved in the cotton industry for over 10 years – initially in an extension capacity before becoming a project and training consultant in 2006 through her business House Paddock. Through project management and consulting work, Bec has gained a wide range of production and post farm gate experience, working at grass roots, state and national levels. She is a MyBMP advisor and part time regional manager for Cotton Australia. Bec’s passion is rural workforce development and attraction and retention of staff through engagement in novel and traditional human resource management and training initiatives. In her spare time, Bec enjoys spending time with her Husband and 3 children.
Vanessa Corish (Goondiwindi)
Vanessa, her husband Nigel and their two children are part of a family farming enterprise near Goondiwindi. Vanessa also owns Nutmeg Home, a homewares & interiors store in Goondiwindi. Originally from the Breeza plains near Gunnedah, Vanessa has a strong family farming background which she continues to embrace as she provides a supporting role for her family. Juggling business, farming and family life is something Vanessa does on a daily basis. She hopes to inspire other women in the cotton industry who are in a ‘support role’ so that they can provide the best support for their partners & families, and most importantly take care of themselves too.
Alison Benn (St George)
Alison joined the Wincott committee in 2011, and has recently become the treasurer for both Wincott and the St George CGA. Alison worked as an Audiologist in Brisbane, prior to purchasing the first farm in the St George district with her husband in 1994.
Alison has learnt a lot about the cotton industry from the ground up. Her first exposure to the cotton industry was when she chipped cotton during her university holidays. Since then she has taken on book keeping and other office work including coordinating the BMP program when it was first introduced into the industry. It is not uncommon to find Alison irrigating or operating machinery when things are busy on the farm.
Away from the farm, Alison enjoys triathlons and other endurance challenges, and loves to scrapbook if time allows.
Sally Dickinsion (Goondiwindi)
Sally currently works as a Regional Development Officer with the CottonInfo team in the Border Rivers, St George and Dirranbandi areas. In her role Sally works closely with growers, agronomists and consultants to work towards implementing industry best practice, helping growers to access industry research and importantly feeding regional messages back to industry. Prior to this Sally worked as a Regional Landcare Facilitator and then Regional Development Officer in the Gwydir Valley. Sally has worked with rural communities and landholders for more than 17 years, most of this time has been in Victoria where her family run a shearing contracting business and wool, beef and prime lamb farming operation.
Sally enjoys the enthusiasm and the innovation of the cotton industry and has been working with the industry and its growers for 3 years. Her passion and commitment to the industry is firmly cemented. Outside of work Sally enjoys the uniquely Australian horse sport of campdrafting.
Meet the new-look Wincott committee...
Sandy Young (Narrabri)
Sandy is currently Cotton Australia’s Regional Manager for the Namoi, Gwydir, Walgett & Bourke Regions. Her responsibilities include communicating important issues to growers, promoting policy initiatives and managing grower feedback on key issues and research direction. Having been in the role for just over 6months, Sandy enjoys getting out into regional areas and meeting growers. A born and bred Narrabri girl who is not originally from the land, Sandy has developed a passion for the cotton industry from her time promoting the industry at the former Australian Cotton Exhibition Centre - Narrabri. In her spare time, Sandy enjoys going to the gym, running and has just developed an interest in and completed a Cert IV in Massage Therapy. Sandy has associated with WinCott for many years and has joined the WinCott committee, taking on the role of Public Officer and Co Secretary
Elizabeth Lobsey (Dalby)
Liz is an agronomist under Matthew Holding of Meteora on the Darling Downs in SE QLD. Elizabeth is originally from Quirindi on the edge of the Liverpool Plains and moved north to Toowoomba 4 years ago. On completing a Bachelor of Business she has worked in accounting agencies and realised that her passion for agriculture was simply too strong to ignore and started as an office manager coordinating farming, storage and logistics before returning to study Agronomy. She is currently finishing up a Graduate Diploma of Rural Science and a Graduate Certificate in Agriculture, studying the cotton production major. Liz recently became an accredited advisor for myBMP on the Darling Downs, has taken on the secretary's position for the Central Downs Irrigators and is also one of the Cotton Australia 2013 Young Farming Champions as part of the Art4Agriculture program. Liz while not originally coming from the land has always had an interest in the cotton industry and is always looking for new ways to open up the agricultural industry to those who may not necessarily have an affiliation with it.
Contact: 0419 740 371
Want to help get WinCott events & workshops happening in your area?
WinCott is currently looking for area reps in all cotton-growing regions.