PHILIP HOPKINS
By PHILIP HOPKINS
A TRARALGON business woman, executive, leader and author, Maree McPherson, received an award in this year’s Australia Day Honours. Maree, 57, who has had a plethora of roles in the Traralgon and Gippsland community, received an Order of Australia in the General Division. The award was made for her service to the community through a range of organisations. These include leadership positions to senior executive roles in local and Gippsland government, and the Rotary Club of Traralgon Central, often with an emphasis on helping women. Maree told The Express she was obviously happy to receive the award, but when told of it, “I was so stunned”. “I’ve spent a lot of time nominating other women for awards,” she said – but this time it was her turn. Maree said her emphasis on supporting women in different ways had its beginnings in her first job as a young welfare worker. “I worked with young mums and learnt about the different way to do things and work with other women,” she said. Maree grew up in Traralgon, attending Kosciuszko Street Primary School and the then Traralgon High School, before doing welfare studies at the Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education (“Now you know how old I am!”). She later did a graduate business diploma in labour and management relations at Monash University, and post-graduate studies at Swinburne University in organisational development and coaching. While living for a few years away in Melbourne, Traralgon was always her home. In wider Gippsland, Maree has been chair of Gippsland Regional Partnership, 2016-20; a regional manager at GippsDairy; a regional manager for Gippsland Anglicare; and has had senior roles with the Gippsland Community Leadership Program and the Gippsland Area Consultative Committee. She is currently ambassador for Gippslandia and author of two publications – Cutting Through the Glass Ceiling – Women Creating Possibility in Regional Australia (2017) and Worthy (2021). A professional certified coach and member of the International Coach Federation, Maree has run her own leadership consultancy since 2014, and is an approved provider for Femeconomy, where she has been a member since 2017. Other executive roles include being a member of the Community and Further Education Board Victoria, and a regional coordinator with the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources. Chief executive of the Victorian Local Governance Association from 2009-2013, Maree’s other managerial roles include being a Fellow of the Australian New Zealand Institute of Managers and Leaders; and a member of the Australian Institute of Company directors and the Institute of Public Administration Australia. In her home base, Maree has been a member of the Rotary Club of Traralgon Central since 2006; was the first woman president from 2009-2010, also serving as club president in 2016-17 and 2019-20; and is a Double-Sapphire Paul Harris Fellow. Maree said it would be ‘business as usual’ for a few years. “I’m committed to continue doing volunteer work with Rotary,” she said.
