The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW and the RAS Foundation have come together to organise their inaugural Alumni workshops.

The event will feature three outstanding speakers,  hosting targeted workshops.
Attendees will have the opportunity to choose two of the three workshops available. Seats are limited at each workshop - we encourage you to book your ticket in advance!

Meet our speakers:

Workshop topic: The exciting future of agronomy in Australia and how to build a strong workplace culture via team building and mentoring.

Peter Birch: Peter is the senior agronomist and owner of B&W Rural, a leading agricultural service provider in northern NSW and southern QLD with branches in Moree, Mungindi, Collarenebri, Goondiwindi, North Star, Narrabri, Walgett and Dirranbandi. Peter has been growing dryland cotton on his own account for over thirty-five years and during that time he has actively worked in the industry to improve the yield and reliability of dryland cotton.

B&W Rural is an industry leader, committed to advancing Australian agriculture,B&W recognize that each farm business is unique and that there is no one-size-fits-all approach in today’s dynamic and complex farming environment. Peter leads a team of fifteen agronomists and will share with us his insights on the future of agronomy, and more importantly, his personal approach to team building, supporting young agronomists and mentoring.

Workshop topic: How to engage with government effectively, how to get your issue on government's agenda and how to navigate to the politics of politics.

Siobhan Hamblin: Siobhan has worked at the highest levels of government, through some of the most high-stakes periods of office.  She was most recently the Chief of Staff to the NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro and played a senior role helping coordinate the State’s response to Covid-19 and its considerable number of associated public policy challenges.   

Siobhan is a leading political strategist and has served as a senior adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Michael McCormack; Chief of Staff to NSW Minister for Early Childhood Education and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Sarah Mitchell; and Deputy Chief of Staff to the NSW Minister for Maritime and Freight Roads, Duncan Gay. Siobhan has a deep understanding of the political and policy landscape at state and federal levels.   

Siobhan was Chair of the National Party’s Women’s Council.  

Workshop topic: The incredible opportunities available in rural and regional NSW, how to leverage them and succeed.

Jillian Kilby: Jillian is the Managing Director of The Stable Group, a regional consulting company firmly fixed in its pursuit to leave a legacy of change in regional Australia. She is a Civil Engineer, Australian Sir John Monash Scholar and holds an MBA and Public Policy Masters from Stanford University.

In 2018, Jillian founded The Exchange, a regionally based social impact innovation organisation that focuses on community and coworking.

Jillian holds several advisory roles, including Director of the James Martin Institute for Public Policy, Member of the Council for Women's Economic Opportunity, Chair of the Regional Advisory Panel for the Daily Telegraph Bush Summit, and Member of the NSW Skills Board.

What to expect:

This is an incredible opportunity for RAS and RAS Foundation alumni to meet or reconnect with like -minded people and strengthen relationships and networks for personal and professional development.

We encourage all attendees to explore regional NSW and support local businesses in the Narrabri Region.

Event Details:

When: Saturday, 8^th October 2022

Where: The Exchange Narrabri (43 Maitland St, Narrabri NSW 2390).

Ticket cost: $25 donation towards RAS Foundation (all donations are tax deductible).

Ticket inclusions:

- Afternoon tea on arrival.
- Access to two workshops of your choosing. Each workshop will last 45 minutes (includes discussion and open questions).

- Access to the evening function (includes canapes + 1 free drink).
- Get a 15% discount booking at Tourist Hotel Narrabri, when mentioning the RAS - RAS Foundation Alumni event at the moment of booking.

Event Program:

2:00 pm             Welcome afternoon tea.
3:00 - 3:45pm    First workshop.
3:45 - 4:00pm    Break.
4:00 – 4:45pm   Second workshop.
4:45 – 5:15pm   Break.
6:30pm – late    Cocktail party and networking.