THE Esplanade at Balmoral Beach, Mosman, was packed full of serious agricultural talent on Thursday night for the graduation ceremony of the Rabobank Executive Development Program.
The main award for the evening, the Dr John Morris' Business Development Prize for the top graduate, went to Charmian Arnott, Goondiwindi, Queensland.
Mrs Arnott is secretary to her family's business Fairfield Farming Company Pty Ltd an irrigated cotton enterprise, with cereals as rotation.
Lindy Smith-Withers, Wentworth, and Ruth Hickson, Mungindi.
In addition to the family farm, Mrs Arnott is the financial controller of a large scale family farming operation at Goondiwindi which owns four irrigated cotton farms, cereal production, a lamb feedlot and prime lamb production and a trucking business.
She is also secretary to the Bakes Irrigators Association Incorporated, which manages water pumping for irrigation purposes for a number of irrigated cotton farming enterprises.
Overseen by program director Robin Stonecash, also the director of executive education and an Associate Professor in the University of Sydney's business school, the executive development course aims is to improve the business management skills of established farmers seeking to either expand their business, or are planning business succession.
Participants become involved in the course either by nominating themselves, or after being nominated by their bank after embarking on an expansion program.
This year's list of 31 graduates also included: Anthony Barlow, Mungundi; Ian Clifton, Coonabarabran; Peter Draper, Leeton; Charles Hickson, Mungindi; Geoffory Houston, Inverell; Louise Houston, Inverell; Sean O'Reilly, Sydney; Lindy Smith-Withers, Wentworth; Ian Mungall, Ballandean, Queensland; Stuart Modra, Cummins, South Australia; Toby Acocks, Rochester, Victoria; Mark Fowler, Williams, Western Australia; Rodney Messina, Mullewa, WA; Jeffery Pearse, Wubin, WA; Gary Walter, Esperence, WA.
The New Zealand participants included Ellen Bartlett, Fielding; Mark Bridges, Opunake; Alan Henderson, Te Awamutu; Jonathon Hume, Gisborne; Gary McManus, Karori; John Neill, Te Awamutu; Peter Reeves, Tolaga Bay; Gary Reymer, Cambridge; David Wilson, Tirau; Kevin Clucas, Dobson; Jan Lepoutre, Rakaia; Edward Pinckney, Otautau; Justin Roy, Gore; Rodney Ruxton, Outram, and Simon Saunders, Lumsden.