I grew up around the Indigenous communities. Those everyday connections shaped how I approach the work that matters here — patience, listening first, turning up consistently.
My working life has moved through several worlds that converge well for this role. Eight years teaching English and running my own small language school in Tianjin taught me how to engage across deep cultural difference and design programs that meet people where they actually are. Fifteen years of project management, small-business leadership and construction site supervision — in Brisbane, Japan and regional Queensland — taught me to coordinate teams, navigate regulatory systems, and deliver outcomes in complex environments. And the last two years as a full-time live-in carer in Mossman have kept me close to the kind of relational, one-on-one support work that underpins good community engagement.
I hold a Blue Card, a current Driver's Licence, and the full set of industry tickets common to FNQ employment pathways — Construction White Card, High Risk Work Licence, working at heights, plant operation (excavator, roller, front-end loader), EWP 22m, Level 1 dogging, and traffic control. These aren't abstract to me; I've worked the jobs they apply to, which gives me a direct, honest understanding of the pathways I'd be helping others navigate.
I'm applying because EMG's focus on Indigenous community outcomes and regional employment is exactly where I want to put the combined weight of that experience to work.