Agricultural Panel 2025

AgriFutures WA Rural Women’s Award Winner 2024.

Mandy’s mission is to advocate for regional businesses, whether that be celebrating champions or rattling corporate cages in an effort to achieve equity across the Wheatbelt. It is her passion for family business that makes her who she is. Mandy believes in the ability of regional Australia to be the powerhouse of our nation’s economy and her family businesses are what is most important to her.

 Paul Burghella started with McIntosh & Son in 2010 as a Service and Parts Manager, writing the policy and application for their RTO branch, McIntosh Training Academy in 2017. Since the first course delivery in January 2020, he has overseen its growth to 6 lecturers, 3 qualifications and currently 115 apprentices in training. He now travels the state between Esperance to Geraldton as their Training & Logistics Manager.

John grew up on a family farm in Merredin and is married with two adult children. Starting in 1977 as the first apprentice mechanic at Hutton & Northey Sales, he has been part of the company for 48 years. John is passionate about training the future workforce and overcoming barriers to progress in this area. He believes the food and fibre industry must unite in promoting its importance to the sustainability of life.  

In 2011, Ley established 2 Workin Oz. An agricultural training and recruitment business located on her small mixed farming property in the Wheatbelt of WA. A concept that grew from personal experience working and employing in the Agricultural sector and listening to the wider industry issues around the on-farm workforce. 2 Workin Oz provides a practical farm skills short course linked to our recruitment service. Ley designed the courses to assess and improve skills, knowledge and productivity for people looking to get a start in Ag or improve their job outcomes. 

Danielle is the General Manager of the Dowerin Machinery Field Days, Western Australia’s largest agricultural event connecting industry with the state’s growers and merino producers. Under her tenure the event has seen transformational change and is a leader and voice for agriculture and the Wheatbelt. Growing up in Trayning, Danielle is proud to be an advocate for the sustainability of regional communities and a conduit for country city connection.