2025 Brolga Awards independent judging panel

Jodie Summers
Jodie is a descendant of the Mamu people of the Innisfail region in Queensland and has lived in Alice Springs for 25 years. Life in the Northern Territory has offered a rewarding career in senior leadership positions across several industries including tourism and hospitality and the not-for-profit sector. Most recently Jodie has worked in local government and is now the Associate Vice-Chancellor Central Australia for Charles Darwin University. 

Suzanne Archbold
Suzanne Archbold is the Managing Director of Advisory HQ Pty Ltd and has been auditor of the Brolga Awards since 2014. Suzanne was born and raised in Darwin and has spent her professional career providing accounting, taxation and advisory services to her clients across the Northern Territory in all sectors, including the tourism and hospitality industry.

Abbie Northwood 
Abbie is the Director of The Aware Advisors, a Darwin based advisory firm focused on delivering meaningful tourism engagements. Abbie is a tourism specialist with a particular passion for Aboriginal business and experience development. As a highly skilled tourism professional, Abbie has experience working in all areas of the industry, including Manager of an iconic Melbourne tourist attraction, business events, destination management, trade, and marketing. Since moving to the NT Abbie has focused her skills on assisting tourism businesses and organisations develop and delivering NT wide tourism strategies and projects. 

Alinta McGuire
Alinta McGuire is a proud Yuin woman and Director of Impact and Innovation at Impact North. With over a decade of experience in Indigenous economic development, Alinta specialises in culturally-informed business development and strategic program design that honours Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural integrity whilst enabling sustainable economic opportunities. Her work focuses on supporting Indigenous entrepreneurs, businesses and social enterprises, particularly in remote communities across Northern Australia.

Carleen Mitchell
Carleen has worked with Darwin Port for nearly a decade, focusing on cruise ships and strengthening connections between tourism and the port. Carleen’s role has her welcoming thousands of visitors, while showcasing the Territory as a vibrant destination and gateway to unique experiences. Having moved to Darwin as a young child, she has grown up with a deep appreciation for its people, lifestyle, and landscapes. Her personal connection continues to inspire her commitment to promoting the Territory and ensuring every visitor leaves with lasting memories.  

Cathy Simmonds
Cathy Simmonds is the Chief Executive Officer of Hospitality NT, the peak industry body that brings together pubs, clubs, hotels, bars, restaurants, cafés and producers from the Northern Territory. She has extensive experience across tourism, events and hospitality, and brings practical insight into industry policy, regulatory settings, and sector development. Cathy is passionate about celebrating the Territory's food scene as a pillar of our inimitable lifestyle, and promoting our home as the best place to live, work, visit and invest.

Claire George
Claire is an experienced senior public servant with expertise in economic development, investment attraction and project facilitation.  Claire an Executive Director in the Northern Territory Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet and is responsible for leading regional economic development across the Top End. Prior to this, Claire held roles in both the Northern Territory and Australian public service focused on the development of a range of industries. Claire holds a Batchelor of Business, a Graduate Certificate in Online Marketing and a Masters of Marketing.  She is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. In her spare time, Claire volunteers for multiple roles focused at growing participation in the awesome sport of rope skipping; a sport in which her whole family has represented Australia.

Fionn Griffin 
Fionn Griffin is the Managing Director of Remote Strategy Plus, a majority Aboriginal-owned consulting business set up in 2020, owned by Fionn and her husband Darryl Griffin. She is also a Director of Centred Solutions, a separate consulting business set up in 2021. Fionn is a long term Central Australian resident, with many years of experience in senior roles across all levels of Government, non-government, not-for-profit and private sectors. As a consultant she has worked across multiple sectors with diverse stakeholder groups, leading complex projects, crisis management and organisational reviews. Fionn’s passion is working with Aboriginal businesses and communities, supporting them to identify priorities and areas for growth and improvement, and then developing and guiding realistic and sustainable approaches for implementation.

Grant Whan
Grant boasts over 35 years of tourism experience in Central Australia, including 22 years in commercial business management. At 19, he started his own tour operation in Alice Springs, followed by 15 years working in tourism business advisory and industry development roles with Tourism NT and the Department of Business. For the last 9 years, Grant has been a Business Mentor at the Business Enterprise Centre NT. He has written multiple winning Brolga submissions and in 2019 was the proud recipient of the George Dunne Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Individual. He served 12 years on the Tourism Central Australia Board and currently sits on the NT Chamber of Commerce's Regional Committee for Central Australia.

Jake Quinlivan
Jake is currently the General Manager, Business and Regions in the Department of Trade, Business and Asian Relations, following almost two decades of regionally based roles across the Territory. In this position, he oversees a broad remit of functions including occupational licencing and compliance, associations, migration, Territory Business Centres, and Territory Business Advisors. Although varied, the functions which Jake oversees all share responsibilities for supporting small-to-medium businesses, improving liveability and driving sustainable growth for the Territory. Beyond his professional roles, Jake is currently a director of the Agents Licensing Board and Nitmiluk Tours, whilst he is also the co-chair of the McArthur River Mine Community Benefits Trust. 

Jill Morris
Jill is a highly experienced events, marketing, communications, media and pr professional. After a long and stellar career working in the Northern Territory for over 30 years, in senior positions across government, aviation, tourism, hospitality and business events sectors, Jill relocated to Kingscliff in northern NSW in 2024. She has since joined Mayvin Global, a specialist consultancy in business growth strategy and capability building, with a special focus on their Business Events and NT clients. 
Prior to joining Mayvin Global, Jill was the Director of Strategic Programs and Partnerships for the NT Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade where she was responsible for promoting the NT Government’s work and image through an integrated events and sponsorships program to help build industry capacity and celebrate industry success and opportunity.
She has previously served on the judging panel for the Northern Territory Brolga Tourism Awards and as an NT representative on the judging panel for the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards.

Jordan Tuit
Jordan is the Territory Manager for Hostplus, one of Australia’s largest industry super funds with $135 billion in FUM and 1.86 million members. With nearly two decades of experience in superannuation and financial planning, she leads the Hostplus team and regional growth strategy across the Northern Territory, supporting more than 34,000 members and 75 employer partners. Jordan is passionate about making superannuation accessible and meaningful, whether through strategic partnerships, community education, or helping someone take their first confident step toward retirement. Backed by a double degree in Finance and Management, an Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning, and specialist advice credentials, she brings both warmth and expertise to every conversation.

Kathryn Stenson
Kathryn has been the Chief Executive Officer of GTNT Group for over 14 years. Kathryn’s passion for empowering people through employment and training has seen the organisation develop in many different directions to become a holistic provider of both fundamentals. Kathryn works to bring the unique Northern Territory perspective to the national stage through her Board positions on the NAAA, NAEN, AENQLDNT, ITECA and YouthWorX NT.

Liz Ward
Liz has over 25 years’ experience specialising in marketing and technology for tourism, blending her knowledge and expertise for the benefit of regions across Australia and the world. She is an innovator and creator of break-through strategies, including creating Queensland’s first destination websites and starting up the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse and being its CEO for over ten years.  Liz is co-founder of the award-winning online learning platform TourismTribe.com, helping thousands of tourism operators to navigate the quickly changing AI-enabled marketing environment.

Megan Aston
Megan's love of travel and a last-minute holiday to the Northern Territory has led to an exciting and rewarding career in tourism. Her experience covers a variety of roles domestically and abroad, covering group touring, operations, business development, mentorship and training. Megan is a Tourism Lecturer at Charles Darwin University in Alice Springs.

Nicole Battle
Originally from Victoria, Nicole has spent the last 3 years in Alice Springs working as the Director for Community Development within the Alice Springs Town Council. Prior to this Nicole spent 12 years working across various local government councils and not-for-profits organisations, working alongside refugees, asylum seekers and survivors of gender-based violence.  Nicole holds an undergraduate degree in Social Work, a Masters Degree in Public Policy and Management and is currently undertaking a PhD in Community Governance. Nicole is committed to her new home of Alice Springs and values the important role that tourism plays in ensuring that all Australians can come and experience it for themselves.

Rae Finlay
Rae has lived in Alice Springs for six years and is the Regional Director South for the Northern Territory Department of Trade, Business and Asian Relations. She has built a career in economic development, tourism, major events, not-for-profits and business across New Zealand and the Pacific Islands before moving to the Territory. Rae is committed to strengthening regional growth and supporting local businesses to succeed.

Scott Healy
Originally from New Zealand, Scott has called the Territory home since 2011 working across the hospitality and event industries whilst living in both Alice Springs and Darwin. Scott is currently working at the Northern Territory Department of Trade, Business and Asian Relations within the Policy, Strategy and Insights division as Director Events responsible for developing, managing and delivering a comprehensive events program to drive business and industry engagement.

Tracey Diddams
Tracey has worked in the tourism industry for over 25 years. Starting her tourism journey as a Central Australian tour guide and later become an operations manager and regional business manager in Yulara, Kings Canyon, South Australia and Tasmania. Tracey then moved into the public sector spending five years as the Tourism and Visitor Services Manager for Kakadu National Park. Over the past eight years, Tracey has been a tourism, business planning and strategic communications consultant, running her own NT based business for five years. Tracey is now a Senior Consultant with TRC Tourism based in Mparntwe/Alice Springs and an Independent Auditor for Ecotourism Australia. She works on a range of projects across the NT and beyond, passionate about strategic planning, community-led tourism, business planning and Aboriginal tourism.