The Australian Institute of Company Directors has announced EON Foundation chair Caroline de Mori and South Coast Natural Resource Management board member and audit committee chair Joanne Gilbert as the winners of the PwC Director Awards for Excellence in the Not-for-Profit Sector in Western Australia.
The award acknowledges directors who have shown leadership on director issues and promoted excellence in governance to have a positive impact on society.
Ms de Mori was the winner for the Perth metro category for her work with EON Foundation, an organisation that she founded in 2005 to run nutrition-focused healthy lifestyle and disease prevention programs in schools and communities.
The program has been delivered to 38 communities since inception and is established in 24 Aboriginal communities in WA and the Northern Territory.
“Poor nutrition is a serious issue in remote indigenous communities and this is exacerbated by the lack of access to and affordability of fresh fruit and vegetables,” Ms de Mori said.
“I’m extremely proud of the work EON is doing, in partnership with remote communities and schools, to combat this and establish a healthier outlook for future generations.”
WA regional category winner Joanne Gilbert was recognised for her efforts as the board member and chair of the audit committee at South Coast Natural Resource Management.
Ms Gilbert has dedicated time to learning about natural resource management and used her background as an accountant to effectively streamline the group’s governance with improved financial practices and risk framework within the confines of grant funding.
She has also started mentoring professional women, especially those returning to the workforce after maternity leave in regional areas.
“We are blessed with an abundance of natural resources in the south coast region and a group of people passionate about protecting the land and coastline for everyone to enjoy,” Ms Gilbert said.
“It has been a pleasure to be involved with projects that ensure the region continues to thrive for the benefit of the greater community.”
AICD state manager Jody Nunn said the not-for-profit sector was thriving with 40 per cent of AICD’s membership involved in some way.
“The two recipients of this year’s award deserve to be recognised for their outstanding work in the community,” she said.
The winners will receive support and benefits from AICD and PwC and will become a charitable partner of AICD WA for the next 12 months.
