Former Kimberely Regional Manager of Shooting Stars, Helen Ockerby has officially joined the Glass Jar Australia Board of Directors.
Ockerby first joined Shooting Stars in 2016, where she established the Halls Creek and Derby sites and went on to manage the Kimberley region.
“A big part of setting up the Shooting Stars sites was onboarding local Aboriginal women, so our participants would have community role models, whilst also providing employment opportunities for Aboriginal women in their local communities,” said Ockerby.
As one of Shooting Stars’ first employees, Ockerby spoke of the growth of the Shooting Stars program.
“Not only has it grown in the number of participants, but the program has also developed and is constantly evolving to better meet the needs of our participants within their communities.”
“It’s great to see the development of the individual participants too. Seeing the girls graduate school and then commence as Trainees with Shooting Stars is amazing.”
A major priority for Shooting Stars is the development of its staff and supporting them on this journey.
“I had a lot of opportunities whilst working for Shooting Stars, I did a number of management courses at the Australian Institute of Management. Shooting Stars also allowed me to be a full-time mum, work and study all at the same time.”
“The biggest thing was that it grew my self-confidence. Because of this, I am always striving to be better and I don’t think I would’ve had the confidence to apply for a Board of Directors role otherwise.”
Ockerby joins the Glass Jar Australia Board as the seventh member. The Board includes several highly regarded Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including Chairperson Dr Glenda Kickett, Dr Richard Walley, Dr Rishelle Humes and Dr Robyn Smith Walley with representation at 66%.
“I noticed the Board had no regional representatives and I felt it was important to get involved,” said Ockerby.
“With my previous experience as the Kimberely Regional Manager I hope to provide insight of the needs of the on-the-ground staff and their communities and help Shooting Stars to continue to empower young Aboriginal girls and women.”
