Jackie grew up on the land in central Victoria and now lives with her farmer husband, Dan, in the Western District, where they are raising their son, Patrick. Through her experience living and working in rural Australia, Jackie understands the unique challenges faced by rural and regional women, including isolation and limited access to services, resources and networking opportunities. She is a passionate advocate for creating opportunities for women to connect, collaborate and thrive in their communities.

The Rural Women’s Day brand has grown beyond expectation since its inaugural, sold-out event in the Southern Grampians on 15 October 2019. In October 2026, Jackie hosted the organisation’s 50th Rural Women’s Day celebration, marking an incredible milestone in a journey that has welcomed more than 5,000 attendees to events across Australia. What began as one event has grown into a thriving community, connecting women across rural and regional Australia through Community, Collaboration, Connection and Celebration.

Jackie has organically grown a social media community of more than 20,000 followers across Instagram and Facebook, helping women build connections both online and in person. She has also supported the collaborative podcast Ducks on the Pond, which has surpassed 100,000 downloads, and published two keepsake magazines celebrating the stories and experiences of rural women, distributed across Australia and New Zealand.

With collaboration at the heart of her not-for-profit organisation, Jackie has developed partnerships and collaborations with more than 200 businesses and individuals. In 2023, she was recognised as the ABC Rural and Kondinin Group Community Leader of the Year at the Farmer of the Year Awards and in 2026, she was named the Victorian and Tasmanian winner in the Safety and Wellbeing category at the Australian Agriculture Awards, recognising her commitment to supporting the wellbeing of people working and living in Australian agriculture.

Jackie contributes her time to Rural Women’s Day in a volunteer capacity. Alongside her work with Rural Women’s Day, Jackie has worked across a range of agricultural industries, including livestock production and machinery sales, and is involved with her family’s beef and sheep property alongside her Dad. Outside of agriculture and her community work, Jackie enjoys creating floral arrangements and planning the next road trip with Dan, Patrick and their little dog, Ted.