There was a particular kind of charge at the recent Women in Business Breakfast hosted by the Southern Moreton Bay Islands Chamber of Commerce. Not noise, not formality, but something far more grounded; recognition. The kind that comes when a room is full of people who have built things the hard way and are finally given space to speak it out loud.
Set against the backdrop of local displays from Jules Sound Therapy and Wellbeing, Siobhan Demeester, Sandy Beach Studio and Writers on the Water, the event felt less like a formal breakfast and more like a snapshot of the islands themselves; creative, grounded, and deeply interconnected.
The morning opened with a performance from the Bay Island Singers before emcee duties were handed to Kimberley Priest; an interior designer and leadership specialist whose career has moved through high pressure sales environments, team leadership, and what she describes as “sales success without the stress.”
But it was the lived experience on stage that anchored the event, not just the frameworks. One of the most talked about speakers was Rhondda Vanzella OAM, who brought with her decades of regional leadership experience from Tumut, where she supported community initiatives during 25 years as Mayor’s wife, while also operating a retail business and working in agriculture with her late husband. Her presence didn’t need emphasis. It carried its own weight, the kind of authority that comes from decades of quiet, consistent contribution in regional communities where everything depends on someone stepping in.
Alongside her on the panel was OJ Rushton, known locally for her work with the Bay Island Singers and nationally for youth led creative initiatives including large scale reconciliation choirs and upcoming national participation goals. Sue McGrath, Vice President of the Chamber and owner of Bucks Earthworkz was the fourth speaker, and quite literally helped build the morning from the ground up. She prepared and served breakfast alongside her daughter Danielle and Danielle’s friend Kaydence, before stepping into the panel discussion.
Together, the speakers formed a loose but compelling narrative; leadership in regional communities rarely looks like hierarchy. It looks like persistence, systems, and showing up anyway.
Chamber President, Geoff Manu said the idea behind the breakfast was simple, but intentional. He described the event as a way to genuinely recognise the role women play across island business life, but also to create something more practical than celebration alone.
“It was about bringing people together, sharing stories, and showcasing the talent that already exists here,” he said.
For Geoff, the value of events like this sits in the overlap between business and community.
“We need to keep celebrating and showcasing what and who we have here. One thing I’ve learned in business is you have to have fun, and events like this give us that space.”
He said those connections matter just as much as any formal strategy.
“They strengthen local relationships, encourage collaboration, and help keep economic activity within our own community.”
One of the strongest themes to emerge from the morning was how often leadership in small communities goes unrecognised because it doesn’t arrive with titles attached. Geoff reflected that the room itself was proof of that.
“The event highlighted just how many strong female leaders we already have,” he said.
“Leadership here looks like resilience, collaboration, and quietly getting things done for the good of the community.”
The keynote address from local Russell Island postmistress, Kylie Purtell grounded the room in familiar territory; the everyday infrastructure of island life that often goes unnoticed until it doesn’t work.
Her story, Geoff said, resonated strongly.
“It gave everyone a genuine insight into one of our leading female business operators; someone who is well known, trusted and respected across the islands. That authenticity really connected with the room.”
Beyond the speakers, the breakfast also signalled a broader intent from the Chamber under Geoff’s leadership; to be more visible, more active, and more representative of the business landscape it serves.
The current Chamber includes seven elected members, four of whom are women; something Geoff says is already shaping direction. He also noted the changing makeup of the islands themselves.
“Our islands are growing and evolving, and with that comes new people, new skills, and new opportunities. Events like this help bring the new and the old together; because what and who we have here is already something pretty special.”
The Chamber is now calling for new members as it continues to expand its events program and local engagement.
Membership enquiries are being co-ordinated by Secretary, Jody Wright, with expressions of interest directed to admin@smbichamber.org.au
As the morning wrapped, prizes were drawn, breakfast plates cleared, and conversations continued well beyond the formal program. Which, in many ways, is exactly what the Chamber had hoped for. Not a performance. Not a panel. But a room full of people recognising each other as part of the same system. Still building, still adapting, still here.
