It’s all in the detail: Jenny

MAKING her parents proud is still important to Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill. The Mayor, a mother of two adult children, said her most fulfilling career highlight was graduating from university with a Bachelor of Science in 1981 – the first in her family to ever achieve that result.

Cr Hill ( right) later completed a Masters of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, which included management, economics and accounting.

“It validated my parent’s decision to migrate to Australia ( from Malta),” she said.

Cr Hill, who has nearly 20 years’ service in local government and was elected the city’s first female mayor in 2012, said the region was home to many high ranking women.

“They are pushing into the public sector,” she said.

“The Australian private sector needs to do more to break the glass ceiling and we need to mentor to help that happen.”

Cr Hill said one of her biggest challenges to success was juggling family with career.

“Having a supportive partner who helps ( is important),” she said. “We worked together to raise our family.”

Cr Hill advised women who had aspirations of reaching the lofty heights of professional success to be “well briefed”.

“Understand the detail, then be prepared to make a stand on the decisions that really matter,” she said. “Learning to know what to fight for and what to let go to the keeper, is hard to do.”

Cr Hill said the key to female leaders attaining equal standing as decision- makers in the community was simple.

“Use your brain ( as) it is the only part of the female anatomy that really matters,” she said.

“Do things that are totally outside your comfort zone to widen your life skills. “Become resilient.” Cr Hill said women brought similar qualities to the workplace as men.

Q& A

Q: What initially inspired you to follow your career path? A: I loved all the TV programs on science and I have to admit I am a nerd! I love Star Trek, Star Wars and comics... they were a part of the culture of the late 60s/ 70s. The social upheavals of that time piqued my political interest. Q: Who has been your biggest iinfluence? A: My parents. Q: What advice would you give your younger self? A: Patience. Learn from experience. Q: Who has been your biggest inspiration? A: There have been so many women in public life, from Golda Meir to Julia Gillard to Hillary Clinton. But one that defined the odds and while I didn’t agree with her politics was Margaret Thatcher.