Tertiary Education, Research, Community Events and Regional Development

Personal Bio

Kate Wood-Foye Director, External Engagement Charles Sturt University Port Macquarie Campus (Mid North Coast Region) Co-Founder & Chair – Luminosity Youth Summit Columnist – Focus Magazine Port Macquarie Local Woman of the Year 2022 As the Director of External Engagement for Charles Sturt University Port Macquarie, Kate is part of the multi campus leadership team responsible for advancing and enriching the university’s vision and mission. Through dedicated community engagement, Kate works to build and strengthen key regional relationships for the university, creating a collaborative environment to establish and manage key relationships to support the university’s objective - to create a world worth living in. Kate is passionate about her coastal home and has forged a 22-year career in Port Macquarie with a focus on community engagement and business development, media, stakeholder strategy, tourism, marketing and events. Kate is the local voice of the Port Macquarie Campus and is focused on the creation and development of meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships connecting the university with industry, government and the wider regional community. Kate and the team work to enrich and achieve the university vision to be Australia’s leading regional university, advancing the careers of our students, inspiring research excellence and driving regional outcomes with global impact. This is achieved through a dedicated stakeholder and community engagement program including the development of a calendar of robust community and academic events to build aspiration and foster regional connection, collaboration and development. Kate works closely with industry and community to identify, plan and deliver on strategic and collaborative opportunities for the university and the region. This includes the communications and relationships surrounding the recent completion of Stage 2 the Port Macquarie Campus, development and communication of the 2030 University Strategy, establishment and leadership of the Mid North Coast Community Leadership & Resilience Network, management of the Bushfire and 2021 Flood Crisis and the launch, negotiation and establishment of the inaugural supported Charles Sturt Bachelor of Nursing Degree with Taree University Campus, Port Macquarie COVID-19 Recovery Working Group PMHC a group of 40 leaders working together to support the community including her role as Chair of the Learning Group and co- development and facilitation of the Relaunch, Reboot, Refresh – COVID POP UP Series to assist individuals and businesses in the community impacted by COVID. Development and delivery of the Port Macquarie Innovation Hub partnership and launch of the Port Macquarie Innovation Hub facility, development of innovation programs and events. Kate strives in her professional and community roles to ensure Charles Sturt University continues to lead the way in its contribution towards a vibrant regional community. These mutually beneficial partnerships and projects are achieved through identifying and developing key opportunities, sharing student successes, team achievements, research projects and capabilities. In 2021 Kate and her fellow Directors were awarded the Charles Sturt Excellence Award by the Vice Chancellor, for their collective work to develop Vibrant Regional Communities across the University footprint. Prior to her role at Charles Sturt University, Kate was secured by the EVENT Hotel Group as the Area Director of Sales and Marketing at dual properties Rydges and Sails Port Macquarie. The role encompassed business and brand development, media, community, strategic planning, event design and delivery, corporate client management and execution of traditional and digital media campaigns. In her 12 years with the Rydges and Sails Port Macquarie she was the public face of both of entities and instrumental in community and client engagement, negotiating and delivering strategic partnerships and contracts, creation and delivery of thousands of community, weddings and business events, brand management, sales and marketing strategy for both properties, the relaunch of Zebu Bar+Grill, and of the Sails Resort brand after its extensive four-year $25 million dollar redevelopment. Kate a has a passion and ability to connect with people in business and in life – she herself thrives on highlighting, connecting and championing people and causes from her community and is continually thankful for the many incredible people she has met and worked with across her professional and community roles. This passion for connection can be witnessed through the partnerships and events curated and delivered across the last 22 years generating not only much needed awareness but hundreds of thousands dollars of essential funds for community groups and charity organisations. These include High Tea on the Hastings for Camp Quality, The Masquerade Ball for Hope Shop, Ladies in Red Fashion event for the Salvation Army, Stars of the Hastings Dance for Cancer –of which in its inaugural year was a DWTS committee member, venue coordinator AND dance competitor. Kate and her dance partner Jason Dubock of Port Macquarie Performing Arts were crowned Winner Judges Choice with a perfect score card and long with fellow dancers raising over $50,000 in funds for the Cancer Council NSW. The event is still going strong a decade later raising half a million in funds for Cancer support in our region. Kate is also the Co- Founder and Chair of the national youth leadership event “Luminosity Youth Summit” - a Not-For-Profit youth forum and summit for emerging leaders held in Port Macquarie. In 2022 the summit will celebrate a decade of service to the regional community and delivery of this dynamic program to over 2500 young people. Kate leads a passionate and dedicated volunteer committee and key foundation partnerships with organisations to include Mid North Coast Local Health District, Charles Sturt University, Regional Australia Bank, headspace/EACH, TAFE NSW Port Macquarie Chamber of Commerce, World Changers, NBN and The Hon Leslie Williams these decade long partnerships ensure the summits ongoing impact and success. The summit strives to inspire and challenge young people particularly in regional areas, between the ages of 15 - 25 to excel in their chosen careers through keynote speakers and workshops to foster the development of dangerous ideas and strategies for success. In March 2022 Kate was awarded the Port Macquarie Local Woman of the Year 2022 by The Hon. Dominic Perrottet Premier of NSW, The Hon. Leslie Williams Member for Port Macquarie and The Hon. Bronnie Taylor Minister for Women for her dedication and community and her time at he helm of Luminosity Youth Summit. Kate was further recognised with the World Changer Award in 2018 for her Luminosity leadership, passion and ongoing commitment to young people, ensuring inclusion, excellence and the development of young regional leaders through the voluntary curation and delivery of the summit. Kate is also a writer and columnist for Focus Magazine and for the last 17 years, has documented the outstanding regional community and industry leaders, innovators and community events in the Port Macquarie-Hastings region. Kate now authors the Illuminate Business Column highlighting the guts grit and groundwork of regional entrepreneurs, innovators and gamechangers sharing the stories of traditional and emerging leaders doing incredible things in our community. Kate also writes a bi-monthly column Campus Conversations highlighting the staff, students and research projects of Charles Sturt University. During her time in the hotel and event industry Kate Social Scene documenting community events, wedding and business events across the region. History: Kate is a first generation Australian whose family hales from Zimbabwe and the UK and was raised in the beautiful Manning Valley. Kate attended St Clare’s Highschool Taree and achieved a state top 10% ranking for her secondary studies and deferred her communications degree to take on a full scholarship position at Williams Business College in North Sydney studying Hotel and Event Management. Kate graduated with distinctions to then travel to the UK to work for prestigious event management company, Espirit & Decorum, working for high profile clients across London including the Tate National Gallery, Revlon International, Disney and the Royal Family as hostess for Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth at the Chelsea Flower Show. Kate returned to Australia and moved to Port Macquarie to take up a position at Sails Resort working with the team in a variety of roles to include food and beverage, corporate, conference and special event management and was named Assistant General Manager at age 21. Kate would return to the beloved resort later in her career to assist redevelop and relaunch it under a new management group. At age 23 Kate was awarded "Young Achiever - Business Woman of the Year” with the Hastings Business Women’s Network for her role as Asst GM at Sails Resort for her leadership, commitment and strong entrepreneurial spirit. She harnessed this gratefully received accolade to launch her own event management company SilverSpoon Catering & Events with her husband Steve - a premium catering and special event company that successfully delivered weddings, social, community and business events on the Mid North Coast for 11 years. During this time Kate also worked in the recruitment industry and was named as part of the top National Sales Team for the Work Directions Australia group run by former first lady Therese Rein. In 2007, Kate was secured by Rydges Port Macquarie (EVT) to take on the position of Sales & Marketing Manager, later Director Sales & Marketing at Rydges Port Macquarie. The company went onto acquire Sails Resort and Kate roles was expanded across both properties as Area Director of Sales & Marketing for Rydges & Sails Port Macquarie. She worked passionately in this role until 2018 when she was successfully appointed Director of External Engagement for Charles Sturt University Port Macquarie. Kate has strong connection to her coastal community and has made it home for the last 22 years with her husband Steve and 11-year-old son Jack. Representation/Advocacy of the University through the following organisations: Co-Founder & Chair Luminosity Youth Summit Coordinator (and participating member) Mid North Coast Community Leadership & Resilience Network Chair COVID Recovery Learning Group - Covid-19 Recovery Working Group (PMHC) Facilitator Relaunch, Reboot, Refresh – COVID POP UP & Webinar Series 2020 Chair of Industry leadership Board – Newman Senior Technical College Business NSW Regional Advisory Committee Board Member Port Macquarie-Hastings Council Economic Development Steering Group Member 2018-22 Think 2050 Ambassador (Port Macquarie Hastings Council Community Strategic Planning) Chair Charles Sturt University Campus Environmental Committee Ambassador/Partner headspace Port Macquarie Academic Steering Committee Supported Bachelor of Nursing– Taree University Campus