Our Staff
Jess Armstrong
Centre Manager
Jess was born and raised on a sheep and cattle station 130 kilometres north-west of Hay. Her education journey started with School of the Air before heading to boarding school in Leeton and studying higher education with Charles Sturt University. Jess has been studying a double degree in Environmental and Agricultural Science over the least five years which has allowed her to travel the country working across agricultural extension. Jess’ passion for agriculture is equally matched by her passion for driving access to education and services which empower students, whether they are school leavers or adults returning to study. If you can’t find Jess at the Centre she is likely chasing sheep on the family property or trying to contain her mini dachshund, Rex.
Reach out to Jess to discuss anything Centre related, she would love to hear from you.
Email Jess
Our Board
Carol Oataway
Chairperson
Carol Oataway is the Mayor of Hay Shire Council and has over 16 years’ experience as Principal of Hay Public School. She is also Chair of the Local Health Advisory Committee and serves on the Haydays Retirement Hostel Board. Carol is a strong advocate for small rural communities, focusing on equity, education, health, and aged care. She is passionate about lifelong learning and regional opportunity, believing that access to education is vital for the sustainability of rural towns. Through her role with CUC, Carol is committed to supporting local students to study, upskill, and succeed close to home.
Rebecca Bunyan
Director
Bec Bunyan has a background in workforce development and program management across a variety of sectors including health & community services and emergency management. In addition to the Hay CUC, she is currently on the Board of Western Local Land Services and undertakes business consulting on a contract basis. Her skills lie in stakeholder engagement, planning, business writing, strategic analysis and problem solving. Bec also enjoys her role as a Commonwealth registered marriage celebrant and leadership on numerous volunteer committees.
Emma Harrison
Director
Emma Harrison is an Emergency Transitional Nurse Practitioner who calls Hay home, where she lives with her husband and two teenagers. A passionate advocate for rural education, Emma joined the Country University Centre board to help create opportunities for people of all ages to access tertiary study without leaving their community. As both a current Master’s student and a graduate of distance education, she understands the resilience required to succeed. With her own daughter preparing for further study, Emma is committed to inspiring and supporting rural people from all walks of life to chase their dreams close to home.
Kylie Brettschneider
Director
Born and raised in Hay, Kylie is currently Youth and Economic Development Officer with Hay Shire Council. She is passionate about education, the Hay community, and seeing every young person reach their potential. Kylie brings over twenty years’ experience in the Commonwealth Public Service as well as skills and knowledge in policy development, program management, and governance.
Sandra Ireson
Director
Sandra Ireson owns and operates Ireson Agriculture, with her family, a beef cattle and sheep enterprise on their property near Booligal, NSW. Passionate about creating pathways for young people in agriculture, she co-founded the Hay Inc. Rural Education Program in 2014. Sandra was awarded the 2017 NSW/ACT AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award and later established Engage Ag to foster careers in agriculture. She is dedicated to education, leadership, and networking opportunities for rural women, with involvement in the National Rural Women’s Coalition and WoTL Thriving Women. An active ICPA member, she has convened Federal and State Conferences and serves as a SALRC committee member and MLA Red Meat Ambassador.