Leanne Mulcahy was born in Victoria’s regional town of Shepparton situated on the banks of the Goulburn River.

“I have now lived in Beechworth – a beautiful part of the world for the past five years,” she said.

What do you do workwise?

I have a fair bit of variety in my work life which I love. I work as a mediator and family dispute resolution practitioner as well as delivering governance project work. I also serve on boards and audit and risk committees.

What led you to your role/career?

I studied a Master of Laws and through this became aware of the pathway to become an accredited mediator. It really interested me, so I went for it and am very glad that I did.

What do you love about your work?

As a family dispute resolution practitioner, I work with parents who have separated to support the development of a parenting plan for their children. When I walk away from a mediation and the parents have worked through matters to develop a plan, I feel like I’ve played a small role in helping both them and their children through what can be a difficult time.

What do you do in the community?

Most of what I’ve done has been through boards and committees. When I first moved here, I served on the board of the North East Catchment Management Authority and I’m now in my second term on the board of North East Water. I also serve on Indigo Shire Council’s Audit and Risk Committee. Up until last year I was part of the admin team for the Beechworth Facebook page.

Is there an important community issue that you think needs addressing?

This is a terrific community with so many intelligent and interesting people, many who are either working or have retired from fascinating professional careers. There’s a huge amount of experience here and I think there’s even more we could do to connect people and make the most of that.

What would you do to solve change or improve that situation?

It often happens already. I think it’s just about creating more opportunities for people to come together and share their experience in quite informal ways. There’s a lot of knowledge here and often it’s just a matter of making the space for those connections to happen.

What do you see as one of the most important current world issues?

There’s so much going on in the world at the moment that it’s hard to pick just one issue. I find it can also be a bit overwhelming if you focus on it too much. For me, it’s about staying informed but also keeping some perspective and getting on with what I can influence.

If the person you would most like to meet came to Indigo Shire (past or present), or was already here, who would that be, what would you show them, and why?

I’d choose Wendy McCarthy – an experienced executive and company director. I’ve always admired her approach to leadership and change. I’d introduce her to some of the great women in Beechworth and take her for a walk down to the Gorge. I’ve read her book ‘Don’t Be Too Polite Girls,’ so I’d be interested to hear more of her stories.

What book are you reading?

I’m rereading ‘Toxic’ by Richard Flanagan and for something lighter I’m reading ‘A Particularly Nasty Case’ by Adam Kay.