WA’s only GrainGrowers national development program rep Natalie Lee joins to ensure successful industry future

A Kukerin grower who is determined to be an active voice in the agricultural industry has been selected as the only West Australian to partake in the nationwide GrainGrowers development program. Natalie Lee, one of eight national participants, has begun GrainGrowers 2026 OnBoard director development program to evolve her skills and become a key figurehead in the grain industry. GrainGrowers established the year-long program in 2021 to deepen the pool of skilled leaders in the Australian grain industry, offering an immersive in-person program of hard and soft skills training delivered by expert facilitators. The program included an Australian Institute of Company Directors course scholarship. To begin, all eight participants met in Sydney from March 16 for a three-day intensive session focused on resume, interview and communication skills specific to board and committee positions. Ms Lee said she was drawn to the program because it was “comprehensive”. “Not only training for the company director course but there’s additional components that are really valuable, including regular check-ins with the team,” she said. “It seemed like a really valuable opportunity and the chance to meet interesting people from rural Australia.” As the only WA representative, she said she was honoured to be part of the national program and “meet really inspiring people”. Aside from achieving the AICD qualification, Ms Lee said she was determined to improve her skills in governance, financial literacy, and legal, board-specific teamwork and communication to be a driving force in the grain sector. The 52-year-old’s interest grew as a cadet journalist for the Narrogin Observer, moving to the Countryman masthead as the grain writer in 1999. She specialised in communications, strategy and stakeholder engagement in the grain industry, most recently working as the Grains Australia general manager strategy and communications. The Lee family grow canola, barley, field pea, lupins, wheat and oats on their Kukerin farm. Ms Lee said they were in the process of phasing out livestock. This change also encouraged her to apply for the program as she was eager to keep the grain industry successful for new generations, including her three sons, growing the industry and rural communities. Ms Lee described the grain industry as “fascinating”, “profitable” and “innovative”. “The advances in this industry have been really great, really profitable for growers,” she said. “I’m really passionate about ensuring that it continues to be a profitable industry for growers, that people want to go back to farms and future generations want to be grain growers.” GrainGrowers chief executive Shona Gawel said the course was an ideal opportunity for the selected participants to build expertise and contribute to the longer-term development of the industry and the wider community. “GrainGrowers is proud of its investment in developing the next generation of industry leaders through programs like OnBoard, which provide opportunities for growers from regional Australia to represent the views of our industry in the boardroom,” Ms Gawel said. “Each year, it’s great to welcome talented participants who are passionate about developing their skills and knowledge so they can play a role in the industry’s future. “Since OnBoard commenced, many of our participants have put the training to good use, taking up positions on our national policy group and board, other industry association boards, GRDC panels and regional community groups.”