Juliet Duffy

Nine years ago, Juliet Duffy started Regional Enviroscience, an occupational and environmental hygiene consultancy, out of her rental-property garage in Dubbo. Today, still the director, Juliet employs more than 23 local people and provides serious career opportunities for both young and mature-aged workers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

The success of Juliet's organisation has meant significant employment and economic gains for regional NSW. Importantly, it has also made the community safer by improving its access to specialised occupational and environmental hygiene expertise, normally limited to the high end of town metropolitan-based consultancies and laboratories.

Juliet holds a Master of Sustainable Management from the University of Sydney and has been managing asbestos, hazardous materials and environmental issues since 1988, when the first national code was implemented.

Seen as an expert, particularly in the field of naturally occurring asbestos, Juliet is a sought-after speaker at industry conferences nationally and internationally and she frequently travels the state educating government organisations, including councils.

She takes her role as a leader in STEM seriously by mentoring young women and in her current voluntary board positions with Western Research Institute, and in the past with Regional Development Australia (Orana) and the Orana Arts.