Sherrill Stivano

DipAgr, DipAgribusiness, GAIDC, ARLF

At St Margaret’s 1986-1990

Sherrill Stivano (nee Evans) owns and operates a beef cattle feedlot and hay growing business near Roma with her husband and three young boys. She is also a market reporter for Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) at the Roma Saleyards and recently launched her new business, Sprout Strategic Solutions, which focuses on economic growth and development for the Maranoa region.

Committed to ensuring that there are not only viable and environmentally sustainable agricultural industries in her area of the Maranoa in Queensland, Sherrill is also working to improve the outlook of Australia’s agricultural industries through constructive legislation and policies. She has been appointed to lead the establishment of the Maranoa Innovation Network.

Her career has been varied, including experience in banking, conveyancing and rural advocacy. She has been a national industry body councillor through to community champion with her current campaign #maketrackstothemaranoa.

Growing up in a cattle-farming family in the small South Western Queensland town of Injune, Sherrill attended St Margaret’s on a scholarship as a boarder. She says she capitalised on her St Margaret’s education, embracing every opportunity. “Boarding developed my resilience, independence, confidence and self-belief, traits that serve me well today. St Margaret’s has also provided a network of good friends and successful women from across Australia.”

In 2015, Sherrill was the Queensland winner of the Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation’s (RIRDC) Rural Women’s Award (now known as AgriFutures Australia).

Sherrill holds a Diploma of Agriculture, Diploma of Agribusiness Management, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors course (GAIDC) and an Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF) Trail Program graduate.

She passionately believes agriculture is vital in Australia’s future and the integrity of Australian agricultural industries, farmers and food production must be protected.