The NSW Surveyor-General, Narelle Underwood has been recognised in the 2019 Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards, judged as the No. 1 Emerging Female Leader in Government or the Public Sector.
The youngest NSW Surveyor-General for 200 years and the first woman to hold the position, Mrs Underwood was declared co-winner of the award with Macquarie University academic Amy Thunig.
Mrs Underwood said that since her appointment in 2016 she led a number of technical modernisation projects and worked to lift the public profile of surveying to encourage more young people into the profession.
She said winning the award was valuable recognition of the work she was doing to lead the surveying profession as well as her work as Chair of the Geographical Names Board to support Aboriginal language revitalisation through the use of traditional language in place naming.
“This award also highlights what the government and public can achieve,” she said.
“All of the finalists are achieving amazing outcomes in their chosen field.
She said that at a time when there was criticism of public servants, the award showcased that the public service could attract and retain talented professionals who contributed to society and did a lot of good.
Mrs Underwood said that surveying was a profession with low numbers of women that needed to have open discussions about diversity to ensure its future.
