Meet the Good Return Team: Getting to know Maree Cutler-Naroba.
Good Return's passionate Programs Team are located across the Asia-Pacific, but perhaps none are more remote than Maree Cutler-Naroba. Manager of our Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs program, Maree works from Kununuura, a township in the Kimberley Region 1000km from the nearest city.
Maree brings with her a dedication to fostering Indigenous women's entrepreneurship and an extensive background in community services.
Can you please tell us a bit about where you are from/your cultural background?
I was raised in New Zealand. I was born in Palmerston North, did schooling years in Christchurch and my study and working life in Hamilton. I moved with my husband Tevita (who is a Fijian Chief from the beautiful Natewa Village, Vanua Levu, Fiji) to Adelaide, Australia in 2010. We then moved to Kununurra, East Kimberley in 2017.
What is something that you are most proud about from your culture or something from your culture that other people might not know?
Kiwis are known as people with a ‘can-do’ attitude and I am proud of that. I am also proud that the First Nation people of the land (Maori) are honoured in a number of ways. New Zealand is well-known for its Rugby. The mighty All Blacks are always the team to beat, and the Haka (a Maori war dance) performed at the start of a game is always so powerful.
What is your role at Good Return?
I am the Program Manager for the Kimberley Indigenous Women's Entrepreneurship Program. I share my time between this economic empowerment program, which is called the Maganda Makers Business Club (Maganda is the Jaru word for Tomorrow. Jaru is one of the 30 Aboriginal languages across the Kimberley) and the other half of my time working with Good Return’s local partner Kimberley Jiyigas (Jiyigas is the Jaru word for 'birds', birds as in women). This means I am the only Good Return staff in the ‘Kununuura office’, East Kimberely, North West Australia.
By car, the nearest city is Darwin which is 1000km one way - what we call here 'just down the road! The East Kimberley is classified as a very remote area of Australia, it is a beautiful and majestic area of vast landscape with Indigenous communities and townships dotted between. Kununura is a township of about 4000 people with 55% Indigenous people.
Can you tell us a bit about your previous roles or employment?
I have 30+ years of Business, Legal, Consulting, Strategy and Education experience. I’ve worked on projects across Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, United Kingdom, United States, Uganda and India. I also have my own consulting business where the primary goal is championing women from ethnic/indigenous minorities who reside in remote, rural or regional areas. Additionally, as a trauma-Informed Practitioner, I also specialise in working with clients, communities and organisations for whom the application of a trauma-informed lens is central to their development.
What are some things that you are passionate about?
I am passionate about Child Protection Advocacy, that is the protection of children from all forms of abuse, neglect and violence. I was a secondary school teacher for 15 years (teaching business, law, accounting and economics) and then retrained as a Child Protection lawyer. I am also on several Boards in Australia and Uganda that do child protection work.
I am also dedicated to championing women to start in business. I get to do this through the Maganda Makers Business Club which supports Kimberley Indigenous women to build business, as a means to drive social and economic transformation in their communities. You can learn more about her role supporting the Maganda Makers Business Club specifically here: https://www.goodreturn.org.au/eofy-support-indigenous-entrepreneurs
In your spare time (if any!) what do you like to do?
My happy place is by the ocean, except I don't live by it right now - hence why I like to go to our 'nearest' city from time to time. I also love to travel, to read and write. If I am not by the ocean, or travelling to an overseas place, then you will find me with my head in a good book (usually non-fiction, particularly biographies)!