Aviation trailblazer named Woman of the Year

An aviation leader who has inspired a new generation of professionals in a traditionally male-dominated field, has been named the 2024 Cairns Woman of the Year.

Alana McKenna, the Chief Executive Officer of Skytek, was today presented with the award at the International Women’s Day ceremony at the Cairns Convention Centre.

Ms Cook-Black also received a highly commended award in the Woman of the Year category.

Council CEO Mica Martin said International Women’s Day was an opportunity to recognise women who have demonstrated leadership, providing inspiration as a role model within the community.

“These awards highlight the remarkable efforts of just some of the outstanding women we have in Cairns, who have a passion and determination for enhancing the lives of other women.

“Their efforts embrace the spirit of International Women's Day and it is important that as a community we acknowledge their achievements and identify positive role models.”

In their remarks, the judging panel noted the exceptionally high calibre of this year’s award nominees, who showed a wide array of initiatives that fostered change and empowered women and girls across numerous sectors.

“The process revealed the breadth of women's innovation and leadership, underscoring the vital role they play in our community,” the judges said.

“It was inspiring to see such diverse and impactful contributions.

“Congratulations to all those nominated for their inspiring work and to the winners for their significant achievements.”

Alana McKenna is the Chief Executive Officer of Skytek – a Cairns based business specialising in aviation maintenance and repair – and has played a pivotal role in driving the development of the aviation industry in the Cairns region.

A role model and prominent figure in the Cairns aviation community, she has actively encouraged women to pursue a career in non-traditional field, challenged gender stereotypes and demonstrated the value that women bring to the sector.

Through her leadership and advocacy, she has championed diversity and inclusion, and looked to partner with industry stakeholders, educational providers and government to drive initiatives that enhance the role of women in the aviation industry.

Her determination to encourage young people to pursue careers in aviation includes initiatives such as the Cadetship Program, which provides a pathway for future aircraft maintenance engineers.

The success of this program has been acknowledged by the Queensland Training Awards which announced the program as finalists under the Premier’s Collaboration Award category.

As a board member of Women in Aviation International (Australian Chapter), she has played a key role in organising events, such as the National Aviation Conference and Girls in Aviation Day, creating platforms for women to thrive in the aviation sector.

Ms McKenna is also involved in community engagement activities, where she shares her expertise and experiences to inspire and empower individuals, particularly women, to pursue careers in aviation.

She has also demonstrated a passion for developing future leaders and is a mentor with the Cairns Chamber of Commerce Emerging Leaders Program.

Ms Mckenna’s leadership qualities were recognised at the 2023 National Aviation Awards, where she was named as a finalist in the Female Aviation Leader of the Year and Executive of the Year categories.

At those awards, Skytek was named the Manufacturing/Maintenance Business of the Year. The company was also a 2023 finalist in the Premier’s Training Awards and won the Innovator of the Year Award at the 2023 Cairns Airport Recognition Awards.

Passionate about promoting women’s health, wellbeing, identity and equal access to opportunities, Indianna Tillett has been pivotal in the delivery of significant educational programs across the Far North.

Over the past four years, she has demonstrated great role model and leadership qualities as a Program Coordinator and Facilitator with Deadly Choices, and more recently as a Senior Project Officer for Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships (DATSIP), servicing Cairns, Yarrabah, Mossman and more recently, the Cassowary Coast communities.

With Deadly Choices she has delivered health education programs to First Nations people, and with DATSIP she has been out in the community networking and building relationships with key First Nations stakeholders.

In her role at Deadly Choices, she consistently worked with First Nations female students and support staff at Trinity Bay State High School, successfully delivering education programs to 12 different cohorts over the past three years.

She is also an accomplished sportsperson having represented Queensland in touch football, was selected to the Australian mixed touch football team, and was also part of the Queensland Reds Rugby Sevens under-17s.

More recently she has enjoyed success in rugby league, including selection to the First Nations Gems national team, the Cairns Foley Sheild side, and was named in the 2023 FNQ Team of the Year.

Libby Cook-Black is an inspirational role model as a high-profile female athlete who advocates and empowers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls, as well as those from other cultural minorities from remote and regional areas of Australia.

Through her achievement on the field, as well as her work in mentoring and advocacy roles, she has demonstrated to young women that they can excel in traditionally male-dominated sports, while still pursuing their educational aspirations.

A campaigner for gender equality and representation, through education and cultural advocacy she ensures that Indigenous women have access to opportunities for academic achievement and cultural empowerment.

Her advocacy work in promoting Indigenous rights and gender equality has been recognised by organizations such as the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation, reinforcing her reputation as a leader and changemaker.

A Torres Strait Islander woman from Erub Island (Darnley Island), she has firsthand experience of the challenges faced by athletes from remote communities and is driven to make changes in this space.

Ms Cook-Black is a former Jilaroo (Australian rugby league representative), has played for the Queensland Reds rugby union side, and was a participate of the Indigenous Marathon Foundation.

She is also the founder of The Female Co, an elite athlete program based in Cairns, which aims to provide opportunities to women from some of the most disadvantaged areas of Queensland.