TAFE NSW wishes to congratulate Susan Hartigan, former TAFE NSW Western Sydney Institute Director, for receiving the Public Service Medalon Australia Day 2016.

Susan received her award for outstanding public service to vocational education and training in New South Wales. Ms Hartigan has had a long and distinguished career in vocational education and training. As a teacher, and in senior management positions across TAFE NSW, she has provided high level, customer-centric and responsive education and training services to individual learners, businesses and communities for more than 35 years.

As Director of the TAFE NSW Western Sydney Institute for eight years she led the Institute through a period of extraordinary transformation. Cognisant that Western Sydney was a rapidly developing region, she worked tirelessly to forge strong relationships between industry and the community. She developed a senior management team that possessed a deep understanding of the Western Sydney region, and she ensured that the value of customer first' defined everything the organisation did.

An energetic and innovative leader, her can-do attitude was infectious and an inspiration to all. Under Susan's leadership, the Western Sydney Institute grew from around 84,000 enrolments in 2006 to over 160,000 enrolments in 2014. As a result, TAFE NSW Western Sydney Institute became one of the largest and most successful educational institutions in Australia. The strong industry partnerships created have been critical to meeting the skills and employment needs of the growing economy in Western Sydney. The Institute is currently the region's largest employer with approximately 3000 staff, and is fully committed to the ongoing regional development of Greater Western Sydney - economically, socially and environmentally.

TAFE NSW wishes to congratulate Jacqui Vincent for receiving an OAM for service to youth through the Australian Army Cadet over more than two and a half decades. 
Jacqui Vincent was an inaugural member of the Army of Cadet Unit 256 (Cootamundra) in 1989 and continues to lead the unit of Officer Commanding, a title she has held since 1996. 

She has devoted countless hours to young people in the Cootamundra community and for her services has been made a member of the Order of Autralia. 

From camping out to assisting at events such as Anzac Day, Cadets offer so much to young people. Over more than two and a half decades with the organsation, Jacqui has seen upwards of 600 cadets pass through the unit. She said she enjoys seeing young people grow through Cadets and go on to lead successful lives.

Jacqui is a Life Member of both Cootamundra's Returned Services League and Ex Services Club