As the Senior Director of Health Promotion at Health and Wellbeing Queensland, Judy Nean is at the forefront of the state’s efforts to improve health outcomes and reduce chronic disease.
Her career in public health nutrition exemplifies passion, perseverance, and the journey of navigating challenges that often come with leadership.
Growing up in a large family, Judy broke new ground by becoming one of the first to pursue higher education.
“My twin sister and I were the first in the whole extended family to go to university. It was a big deal,” she recalls.
Her passion for nutrition was sparked early on by a high school home economics teacher.
“I love nutrition. A home economics teacher inspired me. So, I thought that’s what I want to do,” Judy explains.
This early inspiration led her to pursue a career to create meaningful change in community health.
Judy’s perspective on gender dynamics in the workplace is nuanced. While acknowledging that public health is predominantly female, she notes, “You see males rise to the top, the small number of men, they often progress fairly fast into the managerial or executive roles.”
Judy has also observed the exclusion from informal networks that have historically disadvantaged women in professional settings.
“I’ve seen the boys club in action,” she shares, recounting experiences early in her career. “Networking often happened at sporting events, golfing days or the races, and as a woman you were largely left out.”
Another recurring them in Judy’s story is the balancing act of a demanding career and family responsibilities, reflecting a common challenge for women in professional roles.
“I’ve raised my kids pretty well single-handedly since they were very young, and now care for my aging parents,” she notes, and says that requires strength to juggle both worlds successfully.
One of Judy’s proudest achievements is her role in leading the development of a key state health strategy.
“I am proud of the Making Healthy Happen strategy and getting that endorsed through the Queensland Government because it gives us that blueprint,” she says.
The strategy is Queensland’s strategic response to the National Obesity Strategy focused on systems change to prevent, reduce and treat obesity. It represents a bold, evidenced-based roadmap for improving health outcomes in Queensland and underscores the impact women can have in shaping transformative public health policy.
Looking to the future, Judy is excited about the potential for women to lead in emerging areas of public health, particularly in digital health and AI.
“If I was starting out again, I would just want to be at the forefront of this whole movement around digital health,” she says, emphasising the potential for innovation to drive better health outcomes.
Judy’s advice to young women entering the field of public health reflects her optimistic outlook.
“Follow your interests and your passions, but also create and nurture your networks and don’t take them for granted.”
She also espouses the value of hard work and staying open to new opportunities.
“When you put in 110% and you work hard, things tend to fall into place,” she advises.
Judy’s own vision for the future of public health in Queensland is ambitious. She aspires to create an environment where “healthier choices becomes the default,” and to continue to drive positive change in the state’s health landscape.
“We have really big plans for Queensland,” Judy says with enthusiasm.
