Frontier Services Outback Links Coordinator Davida Melksham is taking part in a challenging and highly-regarded leadership program alongside high achievers from across the state.

Ms Melksham, from Charleville in south west Queensland, is one of 24 established and emerging leaders selected for the year-long program, Queensland Leadership.

The program, an initiative of The Benevolent Society’s Social Leadership Australia, is designed to train leaders who want to drive change in their own communities, organisations and areas of influence.

Participants were selected from the corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors. Ms Melksham is undertaking the program alongside senior people from Westpac, BHP Billiton, the Queensland Police Service and Queensland Health.

To be chosen, Ms Melksham went through an in-depth selection process.

“To be one of 24 people selected to take part is a testament to Davida’s skills and capacity as a leader in her own community,” said Frontier Services National Development Manager Gabriel Lacoba.

“In her work with the Outback Links program, Davida is passionate and extremely dedicated to bringing about positive outcomes for people living in remote Australia.”

Outback Links places skilled volunteers with families living in remote locations that could use a helping hand.

Last year more than 400 families in the bush received support from Outback Links while there are currently 1000 volunteers registered with the program.

Ms Melksham, who studied education, began her career with Frontier Services in 1997 and has worked in a variety of roles including with the Remote Area Families Service and the Remote Family Care Service which provide early childhood specialist support, advice and care to isolated families.

Outside her work, she has been strongly involved in a number of community activities and volunteering roles including the Drought Steering Committee, the Cerebral Palsy League of Queensland and the Charleville Equestrian Endurance Riding Group.

Rather than using the traditional teaching methods such as classrooms or textbooks, Queensland Leadership takes participants into prisons, schools, housing commission estates, detention centres and other marginalised communities to bring them face to face with the complex challenges facing Queensland.

This week, Ms Melksham will be taking part in the course’s Monthly Program Days.

The Tim Fairfax Family Foundation has provided a full scholarship for Ms Melksham to take part in the course funding the cost of her participation, flights and accommodation.