It’s for this reason, Mrs Fogarty was named as this year’s Norm Brennan Community Contribution recipient.
A special award presented as part of the Deniliquin Business Chamber’s Business Excellence Awards, it recognises an individual who has made a significant contribution to the Deniliquin community.
It is named after Mr Brennan who, before his death in 2021, had served more than two decades as a mayor and councillor and also contributed to the community in other capacities.
Mrs Fogarty arrived in Deniliquin in 1992 to work at the Council for Social Development, where she helped lay the foundations for what later became Intereach.
She remained involved for three decades, first as an employee and later as a board member, shaping an organisation that continues to support families across the region.
Mrs Fogarty also worked as the Southern NSW regional manager for Vinnies Services, giving her a deep understanding of the challenges regional families face and the importance of practical, compassionate support.
She made a major impact in local government during her 21 years of service.
She was a councillor with both Deniliquin Council and Edward River Council.
She was mayor at Deniliquin from 2001 to 2004 and played a key role in the merger of Conargo Shire and Deniliquin Councils, becoming the merged Edward River Council’s inaugural deputy mayor.
Mrs Fogarty’s influence reaches well beyond the local area.
She spent eight years on the NSW Community Advisory Board and five years on the Prime Minister’s Taskforce on Homelessness.
Her work was recognised with the NSW Premier’s Community Services Award in 2007, and she was a finalist for NSW Local Government Woman of the Year in 2016.
Alongside all of this, Mrs Fogarty has devoted more than 30 years to the Lions Club of Deniliquin, living out her belief that “if you’re going to live in a community, you need to have a sense of belonging — so you have to get involved”.
She and her husband Richard also built and ran their own local business, Cottages on Edward.
Mrs Fogarty’s legacy is one of leadership, kindness, and unwavering dedication to the people of Deniliquin and the wider region.
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