Mrs Lawther was commended for her energy and leadership throughout her time as captain of the local brigade as well as helping to address gender imbalances within the Rural Fire Service.

Her drive to recruit new members to the brigade has helped to ensure that it continues to flourish into the future.

With Mrs Lawther going as far as to recruit members by knocking on doors in 2000 when the brigade was struggling.

Throughout her tenure as captain she has contributed her services and leadership to managing many emergencies, including the Sydney Hailstorm (1996), Canberra Bushfires (2003), Victoria Black Saturday (2009), Tumut Bushfires (2014), Tathra Bushfires (2018),and the (2019/20) Black Summer Bushfires.

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Mrs Lawther has been a "vital member" of the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) training and mentoring team, as well as a member of the RFS Aviation team.

Throughout, she has championed gender equity within the service, working closely with the RFS to help foster female leadership.

Elected in 2016 as Group Captain, Mrs Lawther is one of only three women to lead a brigade in the Shoalhaven Rural Fire District.

She is an incredible role model to the other female members of the RFS, as she's an example that women can meet the pinnacle of the profession even in a service that has been traditionally male dominated.

This year, of the eight recipients of the AFSM, two were women. This is a refreshing development as it closely mirrors the ratio of men to women in the service.

Mrs Lawther's exemplary service to both the NSW RFS and her community is of the highest order and deserving of significant recognition.