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CEO

Natalie Collard

Natalie is a highly-regarded advocate for regional Australia, agriculture, renewable energy, innovation and women’s leadership.

Natalie is a highly-regarded advocate for regional Australia, agriculture, renewable energy, innovation and women’s leadership.

An experienced cross-sectoral executive and board director, Natalie’s most recent role was CEO for Food and Fibre Great South Coast and Quartz Group, where she is an executive coach.

Her career highlights include being awarded Telstra Business Woman of the Year – Victoria (Community and Government, 2013) and Woman in Renewables of the Year (2018) for business transformation in dairy and energy respectively.

Natalie has spoken at the United Nations, managed over $1.2bn of corporate contracts, negotiated seven bilateral agreements, including Australia’s first treaty with an organisation, NATO, and was previously Chair of Women in Renewables.

Natalie’s other career highlights include managing Rural Affairs for the National Farmers’ Federation, and leading Telstra’s Corporate Affairs for Victoria and Tasmania.

Impact & Strategic Relationships Advisor

Rose Bourke

Rosie has over five years of experience working in philanthropy and high-value stakeholder management. She has led the grant and corporate partnerships work at two previous not-for-profits.

Rosie has over five years of experience working in philanthropy and high-value stakeholder management. She has led the grant and corporate partnerships work at two previous not-for-profits. Alongside these directorships, Rosie has worked at Farmers for Climate Action for three years in the fundraising team. Rosie moved to Farmers for a pivot to the climate action space, after beginning her career in the youth development sector. In addition to her fundraising work, Rosie is experienced in not-for-profit strategy and evaluation.

She has facilitated workshops, training, and field days for thousands of young people, with a focus on developing key professional and citizenry skills in young regional students. In addition, she has led teams in research, strategy, and grants development. Rosie has a keen sense for professional development and mentoring that has continued from her time in youth development sector.

Rosie is also a recent graduate of a bachelor of global studies (international relations) and has also worked in regional outreach. Outside of Farmers for Climate Action, Rosie is a writer and a researcher.

Producer and Industry Development Adviser

Ellen Litchfield

Ellen and her husband live on the family property in the arid lands of South Australia near
Lake Eyre.

Ellen and her husband live on the family property in the arid lands of South Australia near Lake Eyre. With her family they run cattle and sheep on the pastoral rangelands. Before moving back to the property Ellen worked as a mixed animal veterinarian and was passionate about herd health and helping farmers with their animal health issues. After moving back to the station Ellen completed a masters of sustainable agriculture and a Nuffield agricultural scholarship where she studied the effects of climate change on pastoralism in the arid rangelands. The global travel associated with this scholarship highlighted the fundamental importance of effective policy frameworks in creating efficient and effective agricultural production systems. Ellen hopes to help position agriculture as the solution to mitigating and adapting to climate change and she believes this starts with engaged farmers.
Operation and Impact Director

Peter Hansford

Peter has worked for 20 years in food and agribusiness and 15 years in cleantech and renewable industry; in both the private and public sectors. During this period he has held roles as a trade commissioner, industry advocate, energy director and cleantech manager in Victoria, Asia, Canberra and Broome.

Peter has worked for 20 years in food and agribusiness and 15 years in cleantech and renewable industry; in both the private and public sectors. During this period he has held roles as a trade commissioner, industry advocate, energy director and cleantech manager in Victoria, Asia, Canberra and Broome.
As a father of four, a follower of climate change science and witness to the devastating impacts increasing emissions on the environment, Peter is committed to making a difference.
Peter has been a strong advocate for supporting and enabling voices from regional and agricultural stakeholders. Key roles in agriculture have included: Director of Agribusiness in the Victorian Government; Asian Trade advocate for the Australian Wheat Board; Governance and communications manager for the Voice of Horticulture; Strategic Business Development Manager for the Horticulture Centre of Excellence and Consultant and Project Director to the National Food Industry Strategy.
He has university qualifications in economics, regional development, sustainability, business management and teaching and learning.
Peter is a natural collaborator who uses networks to gather new perspectives, knowledge and skills to develop campaigns, author strategies, secure funding and create connections for change.
Executive Assistant to the CEO and Project Coordinator

Charlene Sommerville

Governance and Operations Officers

Gideon Daley

Gideon (he/they) grew up in regional NSW before moving to Hobart with their family. Gideon is immensely passionate about regional and rural equity, education and healthcare access, and improved outcomes for all Australians.

Gideon (he/they) grew up in regional NSW before moving to Hobart with their family. Gideon is immensely passionate about regional and rural equity, education and healthcare access, and improved outcomes for all Australians. In his work at FCA, he maintains and manages essential governance systems, ensures compliance, and works to develop internal documentation and procedures, supporting FCA to achieve its mission and goals. Growing up regionally, Gideon can see the value in quality assurance and control in the workplace, and the tangible ways that can manifest for communities and stakeholders. He has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tasmania, and is currently studying a Masters of Writing and Publishing at RMIT. When not working, Gideon can be found reading, especially niche non-fiction and translated works.
Strategic Advisor

Ellie Corley

Ellie is a practical visionary who excels at both innovation and execution. An effective strategist, with significant experience in high level roles, Ellie specialises in health, social justice and environment issues and is inspired by people and organisations working at the forefront of social change.

Ellie is a practical visionary who excels at both innovation and execution. An effective strategist, with significant experience in high level roles, Ellie specialises in health, social justice and environment issues and is inspired by people and organisations working at the forefront of social change. She has been helping businesses manage their reputations for over 20 years, advising boards and not for profits on all aspects of ensuring their business is a ‘force for good’, with a strong focus on the importance of the triple bottom line - people, planet and profit. She has a particular passion for the brokerage of ‘shared value’ partnerships.
Community Outreach Officer

Peter Holding

Peter is a third-generation farmer in south east NSW, growing crops such as canola and wheat, as well as running sheep for wool. Peter is also a member of the Climate Kelpie – a central location for farmers after practical information and tools with which to manage climate change risk and impacts. Peter has an extensive knowledge and first hand experience with the strategies farmers can use to manage and adapt to climate change.

Peter is a third-generation farmer in south east NSW, growing crops such as canola and wheat, as well as running sheep for wool. Peter is also a member of the Climate Kelpie – a central location for farmers after practical information and tools with which to manage climate change risk and impacts. Peter has an extensive knowledge and first hand experience with the strategies farmers can use to manage and adapt to climate change.
Policy and Farmer Engagement Officer

Paul Stark

Paul grew up in Toowoomba, Queensland, with farming being fundamental to his upbringing. He enjoys regular working visits to his family farm in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, where they graze cattle. He graduated with a degree in Law (majoring
in Climate Law with First Class Honours), and International Relations.

Paul grew up in Toowoomba, Queensland, with farming being fundamental to his upbringing. He enjoys regular working visits to his family farm in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, where they graze cattle. He graduated with a degree in Law (majoring
in Climate Law with First Class Honours), and International Relations.

Coming from a farming background, Paul understands the knowledge and wisdom that already exists in farming communities in matters of land and environment and firmly believes that embracing this wisdom, in partnership with innovation, policy change, and
scientific evidence, empowers farmers and regional communities to embrace sustainable action and lead the way for decarbonisation and climate friendly practice in Australia.

When he’s not on the farm or developing agriculture-friendly policy, Paul can be found enjoying a run or catching up with friends.

Senior Manager Policy and Programs

Caleb Connor

Caleb is an experienced agricultural consultant, commercial leader, and community builder determined to make an impact on the most important challenges facing farmers and regional communities.
Caleb has a wide range of experience working as a trusted partner to farming groups, value chain investors, and government.

Caleb is an experienced agricultural consultant, commercial leader, and community builder determined to make an impact on the most important challenges facing farmers and regional communities.
Caleb has a wide range of experience working as a trusted partner to farming groups, value chain investors, and government. He has spent years as a consultant developing shared decarbonisation and nature repair policy in Tasmania. He also worked with emerging providers of farm finance designed to reward landholders for nature and climate-positive farming practices, as well as with Australia’s first early-stage venture capital fund dedicated to agtech investment. Most recently he worked with agrifood innovation consultants to apply Australia’s unique advantage in climate-resilient agriculture to develop new tools for farmers through a world-first drought venture studio, funded by the Federal Government’s Future Drought Fund.
Prior to transitioning his career into agriculture, Caleb worked with software tech unicorn Culture Amp on their journey to building a $1B startup on a mission to improve the world of work. He was the leading commercial executive globally in 2019, and a passionate senior member of a “culture-first” team in the Asia-Pacific at one of the country’s fastest growing companies.
Caleb comes from a proud armed-services family, with an upbringing divided between central NSW, far-north and south-east QLD, and northern VIC. He has recently moved from his home in regional Tasmania to start a family in Melbourne.