Dr Kate Andrews: Chief Executive Officer
Dr Kate Andrews has a diverse professional background. Kate worked to establish the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group and became its first CEO. She was Land & Water Australia’s first Knowledge and Adoption Manager, and established the Knowledge for Regional NRM program. Kate also chaired Territory NRM and has participated in national committees and Boards including the Australian Landcare Council, CSIRO Sustainable Agriculture Flagship advisory committee, Agrifutures Australia board and the Future Drought Fund Advisory Committee.
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Rachel Clarke: Knowledge Broker - Carbon Farming and Environmental Markets (part-time)
Rachel is a strategic engagement and communications specialist with over 15 years’ experience working in natural resource management. Rachel’s past roles include leading stakeholder engagement at the Murray Darling Basin Authority, as a communications manager with ACTEW Water, and as a project manager with Murrumbidgee CMA. Rachel has been with NRM Regions Australia since 2021 and is passionate about supporting NRM organisations in their work to foster productive and healthy landscapes and communities, and exploring the role market-based instruments might play in achieving these outcomes.
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Sarah Hoyal: Nature-based Solutions Lead, (full-time)
Sarah is a facilitative leader with a professional background of more than 20 years. In the NRM sector, Sarah has been a Board Director at Gulf Savannah NRM, and held leadership positions at NQ NRM Alliance and Cape York NRM. Before joining NRM Regions Australia, Sarah led the Biodiversity, Soil Health and Climate Strategy on theTerrain NRM Executive Team. Sarah has a Masters in Social Science and Bachelor of Applied Science and her interests lie in finding effective, place-based and people-centred solutions to our biggest nature and climate issues.
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Dr Mat Hardy: Project Lead - Environmental Markets Participation Initiative (part-time)
Mat brings over 15 years' experience within nature conservation on private land and related fields, and a substantial background in environmental markets as both researcher and practitioner. Mat's previous roles include leading the nature markets team at Trust for Nature (Victoria), where he oversaw its revolving fund, biodiversity offsets and public policy programs, and was part of the design team for the Victorian Government’s BushBank (nature restoration for carbon storage) program. Mat has a keen interest in bringing together research and practitioner experience to develop pragmatic, evidence-based solutions to environmental challenges.
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Rachel Morgain: Project Manager - Climate Adaptation and Resilience (part-time)
Rachel is a knowledge broker, environmental researcher, public speaker and writer, with 10 years of experience working in biodiversity and social-environmental systems. In addition to NRM Regions Australia, she co-leads research initiatives on biodiversity, regional planning, cultural land management and nature-based climate adaptation. She was the knowledge broker for the National Environmental Science Program’s Threatened Species Recovery Hub, and subsequently helped found the Biodiversity Council.
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Justin Bellanger: Knowledge Broker - National Biosecurity Hub (part-time)
Justin is an experienced senior executive manager and Board Director, with interests in science-based entities in the for-purpose and government sector. Alongside working for NRM Regions Australia, Justin is the CEO of the Aquaculture Council of WA providing specialist services to businesses managing natural resources in biosecurity aquaculture and fish management. Justin is also the Chair of the Biosecurity Council of Western Australia, a Director with the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, and a member of the National Environmental Biosecurity Advisory Group. He also audits aquaculture and fishing enterprises against international ESG certification standards.
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Jenna Foti: Assistant to CEO – Project Administration (part-time)
Jenna has over a decade of international experience within the NRM sector, across the private sector, university, and government, from New Zealand, United States and Australia. Jenna’s areas of experience include environmental consulting, pest species (kangaroo) research, soil and farming research, water quality monitoring, and water quality management. Jenna is Assistant to the CEO Kate Andrews and helps out with other interesting tasks as required.
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Sajidah Abdullah: Project Support (part-time)
Sajidah draws upon a varied background, having worked most of her life ‘out bush’ in northern Australia. She has significant experience in administration, systems management and natural resource management on Christmas Island, in Kakadu National Park, the Top End, NT and in the Simpson Desert, Qld. Prior to joining NRM Regions Australia, Sajidah worked for an independent school as a Project Officer, supporting the Principal and Board Chair and served as Board Director and Company Secretary.
