NATIONAL DIRECTOR

Andrew has been the National Director of RE-Alliance since 2013, including the period until 2019 when the organisation operated as the Australian Wind Alliance. In that time, Andrew has built the organisation to become the leading voice advocating for regional communities in issues around the energy transition, especially transmission, community benefit sharing and addressing impacts on local communities. In 2021, Andrew was awarded the Clean Energy Council's Outstanding Contribution to Industry Award for his long standing work in these areas. Based in one of New South Wales' prime wind districts, the Southern Tablelands, Andrew is passionate about the contribution renewable energy can make to rural and regional economies while helping Australia transition to a cleaner future. 

ADVOCACY DIRECTOR

In her work bringing civil society together to make the renewable energy transformation fantastic for regions and the environment, Lu brings advocacy strategy and systems thinking developed over ten years as an activist, campaigner and policy communicator. Growing up in regional Victoria, Lu has an instinct for fairness and for bridging political divides. Lu is based in Far North Queensland and enjoys long bike rides to the beach. Lu holds an MA in International Development and a BA in Psychological Science. 

ADVOCACY MANAGER

Tony comes from Ballarat, Victoria where he lives with his young daughter. Tony has extensive experience in advocacy, community education and engagement experience throughout Australia and is passionate about action on climate change and championing wind energy. He is currently conducting research at University of Melbourne and has previously obtained a Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies with Honours in Sociology from University of Tasmania. His side passion is beekeeping which saw him spend time in the Northern Territory, assisting the Thamarrurr Rangers experiment with Australian stingless beekeeping.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER, CENTRAL-WEST ORANA

Neville brings to RE-Alliance a lifetime 'on the land' as a farmer near Mudgee NSW. He has a strong understanding of the factors facing rural Australia and what is needed for an energy revolution with renewables and an expanding grid connection network. Neville's industry experience stems from contact with energy generators seeking to explore his farm for large-scale developments since 2007 and a background within electronics, communications and the computer industry. As a natural communicator with a lifetime of rural experience, passionate about biodiversity and conservation, Neville seeks to include First Nations voices and all those of the wider community involved in the renewable energy transition, so that opinions are heard and included in the process to build a just energy transition. 

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER, TASMANIA

Toby is a dedicated community leader and sustainability advocate, residing in regional Tasmania. His passion for community and its well-being has been the driving force behind his work in building capacity and opportunity for sustainable initiatives with young people around the world. He has been dedicated to ensuring that everyone's voice is heard and that the needs of the community are met, and was recently elected the youngest Deputy Mayor in Tasmanian history at the Huon Valley Council. He believes that sustainability and economic development go hand in hand and has worked tirelessly to advocate for transition to renewable energy sources. Toby's experience in developing a community-owned renewable energy centre, as well as his work in engaging with the community, makes him a valuable asset to the team.

SENIOR CAMPAIGN MANAGER

Justin is a senior campaigner, educator, and community organise, with twenty years of social change experience working across a wide range of organisations, faith communities, and government departments. He is passionate about bringing diverse people together across difference to build community power in order to bring about lasting and systemic change that is genuinely centred on the experiences and voices of affected communities, especially those most marginalised by power holders. He is especially excited by the work of RE-Alliance at the intersection of climate change, participatory democracy, and social & economic justice.

HUNTER COMMUNITY ORGANISER

Jo is a lifelong resident of the Hunter, raised on Wonnarua Country. She holds an Advanced Diploma in Visual Art from Newcastle TAFE and is a Fine Arts graduate of Newcastle University, imparting strong communication skills and a belief in the perennial power of art to galvanise social change. Since 2018, Jo has worked with the Hunter Community Environment Centre to coordinate grassroots action to protect biodiversity and communities, focused on the adverse impacts of pollution from NSW’s thermal coal industry. Jo is passionate about an equitable transition to renewable energy for the Hunter in which the regions’ natural beauty, rich cultural and ecological diversity and staunch working-class legacy can continue to thrive together.

POLICY AND INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR

Bridget grew up in Canberra, spent time in Japan, settled in Melbourne in the early 2000s and lives in Merri-bek on Wurundjeri country. She has deep experience on renewable energy issues and advocacy through roles in stakeholder engagement, advocacy, communications and project delivery in the private sector, government and peak bodies. Bridget is passionate about accelerating the renewable energy transition to address climate change and about the need for this to occur in partnership with people and communities. Bridget is a keen small space gardener and also enjoys cooking, cycling, hiking, running and yoga.

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Kitty grew up in North West Tasmania raising steers as a teenager to fund her university degree. Now, she lives on the Bellarine Peninsula in regional Victoria with her young family. She has spent her career working across Australia’s not-for-profit sector in communications, strategy, fundraising and community engagement. Kitty is extremely passionate about the power of communities to enact positive change. She is committed to using her skills to secure a renewable energy transformation for Australia, that delivers long-term benefits and opportunities to regional communities.

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Cait is a communications professional, and is passionate about using these skills to empower people to bring about the change they want for their future. She has a variety of communications, copywriting, marketing, project management and fundraising experience across different sectors, notably in climate and mental health. Having grown up in regional Victoria, Cait is thrilled to be able to support regional communities to engage in the transition to renewable energy. She is a Bachelor of Arts graduate.

OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

Since leaving the finance industry, Nathan has worked for several organisations across the not-for-profit sector in a variety of different roles. In addition to working at RE-Alliance, he is currently studying a Master of Social Impact specialising in Business Analytics at Swinburne University of Technology. He is keen to use his diverse experience and passion for climate justice to help with the transition to renewable energy in Australia while supporting regional communities in the process.

Peter is a corporate and projects Partner at HWL Ebsworth Lawyers and leads the firm's National Renewable Energy Group.

Peter has been a lawyer in the renewables sector since 1999 and has advised in over 50 renewable energy projects in Australia, New Zealand and Thailand. Most of these projects were in wind energy. His expertise is in corporate, commercial and construction and electricity law.

Susan Findlay Tickner is based in Horsham in regional Western Victoria, and has worked in Communications and Stakeholder Engagement for 25 years across the agricultural and renewable energy sectors. With a background in Agricultural Research and Development, she has also worked in Agricultural Policy with the Victorian State Government and is a former member of the Grains Research and Development Corporation Southern Panel. Susan works with renewable energy developer, RES, in communications and engagement.

Richard is one of the most experienced people in the Australian wind industry, having worked in the industry since 1994 as a project and business development manager. Richard agreed to give his time to be Treasurer of AWA because he believes Australia is missing out on great benefits in regional areas. Richard has a Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and an engineering Masters degree and an eMBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management. He is currently the Managing Director of Advanced Energy Consulting.

Karin Stark is the Director of Farm Renewables Consulting and founder and convener of the annual National Renewables in Agriculture Conference and Exhibition. Co-managing a wheat and cotton farm in Narromine NSW has given Karin a first-hand perspective of the energy challenges farmers face both on-farm and in their communities. They live on the edge of the country's first Renewable Energy Zone and she is a member of the NSW Farmer's Energy Transition Taskforce. She has published two reports: 'Pursuing an Agrivoltaic Future in Australia' and 'Farm Powered'.

Dimity is a Physio, farmer and mother, who just happens to live very contentedly next door to a wind farm.  She sleeps well and finds the turbines an aesthetic bonus to her landscape.  Dimity is passionate about supporting other people in wind communities to navigate the fear-mongering around wind farms so they too can enjoy co-locating with these magnificent structures.  Dimity has experienced the benefits a wind farm has brought to her community and would like others to be able to enjoy similar benefits.

Dr Madeline Taylor is a Senior Lecturer in Energy Law at Macquarie University, Deputy Director of the Centre for Energy and Natural Resources Innovation and Transformation (CENRIT) at Macquarie University, and Honorary Associate at the Sydney Environment Institute.

Her research advances the novel examination of transitioning energy regulation and energy policy from comparative and socio-legal perspectives. Madeline has published widely in energy regulatory frameworks and policy across complex and multiple land uses, with her current research focusing on the law concerning renewable energy development and energy justice. She is passionate about a just and equitable transition for regional communities and has advised government, industry, and NGOs on issues relating to the energy transition, energy regulation, and policy.

Jonathan is a senior manager with over 14 years experience in the renewable energy industry. He has worked in a variety of roles, including Project Development, Government Affairs and Energy Markets.