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. Andrew has been a member of AEMO's Advisory Council on Social Licence and in 2021 was awarded the Clean Energy Council's Outstanding Contribution to Industry Award for his long standing work in these areas. Andrew is an Adjunct Research Fellow at Gulbali Research Institute, Charles Sturt University. 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 Melbourne and enjoys long bike rides to the beach. Lu holds an MA in International Development and a BA in Psychological Science. 

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Kitty has spent her career working across Australia’s not-for-profit sector in communications, strategy, fundraising and community engagement. Having lived most of her life in regional communities and now based on the Bellarine Peninsula in Victoria, Kitty is extremely passionate about the power of communities to enact positive change. In 2019 she founded Queenscliffe Climate Action Now (QCAN) and drove a community-led process to develop a local roadmap to net zero. She is committed to using her skills to secure a renewable energy shift for Australia, that delivers long-term benefits and opportunities.

ACTING POLICY AND RESEARCH DIRECTOR

Megan is deeply passionate about protecting Australia's environment and driving action on climate change. With over 25 years' experience in environment and nature focused roles, including over a decade as the Scientific Director at Environmental Defenders Office, she is motivated by a desire to influence take-up of solutions and actions by governments, industry and communities to improve outcomes for nature. Megan lives on the NSW Mid North Coast, manages a small beef and conservation property, and in her spare time is currently attempting to breed dung beetles.

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 support regional communities to engage in the shift to renewable energy. She is a Bachelor of Arts graduate.

NSW COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

Mark has spent more than 25 years in energy and sustainability, with a deep knowledge and expansive network across the energy, government and climate change sectors. Based in Newcastle, he has worked on local, statewide and national energy programs with a focus on community engagement in the renewable energy space. Mark has also commercialised renewable energy technologies at CSIRO, developed partnerships between research and industry and been a director on a cleantech start-up company. He holds an MBA, a Bachelor degree in Social Science and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Since leaving the finance industry in 2014, Nathan has worked for several organisations across the not-for-profit sector in a variety of different roles. 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.

REGIONAL PROGRAMS MANAGER

Thomasen works best as a connector, bridging the divides between stakeholders, facilitating partnerships to collectively problem solve and supporting capacity building. Her experience includes 10 years in Local and State Government and 5 years of climate-related strategy and audit work in consultancies. Thomasen gets dizzy thinking about the wildly beautiful solutions that could and should exist in this energy shift we’re experiencing. Working with communities, she hopes to enable some of these creative, innovative, fair and fast solutions.

QUEENSLAND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

Tom has spent his career at the intersection of human rights, climate and the environment, working to empower – and enhance the rights of – communities both within Australia and across the globe. He is an experienced campaigner, communicator and community engagement specialist, having spent more than 15 years in the Australian and international advocacy and not-for-profit sectors. Tom has completed a PhD in the UK, working for almost a decade as a research scientist, and has worked in communication and engagement with communities on the ground in Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Australia, to advocate at local, national and UN-levels. Tom lives on Gubbi Gubbi country in rural South East Queensland with his young family.

POLICY AND ENGAGEMENT 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.

CHAIR

Anna is an energy systems, decarbonisation, strategy, and policy professional with 25 years of energy and resources sector experience that has taken her around the country. As Executive Director at Pollination Group, Anna advises corporates and agencies on transition enablers that solve for multiple objectives.

Prior to joining Pollination, Anna established and led the Sustainability and Climate Change function at EnergyAustralia and instituted governance, targets and the Climate Transition Action Plan.

Anna has an MBA from INSEAD, France (Honours).

TREASURER

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 and is currently Head of Power Development, Integrated Energy at AGL Energy.

BOARD DIRECTOR

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.

BOARD DIRECTOR

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'.

BOARD DIRECTOR

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.

BOARD DIRECTOR

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.

BOARD DIRECTOR

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.