Key new staff members are joining the Grower Group Alliance (GGA), significantly boosting its capacity to extend innovative agricultural research and to maximise its adoption by growers.
A number of the appointments will strengthen the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SW WA Hub), a major project led by the GGA with funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
“I am pleased to announce that a number of experienced industry professionals are joining our existing capable team and am confident this will further consolidate our position as a collaboration leader across the agricultural sector,” GGA Chief Executive Officer Rikki Foss said.
“Some fantastic research is being done on behalf of Australian growers, but the cycle is not truly complete or impactful until effective extension is achieved, and growers adopt the research.
“Our core strength is GGA’s expanding network of more than 60 grower groups, representing about 4000 producers, and our existing strong links to industry, including through our collaboration agreement with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and our delivery of several brokered research programs.
“Our increased internal capability, achieved through the new staff appointments, will leverage this powerful grass roots foundation and place us at the forefront of adoption and extension in Western Australia – delivering on a core GGA strategy and industry need.
“Importantly, it also helps us deliver on a core function of the SW WA Hub, which is about ensuring that research gets adopted by growers.”
New GGA staff taking up their positions this month will bolster the SW WA Hub team, led by Hub Director Mark Holland, and funding from the Australian Government has made the new positions possible.
Hub Innovation Manager, Jo Wisdom, has extensive experience in research, project management and stakeholder engagement, and in her new role aims to increase innovation uptake by producers, stimulate collaboration and increase commercialisation outcomes.
Dr Wisdom’s appointment was facilitated by the Australian Government’s $2.5 million expansion of the SW WA Hub to include agricultural innovation, beyond its existing drought resilience remit.
Also newly employed by the GGA as part of the innovation expansion of the Hub is Hub Adoption Officer Maddison McNeil, who has strong stakeholder and relationship management experience in sectors including agriculture.
Starting this month as Hub Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager and Adoption Officer is Theo Nabben, who is a specialist in program monitoring and evaluation, and has worked in government and as a consultant.
Kaelen Ruland is returning to GGA in the part-time role of Communications Officer, assisting GGA Stakeholder and Communications Manager Kallista Bolton.
In September, researcher Daniel Kidd will take up the role of GGA Project Manager. Mr Kidd will work with grower groups and industry to develop projects and opportunities for the GGA network.
Later in the year, the GGA will be joined by a Hub Adoption Manager who will work closely with Ms McNeil and Mr Nabben.
More information about the GGA and the SW WA Hub is available at www.gga.org.au.
Caption: Grower Group Alliance CEO Rikki Foss, second from left, with new GGA/South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub team members Jo Wisdom, left (Hub Innovation Manager), Theo Nabben (Hub Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager and Adoption Officer) and Maddison McNeil (Hub Adoption Officer).
