Honiara, Solomon Islands

Key skills

• group facilitation and training skills specialising in sustainable agriculture and community development
• networking and liaison skills
• project and business development; management and administration
• interpersonal communication, conflict resolution and mediation.

Experience

Programme/project: Landcare Coordinator / Secretary, Whian Whian Landcare, Northern NSW, Australia. 2007- present

Responsibilities:

• Coordination of riparian restoration projects extending across 13km of creek bank engaging 22 landholders
• Preparation of successful grant submissions to implement restoration works
• Project administration and reporting
• Currently developing citizen science, corporate sponsorship and adventure conservation opportunities

Programme/project: Coopers Creek Catchment Project Coordinator, Reconnecting to Country Programme, Northern NSW, Australia. 2009-2011

Responsibilities:

• developed multi project plan to improve Indigenous engagement with on-ground sustainable catchment management activities
• coordinated implementation of projects including administrative, financial and reporting requirements, liaison with stakeholders including Indigenous elders, contractors and community.

Programme/project: Marketing Development Officer, Kastom Gaden Association, Solomon Islands. 2004-2006

Primary projects: urban green waste recycling centre, plant nursery and marketing services for regional and remote farmers
Secondary projects: agricultural product development and village level food processing

Responsibilities:

• Planning, implementation and monitoring of sustainable livelihood projects.
• Monitoring and evaluation, financial and progress reports to donors and stakeholders, recruitment and training, public awareness, technical assistance.

Programme/project: Administrative Officer, Daleys Nursery, Kyogle NSW Australia. 2000-2004

Daleys Nursery is an extensive wholesale and retail nursery working with sub/ tropical fruit and nut trees and Australia rainforest species. The business has a customer base of over 140 retail nurseries and thousands of members of the public.

Responsibilities:

• administrative systems
• staff development, training and support
• customer relations, networking, sales and marketing
• extensive experience in nursery/ horticultural practices.

Programme/project: The Permaforest Trust, Barkersvale NSW Australia 1999-2004

A not-for-profit education centre focusing on environmental restoration, sustainable agriculture and community development. The centre hosts groups and workshops and facilitates internships while demonstrating practical approaches towards a model of sustainable living.

Role:

• strategic planning, project development and administration from concept to operation
• curriculum development, training and group facilitation
• planning and implementing orchards, livestock systems and annual food gardens
• development of management plans for environmental restoration
• construction of buildings.

Programme/project: Capacity building officer and trainer, Planting Material Network, Kastom Gaden, Solomon Islands. 1998-1999

Development of seed production and seed banking/ exchange systems. Trainer and development of training materials

Education

• Bachelor of Indigenous Studies – Sustainability Major, Southern Cross University, NSW
• Certificate IV in Horticulture, Australian National Training Authority, NSW
• Certificate IV in Small Business Management, The Business College, NSW
• Certificate in Permaculture, Permaculture Institute, Tyalgum, NSW
• Associate Diploma in Applied Science, Canberra Institute of Technology, ACT.

Languages

• English – native speaker
• Solomon Pidgin – fluent.

Publications

• Author: Community Seed Saving, Training Tools for Pacific Island Communities.
• Author: Coopers Creek, A Place of Many Stories – Reconnecting to Country.