Centre for Sustainability Leadership

James Allston

An engineer by trade, James has developed into an enterprising Marketing Manager in a short but dynamic career. Looking after the energy efficiency portfolio for Siemens Pacific Cluster, James has an innate passion for environmental sustainability that has been advantageous to his roles as Graduate Engineer and Product Manager for Siemens energy and environmental solutions. A testament to his determined nature, James was a founding member of the Energy Efficiency Council and has recently been promoted to Vice President after a short term as Secretary. James also attributes his career success to his thirst for knowledge, not just on engineering principles but a broad understanding of the political, social, technological and economic structures that intrinsically envelope issues such as climate change and the energy market. As a self-proclaimed “corporate hippie”, James hopes to help lead an environmental sustainability movement that becomes part of everyone’s way of life.

Melissa Crotty

Melissa produces and presents a climate change and solutions show Beyond Zero Radio on 3CR radio, which is produced by Beyond Zero Emissions, a non-for profit organization that is facilitating the transition to a zero carbon future. Melissa also does public speaking, on behalf of this organisation. Melissa writes and performs comedy around Melbourne, which is a great way to present sustainability issues in an engaging way. Melissa is working on a documentary on climate change and the solutions that will cover these issues. In the past, Melissa has been involved in many environmental groups that have spread the good news of taking up a sustainable way of life.

Melissa, by being apart of the Fellowship program, aims to further develop skills in communications, leadership and further expand her networks to deliver the good news that creating a sustainable way of life is beneficial to us all.

Sanne de Swart

Sanne has a bachelor degree in Social and Cultural Education, a grad-dip in Development Studies and an International Master’s degree in Peace, Conflict and Development Studies. Born and raised in The Netherlands, having lived in Spain, Guatemala, Chile, Australia and travelled in many others, she feels like a world citizen and her passion for peace, non-violence, equity and sustainability doesn’t confine to any borders. She has a strong belief in the power of grass-roots and community action as a way of creating social change in society, as the power of leaders and companies depends on the support of the masses. In 2008 she won a local Social Engagement Youth award for organizing community projects promoting solidarity and social cohesion. Just starting work as a Program Coordinator for the Community Visitors Scheme, she hopes the fellowship allows her to gain more practical knowledge and tools on how to raise awareness about sustainability issues on a community level and take effective action.

Tamara Dimattina

Tamara currently runs her own business, Trumpet PR + Marketing, focusing on social marketing. Trumpet works with clients with community/environmental messages. Tamara is working to strengthen Trumpet as a leader in sustainability communications and promote more conscientious behaviour amongst individuals, the community and businesses. Tamara just returned from a 2-week expedition to Antarctica where she studied climate change and sustainability leadership with 2041. 2041 is an environmental group dedicated to preserving Antarctica as the last great wilderness on Earth when the treaty that currently protects it from mining comes up for renewal in 2041. Having spent 2 weeks in Antarctica with like minded people from across the globe passionate about a sustainable future, Tamara is looking forward to sharing the networks and resources with Fellowship participants, being connected with others to motivate and support each other to achieve better outcomes for all.

Reuben Finighan

Reuben has a broad background spanning from neuroscience to physics to sustainability issues, partly arising from the Arts/Science double-Bachelor he completed in mid-2009. Alongside study he worked as a neuroscientist for two years, studying multiple sclerosis, but found the work unsatisfying and decided to shift toward something he feels more passionate about: trying to transform the agricultural, mineral, and energy backbone of modern civilisation into a more sustainable form. Since this time he was entered and won competitions (such as Australia’s National Energy Essay Competition), worked for numerous non-profit organisations in Melbourne and in London, met IPCC scientists across Europe, and sought to enter the Centre for Sustainability Leadership’s Fellowship Course. He hopes the course will give him the skills to act more powerfully in the world and allow him to put his knowledge to good use. Reuben’s long-term goal is to work on changing national and international policy.

Julie Fraser

Julie graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts (German and Politics) and Laws. She completed articles with the Australian Government Solicitor in 2008 and is currently a solicitor in the regulation litigation team.

Julie has been actively involved with the Law Institute of Victoria Young Lawyers’ Section since 2008, first as a member and co-chair of the Community Issues Committee and now as President in 2010.

Julie worked as an AGS Environment Officer in both Canberra and Melbourne, and in 2009, Julie received on behalf of the AGS, the LIV President’s Award for Green Initiative of the Year. Julie is also interested in international law and politics, having worked in Washington DC, London and the Hague. Julie is excited to take on the challenges of the CSL Fellowship and commit her skills towards creating a more sustainable future.

Alyssa French

Alyssa is a passionate and engaging advocate for sustainability in her workplace and amongst her friends. As Senior Policy Officer at the Victorian Department of Transport, she is developing a State-wide Green Port Sustainability Policy and shaping sustainable and innovative freight planning initiatives.

Alyssa led the development of a Climate Change Whitepaper with over 80 senior business and NGO executives as Taskforce Manager at the Committee for Melbourne.

Her interest and enthusiasm for driving sustainable government policy was first fostered through her work at the National Transport Commission, where she developed an Environment Policy for the Australian rail industry and contributed to improved rail standards.

In addition to her efforts to influence government policy, Alyssa wishes to build the capacity, will and commitment of organisations to harness the opportunities that sustainability presents.

Through the Fellowship program, Alyssa is keen to develop her knowledge, leadership skills and networks to realise her potential as a future sustainability leader.

Katerina Gaita

Katerina is mother to Mischa (5) and Jasper (9 months) and founding director of EASLI: Ethical And Sustainable Living Ideas – EASLI done! (www.easli.com.au). She is currently negotiating to divest herself of the day to day responsibilities of EASLI, so that she can focus primarily on campaigning for effective action on climate change – zero emissions by 2020. To this end, she has approached Beyond Zero Emissions to work on the Transition Decade campaign.

Prior to establishing EASLI, Katerina’s main efforts towards creating a better world were in human rights and social justice. She has volunteered with groups such as Oxfam and International Women’s Development Agency. As a law student, she also worked as assistant to prosecuting lawyers on genocide cases in Guatemala and to the amicus curiae in the Milosevic case.

As well as the skills taught in the Fellowship, Katerina is looking forward to the support, inspiration and knowledge she will gain from her fellow participants. She is also hoping the course will provide her with a new set of networks in the sustainability field.

Fergus Green

Fergus is a practising climate change and environmental lawyer at Allens Arthur Robinson. He also works freelance as a writer, blogger, analyst and advocate focusing on the political and policy dimensions of climate change in Australia and internationally, having published with the Lowy Institute for International Policy and in the print and online media. Fergus also volunteers with Project Survival Pacific, using his policy skills to support the interests of small Pacific island states in the UN climate negotiations.

Fergus’ experiences, from Collins Street to Copenhagen, have impressed upon him the critical role of well-designed public policies in addressing sustainability challenges. By participating in the Fellowship program, Fergus hopes to connect with young professionals and scholars from a wide range of disciplines to develop and advocate for transformational public policy responses to sustainability issues that are fair to both current and future generations.

Warren Guymer

Warren is an Associate Director at a property project management consulting company in Melbourne called Thinc Projects. Through a double degree of Engineering and Arts at university, Warren followed a keen interest in economically, socially and environmentally friendly development. Since university Warren has worked as a project engineer and manager in Melbourne, Beijing, Shanghai and London. Working with national and international property and construction organisations, he has experienced the disconnect between the policies advocated at the Board level and the actions undertaken by employees at the coal face. Warren wants to work with like-minded individuals in the Fellowship to develop a strategy (then follow-up action plan or demonstration project) to educate and communicate more effectively the win-win benefits of sustainable development.

Raqibul Hassan

Raqibul is currently working for Monash University at the Office of Environmental Sustainability. His key responsibility is to incorporate Environmental Sustainability into Monash Sport’s operations. He is also engaged in implementing energy and water efficiency infrastructure projects throughout the university. He has completed a bachelor in Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering, and is now completing a Masters in Corporate Environmental Sustainability Management.

Raqibul also sits on his local council’s Fair Trade steering committee. He has recently begun creating an environmental program for Sport Without Borders called Sport Without Border Green.

He wants to use sport as a way to educate and empower people towards a Sustainable world. He hopes to incorporate sustainability into the world’s largest sporting events by developing his skills and gaining experience in the industry

Raqibul hopes the Fellowship program provides the springboard he needs to achieve my goals.

David Hershan

David is currently working for Energy Matters, a solar energy company that specialises in the supply and installation of solar photovoltaic and solar hot water systems as the head of their strategy and legal departments.

Before transitioning into renewable energy in early 2009, David worked as a lawyer for 2 years.

In the past, David has worked to make the world a better place by undertaking wildlife conservation work with Elephants in northern Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa, building shelters in a slum area in Nakuru, Kenya and starting up a sustainability committee at Energy Maters.

In the future, David wishes to work on commercialising more environmentally efficient and cost effective approaches to operating our society.

The fellowship is an opportunity for David to develop his advocacy skills, build relationships with like-minded people and deepen his understanding of environmental sustainability issues and potential solutions.

Jason Kimberley

Jason founded and operates Cool Australia. A web based organisation dedicated to explaining in plain English the challenges facing our environment and what we can all do to help sustain it. Jason is passionate about environmental education and spoke to more than 9,000 students in 2009 about what they can do to help. His goal is for every Australian kid to leave school with a clear understanding of what our environment does for us and what we risk with business as usual. Through the fellowship he hopes to gain a deeper understanding of various methods of communication, engagement and inspiration around sustainability and our environment.

Susan Lindsay

Susan has always had the drive to work towards a more socially equitable and environmentally sustainable world. Ever since high school she has worked towards this goal, volunteering with Ozanam House, Engineers Without Borders, Soroptomist International, Connectivity for Refugees and the Red Cross.

She has degrees in maths and electrical engineering, and throughout her career has worked as a project engineer, technical trainer, maths tutor and ESL teacher.

In 2008, she started a Masters in Engineering, majoring in Sustainable Energy.

She is currently working at Sustainability Victoria, a state government agency, managing the Smart Energy Zones program, working with project partners to deliver projects that demonstrate innovative energy supply and demand solutions, reduce emissions and implement community programs.

She hopes to use her experience, knowledge and enthusiasm to empower others to make informed sustainable lifestyle choices.

Peter Lunt

Peter is currently Head of Investment Research & Governance at VicSuper Pty Ltd, a public-offer superannuation fund. In his role, Peter works within the investment team and seeks to add value to VicSupers’ members by undertaking research on sustainability (environmental, social & corporate governance) themes and by delivering on VicSupers’ active governance agenda, which includes engagement with investee companies and capital market participants. Prior to working within superannuation, He worked for a small investment research company undertaking ESG analysis of listed companies for the purposes of portfolio construction of sustainability funds. He initially completed a Bachelor of Science (Forestry) and a Bachelor of Economics and worked as a professional forester for 5 years, encompassing both native and plantation forests. Becoming interested in biological limits to growth as it applied to financial returns from plantation forests, Peter completed further studies in finance before completing a Masters of Environment. He seeks to apply multi-disciplinary skills, knowledge and experience to solve problems which create or sustain wealth.

Michael McKiterick

Michael has been a solicitor since 2005 and is the Acting Manager of the Victorian Bar’s Pro Bono Scheme at the Public Interest Law Clearing House (PILCH). PILCH is Australia’s largest pro bono referral agency where the main focus is the provision of legal assistance to disadvantaged and marginalised persons. Of late, Michael has been focussing on developing working groups of barristers and lawyers to deal with systemic issues affecting PILCH’s client base, such as refugees and the persons experiencing homelessness. Michael hopes to use the Fellowship to promote Sustainability and sustainability outcomes to the legal community. In particular, as a member of the Committee of Management for the Darebin Community Legal Centre, Michael wishes to bring the issues of sustainability to the forefront of the Community Legal Sector. Michael is a member of the Moreland City Reds Football Team and has chickens.

Oscar McLennan

Oscar is a young engineer at Better Place Australia – a global start up that aims to end the world’s reliance on oil be facilitating the mass adoption of electric vehicles running on 100% renewable power. Oscar studied law and civil engineering at Melbourne University, where he volunteered with the Environment Defenders Office and Engineers Without Borders. He sees innovation toward cheap green ubiquitous renewable energy as our most important challenge. Oscar is really excited about the Fellowship Program, and hopes to gain experience he can use professionally in his work at Better Place, and can’t wait to get to know all the other wonderful people doing this program.

Luke Miur

Luke works as Communications Manager for International NGO The Climate Group. His role involves publicizing the progress in policy, technology and business practice being made through The Climate Group’s work, as well as communicating the benefits of reducing emissions for businesses and society.

Luke’s background is in public relations and campaigning. He has worked for clients such as The Royal Bank of Scotland and UK Government Departments on issues ranging from the UK’s healthy school meals campaign to the problems facing those with no access to financial services. He is interested in social justice and public policy issues, and has spent time volunteering for London Homeless charity St Mungo’s and interning at Oxfam America in Washington DC.

Luke’s main reason for taking the course is to develop new skills and raise his ambition levels to achieve positive change in the future.

Cassidy Cornelia Prent

Cassidy is a lawyer in the Major Projects team at Freehills, where she acts for project proponents and financiers developing and investing in infrastructure. Her renewable energy experience includes acting for clients such as Acciona and Wind Power in relation to a number of Australian wind farm developments, including the Bald Hills and Waubra projects. Cassidy was also a member of the team advising Coolnrg International in relation to its world-first programmatic Clean Development Mechanism project in Cuidemos, Mexico under the Kyoto Protocol. In addition to her commercial legal work, Cassidy is the team leader of the Freehills Melbourne Green Team, whose role is to develop and implement strategies to reduce the firm’s environmental footprint. Cassidy is also a volunteer lawyer for the PILCH Homeless Persons Legal Clinic. Cassidy is aiming to apply the skills she learns in sustainability leadership to promote and participate in the transition to a low carbon economy and a sustainable future.

Georgina Smith

Georgie is currently a program manager with the EPA. It’s a role she’s only just begun, so she can’t add much more than that yet, but every sign so far indicates this will be a meaningful and exciting position. She relocated to Melbourne in February after finishing a Master of Environmental Management from UNSW. While there she represented the university’s 16,000 postgraduate students as the elected Postgraduate Officer. She also founded a Postgraduate Council, which once fully operational will deliver a ten-fold increase in representation and funding to UNSW’s Masters and PhD students now and long into the future. Prior to this she worked in an environmental consultancy delivering a residential energy efficiency campaign, as well as a stint managing a business sustainability program. She also volunteered for 3 years at the Watershed sustainability centre in Sydney teaching a course on natural cleaning.

Cecile van der Burgh

Cecile spent the first eight years of her professional life in the not-for-profit sector, coordinating campaigns for organizations including the National Parks Association of NSW and The Wilderness Society. She has played a key role in several major nature conservation successes, including the protection of 350,000 hectares of forests and woodlands in north-west NSW and the campaign to preserve the Traveling Stock Routes network. She is passionate about involving a broad range of individuals and sectors in safeguarding Australia’s unique natural and cultural fabric. She has directed several major concerts and exhibitions, putting unprotected remote places in the spotlights for city audiences. She recently relocated to Melbourne, is actively involved in several local environmental initiatives and is in the process of establishing her own organisation. Originally from The Netherlands, Cecile has a background in Human Geography and Planning.

The Fellowship Program offers a unique platform to stretch our individual and collective leadership capacity beyond the status quo.

Dimity Williams

Dimity has been actively trying to create a more sustainable world in the professional, personal and community spheres of her life. She has been co-leader of climate action group, Families Facing Climate Change since 2006 and through direct actions, awareness raising celebrations of sustainability and political forums this group has mobilized their community on climate change.

Dimity is also a doctor working in General Practice and over the past twelve months has been actively involved in Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA). In 2009 she created a PowerPoint presentation on the health impacts of climate change for DEA members to download and present to colleagues. She hopes it will be seen Australia wide!

With her experience in direct health care, community action and communication Dimity thinks that she is well placed to help provide a voice on health in the broader discussion on climate change and sustainability. As a GP, she is skilled at looking at the bigger picture and communicating complex concepts to lay people.

She wishes to develop her leadership skills, define her future direction and gain experience in public speaking and advocacy and is excited about.

Beth Worrall

Beth is currently the Environment and Sustainability Lead for Microsoft Australia. She has over six years of experience in Community Investment and Corporate Responsibility.

Prior to joining Microsoft, Beth managed community investments for the Bank of America in Europe. At the bank, Beth secured management support and funding to establish the first internal environmental program for the bank’s international offices. Beth also secured support for environmental community investments, including £1M funding for an environmental leadership and volunteering program for young people in England. Beth believes that sustainability can be built into business decision making, and hopes that this course will help her effectively champion sustainability within a corporate context. Beth loves traveling, reading and going to the movies.

Sally Benham

Sally is a water engineer with expertise in irrigation modernisation and flood management. With the global population ever increasing, Sally’s aim is to optimise national and global food supply and distribution, whilst minimising the impact of food production on the environment and ensuring economic sustainability for those producing food.

Sally is currently working with irrigation schemes to improve scheme delivery and on-farm water efficiency, provide water for the environment and sustain employment and communities. She is also providing advice in Malaysia to increase local food production and generate employment, and is a Director of a not-for-profit organisation providing technical advice in developing countries.

The opportunity to interact with a diverse group interested in sustainability, further develop her management, communication and media skills, and strategically assess her career path attracted Sally to the fellowship course. She looks forward to using these skills and experiences to more effectively promote food production sustainability.

James Bichard

James is currently working as a project manager for Arup in Sydney, a firm of engineers and consultants working across the built environment. James is currently working on a commercial building in Canberra, the first 6 star Green Star building in the ACT with what will be the largest Building Integrated Photovoltaic array when complete. Having recently joined the Sydney office from London, James is hoping to make great new friends and contacts from the Fellowship, and to undertake a project that can really make a positive impact right from the start. James’ background is architecture and has a post-grad masters in property finance and strategy.

Louise Clifton

Lou coordinates the NSW Department of Environment, Climate

Change and Water’s Save Power campaign, raising awareness about electricity use and links to climate change, and influencing behaviour change.

Prior to this she worked for Greenpeace UK and Greenpeace Australia Pacific as media advisor on a range of campaigns including No War, protection of the world’s forests and climate change and energy.

Lou is proud to have contributed to communicating environmental issues through a range of channels from non-violent direct actions to press gallery media relations to major advertising campaigns.

Passionate about social justice and environmental issues, she is looking forward to gaining new insights and knowledge and utilising networking and mentoring to help her take her skills to the next level and inspire others to lead sustainable lives and to respect and enjoy our planet. She hopes to progress her dream to build an Earthship sustainable home and education centre.

Belinda Fairbrother

Belinda is currently working as the Campaign Coordinator at the Wildnerness Society in Sydney. She has recently returned from working in London for 4 years, where she campaigned on issues of gender, climate change and sustainability for the largest women’s organisation in the UK. Whilst there, she successfully managed the WI Carbon Challenge project which was taken by over 10,000 participants who evaluated their carbon footprint and pledged to reduce it by 20% using tips and advice encouraging changes to behaviour across the areas of the home, transport, food and

Through the CSL Fellowship program, she is looking to gain the skills and networks to address the missing link in current environmental and conservation programs, which is their direct connection with issues of sustainability. She would like to work towards making this connection within the environment movement, to have a larger influence on mainstream consumer behaviour.

Fieke Geerts

With a strong interest in cultural diversity, social justice & human rights, Fieke has been working with many communities in various countries for more than 10 years on projects ranging from behaviour change & capacity building programs to developing a sustainable fair-trade business models and online community engagement strategies.

The impact of looming Climate Change on social justice & equity issues made Fieke a passionate environmentalist focusing on sustainable communities and creating awareness. She is currently working for the Australian Conservation Foundation as GreenHome NSW Project Officer and is also undertaking a Masters in International Environmental and Urban Management. Fieke is looking to further develop and broaden her personal skills to effectively translate her knowledge and ideas into effective action for change and seeks to not only inspire and facilitate sustainable living but also wants to inspire collaboration between different groups and organisations needed for a integrative holistic approach towards sustainability.

David Gravina

David Gravina is the Principal and Creative Director at strategic design agency Digital Eskimo. Since founding the company in 2001 he has been instrumental in creating positive social and environmental change through the company’s significant body of client work. Highlights have included award-winning campaigns for the ACTU’s Your Rights at Work and the successful NSW small bar licensing campaign Raise The Bar. More recently he launched a not for profit foundation with a former client that encourages people to re-engage with local living by sharing inspiring stories about their efforts.  David believes passionately in the power of Design to improve lives and to make the world a better place. Through the skills learnt at the CSL he hopes to communicate this in an equally powerful way so that it can help solve many more problems and ultimately assist in spreading the use of design throughout society.

Emma Hamilton-Foster

Having grown up in the era of Captain Planet & the Planeteers and in the beautiful national parklands and beaches around Cronulla, Emma acquired a deep passion for the environment from a very early age and always knew she wanted to save the world. Going through high school, Emma was really passionate about two subjects in particular: Geography and Design Technology. As she developed an understanding of the Construction Industry and its impact on the environment, she chose to get into Environmental Construction and make a positive difference.

Although Emma was very passionate about Environmental Science from a very early age, and had a scholarship to study it at UOW, she decided that in order to work in the industry, providing advice on Environmental Sustainability, she would first need to understand construction in all its elements and so begun studying a Bachelor of Construction at UTS.

Emma is now currently employed by Currie & Brown has been working as an Environmental Consultant and Cadet since finishing her Higher School Certificate in 2006. Emma has developed Environmental Consulting as a business stream within the company, and worked on projects such as the Sydney Desalination plant, Environmental plan development for Sydney Opera House & is currently at St Andrew’s college working in conjunction with the student body to create a greener future for the 300 plus resident students & tutors.

Emma Hollows

Emma is currently working for Inland Rivers Network, a coalition of several key environmental organisations that aims to improve the health of the rivers and wetlands of the Murray-Darling Basin. She is completing her Masters in Environmental Science and Law after having previously studied Environmental Science and Political Science. Emma is also involved with The Fred Hollows Foundation, a non-profit development organisation that focuses on blindness prevention and indigenous health, that was set up in her late father’s name. She would like to continue working in the NGO sector, advocating for the type of changes that will lead to improved health of the natural environment as well as the improved welfare of those in the developing world. Emma would like to extend and consolidate her knowledge through the program in order to become someone who can communicate to others the importance of achieving and the ways in which to achieve ecologically sustainable development.

Katerina Kimmorley

Katerina Kimmorley is a greenie at heart who enjoys Australia’s unique beach culture and helping renewable energy become a reality in Australia. She currently works for the Department of Environment Climate Change and Water as an economist and policy writer in the emissions reduction and renewable energy section. Her experience is drawn form a background in consulting and energy markets.

Katerina has recently completed her honours in economics overseas and hopes to continue to study overseas in order to gain the knowledge to help countries to transition to a low carbon future. She is excited to meet other young people you are passionate for real change in the Australian response to sustainability and climate change.

Keiller MacDuff

Keiller is a media advisor at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, working predominately on the climate change campaign.

She has previously worked with the Green Party in both Australia and New Zealand, with unions on both sides of the Tasman as well as a journalist and producer. With strong commitments to both sustainability and social justice, she hopes to learn new ways to successfully communicate the urgency with which we need to shift to a more equitable and ecological society.

She has particular interest in green jobs and looks forward to helping shift Australia away from its current quarry mentality into a thriving low carbon economy.

Franscois McHardy

Franscois McHardy is the Director of The Gyro Group Pty Ltd, a management consultancy focused on helping businesses to improve their long-term viability and profitability through: increased staff engagement and retention; more effective product, sales and marketing strategies; better customer and supplier relationships; the greater use of resources from renewable sources.

Franscois has successfully implemented, in senior executive roles in the corporate sector, greater energy efficiency and emission reduction targets, programs for the responsible disposal and recycling of paper and industrial waste and the adoption of family-friendly policies of paid parental leave and flexible working arrangements.

His ambition is to increase public awareness of what `sustainability’ means in its broadest sense, and to help grow the number of businesses contributing to Sustainability Reporting. He hopes the Fellowship Program will allow him to successfully implement large-scale projects with like-minded peers and leaders in the growing international Sustainability movement.

Jessica Miller

Jess’ sustainability journey began in grade 3. On the advice of her

Mum she took endangered Native Swamp Rat scats to Show n’ Tell hoping to inspire her eight-year old colleagues to join her in protecting the Swap Rats’ habitat from encroaching suburban developers.

Now a somewhat more sophisticated communicator, Jess now spends her time dreaming-up ways to inspire action and creative solutions to climate change and related social justice issues using new and traditional marketing, pr, advertising and social media tools.

Professionally, Jess has had the privilege of working with individuals and organisations with positive change agendas. By completing the Fellowship she hopes to better understand how to broaden and deepen relationships and collaboration between diverse sectors.  In the future she hopes to use communication and relationships to solve big, nasty, complicated problems.

Elizabeth Mills Caldwell

Elizabeth has a background in sciences and law and is currently working with an international law firm in their graduate program, rotating through their intellectual property, environment and energy practices. She has previously worked and volunteered with environmental NGOs, both in Australia and overseas, and has recently returned from Papua New Guinea where she worked with an environmental law organization. One thing she feels has contributed to making the world a better place is developing a recycling system and replacing inefficient light bulbs in every share house she has lived in. She hopes to gain new project strategy skills and mentorship from the CSL fellowship.

Susan Read

Susan has a background in public health but decided to change sectors and pursue her passion for sustainable communities. Two years ago she joined the State Government where she has been working on a project to help disadvantaged households improve their energy efficiency. Susan wanted to join the Program to develop leadership skills, meet like-minded people and learn how to further develop her ideas.

Jeremy Rudge

Jeremy has been a business director and strategic planner in advertising agencies in London and Sydney. He wrote the communications strategy for the Howard Government’s “Climate Clever” campaign to encourage Australians to calculate their carbon footprint, and helped Woolworths launch Fresh Food Kids, green bags, Community Grants and Drought Relief Day.  He has given speeches at on the subject of eco-marketing including EPA Queensland’s Ecobiz conference. He now works in a communications consultancy role at Coca-Cola South Pacific.

In 2003, Jeremy had an idea on the train from Udhagamandalam to Mettupalayam. It was a way of communicating achievements in sustainability that would motivate businesses to continually improve their sustainability. It seemed like a pipe dream then but now, seven years on, the technology and institutions exist to make it possible. Jeremy is excited to be a part of the CSL Fellowship program to see if this idea can get up.

Jesse Tale

Jesse is currently Marketing Manager for a Patent Information company that delivers data online to some of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. Jesse is also involved in an ecotourism and aquaculture business in one of the world’s most pristine and beautiful areas, Papua New Guinea. In addition, Jesse is also part of a team developing an effective communication model for marine education in Australia. In the future, Jesse plans to continue to expand the scope and influence of his work to significantly contribute to the sustainability of our marine environments. Through his participation in the fellowship, Jesse hopes to gain leadership skills and powerful networks of inspiring and influential people.

Sheena Watt

Sheena Watt is keen to broaden the understanding, awareness and action necessary for Indigenous communities to mitigate and adapt to Climate Change both nationally and internationally. As far as she is concerned Climate Change is a human rights issue that can no longer be ignored. Those worst impacts by Climate Change are those least able to do anything about it. Attending the UN Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen and the Asian Indigenous Peoples’ Pact and Jose Ramos Horta Diplomacy Training Program recently held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, she started her journey surrounded by the best in the business. She looks forward to building on that in 2010 though the fellowship.

Sheena is committed to ensuring that the Indigenous Australian voice is heard loud and clear, so that the solutions to climate change can be made with Indigenous people not for Indigenous people.  Previously with the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment and the Victorian Indigenous Youth Advisory Committee, she has been working hard to ensure that government, industry and community work collaboratively to embed Indigenous knowledge, perspectives and values into land, biodiversity and water management.

Sue White

Sue White is a freelance writer whose work appears regularly in newspapers and magazines in Australia and overseas, including the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Sun Herald,various ABC publications, Women’s Health, CNN Traveller and Vogue Australia. In addition to reporting on career, travel and wellbeing issues for various publications, Sue currently writes on environmental issues for ABC online, G Magazine and Green Living. Outside of her work, Sue is active in the burgeoning urban community garden movement, and is working to establish a community garden in the beachside suburb of Coogee where she lives and works. Sue has also recently joined the teaching faculty of the Sydney Writers’ Centre, and hopes to find a way through the Fellowship to combine her writing, teaching and environmental leadership skills to create larger scale change.

Megan Craig

Megan is driven to break down barriers preventing healthier, fairer and more vibrant communities. Exposure to diverse cultures has shown Megan the power of community in generating personal and societal wellbeing. While Australia has many advantages, there are opportunities to deepen community wellbeing through re-localisation projects.

Her mission is to support schools to become more engaged with their communities. Megan believes schools have the potential to provide students with skills for adapting to climate change, resource constraints and population growth by integrating sustainability into every stage of the curriculum. This will enable future generations to connect their knowledge of natural systems to real-world problem solving.

Megan is supporting through her work the development of school-community partnerships that are achieving fantastic environmental and social outcomes. She is also supporting the expansion of the Live Local Foundation into new media outlets.