The Board
Meet the Board
The IEA is led by a member-elected Board, currently comprising 11 volunteer Directors. The Board meets monthly as a collective for online meetings and also as separate working group sub-committees advancing specific areas of IEA work.
Read our Director biographies below.
Dr Ethan Gordon
President
Ethan is an environmental scientist who completed his PhD with the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney. In February 2023 Ethan begun a post-doctoral, applied research position in holistic grazing based out of the College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences unit at Oregon State University, USA.
Through action research, Ethan aims to understand how transformation can be facilitated in agriculture to prevent further degradation of planetary systems.
Ethan’s PhD research explored regenerative agriculture and other ecological alternatives to extractive agricultural models and focused on the social side of regenerative agriculture – examining the different interpretations and approaches that exist.
Ethan grew up on and is a director of ‘Moffat Falls’, a family-run regenerative pastoral property and steer trade operation near Ebor, NSW, Gumbaynggirr country. Practicing holistic management, Ethan and his family utilise their grazing animals for carbon sequestration and are early adopters of carbon farming. Moffat Falls has recently started fencing off critical springs and wildlife corridors in partnership with the Local Land Services (LLS).
Ethan has undergone holistic management training with Resource Consulting Services (RCS) and Inside Outside Management, as well as in regenerative design and development and permaculture.
Joining the IEA in 2020, Ethan is passionate about protecting biodiversity and shifting agriculture towards a more ecological paradigm and believes the IEA has an important role to play.
Kerry Cochrane
Vice President
Kerry believes a new era in agriculture has emerged, which will put an understanding of ecology front and centre of farm decision-making and will require a shift from reductionist to holistic thinking.
Kerry was the 2009 Foundation President of the Australian Ecological Agriculture Association (EAAA) and in 2016 was instrumental in transforming the association into today’s Australian Institute of Ecological Agriculture Cooperative Ltd (IEA).
Kerry’s 35-year academic career commenced with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (BAgSc) from The University of Sydney (USYD), followed by postgraduate studies in the humanities from Western Sydney University (WSU) and Lancaster University (US) in the United Kingdom (UK).
Kerry’s time in the UK provided a further understanding of holism and he embraced its interpretation of life. Connected to this was a passion for an ecological approach to agriculture.
Introducing Human Ecology as a unit of study led to the creation of a Bachelor of Ecological Agriculture at the University of Sydney (CSU), of which he was Course Coordinator for 15 years. He also co-designed the Regenerative Agriculture stream within the Bachelor of Science at Southern Cross University (SCU). Kerry has recently retired from teaching Human Ecology into the degree program at SCU and Transformational Change into the Graduate Certificate at SCU.
Kerry believes that the IEA has a critical role to play in the evolution of regenerative agriculture in Australia. Furthermore, he believes the Institute of Ecological Agriculture (IEA) provides an important link for students graduating from Southern Cross University (SCU) at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Kerry lives in Orange, NSW, Wiradjuri country, having spent his early life on a 120-cow dairy farm in the Bega Valley, NSW. He is committed to the ethos of ecological/regenerative agriculture.
Jono Forrest
Treasurer
Jono grew up on a mixed farm on the edge of the Barossa Valley in South Australia and then spent four years jackerooing near Wagga Wagga and Albury, NSW. Following that, he completed a Bachelor of Business (Ag Commerce) through the University of Sydney's Orange campus. Jono has spent 26.5 years in public practice accounting, with most of his clients in the agriculture industry.
Jono completed a Holistic Management (HM) course with Bruce Ward 20 years ago, which sparked an interest in more ecological approaches in agriculture. This experience led to his decision to leave the accounting business in December 2021 to pursue his interest in regenerative agriculture practices.
Jono started formal studies in the Post Graduate Diploma in Regenerative Agriculture through Southern Cross University (SCU), as well as undertaking various short courses and attending conferences.
During this period, Jono was introduced to The Mulloon Institute and commenced a role in mid-2022 as the General Manager of Mulloon Consulting (MC). MC completes landscape rehydration and restoration work in various locations around Australia.
From Ngarigo country, Cooma in the Snowy Mountains and after becoming an IEA member in 2022, Jono is keen to share his knowledge and skills.
Rachelle Armstrong
Secretary
Rachelle grew up on a dairy/beef property in Yackandandah, Victoria. From the beginning of her career, Rachelle’s care for human and planetary health led her to achieve a Bachelor Degree in Health Science, majoring in Public Health. Her gift of bringing people together, naturally found her in Community Development roles, living and working in Sri Lanka for 3yrs and in Nannup, Western Australia, where she worked for local government as a Youth & Community Development Officer for 3 years.
In 2005, she partnered with her parents to commercialise and develop the NutriSoil business based on a vermiculture product developed by her father, Graham Maddock. Joined by her husband, Justin, they developed the team and business into a significant concern. Under their leadership, NutriSoil became a multi-award winning and B-Corp certified business (businesses that Benefit the world). They used education and networking to build the biological and regenerative agriculture movement, along with raising the profile of the NutriSoil Biological Solution to become a household name in the industry.
Rachelle and Justin decided to leave the NutriSoil business in 2020 to pursue the next dream of building Soil Restoration Farming, a business based on a community of support for independent coaches and consultants who work with farmers on the journey of farming more regeneratively. They developed a Coach the Coach and SRF FUNdaMENTALs program to disrupt the traditional consulting and advising services currently mainstream in agriculture.
Rachelle has been part of the Syntropic World community since 2020, to create new models for doing business that leaves everything better and is a Syntropic Coach. In short, this means observing and applying the laws of nature to the way we behave and do business. Rachelle has also been certified as a Results Coach through the International Coaching Foundation (ICF).
Rachelle’s top values are Community, Health and Holism. She is driven by people being their own kind of different, which is needed to grow the regenerative agriculture movement and build new models that make the existing degenerative models obsolete. She is passionate about building the regenerative community through synergistic collaborations and also does individual coaching for coaches, consulting, educators and regenerative farming businesses who are ready to do business differently.
Dr Katharine Brown
IEA Accreditation Program
Katharine is an accredited soil scientist specialising in soil conservation and land rehabilitation. She holds an MSc (Soil Science) from the University of Aberdeen and a PhD (Soil Science) from the University of Western Australia (UWA).
Katharine has a broad range of experience in government, industry, consultancy, and education. She recognised the growing interest in soils and regenerative agriculture in recent years but saw little opportunity to effect change while working in the more traditional roles of her profession.
After attending a participatory leadership program, Katharine founded her one-woman consultancy, GroundEd, specifically to engage with like-minded others. This experience led her to join the Institute of Ecological Agriculture (IEA) in 2021 and complete the Graduate Certificate in Regenerative Agriculture at Southern Cross University (SCU) in 2022.
One of Katharine’s many roles was managing the Certified Professional Soil Scientist (CPSS) accreditation program for Soil Science Australia. She is looking forward to leading development and implementation of the IEA accreditation program.
Katharine has a natural desire to build and share soil knowledge. She is a proficient communicator and considers a well-hosted conversation on soil to be second only to getting her hands dirty. She lives and works on Dharawal Country, near picturesque Kiama on the south coast of NSW.
Bernice Hookey
Indigenous Director
Bernice is a proud Waanyi Jibardi who descends from the Lower Gulf of Carpentaria, Qld.
Bernice is founder of MZB Empowerment a niche professional service with leading capabilities integral to improve, increase and attract cultural inclusion and leadership responsiblity for Indigenous people.
Through this work, she supports businesses leading responsibly to increase Indigenous business growth and serves as a regional practitioner for community engagement, facilitation, and regenerative practice.
She is a cultural advisor or partner helping people find direction with community projects or bringing together people for Indigenous Participation Plan development.
Bernice facilitates via 'Story of Place' a Regenerative Development approach and cultural capability assessment in finding social and responsible solutions.
Bernice is an alumni of the Australian cohort completing the Regenerative Practitioner series in 2022 with Regenesis Institute for Regenerative Practice. The Regenerative Practitioner Series is an international program delivering a transformative experience for participants to bring regenerative processes to work, collaborations, and communities.
Kallista Bolton
Communications - Manager
Kallista brings experience in stakeholder management, communications, and building networks.
Kallista has a Bachelor of Business, marketing major from the University of Technology Sydney, a Graduate Certificate in Regenerative Agriculture from Southern Cross University (2022), has completed studies with Cambridge University Institute for Sustainability Leadership in Communicating for Influence and Impact (2021), and High Impact Leadership (2020).
Kallista transitioned into agriculture in 2016 working with Elders for three years alongside running her own artisan olive oil enterprise from her 10-acre Crossman property for 11 years. Kallista’s interest in Regenerative Agriculture began while completing a Permaculture Design Certificate in 2016. Today Kallista has a particular interest in complex agro-silvopasture systems.
Since 2020, Kallista has worked with the Grower Group Alliance in WA, a thriving state-wide network of over 60 farmer-led grower groups, where she is the Head of Stakeholder Engagement and Regenerative Agriculture Program.
Through the IEA, Kallista sees the opportunity to build a national network for regenerative agriculture providing an enriching 'Community of Practice' supporting access and advancement of regenerative agriculture globally.
Nathan Strawbridge
Membership & volunteer coordinator
Nathan grew up in a rural town in Mid-North, South Australia, relocating to pursue a career in the building industry as a Carpenter and small business operator until he became enthused about natural building and permaculture. The latter led him to complete Certificate III and IV in Permaculture at Byron Community College when living in Northern NSW.
With a desire to learn and support both the people and the management of larger landscapes into ecological alignment, Nathan enrolled in the Bachelor of Science (BSc) majoring in Regenerative Agriculture (RA) at Southern Cross University (SCU), completing in early 2023. Following that, Nathan spent 7 months in postgraduate research at the University of Adelaide, looking at soil biology in agricultural systems.
Nathan recently started a new role in Nutritional Agronomy and in addition to his role at IEA, he is a committee member of Soil Science Australia SA and Future Farmers SA. The latter is a local farming group increasing the awareness and knowledge of regenerative agriculture and offering support for young farmers by acting as the SA chapter of Young Farmers Connect.
Nathan joined the IEA in 2021 as a member whilst completing the Human Ecology course unit with Kerry Cochrane at SCU.
Dr Bernard Callus
Education Director
For over 25 years Bernard worked at some of the world’s most prestigious medical research institutes specialising in biochemistry, genetics and cancer research. Bernard is an award winning, Harvard University trained scientist and as his career progressed, he became less and less fulfilled as a researcher and more energised by developing the people around him.
In 2018, Bernard left medical research to specialise in unlocking the leadership capability in people who are motivated to regenerate the health of our planet. He is an accredited coach and draws on ontology and positive psychology to support individuals to develop their personal mastery and lead teams of people who are confident, courageous and resilient to make a positive global impact. Bernard especially enjoys working with entrepreneurs and innovators in the environmental space e.g., farming and landscape restoration.
Bernard now works at the nexus of soil, human and planetary health. He is passionate about restoring human and environmental health and assists in the regeneration of soil and landscape function. In 2023 he became a certified Holistic Management Educator with the Savory Institute (USA) to encourage farmers and land stewards to restore the health of their land and communities, grow nutritious food and remain financially viable. Bernard works with people to fulfil their vision: Healthy Soil, Healthy People, Healthy Planet.
Bernard is co-founding director of the Institute of Regenerative Leadership and Be Exceptional Consulting and Coaching.
Lorraine Gordon
Director
Lorraine is currently Principal at Natural Capital Australia. Prior to this she was the Founder and Director of the National Regenerative Agriculture Alliance (NRAA) and previous Director of Strategic Projects at Southern Cross University (SCU). In these roles Lorraine served as a conduit between industry and research, delivering regenerative agriculture solutions nationally with a focus on mitigating the effects of climate change.
Lorraine was the instigator and co-designer of the Bachelor of Science in Regenerative Agriculture – the only degree of its kind in the world and now the largest agricultural degree in the country.
As Director of the Commonwealth Government's Farming Together Program, she has assisted over 28,500 farmers, fishers, and foresters in progressing collaborative projects, including establishing Cooperatives that will benefit their industries.
Lorraine was awarded the 2018 Rural Community Leader of the Year for Australia for her work with farmers, the 2019 Australian Financial Review Award, and the 2019 BHERT Higher Education Engagement Award. She was also a finalist for the 2020 Australian of the Year Award.
As a Director of Moffat Falls Pastoral Company, Lorraine is also a registered carbon farmer and holistic beef cattle trader at Ebor, in the New England Tablelands of NSW, living in Urunga and Ebor, Gumbaynggirr country.
Previous positions have included CEO of Regional Development Australia Mid North Coast (RDA), Regional Agribusiness Manager with Westpac Bank, Director of the Graduate Network of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF), and Executive Director of Economic Security for Women (eS4W). Lorraine has also presided on the Small Business Review Panel of the Reserve Bank of Australia.
A Graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP) and previous NSW ABC Rural Woman of the Year, Lorraine is currently completing her PhD in Ecological Economics through the University of New England (UNE), looking at a triple bottom line comparison and resilience between regenerative and conventional grazing systems.
Jen Ringbauer
Director
After many years of providing education in schools and the not-for-profit sector, Jen moved to a property South of Orange in Wiradyuri Country to grow and produce chemical and contaminant free food and fibre for her family and community. This led to a keen desire to know more about improving productivity whilst enhancing ecosystem function and biodiversity with minimal intervention and input.
After watching, learning and implementing permaculture, holistic management and biodynamic farming practices on her own farm, she still needed to know more. She undertook the Bachelor of Science (Regenerative Agriculture) from Southern Cross University and is presently completing her Honours. Her research project is investigating ways in which to measure farm-level resilience.
An educator of permaculture and holistic management anywhere, supporting teaching and learning in human ecology and transformational change at Southern Cross University, she also offers consultation for those who are searching for ecological ways in which to produce food and fibre.
Jen enjoys getting to know land managers and stewards to find the right actions and climate resilient growing methods for their farming context. Jen feels happy in the messy and unpredictable nature of change and what is presently emerging in agriculture. She is forever curious and looking for new opportunities about how we, as humans, can engage more fully in our surrounding ecosystems whilst treading ever more lightly and with increasing purpose.
