Growing up on a banana farm on the North Coast of NSW, I have always been passionate about horticulture. Although my initial career path led me to Brisbane for university and a career as a dietitian, I soon realized my true passion lay as a change agent in the primary production sector. Consequently, I returned to the Northern Rivers, joined the NSW DPI as a development officer, and completed my Masters in Agricultural Science.

From the moment I started as a development officer, I have been dedicated to ensuring that our research and development efforts address the needs of the industry and growers. However, over the past decade working in the RD&E system, I have witnessed too many projects that are not evidence-based and lack a clear vision for implementation or outcomes. This experience has inspired me to rethink how we prioritise research investment and gather data on grower and industry needs and seek to understand the various activities and actions that help drive meaningful change.

I am eager to contribute to the development of an adoption learning course where individuals from diverse backgrounds can come together to learn about adoption strategies and collaboratively develop plans to drive change and adoption in their respective industries.