In this illuminating episode, cotton industry leaders and growers, Liz Stott and Aaron Kiely, share their stories of advocacy for their industry, and contribution to their communities.

Sitting down with host, ARLF Chief Executive Matt Linnegar, for this special conversation, Liz – deputy chair of the Cotton Australia board, and Aaron – President of the Queensland Farmers’ Federation, speak about their pathways in the cotton industry. They also reflect on the ways that a range of leadership development opportunities have shaped their understanding of how and where they can make an impact.

This rich conversation takes in everything from social license in ag to the power of a 5-year plan; the importance of mentors; and of knowing your core values.

Liz is a graduate of Course 20, and Aaron of Course 29 of the Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP), thanks to scholarships provided by the Cotton Research and Development Corporation. Aaron is also a graduate of the ARLF’s TRAIL Emerging Leaders Program, and of his industry’s Australian Future Cotton Leaders and Cotton20 programs. Both Aaron and Liz share a passion for building up people in agricultural industries to take the whole sector forward.

Some highlights:

• Reflections on the rare gift of constructive peer feedback
• How paying opportunities forward builds a leadership pipeline
• Appreciating that most people want to better understand farming
• Hear how Liz and Aaron have navigated ‘positional leadership’ and the everyday commitment to making a difference
• Plus Liz’s relatable insights into the parallels between leading and parenting

Our host:

Matt Linnegar is the Chief Executive of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation. He is the former CEO of the National Farmers’ Federation, and a committed advocate for rural Australia. Currently, he’s on the board of the Telstra Foundation, Agribusiness Australia and The Leadership Network.

Resources:

ARLF podcast blog

ARLF website

Cotton Research and Development Corporation

TRAIL Emerging Leaders Program

Australian Rural Leadership Program

Cotton Australia Leadership Programs

If any of our episodes raise personal challenges or concerns for you, please reach out for support. Lifeline: call 13 11 14 | text 0477 13 11 14 | https://www.lifeline.org.au/

In this inspiring episode, Indigenous Midwife and Arrernte leader, Cherisse Buzzacott, shares her story of personal resilience and service to her community. She unpacks the ways systemic prejudice can compromise structures of care available to First Nations women and birthing people, and her determination not to accept what is broken, but to play a lead role in fixing it.

Cherisse is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation’s Milparanga Leadership Program (2023). She has just returned from the first session of Course 31 of the Australian Rural Leadership Program, thanks to a scholarship from the National Indigenous Australian Agency. Cherisse acknowledges the huge role of leadership development experiences in shaping her path in life.

Sitting down with our host, Claire Delahunty, Cherisse talks about her fulfilling role with the National NAIDOC Committee. This year’s NAIDOC Week theme is Keep the Fire Burning, which perfectly captures the spirit of activism and progress that lives in everything Cherisse stands for.

Some highlights:

• Cherisse shares the remarkable progress of the Birthing on Country movement in Australia
• How her most vulnerable personal experience has forged her determination as an advocate for birthing women
• Reflections on the keys to healing her home community of Mparntwe, Alice Springs
• How mindfully sharing leadership responsibilities can ensure all are supported; and all have a chance to speak
• The ways leadership development programs have directly influenced some of her biggest life decisions
  

Our host:

Claire Delahunty, is a writer and journalist who has worked with the ARLF for more than ten years, interviewing leaders having a positive impact on rural and regional Australia.

Resources:

⁠⁠⁠ARLF podcast blog⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠ARLF website

National Indigenous Australians Agency

NAIDOC Week 2024

Birth Time Documentary

Rodanthe Lipsett Indigenous Midwifery Charitable Fund

If any of our episodes raise concerns for you, please reach out for support.

Lifeline: call 13 11 14 | text 0477 13 11 14 | ⁠https://www.lifeline.org.au/

13YARN: call 13 92 76 | https://www.13yarn.org.au/

In this thoroughly aquatic episode, Port Fairy abalone diver, founder and director of Fox Wild Abalone, Craig Fox, takes us inside the world of this unique wild harvest industry. Craig revisits one of the darkest times in his professional life, when a highly contagious outbreak of Abalone Viral Ganglioneuritis (AVG) swept through the industry’s Western Zone. He speaks about the devastating emotional and financial impact, and the collective leadership the fisheries sector showed to recover and rebuild. Craig is passionate about fostering the diversity needed for his industry to continue to flourish into the future.

The busy leader will also next year participate in the Australian Rural Leadership Program, thanks to a scholarship from the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation.

Sitting down with our host, Claire Delahunty, Craig talks about the perspective his work gives him on healthy ocean environments, and the importance of telling the story of Australia’s world-leading seafood industries. We hope you enjoy this episode, as we mark World Ocean Day 2024.

Some highlights:

• Craig describes the power of leaders working together to recover after disaster
• The value of shared knowledge and mentoring
• The importance of young women making their mark on a male-dominated industry
• A reminder to check country of origin labels on our seafood, and buy Australian
• If you’ve ever wondered the best way to cook your abalone, Craig has the answer!

Our host:

Claire Delahunty, is a writer and journalist who has worked with the ARLF for more than ten years, interviewing leaders having a positive impact on rural and regional Australia.

Resources:

⁠⁠ARLF podcast blog⁠⁠

⁠⁠ARLF website

Fisheries Research and Development Corporation

World Ocean Day 2024

Fox Wild Abalone Instagram: @foxwildabalone

Abalone diver, Craig Fox_Port Fairy Winter Weekends

Abalone and Fox – A match made in heaven

If any of our episodes raise concerns for you, please reach out for support. Lifeline: call 13 11 14 | text 0477 13 11 14 | https://www.lifeline.org.au/