OUR PEOPLE

Fleur leads the International Environment Section in the International Environment, Reef and Oceans Division of the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Fleur has previously worked as a qualified lawyer in private practice from 2001-2008. After completing a Master of Environmental Law in 2010 she joined the former Department of Environment and has worked primarily across the environment and water portfolio areas for the past twelve years.

 

Fleur is currently the Commonwealth Government Board member for the Australian Committee for the International Union for Conservation of Nature.  In 2021, she led the government’s engagement in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s World Conservation Congress, was the National Convenor for the UN Food Systems Summit and was a delegate to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Conference.  She also leads the government’s engagement with the United Nations Environment Programme and will be part of the delegation to the United Nations Environment Assembly in February 2024. Her section also leads on other cross-cutting international environmental organisations and processes, including the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the G20 Environment track, and the OECD Environment working groups.

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Mary-Anne has worked for over 25 years in environmental policy and management in Australia and the central Pacific nation of Kiribati. She has worked in the community sector as well as local and state government, always with a focus on connecting people - to each other, to policy makers, to funding, to scientists, information and to nature! Mary-Anne is passionate about building capacity and creating pathways to facilitate shared outcomes.  

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Mary-Anne is currently the Director of Climate Change, Flood Risk & Coast with the Department for Environment and Water in South Australia. This branch leads and advises on climate change adaption and mitigation, supporting the department’s role as state flood hazard leader, working with partners to manage South Australia’s coast. Previously, Mary-Anne was the Director of Community and Nature Partnerships, leading a team working to connect people to nature through volunteering, citizen science and activities in parks, as well as engaging with like-minded partners. ​Prior to that, Mary-Anne led the development of the South Australian Nature Conservation Directions Statement and was the Regional Director of the Alinytjara Wilurara region of South Australia, working with First Nations communities managing natural resources across nearly a quarter of the state.

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Erica McCreedy is NAILSMA's Chief Operating Officer, tasked with overseeing the day to day administration and operational functions of the organisation, including working closely with the management team to deliver NAILSMA's 10 year Strategic Plan.​ Erica is a Māori woman from Ngāti Raukawa and Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti tribes from Aotearoa, New Zealand. Erica is a communications and strategy specialist, with 15 years experience working with Indigenous land and sea managers across Australia, and internationally.​

Erica takes a community-led project management approach. She recently led the development of NAILSMA's monitoring and evaluation framework to track how NAILSMA creates positive and sustainable impacts with Indigenous communities and partners, now and into the future. She has extensive experience facilitating and delivering on-ground training workshops and technical support to Indigenous rangers and communities with a particular focus on culturally led education, training, and communications.​​

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Erica joined NAILSMA in 2011 as an I-Tracker Project Officer, leading the development of the land patrol application to support Indigenous land managers to collect information about their country and their land management efforts. She has developed monitoring and evaluation systems, business on country plans and education and training programs during her time at NAILSMA.​ She has also founded a successful consulting business and business mentoring company supporting women of culture to create and grow culturally aligned businesses.​ She completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Indigenous Knowledge Systems at Charles Darwin University and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Studies and Media Communications from Southern Cross University.

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Peter has over twenty years experience in senior executive leadership and governance roles in the public and private sectors. He was elected in September 2016 to the IUCN Council to serve a four year term, nominated from Oceania. Peter is a member of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas and was a member of its Executive and Steering Committees (2014-2016).​ He consults on environment and sustainability issues, and is currently an adviser to the national State of Environment Report 2016 focused on building its audience and utility, and its potential form post 2016.​

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Peter chairs the Steering Committee of the National Environmental Science Program’s Marine Biodiversity Hub and its Research Users Committee. He is a Director of Ecotourism Australia, TangaroaBlue Foundation, and chairs the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute. He sits on the Steering Group of the Protected Area Learning and Research Collaboration.

 

Peter is an Adjunct Fellow at the Fenner School of Environment and Society at the Australian National University. He is an associate with two consulting companies: Futureye and Empowering Engagements.​ Peter was Director of National Parks and head of Parks Australia from 1999-2013. He was Deputy Executive Director of the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (1994-1999) and an adviser to two federal Ministers for Primary Industries and Energy (1990-94). ​

 

He has worked in the Australian National University Research School of Biological Sciences as a technical officer and departmental manager in plant ecology and physiology (1974-1990). He has a BSc (ANU) and a Masters Public Policy (ANU).​​​​​​

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Basha is the Nature Campaign Manager at the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF). Basha is also the organisation's spokesperson on the topics of Australia’s extinction crisis, threatened species, and environment law reform.

 

Basha is passionate about influencing system change to create positive social and environmental outcomes. Before joining ACF, she worked in state and federal politics, social enterprises, and grassroots organisations. Basha holds Bachelor of Laws and of Business and was recognised as the 2011 Western Australian Young Environmentalists of the Year. She is a keen climber and skier and enjoys exploring the world’s many mountain ranges.

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Philip is an experienced engineer and business leader with a passion for improving organisations’ environmental and financial performance.

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Philip works with the ACT Government as a Director, Infrastructure Analysis, and has previously held senior management roles in government, run his own business, and worked for several for-profit and not-for-profit organisations.

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His broad experience across sectors provides a unique perspective to solve challenges. Philip is a strong advocate for environmental sustainability, and also serves as the Treasurer of Landcare ACT.

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Joanne works in the Aboriginal Initiatives team of the NSW Environmental Protection Authority and comes from a strong background in conservation science, management and policy specialising in marine and coastal ecosystems, protected area management and international partnerships. Joanne has a Bachelor of Science from James Cook University and a PhD from Southern Cross University where she studied reproduction in subtropical corals. Over her 25-year career she has worked in diverse roles across governments, industry and non-government organisations often at the nexus of science, management, policy and community engagement.​

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She has worked in diverse cultural settings, including five years living and working in Indonesia as Lead Scientist for The Nature Conservancy Indonesia Marine Program. In NSW, she works with Aboriginal people and communities to bring cultural values and perspectives to environmental protection.​ ​Joanne is a member of the WCPA and is involved in the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas where she is currently a member of the Global Standards Committee.

 

To strengthen her capacity as a board member, Joanne recently completed modules in governance, finance, and strategy and risk through the Australian Institute of Company Directors. 

Jo Hopkins is currently the Victorian Campaigns Manager for The Wilderness Society, with a focus on conserving and enhancing the tall forests of Eastern Victoria. She is also the Co-Chair of the Health & Wellbeing Specialist Group for the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas and has extensive experience in protected area management. 

 

Jo spent over 25 years at Victoria's national park service, Parks Victoria, working both in operations and corporate roles, leading the national, international and partnerships programs for over 10 years. As a result of this work, Jo has a strong network of industry contacts at local, national and international levels.

Jo has a combination of substantial professional experience with a deep commitment to the vital role that parks and protected areas play in ensuring a healthy natural world. With experience in establishing two start-up not-for-profit organisations, Jo has a proven track record in ensuring good governance, developing policy, and proactive communications with a membership base.

 

As a keen swimmer in any type of water, Jo enjoys spending time in the many spectacular coastal parks, rivers and wetlands that Australia offers.