Meet our Board

Ian has been actively involved in Agriculture, Natural Resource Management, Policy formulation, project development, management, and community development over the past thirty years

He has represented community groups at State and National Government policy level, as well as being a representative of National and State committees and Boards. This has enabled Ian to present informed advice on issues affecting community groups and Government, as well as allowing him to have significant input into the development of appropriate courses of action, evaluation, and implementation of programmes and policy across a range of jurisdictions.

At local and regional levels Ian has been responsible for, and involved with, the development, implementation and monitoring of priority research projects, practical application projects and pilot projects which have successfully secured, from government and private industry funding for their development and execution.

Andrew is a practical person with trade background. He holds an Associate Diploma in Agriculture and an Advanced Diploma of Business Management and has spent 11 years in management roles for William Adams Pty Ltd and Hazell Bros Group, working at middle, senior and executive management levels.

Andrew is passionate about agriculture and holds the Vice Chairman position of the Coal River Products Group, and was also Chairperson of the Coal Valley Irrigators representatives for the newly commenced Stage III irrigation scheme negotiations.

More recently he runs his own property in the Coal River Valley and is a shareholder and Director of Lost Pippin Cider.

Nathan operates a family farm with his wife and two children at Paloona on the Forth River, producing processing potatoes and store calves for the local fattening market.

He also currently works as a part time agricultural trainer for TasTAFE. He has been active in farmer representation and advocacy for some time, having been a member of the Rural Business Tasmania Board, Rural Industries Training and Education (RITE) Board

and Proactive Agricultural Safety and Systems (PASS) Board. Nathan is currently a member of the Safe Farming Tasmania Reference Group, Australian Dairy Farmers People and Human Capacity Policy and Advisory Group,

TFGA Vegetable Council and TFGA Wildlife Policing and Firearms Committee. He was also a member of the Dairy Australia Farm Safety Kit steering and development team.

Nathan also holds a Master’s in Business as well as Diploma qualifications in Safety, Human Resources and Project Management

Phillip is the Group Executive, Commercial & Trade at the Tasmanian Ports Corporation (TasPorts) where he has gained directorship experience by holding the role of Director for a joint venture business, Southern Export Terminals.

He is also the Secretary of the Tasmanian Polar Network (TPN), which is an incorporated body providing advocacy on behalf of members to government for the promotion of Tasmanian’s business, education, training and research expertise in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean sector.

Phillip’s experience draws upon an accounting background, and qualifications, with much of his executive experience having the broader focus on the strategic commercial and risk outlooks for organisations.

He is a member of the AICD which provides him with a clear understanding of director responsibilities and an appreciation for the benefits directors can provide to an organisational Board team.

Elizabeth grew up on a small farm at Longford. She studied medicine at the University of Melbourne and is currently working as a GP in Launceston.

She has also worked as a doctor in Hobart, Smithton, regional Victoria and the Northern Territory.

Elizabeth is also a qualified journalist and has worked at The Mercury newspaper and Australian Doctor, the leading weekly publication for GPs.

She was a board member of Epilepsy Tasmania from 2016 to 2018 including the role of Vice-President.

Before starting his own business he worked for Bramwell Heazlewood from Whitemore and also in central Oregon where he developed his passion for small seed production.

Corey is the current chair of the TFGA Agriculture Council as well as the Chair of the Safe Farming Tasmania Reference Group, who have been actively lobbying for a rebate scheme for crush protection devices on quad bikes.

He was also on the committee working with the Tasmanian Fire Service to help minimise the impact of total fire ban days on machinery operations.

Corey’s farming operations include growing vegetables as well as Carrot, Grass, Chicory and Brassica seed production, this is complimented with a prime lamb operation.

Geoff has been a long-standing member of the TFGA Dairy Council and has served as the Council Chair since 2019.

For the past five years, he has been the Tasmanian representative for the ADF Markets, Trade and Value Chain Policy Action Group, and also represents Tasmania on the ADF National Council and Constitutional Review Committee since 2021.

Geoff is a lifelong dairy farmer, having been raised on the family dairy farm, and moving to full-time employment on the farm after leaving secondary school. He took over management of the business in his mid-twenties. He has been an integral part of building the farm business from a small scale 100% family-operated business to the current employee-run multi-enterprise agricultural business including two large dairy farms, milking 1700 cows.

Mr Paul Arnold is a highly accomplished professional with extensive experience in the agricultural sector and local governance. Having served as the General Manager of both Burnie City Council and Circular Head Council, Mr Arnold has played a crucial role in driving strategic realignment and overseeing significant transformations within these organisations. With a passion for dairy, Mr Arnold has operated multiple dairy farms in the Circular Head area, contributing to the region's thriving agricultural landscape.

Mr Arnold aims to strengthen the collective voice of the agricultural community, addressing the sector's challenges and driving it towards a prosperous future. Outside of his agricultural pursuits, Mr Arnold has actively contributed to the community by serving on various boards, including the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Launceston City Mission.

With a degree in economics, a FCPA qualification, and completion of the AICS Company Directors Course, Mr Arnold brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to their professional endeavours.

Rebecca grew up on a sheep, cattle and forestry property north of Bothwell in the Central Highlands. She completed her schooling in Hobart and then spent a year on a cattle station in the Northern Territory. Rebecca then attended University at UNE in Armidale to study a Bachelor of Agriculture and Bachelor of Business. Since completing her degree, she has have worked on an FAO funded project based in Tanzania, Kenya and Botswana intermittently over an 18-month period researching methods of estimating livestock productivity data.

Rebecca has also worked as the Compliance and Logistics Manager for an airfreight live export company based out of Brisbane. She now runs a sheep, cattle and forestry operation in Lemont, and a cattle property at Waddamana in the Central Highlands which is also home to the Cattle Hill Windfarm.

In addition to this she, and her husband Ben, run an advisory business, Accelerate Ag, which primarily provides merino sheep genetic advice as well as on-farm and financial management guidance.

Rebecca has a broad range of experience spanning live export, compliance and logistics, corporate governance, farm irrigation development, data management, research, international commerce and of course day to day sheep and cattle farming operations.

Having grown up on the family farm and having been exposed to all things farming over 26 years, Richard knows the challenges and opportunities of farming well.  Managing the farming business together with his brother and respective families since 1997 has given him an insight into every aspect of managing a farming business. 

He has a keen interest in identifying opportunities for the state’s future in agriculture, and he enjoys being a part of that future with their own business. Richard also has a keen interest in environmental management and sustainability, the use of technology in farming, and how our natural resources are managed.

He is also interested in politics and has worked with all sides of politics in various representative roles over the years. He stood as a candidate in the 2024 Tasmanian State election to represent those living, working and running businesses, particularly in regional and rural Tasmania.

Richard has been the Chair of the Southern Highlands Irrigation Scheme IRC since its inception in 2008, and is a current Committee Member for the Southern Midlands Irrigation Scheme IRC

He has served on the committee of the Derwent Catchment Project from 2016 to 2022 and is a former President and Treasurer of the Hamilton District Agricultural Show Society. He is also past President of the Bothwell School Association in 2014/2015.

Richard brings a broad range of skills to the TasFarmers Board, including financial management, business planning, communications and strategy.