Our Board
Moragh Mackay
Managing Director
Moragh is a researcher/practitioner of systemic inquiry and strategic design. Her PhD was in facilitating co-design of collaborative governance and she has over 30 years of experience in the fields of ecological restoration, regenerative agriculture, climate change resilience in rural landscapes, renewable energy, emissions reduction and, strategic planning and co-design to create value for SMEs, community-based organisations and rural communities. Her roles have included Founding Director of the Energy Innovation Co-operative in 2009 and Chair 2015-19, New Energy Projects Manager and Lead of the Gippsland Smart Specialisation Team with the Latrobe Valley Authority, Senior Policy Advisor at Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations, Consultant at Riverbend Ecological Services and Projects Manager and Executive Officer at Bass Coast Landcare Network.
Esther Abram
Director
Esther has a strong 25 year background in the environmental movement, with a passion for building the capacity of organisations with an underlying environmental purpose. She spent a decade working with the philanthropic sector, including seven years at Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network supporting trusts, foundations and donors to achieve their environmental philanthropy goals. Prior to this she worked with Changemakers Australia, aiming to break down barriers to the use of philanthropy to fund systems change and advocacy work. She also spent many years working for environmental organisations, advocating for the environment and setting up innovative projects to engage the community around environmental issues. This included roles as CEO at the Moreland Energy Foundation and the Director at Environment Victoria.
Catherine Allan
Director
Professor Catherine Allan has brought a systems sensibility to Natural Resource Management (NRM) in south-eastern Australia for nearly four decades, from rural community groups to state government agencies and the university sector. A Professor of Environment, Sociology and Planning at Charles Sturt University, she is currently the Program lead for social/economic aspects of the Soil CRC and other research projects in Australia and Pakistan. Her extensive experience includes her role as Presiding Officer of the CSU Human Research Ethics Committee and numerous excellence awards for her teaching and research.
Manisha Blencowe
Director
Manisha is Practice Group Leader at Slater and Gordon Lawyers with more than 15 years’ experience in commercial and class action litigation. Specialising in Interference with Property Rights – Planning and Environment disputes, her experience covers a range of areas from copyright breaches to providing governance advice to Indigenous organisations. Manisha is also a Director at OurSchool, a non-profit organisation raising opportunities and aspirations for state secondary school graduates.
Kate MacMaster
Director
Kate is a purpose-driven leader and seasoned advocate for STEMM, climate, environment, and women’s leadership. Her work navigates across sectors and cultures to collaboratively inspire new perspectives and actions for a more sustainable future. As a certified personal and organisational coach with accreditation in a broad spectrum of psychometric diagnostics, Kate draws on over two decades of experience in organisational change management, leadership, strategic planning, human-centered design, and systems thinking for social innovation spanning local, state, and federal levels. Her roles and experience include lead designer and facilitator of the Women in STEMM Leadership Program for Homeward Bound, including the program’s Antarctica expedition in 2016. Recent roles include Deputy Board Chair, Chair of the Programs and Advocacy Committee, and President of the PNG Governance Committee for WaterAid Australia. She lives off-grid on 300 acres she is regenerating with her partner and teenage children.
Our Team
Sierra Dunton
Communications and Engagement Manager
Sierra looks after all aspects of communications and engagement at Mycelia. She is passionate about interconnection and how the exchange of stories, ideas and perspectives has the power to transform people and shape communities. Her background is in Environmental Studies and her professional experience spans media and communications, international sales, event management across private, not-for-profit, local and state government sectors.
Tara Bayly
Researcher – Cross Cultural Governance
Tara is passionate about respectfully bringing together ways of knowing through research processes. Specialising in areas of social policy, community development, and disability, Tara’s role on the team is to research and develop practices for equally valuing diverse knowledges in environmental governance and management. Tara believes it’s necessary to shake up conventional research approaches to holistically care for our environment.
Fran Woodruff
Facilitator – Cross Cultural Governance
Fran has been facilitating and building relationships with individuals and with organisations; linking people together to explore ideas and possibilities for over thirty years. Fran believes that developing positive relationships with self, other and the world is central to creating lasting change. Her background is in Social Ecology, Facilitation, Counselling, Conflict Management and Environmental Change management . Her professional experience as facilitator and community engagement practitioner spans a range of industry sectors including, state government, public infrastructure, environmental sustainability, community planning and local government.
Jasmin Rooks
Research Assistant – Cross Cultural Governance
Jasmin is passionate about ecology and conservation, shown through her current university studies in environmental science. Jasmin’s role in the team is to assist with research, data analysis and workshop facilitation. Jasmin believes that First Nations knowledge and way of caring for Country can improve our current management strategies, and through collaboration we can create a healthier environment for everyone.
Karen Weaver
Renewable Energy Programs Facilitator
Karen has more than 30 years’ experience in terrestrial and marine biodiversity conservation and management, working with community and government at State, National levels and with the United Nations Environment Program. She has worked in the fields of marine ecology, biodiversity, natural resources and wildlife management and renewable energy transition programs. With the pressing need to transition away from fossil fuels to address climate change, Karen started her own local community energy group 100% Clean Bellarine’ in 2018 to motivate her community to make meaningful changes to address climate change. Along with other community energy groups in south-western Victoria, she founded the Barwon Region Alliance for Community Energy (BRACE). BRACE is enabling many regional and rural towns and communities to have more say in how their energy futures can be. Karen continues to combine her heartfelt ambition to make meaningful changes on greenhouse gas emissions with her energy and enthusiasm for working with grassroots communities to make these changes a reality. Karen has a degree in Australian Environmental Studies and post graduate qualifications in Tropical Marine Ecology. She is a Fellow of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.
Bon MacLean
IT and Data Analysis Support
Bon provides highly valued IT and data analysis support for the Team. He is a conceiver, always striving for new knowledge and perspectives and driven by supporting systems to develop and grow. A lifelong environmentalist, he cares deeply about supporting renewable energy in regional communities. When not at Mycelia, Bon is pursuing a Bachelor of Space Science.
