Engagement can be difficult, fraught with misunderstanding.
Our engagement style is characterised by the following: we understand communities, we take time to understand the context, we design appropriate approaches, we build trust and we use plain English.
Our team has highly regarded engagement specialists, who offer the following services:
B.Env.Eng. (Hons)
Claire has more than a decade’s experience in strategic planning, facilitation and community engagement in a range of industries. Claire’s people and strategy skills are underpinned by a strong understanding of engineering and policy. She helps communities and organisations deal with complex issues, supporting insight and constructive strategy. Claire has delivered quality projects including investigations of community concerns related to mining, regional strategic planning, socio-economic impact studies and strategic planning for a wide range of organisations.
B.RurSc., B.L.Arch.
Marg is an accomplished leader and strategic thinker. She has demonstrated proficiency in the development and execution of strategy to improve quality and business performance. Marg possesses highly developed skills in people and project management, strategy development and stakeholder consultation and facilitation. Her emotional intelligence, interpersonal and communication skills enable her to build strong relationships. She is able to devise unique practical solutions to complex problems throughout the life of a project and deliver projects in a timely and efficient manner.
B.App.Sci, NRM (Hons)
Brooke has over 20 years strategic planning, management and stakeholder engagement experience in the public and private sectors. Her experience in natural resource and waste management sectors, where she has used her communication, leadership, facilitation, governance, and project development skills, has led her to support governing boards and community-based organisations to set strategy and attract significant investment. Since 2021, Brooke has been working in the private sector supporting community and stakeholder engagement, strategic planning and operational reviews for local and state government and other not-for-profits. Her recent work has provided experience in social and community planning, including work with CALD communities, people living with disability, landcare and on place-based community planning.
With her roots firmly planted in the small north east Victorian town of Eldorado, Brooke values the natural beauty of regional areas and is passionate about empowering people to share their views and values to influence public decision making.
B.Env.Sci. (Hons)
Melissa is a Senior Consultant in the Community and Strategy team at RMCG, with extensive expertise in natural resource management, sustainable agriculture, strategy development, evaluation, and stakeholder engagement. She has a proven track record in working with diverse clients, including catchment management authorities, state and Commonwealth governments, and industry bodies. Mel is skilled in developing and implementing strategic plans that address environmental challenges and promote sustainability. Mel has also assisted clients with evaluation planning as well as mid-term and final program evaluations to assess whether they have met their objectives and deliver continuous improvement. Additionally, Mel is experienced in stakeholder and community engagement, facilitating collaboration and participation to ensure that strategies and initiatives are inclusive and effective.
BA., MPAGovtMgt., GradCertAgBus (current)
Sasha has a background in protected area governance and management with a focus on planning, leadership and change management, ecosystem conservation and reserve system design. She has supported the delivery of virtual and in-person Healthy Country Planning and Conservation Standards (adaptive management frameworks for natural resource and community led planning) workshops in Australia, Timor Leste and Canada, has experience in project reporting and information analysis, and the creation of strategic, monitoring and operational plans.
B.Env.Sci., B.Soc.Sci. (Env.), PG.Cert.CCPI.
Carl is a socio-environmental scientist with 15 years’ experience in planning, delivery and evaluation of agriculture and natural resource management programs, integrated water management, climate change and stakeholder engagement. He understands the practical implications of policy and science on communities and agriculture. Carl has worked with a range of government departments, resource management agencies, research and development corporations, private organisations and communities around Australia on catchment management, sustainable water use, resource management in agriculture/horticulture, land use, climate change, strategic planning, industry development, extension and practice change.
B.Sc., GAICD
Anna has 30 years’ experience across Government and in private industry, working on a diverse mix of natural resource planning, infrastructure, agriculture, emergency management and regional development challenges.
She is an analyst who works across complex and uncertain issues, engaging closely with responsible authorities, knowledge-holders and communities to develop adaptive responses to contemporary and future challenges.
PhD., B.Sci. (Hons)
Anna has worked in senior strategy roles within government, and in the education sector in policy, communications and stakeholder consultation.
She is an experienced analyst, investigator, communicator and project manager across a range of agricultural, technical, educational and theoretical research areas.
Master of Urban Horticulture, Bachelor of Commerce
Meg is a dynamic, empowering and engaging professional who offers exceptional leadership experience derived from a diverse portfolio of engagements, and a demonstrated history in delivering on strategic intent, legislative compliance, and corporate governance. She possesses a range of critical skills and competencies across the environmental industry and extensive experience in policy and strategy development and implementation in line with climate change, biodiversity and health and wellbeing strategic objectives.
Meg has worked with over 25 Councils and State Government agencies across Australia to develop fit for purpose urban greening frameworks. From the micro to the macro – Meg has a passion to be a ‘change-agent’.
B.Nat.Res. (Hons)
Steph Drum is a highly experienced and passionate natural resource management professional with almost 20 years’ experience working across government, not-for-profit and community sectors. Based in New South Wales, Steph brings a deep understanding of the local landscapes, challenges and opportunities that shape sustainable land and water management in the region.
Her expertise spans natural resource management and sustainable agriculture, policy and strategy development, program design and evaluation, and stakeholder and community engagement. She has led the design, delivery, and evaluation of a wide range of NRM programs — from threatened species conservation and landscape restoration to community-based conservation initiatives.
Steph is known for combining strong technical knowledge with a collaborative, community-centred approach. She is skilled at building trust and capability in diverse stakeholder groups, and tailoring strategies that deliver measurable environmental and social outcomes. Her work is grounded in real-world insight and a commitment to practical, lasting change.
B.App.Sci. (Env.Mgt.) (Hons)
Jaclyne has experience in strategy development, community and stakeholder engagement, community based natural resource management and social research. Her projects have involved environment and sustainability planning for local government, estuary management planning, program evaluations and communication and engagement strategies for government departments. Jaclyne has a passion for working with communities to achieve practical outcomes for the environment.
B.Env.Mgt. (Sustainable Development)
Isabel has 6 years’ experience in the environmental management sector and her key areas of expertise are in sustainable management of recycled water and organic wastes. Waste is an important and longstanding interest of Isabel’s, especially organic waste avoidance, processing, whole production-line waste minimisation, as well as recycling and product stewardship projects. She wants to link this interest with interdisciplinary environmental projects in climate change mitigation, sustainable natural resource management and agricultural production systems.
PhD., B.Ag.Sci.
Kristen is an experienced researcher and industry development specialist. She successfully combines project management skills and technical expertise to deliver projects in agriculture and water related industries. She enjoys working with landholders and large organizations to inform and clarify decision-making. Areas of expertise include strategic planning, stakeholder consultation and program evaluation.
B.Ag.Sci. (Hons), M.Ag.Sci., CPAg.
Adrian has more than 30 years’ experience in agricultural business and natural resource management research, policy, education and extension. He is a specialist farm business management adviser, who consults to medium to large-scale private farmers, agribusiness investors, agricultural industry groups and government agencies.
Adrian has specific skills and experience in strategic planning, business analysis, impact and loss assessment, facilitation, and training and education in rural Australia. Adrian chairs the advisory boards of a number of family farming operations in south-eastern Australia and has undertaken due diligence exercises for several domestic and international investors.
In addition to this, his most recent industry project work includes the development of an Investment Attraction Program for Rural Councils Victoria, an agricultural impact assessment of the Western Highway bypass of Ararat and the development of a business planning program (Our farm, our plan) for the Australian dairy industry.
BSc (Hons), Dip.Proj.Mgmnt
Morag is an experienced project manager, with a great ability to synthesise technical information and communicate it to a wide audience. She has a great understanding of regulatory processes. She also brings critical thinking and an awareness of individual differences and needs to projects. She has a science background with a broad understanding of environmental disciplines.
B.Env.Sust. (Resource and Env.Mgt.); B. Archaeological Practice
Brooke has a degree in Environment and Sustainability and Archaeological Practice and has developed an understanding of complex community and environmental issues. She is passionate about ensuring the protection of environmental and cultural landscapes.
Brooks studies in environmental resource management and policy demonstrate her ability to interpret environmental legislation, legal cases, and complex issues. She has written policy briefs, recommendations, and reports for government departments. Due to her exceptional university results, she was recommended by the Assistant Director of the Fenner School to participate in the Environmental Law Clinic program.
She has worked in and around heritage-listed buildings and understands the importance of cultural heritage and conservation as well as respecting community values. During this time Brooke has created Harris-Matrices, conducted hand excavation, field surveys using ground penetrating radar, as well as sieved, cleaned, and catalogued artefacts.
B.Comm/Ag.Sci (Financial Management)
Jed is skilled and experienced in high-impact interventions that cut across coordination and culture challenges. He has a broad range of experience across agriculture, community engagement and sales, with people-focused skills to excel in any planning and goal-driven environment.
A good facilitator can help groups successfully explore problems, prepare for change, make joint decisions, plan for the future, learn from each other and disrupt existing habits of behaviour or thi...
Read MoreCommunity-led problem solving is the process of working with communities to achieve better solutions to local issues. Our approach is based on the knowledge that communities, when properly su...
Read MoreRMCG has a long history of providing strategic planning expertise primarily to government agencies, statutory authorities, industry and not-for-profit organisations. We tailor our service to suit ...
Read More