Forestry Australia welcomes new President [AU]Friday 23 Oct 2026
The appointments follow Forestry Australia's Annual General Meeting in Canberra last week, where members elected two new Directors, Louise Bourke and Dr Phil Lacy, bringing fresh perspectives and experience to the Board. Congratulating the new leadership team, Forestry Australia Chief Executive Officer Jacquie Martin said the appointments represented an important milestone in the organisation's ongoing renewal and succession planning. "Leon brings a wealth of experience, a strong commitment to forest science and the forestry profession, he also has a genuine passion for Forestry Australia's future," Ms Martin said. "Leon played an instrumental role in establishing Forestry Australia's Future Foresters Initiative and was among our first Board Observers. His progression to President is a wonderful example of the leadership pathways we are working to create for emerging professionals." She added that Mr Holt, a recipient of the 2019 Prince of Wales Award for Sustainable Forestry, brought a valuable farm forestry perspective to the role. Together with his family, he is developing an agricultural business and growing a hardwood plantation on Djaara Country in central Victoria. "His experience reflects the increasingly important role farm forestry will play in the future of Australia's forest sector," she said. Looking forward, Mr Holt said his focus as President would be on chairing a high-performing Board that could navigate an ever-changing operating environment and set the organisation up for future success. "I believe in what Forestry Australia has become over the last few years, I think we have a very bright future. I am deeply honoured that the Board and our members have put their trust in me to help guide our organisation." "I am and always will be a forester at heart, and I'm lucky to have had the opportunity to work in native forestry and regulation in Victoria, and to receive a formal forestry education. I'm passionate about making sure forestry education has a strong future in this country." "We will continue to grow and engage with our membership, build partnerships with the stakeholders, the community and First Nations peoples, and continue to advocate for evidence-based forest management that ensures future generations will continue to benefit from Australia's iconic forests." More >> Source & image credit: Forestry Australia | ||
Copyright 2004-2026 © Innovatek Ltd. All rights reserved. |
