Meet the BCG staff

View the organisational structure of BCG

Alexandra Gartmann - CEO
Alexandra commenced with the BCG in July 2001. Awarded the 2005 Equity Trustees Not For Profit CEO of the Year for Significant Innovation, Alexandra is a member of the Regional Womens Advisory Council advising the Australian Government, a member of the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee and sits on a number of state and regional committees. She has a Bachelor of Science (Resource and Environmental Management) Honours, ANU. Previous work includes Local Government in WA, Murray Darling Basin Commission, Greening Australia and consulting on an AusAID project in northwest China.

James Hunt – Farming Systems Scientist
James is the 'science modeller' with BCG. James' previous role was Yield Prophet Coordinator for four years. James now manages Yield Prophet development and leads the new GRDC Water Use Efficiency project, and is involved with a number of projects requiring Yield Prophet/APSIM modelling such as the new GRDC canopy management project. James is based in Melbourne and hails from a farm near Kerang. He completed his PhDin agricultural scienceat Melbourne University in 2006.

Simon Craig - Research Agronomist
Simon commenced with BCG in 2004. In 2005, he was awarded a 'Science and Innovation Award for Young People' for his research looking at the potential use of liquid fertilisers for phosphorus and micronutrients in the Mallee, part of a Masters by Research (part-time) with the University of Adelaide. Simon completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Hons) at La Trobe University in 2003 and was a recipient of GGA 'Partners in Grain' scholarship. Simon is actively involved in the community, playing both cricket and football.

Kellie Matthews - Extension Support Officer (P/T)
Kellie worked at BCG from 2004-2006 as a Technical Officer after completing a Bachelor of Agricultural Science at Melbourne University. Kellie has returned to BCG in 2008 in an extension capacity assisting with written communications and projects including Healthy Soils and 2020 Vision.

Larissa Patton - Electronic Communication Officer (P/T)
Larissa maintains the BCG website and Virtual Agronomy application. She has completed a Bachelor of Applied Science (Agriculture) and farms with her husband, Anthony, near St Arnaud.

Catherine Adriaans - Administration Officer/Personal Assistant
Catherine joined the BCG team in February 2008. Catherine previously worked in an administrative role for the Buloke Shire after moving to Birchip at the beginning of 2006. Originally from Echuca, Catherine’s academic background as a medical scientist has led her to work in Melbourne, Kyneton and Horsham in various fields, such as virology research, clinical trials coordination, scientific sales and diagnostic pathology. Catherine and her husband have settled in Birchip, and enjoy a few acres outside of town.

James Jess - Technical Officer
James commenced with BCG in February 2007 after completing a Bachelor of Agriculture at the University of Melbourne, Dookie Campus. Originally from a farm at Rupanyup North, he moved to Ballarat to complete his secondary education. James undertook his third year industry project at the BCG main trial site in 2006 investigating canopy management in wheat.

Karen Chapman - Technical Officer
Karen joined the Trials team in November 2006 as Technical Officer. Karen was employed as an agronomist for 18 months prior to starting with BCG. She grew up on a farm at Kimba on the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia and has completed a Bachelor of Agriculture at Roseworthy College.

Liam Coffey - Technical Support Officer
Liam is our most recent addition to the Trials team. Born and raised in Birchip, he is very familiar with rural communities and farming practices. Liam completed VCE in 2007 and has been accepted into a Bachelor of Agricultural Science at La Trobe University. He has chosen to defer from his course and spend a year at the BCG. Liam is actively involved in the community playing both football and cricket. Liam hopes to gain a better understanding of agriculture before going to University in 2009.

Jodie Odgers - Project Officer
Jodie joined BCG in May 2006 to assist with projects in the Making Conservation Pay program such as 'Diversity in a Piped System', 'Wimmera Mallee Ecosystem Function Project' and 'Adaptations to climate change'. She has a Bachelor of Science (Conservation Ecology) with Honours from Deakin University and has travelled around Australia to remote locations participating in a range of conservation programs.

Jonathan Starks - Ecologist (P/T)
Jonathan has recently moved to the region from Melbourne and has an extensive background in wildlife monitoring, endangered species management and ecological research. Jonathan is the project officer for the Diversity in a Piped System project, which will investigate the biodiversity values of providing environmental watering points in the Wimmera and Northern Mallee.

Tim McClelland - Yield Prophet Co-ordinator
Tim joined BCG in July 2008 to coordinate the Yield Prophet service delivery across Australia. Previously employed as the Research Analyst at Adviser Edge Investment Research, Tim grew up on a mixed enterprise family farm at Birchip and has enhanced his affinity with agriculture by completing a Bachelor of Agricultural Science/Commerce, University of Melbourne. Tim is based in Melbourne.

Stephen van Rees – Yield Prophet Web Programmer
Stephen is based in Sydney and is responsible for maintaining and further developing the Yield Prophet web interface and associated technology. Stephen is a RMIT student in his final year of an Engineering and Business degree. He is also winner of the 2005 Microsoft Windows Embedded Student Challenge competition, beating finalists from around the world.

Dr Cherie Reilly - Research Co-ordinator (on maternity leave)
Cherie has worked at BCG since 2002. She is currently on maternity leave and will return to BCG in a research capacity at the end of 2008.

Meet our consultants

Ben Jones - Consultant 'Flexible Farming Systems' project
Ben provides research services to BCG in the Flexible Farming Systems project. The project aims to 1. find new ways of making decisions about what crop to plant where and when, 2. confirm whether no-till works on heavy soils with subsoil limitations, in a variety of systems, and 3. improve farmer skills in managing no-till systems (with Vic No Till). Ben is interested in nearly everything, and aims to bring a global outlook to research in the Mallee via his company, Mallee Focus. Previous work includes the 'novel farming systems' project (using GPS-guidance to change Mallee crop agronomy, with DPI Walpeup), and a PhD project on predicting protein in wheat at flowering time. Ben and wife, Noreen, enjoy the Mallee lifestyle, living on the family farm in Manangatang and growing up with their kids.

Bill Long - Yield Prophet Champion
Bill is principal consultant with Ag Consulting Co based on the Yorke Peninsula of South Australia, providing agronomic and economic advice to a large number of farm businesses across the northern cropping districts of the state. Ag Consulting Co has initiated the development of critical soils characterisation required for the adoption of Yield Prophet in South Australia and Bill and his team are active users and promoters of the Yield Prophet program.

Dr Lauren Rickards - Thinker in Residence
Lauren Rickards joined the BCG team in July 2008 as Thinker in Residence to lead the Group’s ongoing social research. An Associate Partner at RMCG, Honorary Fellow at the University of Melbourne and Rhodes Scholar, Lauren has a wide range of experience in studying rural and social issues. As Thinker in Residence, she will be extending the insights developed through the Critical Breaking Point research that she led, working to identify the research directions and practical measures that are needed to better understand and respond to rural pressures. Originally from Bendigo, Lauren is looking forward to working more closely with the BCG team.

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