Our Board
Meet the Board
Our Board is a diverse, proactive group of farmers from across Victoria and Tasmania.
Tracy Dart, Chair
Tracy farms with her husband Nathan at Warracknabeal. They run a dryland cropping enterprise growing lentils, wheat, canola, barley, and hay. Tracy loves farm life and bringing up their two children on farm, working in the farm business, and supporting various community groups and industry organisations. She is a passionate supporter of Partners In Ag, benefiting from many of their professional development programs. Tracy has lived and worked on farm in the Wimmera Mallee for 10 years. She has an Advanced Diploma in Hotel Management and has held roles in a variety of industries including hospitality, health, property development and mining.
Nickie Berrisford, Vice Chair
Nickie has a connection to Partners in Ag since its conception over 20 years and we’re very honoured to have Nickie join the Board in her retirement from the role of Executive Officer. Nickie has obtained a Bachelor of Commerce and Diploma of Education and has been working in the agriculture service industry since 1996. Her initial project management role was a 3-year project funded by GRDC, which then led to five self-directed learning groups for Women across Victoria and followed by funded project officers in each state. Nickie lives on a farm with her husband Peter and enjoys spending time with her children and grandchildren.
Charlie Aves, Treasurer
Charlie, originally from the UK has an agricultural career spanning three countries in research, financial and farm-based roles. A common thread has been working closely with the agricultural community to provide information and options to help farmers be successful. Charlie is the Executive Officer at the Irrigated Cropping Council and is a current board member with the Inglewood and District Community Bank, Partners in Ag and the Victorian Grower Group Alliance. She is a graduate of the Loddon Murray Community Leadership Program and a previous Vice President for Australian Women in Agriculture.
Robyn Gulline, General Member
Robyn combines her knowledge of agriculture and education with her extensive networks and industry roles to provide great insight and direction to learning activities facilitated by Partners in Ag. Based in the Wimmera, Robyn is Managing Director of the family farming operation and Risk Management teacher at Longerenong College. Her qualifications include a Master of Business Administration, Bachelor of Education, Diploma of Accounting, Diploma of Teaching – Primary-Preschool, Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and Governance of Registered Organisations.
Eileen Jorgenson, General Member
Eileen has been a board member for 15 years and has a mixed farm based near Rupanyup. Eileen loves the fact that she is her own boss and works outdoors, something she has enjoyed since growing up on a dairy farm/market garden in West Gippsland. Eileen views the ever-changing laws and regulations for farm safety a challenge and sees the value in education within the ag sector in farm safety as a priority for all farmers.
Join Our Board
We are proud to be a not-for-profit organisation with a passionate and dedicated Board who are all farmers or employed in the agriculture industry. With over 20 years in the industry, we are a highly reputable and professional organisation working to support and up-skill farming communities in rural Victoria.
We are a not-for-profit incorporated organisation that is governed by a volunteer Board of Management (The Board). We support the work of our staff and provide purpose-based leadership and strategic governance to the organisation.
While day-to-day operations are led by the Partners in Ag Executive Officer (EO), the Board is responsible for setting the direction of the organization, and the appropriate involvement of the Board is both critical and expected.
Board Members are encouraged to utilise networking opportunity to advocate on behalf of Partners in Ag for funding and/or collaboration opportunities where appropriate. The are opportunities to represent our organisation on various industry sub-committees of interest.
The Board meet monthly via Zoom with the aim to meet in-person once per year in a central location where appropriate.
Download the Board Recruitment Information and Application form here.
Interested? Contact Katherine on 0409 527 041 or business@partnersinag.org.au for more information.
Past Board Members
Joshua Rayson (VFF)
Erin Johns (Kewell and Winchelsea, Victoria)
Lyndal Humphris (VFF)
Annabel Mactier (VFF)
Fiona Chilvers (Tasmania)
Alastair Gabb (Beaufort, Victoria)
Merna Curnow (Laanecoorie, Victoria)
Althea Hunt (Millewa, Victoria)
Penny Hendy (Katunga, Victoria)
Kim Tupper (VFF)