Board of Directors

Dr Michelle Maloney

Dr Michelle Maloney is Co-Founder and Director of NENA, and manages the Coordinating Hub, which leads NENA’s Hub Connectivity, communications and social media, national event management, membership and partnership development. Michelle also participates on the NENA Strategic Directions Group.

Michelle is a lawyer, NGO manager and thought leader in a range of fields including the new economy, Earth centred and bioregional governance, ecological law and Rights of Nature.  Michelle has a Bachelor of Arts and Law (Hons) from the Australian National University and a PhD in Law from Griffith University. As Co-Founder and National Convenor of the Australian Earth Laws Alliance, Michelle manages the strategic direction and governance of AELA, including the extensive partnerships and networks that AELA has with the legal, academic, indigenous and environmental advocacy communities. Michelle also designs and manages AELA programs and events, including AELA's Peoples’ Tribunal for Community and Nature’s Rights, and coordinates the work of more than 20 fantastic multi-disciplinary professional and student volunteers around Australia. Michelle is Senior Adjunct Fellow, Law Futures Centre, Griffith University; Co-Founder and Director of Future Dreaming Australia; and a member of the Steering Group of the International Ecological Law and Governance Association (ELGA) . Michelle lives in Brisbane, (Queensland) with her husband, daughter and Raz the Wonderdog. For details about Michelle's work and publications, please visit her AELA Profile Page.

Professor Bronwen Morgan

Dr Bronwen Morgan is a Professor Law at UNSW Law and is Co-Founder and Director of NENA. Bronwen has taught at the University of Bristol, UK as Professor of Socio-legal Studies; at the University of Oxford for six years in association with the Centre for Socio-legal Studies, and at St Hilda’s College (1999-2001) and Wadham College (2002-2005).

Bronwen’s research focuses on transformations of the regulatory state in both national-comparative and transnational contexts, with a particular interest in the interaction between the technocratic interstices of regulation and collective commitments to democracy, conviviality and ecological sustainability. More recently, she has focused on new and diverse economies, mostly of the kind affiliated with solidarity and the creation of a commons, and the tensions between these and recent developments in sharing or platform economies. Empirically her work has explored energy, food, water and new kinds of lawyers.

Current work includes a focus on new legal models for social enterprise and emerging solidarity or commons-based economies, with a particular focus on platform cooperativism. Bronwen has also recently concluded two projects as a PLuS Alliance Fellow: one on urban agriculture and the other on bottom-up participatory approaches to implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Andrew Buckwell

Andrew Buckwell is an environmental and resource economist at Griffith University. Andrew works as a Research Fellow in the Business School and is also as a casual lecturer and student mentor, and environmental consultant. Andrew’s research centres on demonstrating the benefits from ecosystem-based adaptations to climate change and community conservation projects, particularly in Melanesia. His research methods focus on the use of economic valuation of ecosystem services and understanding community preferences for trade-offs in land uses to support broad-based well-being measures and adaptation measures. More recently, Andrew has been working with regional councils in Queensland and Tasmania to explore options for the planning and innovative resourcing of managed retreat from coastal inundation in both urban and rural communities.

Tarik Cutuk

Tarik Cutuk is a postgraduate with the Graduate Centre in Governance and International Affairs at the University of Queensland. He lives in Umpi Korumba (Brisbane), on unceded land, and recognises the Jagera and Turrbal people as its traditional custodians. He has an academic background in Philosophy, Historical Studies, and English Literature, as well as experience as an activist and organiser with Extinction Rebellion in South-East Queensland. His passion is to participate in social, cultural, and political transformation and play and he is particularly interested in critically reflecting upon the nature of modernity and the Australian state, as well as engaging in broader existential and spiritual inquiry and exploration.

Barbara Lepani

Barbara Lepani holds a MA Science & Technology Studies UOW, and has worked in the government, not-for-profit, university and private sectors in Australia, France, New Zealand, China and PNG. She is past President of the Greater Blue Mountains Creative Arts Network and is currently a Co-convenor of NENA's Arts & Culture Hub. Barbara is a social and cultural change agent, blogger and author of three books: ‘Call of the Dakini’, ‘Tulkus, Tertons, Turmoil: East Tibet 1855-1955’, and ‘The Regenesis Journey’—all available on the amazon platform. They reflect her strong interest in comparative knowledge systems to help us meet the challenges of the escalating intersecting crises, which are engulfing our world.

As a long-term student-practitioner in the Tibetan Buddhist wisdom tradition, including completing a three-year retreat, Barbara is deeply committed to advancing the importance of a relationalist ethos, celebrated in First Nations knowledge systems and ancient wisdom traditions, in shaping our collective future as we transition from the extractivist ethos of capitalist modernity. She lives in Katoomba, NSW.

Yolanda Van Gellecum

Yolanda van Gellecum is a Queensland-based independent social researcher, certified sociocracy facilitator, and advocate for decentralised governance and decision-making in organisations of all forms. Since societies are largely comprised of organisations, restructuring how organisations operate towards shared governance and peer accountability can serve as a practical strategy for reshaping societies.

Yolanda holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master’s in Applied Social Research from the University of Queensland. Over eleven years as a research officer and data analyst at the university, she co-authored more than twenty peer-reviewed journal articles and contributed to numerous commissioned reports. She also worked in research and grant writing for the Queensland State Government and later served as Head of Research and Evaluation for a non-government organisation.A committed advocate for co-operative models and community-driven change, Yolanda is a member of Co-operative Bonds, an Australian producer co-operative that supports co-operatives, mutuals, and social enterprises in strengthening their impact. She also completed advanced community organising training with the Queensland Community Alliance and, since 2022, has led the coordination of the Congolese refugee community's annual women and youth conferences in Logan City.At the heart of her work lies a simple belief: people thrive when they have a voice in the decisions that shape their lives. By supporting workplaces, community organisations, and co-operatives to embrace more participatory and inclusive governance, she hopes to contribute—one step at a time—to a fairer and more sustainable future.

Susan Wanmer

Details coming soon

David Hood

Details coming soon

Vale David Thompson, Founding Director

The New Economy Network Australia (NENA) wishes to express condolences to the family of David Thompson, former CEO of Jobs Australia Ltd, Chair of New Economy Network Australia and Australian representative on RIPESS - Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of Social Solidarity Economy, who passed away during the night of Friday September 18.  David is survived by wife, Rosemary and sons, Francis and Louis.

David had a long career and service to the employment sector as the CEO of Jobs Australia for 30 years. He had joined RIPESS in September 2004 and represented Oceania (Australia) on the RIPESS Board of directors since November 2005. He was also awarded Member of Order of Australia (AM) for services to employment and training in 2005.

David was instrumental in introducing NENA to RIPESS, and linking the new economy movement in Australia to developments around the world.  David was one of our original members of the NENA Steering Group, that was created after our first ever gathering in Sydney in August 2016, and was an incredibly generous and caring person, who supported the 'birth' of NENA and assisted with its ongoing organisational development.

The NENA Board of Directors was shocked and upset at the news this week, that David Thompson had passed away.  We have sent our condolences and flowers to his family, and will do our best to honour his memory through NENA's work.

Garry Claridge

Garry is from Nambour in Queensland. After leaving school he undertook an electronics apprenticeship in the Australian Army. During his Army career of 20 years he studied to be an Officer and left the Army as a Captain.

During his final years in the Army, Garry studied Operations Research and Information Management. After which he studied some more mathematical economics and other business subjects.

For the last 20 years Garry has lived in Maleny in Queensland. Maleny had been known for its proliferation of community owned co-operatives. Garry involved himself in this community and continued his experiential study of community economics and resilience through co-operation.

Garry has been on the Boards of various co-operatives around the Sunshine Coast. And, has been the Chair of the Boards of the Upfront Club and the Maple Street Co-operative. He is currently the Chair of the Board of the Maleny Independent School.

His interests and knowledge span governance and work flow systems to compassionate communication and peaceful existence. With spiritual guidance and development from the Buddha dharma.