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.

Dr Simon Kerr

Dr Simon Kerr is an Honorary Research Fellow in the Centre for the Study of the Inland in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at La Trobe University. He also works part time on the Commonwealth funded four year Murray Darling Water and Environment Research Program with the La Trobe University led research Consortium.

He is also a climate activist through Music for a Warming World, a music/multi-media project using music and visuals to tell the new stories needed to help create a safer future. He is a song writer, musician, video making and essayist. They have performed widely at Universities, music festivals, art galleries and community groups from Queensland to Tasmania.

Simon has worked both as a lecturer in sociology and policy and for about 8 years (in New Zealand) and subsequently 15 years in various forms of University Research Management, where he has lead teams, professional service units, consulted on a number of large multi-institutional funding programs and written a range of research related University policy. He is a former broad member and President of the Australasian Research Management Society (ARMS), representing research management professionals in the research sector including Universities and Research Institutes across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the Pacific regions. He has BA in Sociology, a Masters of Applied Science in Natural Resource Management and a PhD in Political Ecology.

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.

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.