Mark Ritchie joined Regional Development Australia - Riverina (RDAR), in August 2015 as Executive Officer. RDAR is a community not-for profit organisation and works in partnership between the Australian, State and local governments to promote and foster regional economic growth and development.
Before joining RDAR, Mark was the Chief Executive Officer of Landcare Tasmania and has held senior positions in the private sector within the agricultural industry. From time as a Jackeroo in Western Australia, to the Environmental Manager for the North Australian Pastoral Company in Western Queensland and Policy Director with the Cattle Council of Australia in Canberra, Mark has travelled and worked extensively across the farming and grazing zones across Australia. He has over twenty five years' experience within the government, commercial and community not for profit sectors, predominantly from an agricultural development and natural resource management perspective. Mark is also a Churchill Fellow having studied a range of environmental management issues relevant to the pastoral industry and commercial agriculture, in Canada and the United States.
Mark
is passionate about the sustainable management of the regions’ natural
resources and the role community can play in driving economic growth and
development. The Riverina region is home
to some of the smartest industry innovators in Australia and is a significant
economic driver for the NSW and Australian economies. With the potential for significant growth and
expansion within a number of industries, particularly agriculture, RDA Riverina
is currently facilitating projects to develop the right tools, opportunities
and infrastructure to allow these industries to develop and grow into the
future.