PLANT Health Australia has a new chief executive officer with Sarah Corcoran taking up the role last month..
She takes over the role from former long-serving PHA CEO and executive director, Greg Fraser.
Ms Corcoran was the executive director - biosecurity and animal welfare; infrastructure and major projects with the Northern Territory Government.
She was at the forefront of leading the response to the citrus canker outbreak.
Prior to that, she held a number of senior plant biosecurity positions with the Queensland Government and led the largest invasive ant eradication program ever undertaken in Australia.
RELATED READING
PHA chair, Steve McCutcheon, said Ms Corcoran was awarded the position in April following a rigorous recruitment process undertaken by the PHA Board.
"She brings a wealth of experience to the role, with over 20 years working in biosecurity, including leading responses to exotic pest and disease incursions," Mr McCutcheon said.
"PHA's unique role is to bring stakeholders together from government, industry and the supply chain to generate biosecurity solutions that benefit Australian producers and the environment."
Ms Corcoran said she was eager to take on a broader role in the national system.
"In the past I have worked with PHA on a number of projects and responses to incursions. But there's much more to PHA, including work in the areas of preparedness and training," she said.
"In my role as CEO I look forward to building on the good relationships we hold with our stakeholders and continuing to bring people together to create solutions from a national perspective."
Former CEO, Greg Fraser, was appointed to this role in 2008 and, in the following 12 years, made a significant contribution to the growth of the organisation and Australia's plant biosecurity system.
Sign up here to Good Fruit and Vegetables weekly newsletter for all the latest horticulture news each Thursday...