Lorraine Gordon has been announced as the 2020 Australia Day ambassador for Lismore.
In 2018, she was named Rural Community Leader of the Year for Australia and last year was a finalist for Australian of the Year for her work with farmers.
"We are thrilled to have Lorraine as our Australia Day Ambassador," Lismore City Mayor Isaac Smith said.
"Lorraine has a long list of accomplishments to her name and we are honoured to welcome her as our guest on the day, give an Australia Day address and help present our 2020 Australia Day Awards."
"As a council, we see further developing our Agri-economy as one of Lismore's six key economic opportunities – a sector that Lorraine is very passionate and knowledgeable about."
As Director of the Federal Government's Farming Together Program, Lorraine has assisted more than 28,500 farmers, fishers and foresters around the country to develop collaborative projects and establish Cooperatives.
The Program was an award winner at the 2019 Australian Financial Review Awards and 2019 BHERT Higher Education Engagement Awards.
She is also the founder of the National Regenerative Agriculture Alliance based at Southern Cross University. As Director of Strategic Projects at SCU and Associate Director of the University's Centre for Organic Research, Lorraine acts as a conduit between industry and research, delivering sustainable and regenerative agriculture solutions nationally.
Lorraine is a beef cattle trader at Ebor in the New England Tablelands turning off up to 1000 steers per annum and Director of Moffat Falls Pty Ltd and Yaraandoo which operates a number of successful tourism, agricultural, and health businesses in both the New England and North Coast Regions of NSW.
Previous positions have included chief executive of Regional Development Australia Mid North Coast, Regional Agribusiness Manager with Westpac Bank, Director of the Graduate Network of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation, and Executive Director of Economic Security for Women. Lorraine has also presided on the Small Business Review Panel of the Reserve Bank of Australia.
A Graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program and previous NSW ABC Rural Woman of the Year Lorraine is currently completing her PhD in Ecological Economics through UNE.
The 2020 Australia Day Awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, 26 January from 9am at Lismore City Hall. It will include a Citizenship Ceremony and be followed by a free morning tea.
