Matthew Kleyn
Avocados Australia Chair & North Queensland Director
Matthew and his wife Louise own a company based in Walkamin and Kairi North Queensland which grows avocados. They have been growing avocados for approximately 15 years and have expanded over this period into a large operation.
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Lucia Philip
Avocados Australia Deputy Chair & Central Queensland/Sunshine Coast Director
Lucy Philip is an avocado farmer in the Childers area, along with her husband Kevin they own Brooklet Farms Pty Ltd which has a long family history of growing tomatoes and avocados since 1973. “I am very passionate about improving the economic viability of the industry,” said Lucy.
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Brad Rodgers
Western Australia Director
Brad Rodgers, a Certified Financial Planner, joined Avocados Australia as a Director in 2018. Brad and wife Jacinta acquired a farming property at Manjimup, WA in 2015 and produce Hass avocados, black truffles and premium wine grapes.
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Chip Saint
Southern Queensland Director
Chip joined the Avocados Australia Board in 2023. He and his partner Jo both come from farming backgrounds and have owned Halo Farm in Hampton since 2004.
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Eric Carney
Central Queensland/Sunshine Coast Director
Eric grew up on an avocado farm in WA and has been involved in avocado farming in Queensland since 2002. He was a grower, packer and marketer at Avocado Ridge and SuperPak which was sold to Costa in December 2016. Deciding that he preferred to be involved in a family operation, Eric left Costa in July of 2018 and began searching for an opportunity to return to family farming. In July 2019, Eric and his wife purchased a 735 acre farm in Abington, QLD where they are growing Avocado and Macadamia.
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Ian Tolson
Central New South Wales Director
Ian has been a horticulturist for more than 40 years and has been involved in the avocado industry for 25 years. Ian and Alison Tolson’s family business comprises two avocado orchards, an avocado packing and marketing facility, a Norco Rural Store, and transport depot.
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Izhar Adar
Tamborine and Northern Rivers Director
Izzy joined the Avocados Australia Board in 2023. He has been farming since childhood and has been growing avocados in Australia for more than 12 years.
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Kym Thiel
Tristate Director
Kym has been in the avocado industry for 14 years as a grower and is currently a Partner/Manager and Director of Golden Hill Packing Pty Ltd as well as being a partner in Thiel Orchards, the growing entity.
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Duncan Wells
Western Australia Director
Duncan has been working with Alterra Limited since 2021 and in 2023 took up the position of General Manager. Alterra is known as a responsible developer of agricultural land and water assets based in Western Australia. Click here to read more
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Lawrence Masasso
North Queensland Director
Lawrence’s family has been working the land since his grandparents first established their farm in the late 1930s. After completing a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Queensland Lawrence returned to the farm in 1990, five years later the family planted their first avocado trees. Click here to read more
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