Two cottongrowers have today graduated from the Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP) in Canberra: Aaron Kiely (Emerald Qld) and Jack Brennan (Gin Gin NSW).
The ARLP is Australia’s longest-running and most in-depth experiential leadership program for rural Australia, run by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF). Applying to the ARLP is competitive and rigorous, and those selected attend 50 days of experiential learning and mentoring across four sessions over a 15-month period, under the ARLF remit to nurture and advance rural Australia: to take an ethical approach; challenge assumptions; and seek to respectfully influence change for the greater good of Australia.
In 2022, the ARLF celebrated 30 years. The cotton industry has supported participants in 28 of the 30 cohorts to date, with 44 cotton industry participants supported in total over the years by CRDC, Cotton Australia, Auscott/ Australian Food and Fibre, Twynam Pastoral, Namoi Cotton, Cotton Seed Distributors, Cotton Grower Services, Paraway Pastoral and Prime Super.
Aaron and Jack undertook the program with support from CRDC, Cotton Australia and Australian Food and Fibre, with Jack also supported by his employer, Paraway Pastoral Co.
