Australian Rural Leadership Foundation

16/09/2026

What a session. ARLP Course 33 spent time in Alice Springs and at Black Tank, an outstation where Aboriginal communities generously shared their stories with our cohort.

Conversations, lessons and real acts of community service, all wrapped up in exploring adaptive challenges on Country.

Thank you to Kings Narrative for hosting and sharing this experience with us.

16/09/2026

We're looking for a new Director to join the Board.

For more than 30 years, we have backed the people shaping the future of rural, regional and remote Australia. We're now inviting nominations from leaders ready to contribute their judgment and experience at Board level.

We're particularly interested in capability across legal and governance, fundraising and philanthropy, technology and data, impact and evaluation, the education sector and the for-purpose sector. We strongly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders to apply.

This is a voluntary role with genuine influence over the strategic direction of Australia's national rural leadership hub.

Nominations close on 30 September 2026. Find out more and apply here: https://hubs.la/Q04xCXSN0

14/09/2026

Congratulations to the graduates of Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP) Course 32.
Graduation marks the culmination of a leadership journey shaped by courage, curiosity, connection and a genuine commitment to positive change across rural, regional and remote Australia. It also marks a beginning: new opportunities for these graduates to lead, influence and drive impact in their communities and industries.

Thank you to the partners and sponsors who joined us to celebrate this milestone, including Philippa Woodhill, Interim Chief Executive, and Andrew Monk, Board Director.

Your ongoing support makes this work possible.

11/09/2026

You are warmly invited to join us in Darwin for an informal Australian Rural Leadership Foundation Gathering and an opportunity to reconnect with alumni and friends.

The evening will provide an opportunity to:

• Reconnect with ARLF alumni
• Hear what’s happening across the ARLF network and future work in NT
• Share what’s happening for you and across your community
• Strengthen connections and explore opportunities to stay involved

When: Thursday 17 September 2026
Time: 4.30pm to 6.30pm

Cost: No cost to attend. Grab your own drinks from the bar and come along for a relaxed afternoon of networking and connection.

Where: Darwin Sailing Club, Fannie Bay NT
RSVP: Please register your attendance using the link below. 👇

https://hubs.la/Q04wsZcW0

We would be delighted to welcome you and encourage you to share this invitation with other ARLF alumni and friends across the NT who may be interested in reconnecting with the network.

Come along for a yarn, make some new connections and enjoy a Darwin sunset together. We’d love to see you there!

10/09/2026

You know the person...

They don't always have the biggest title and they're not always the loudest in the room. But they are quietly and consistently there.

When the hall needs setting up. When someone needs checking on. When a decision needs to be made and no one else is moving.

That person is a leader. Even if they'd be the last one to say so.

Who is that person in your community? Give them a name below and let's celebrate them.

09/09/2026

ARLF alumni in Toowoomba and surrounds, we would love to see you for breakfast!

Join us on Wednesday 16 September from 7.00 am to 8.30 am for an informal alumni gathering being held in conjunction with the Regional Leaders Summit.

It is also a great opportunity to meet our new Learning and Innovation Manager, Ben Bryant, reconnect with fellow alumni and strengthen connections across the ARLF network.

Toowoomba, QLD
Wednesday 16 September
7.00 am to 8.30 am

Please register via the link for full details. 👇
https://hubs.la/Q04w1nHk0

08/09/2026

Cohort 32 has wrapped its final session in Canberra, with graduation just days away.

It has been a big journey to get here. This group has moved through sessions across the country and are now closing out the Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP) in Canberra.

As Cohort 33 begins its own journey, we could not be prouder of what Cohort 32 has built together, and we cannot wait to celebrate them this week and watch their transition into ARLP Alumni.

07/09/2026

Tomorrow night is the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award National Announcement Gala at Parliament House and we know many familiar faces from across the ARLF alumni network will be in the room to celebrate.

If that’s you, keep your eyes open! Straight after mains, we’ll be grabbing our annual alumni group photo on the entry hall stairs. Formalities move quickly, so we won’t have long- don’t miss it!

ARLF Chair Melissa Fletcher, Interim CEO Philippa Woodhill and ARLF Account Client Manager Julia Strang will all be there too, alongside the entire ARLP Cohort 32.

Plenty of familiar faces and plenty to celebrate. We hope to see you there!

Let us know in the comments below if you’ll be there.

✨ Tomorrow, we celebrate seven inspiring women creating lasting impact across rural and regional Australia. Meet our 2026 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award National Finalists:
💜 Becky Dickinson (VIC)
💜 Angela Teale (WA)
💜 Narelle Zanker (SA)
💜 Kelly Shotton (NT)
💜 Angie Nisbet (QLD)
💜 Kristie Ivone (NSW/ACT)
💜Amy Vickers (TAS)
From supporting veterans and strengthening rural veterinary services, to improving community wellbeing, advancing agritech and creating new opportunities in regional Australia, these women are making a real difference where it matters most.
Congratulations to all seven finalists and best of luck for tomorrow’s National Announcement. 🎉

06/09/2026

Today, we announce a significant leadership transition for the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.

After 12 years as Chief Executive, Matt Linnegar will step down in November, leaving a extraordinary legacy of leadership and impact across rural, regional and remote Australia. An ARLF alum, Matt joined the Foundation as Chief Executive in 2014 and has since guided the organisation through a period of growth, innovation and change. Under his leadership, ARLF expanded its national footprint to more than 140 regions, strengthened its network to over 5,500 alumni and network members, and deepened its commitment to First Nations leadership and national resilience initiatives.

Reflecting on his time with the Foundation, Matt said:
"It has been an extraordinary privilege to lead the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation over the past 12 years. Reflecting on our growth and the quality of programs, I am incredibly proud of what our team and partners have contributed to rural, regional and remote Australia. The ARLF's work of building leadership capacity across rural Australia is more vital than ever and I leave knowing the organisation has a strong foundation and a bright future."

In November, Matt will commence a new role as General Manager at Cotton Australia. We thank him for his outstanding contribution to ARLF, our participants, alumni, partners and staff, and for the enduring impact he has had on leadership development across regional Australia.

The ARLF Board has appointed Philippa Woodhill as Interim Chief Executive. Philippa brings more than two decades of experience with the ARLF, having held multiple senior roles across the organisation and previously serving in the interim leadership role prior to Matt's appointment in 2014.

As ARLF approaches its next chapter, our commitment remains unchanged: building the leadership capacity of people, organisations and communities across rural, regional and remote Australia.

Read the full announcement via the link below 👇
https://hubs.la/Q04wNQzZ0

05/09/2026

Most of us are trained to give feedback - how to frame it, how to deliver it constructively, how to make it land without causing unnecessary damage.

Far less time is spent on how to receive it.

How to hear something hard without immediately defending. How to sit with criticism long enough to find what's useful in it. How to say "thank you" and mean it (even when it stings).

The leaders who grow the fastest are almost always the ones who understand and practice this.