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Ted Callanan
CEOTed Callanan has taken the reins of CEO from Margaret Bridgeford and is looking forward to continuing to develop RCS' suite of professional training programs. Ted began his involvement with RCS programs in 1996. Ted's formative years were spent working on a number of family cattle properties from Charters Towers to the Kimberleys. Realizing how much there was to learn about agriculture, after a 9 month exchange to Montana and stints at 3 agricultural colleges, Ted secured a role with Stanbroke Pastoral Company and completed a study tour to South Africa on holistic management. A strong interest in vegetation management and planning grew into environmental planning and as the Company Resources Manager based in Brisbane, Ted assisted in the Stanbroke Sustainability Program, EMS and Greenhouse Gas Abatement Strategy.
Margie Milgate
Consultant and EducatorMargie Milgate has joined the RCS team as a Consultant and Educator and has established a new base for the RCS team in Brisbane. Margie will work from this office space shared with Avocados Australia and the Australian Mango Industry Association in Woolloongabba. Margie has joined the RCS team with many years of experience in the intensive agriculture sectors and brings extensive industry and community networks to the current role. The focus for Margie will be to build stronger networks and business across industry sectors in Queensland.
Terry McCosker
DirectorTerry is an internationally acclaimed teacher and has worked in research, extension and property management in both government and private sectors for 45 years. In his research era, Terry published over 40 papers and made several world first discoveries in the 1980’s in the fields of bull fertility, ruminant nutrition and pasture ecology. Terry co-founded RCS over 25 years ago which has set the benchmark for capacity building in rural and regional Australia. He is responsible for the introduction of the GrazingforProfit™ School into Australia which now has over 5,000 graduates and has changed grazing, livestock and business management nationally. Terry has chaired the Australian Beef Expo, has sat on numerous advisory committees and has been nominated for many awards.
Terry was described in the Australian Farm Journal editorial in July 2010 as follows: “It is hard to imagine the mental toughness and commitment McCosker and his early farmer adopters had to muster to withstand the flood of criticism from within conventional agricultural science circles. … McCoskers ideas took farming out of a war with nature to an association with it. He introduced Australian farmers to the concept of ecosystem health and developed methods of measuring it alongside financial health. Critically he introduced the concept of farm family well-being and welcomed female partners, siblings and parents into courses about decision making.”
Margaret Bridgeford
Senior Trainer & Program Co-ordinatorMargaret Bridgeford is the retiring CEO for RCS P/L. Margaret took the reins of RCS as CEO in July 2004. She came to us with an already established profile and experience which compliments the RCS position in the market place with a blend of business, agriculture and education. Margaret’s previous industry position was Chairman of the Qld FarmBis State Planning Group as producer representative. Margaret has formal training in both psychology and business.
Mike Parish
Senior teacher & consultantMike graduated from his GrazingforProfit school in 1993. He has since practiced the principles of GFP in several management roles and repeated GrazingforProfit 10 years later. Mike is now a teacher of the GrazingforProfit and Applied Grazing Course as well as other RCS programs. He delivers the programs throughout Australia in conjunction with other RCS staff members. Mike is also highly skilled as a facilitator and assists at ExecutiveLink programs as well as KIT Day facilitation. Mike lives and works from his home at Dubbo in New South Wales.
Garry McDouall
Senior teacher & consultantGarry lives and works from his family property near Tamworth in New South Wales. He is a graduate of the Rural Profit System and a very experienced practitioner of the holistic farming practices recommended by RCS. Garry is a teacher of all grazing programs with RCS. Garry also consults on farm and facilitates at Executive Link.
Matt Barton
Senior teacher & consultantMatt has joined with RCS to develop and deliver Australia’s first professional Farming for Profit program which incorporates the principles of pasture cropping for mixed farming enterprises. Matt is a graduate of the Rural Profit System having completed GrazingforProfit , GraduateLink and ExecutiveLink in the past 10 years. Matt has a very powerful vision for the future of pasture cropping in Australia, that it will inject financial and resource improvements to the Australian farming sector in the same way that GrazingforProfit has contributed to the grazing industry. Matt is trained as an accountant, having experienced the pressures of the precious metals trading industry before becoming Australia’s largest pasture cropping farmer with more than 25,000 acres farmed in the past 6 years. Matt lives and works with his family near Wellington in New South Wales.
David McLean
Teacher & consultantDavid has joined RCS with a very strong background of achievement. After growing up on a sheep and cattle property in South West Queensland, he obtained his Australian Woolclassing certificate before going to the University of Queensland. David graduated University in 2004 receiving first class honours in a Bachelor of Agricultural Science, Rural Technology.
David then spent time gaining further practical experience on a cell grazing property between Richmond and Croydon in North Queensland. During this time he was involved in all aspects of managing intensive grazing at Richmond along with agistment operations on properties ranging from Georgetown to Boulia.
After working at a practical level with the holistic principles promoted by Resource Consulting Services (RCS), David started full time work with the company in 2007 based out of Yeppoon. In his role as a Consultant and Educator, David delivers a range of RCS schools and consulting services and facilitates the Executive Link program. He also manages the RCS benchmarking and business analysis program.
Suzanne Davidson
State Manager - New South WalesSuzanne lives on an irrigated wine grape farm in the Riverina in New South Wales and after ten years of trading currency and derivatives for the Rice industry, managed a special project for RCS on business planning and benchmarking until its completion. Suzanne warmly welcomes the opportunity to return to RCS P/L as State Manager New South Wales with a depth of knowledge on the Rural Profit system and as an Executive Link facilitator.
Tom Hungerford
Consultant & facilitatorWhile operating a cattle enterprise near Goondiwindi Tom became a client in 1993. A member of Executive Link for 6 years, he ran a profitable business while improving the land under grazing cells using GrazingforProfit principles. Now a part time consultant based in Southern Queensland he is passionate about grazing management and is also involved in Development Planning, Facilitating, Keep In Touch field days, and coaching Graduatelink members. Tom has a Bachelor Commerce degree from University of Queensland.
Sara Miers
Senior Program AdministratorSara manages the coordination and delivery of the Executive Link program and provides support in the coordination of the Growth Link program.
Her experience sees her overseeing and coordinating the delivery of all RCS training products and supporting the delivery of consulting services by RCS staff and contractors.
Sara supervises the administrative activities of the RCS Yeppoon Office, providing relevant information and resources as required for effective product delivery and client satisfaction.
Melodie Johnson
Communications OfficerMelodie Johnson has taken on the position of Communications Officer, from Sarah McCulloch the Marketing officer and is located in the Yeppoon office, Queensland. Melodie will be in charge of Marketing, internal and external communication activities of RCS. She grew up on on her family's cattle property 'Zeta' at Alpha, Central Queensland. Melodie has just completed her Bachelor of Business (Management)/Bachelor Arts (Japanese/Tourism), at Central Queensland University.
Lisa Wain
Finance OfficerLisa forms part of the lively team in the Yeppoon office and is responsible for the daily management of our company finances. She comes from a Local Government background and has a Graduate Certificate in Management.
Lisa's Local Government experience in remote, rural townships in Queensland and the Northern Territory have given her a good understanding of the Agricultural Industry.
Brenda Tooth
Administration OfficerBrenda is part of the administrative support team for RCS, located in the Yeppoon office. Brenda assists with maintaining our database, general office planning and logistics as well as preparation for all material for each course and field day.
Michelle Burns
Farm Accounts Support OfficerMichelle Burns is changing rural businesses around Queensland and New South Wales. Her rural background, accounting qualifications and experience provides a great understanding of the industry. Michelle helps businesses to develop action steps to help with the most puzzling accounting situations.
James Downie
Technical OfficerJames Downie is a second generation member of the RCS team. James was brought up on the family sheep and cattle property in the Central Highlands of Tasmania. Upon leaving school he spent time shearing and jackarooing in South Australia before gaining further experience on a Cattle Ranch in Montana. James then completed a Bachelor of Agribusiness majoring in Rural Science at the University of New England in 2009. He then spent a year contract mustering on cattle stations in the Northern Territory and Kimberley regions of Western Australia. James started with RCS at the beginning of 2011 and assists with business analysis and benchmarking, Profit Probe, the management of KIT days and consulting services and research and development projects.
Pam McCosker
Program Co-ordinatorPam commenced with RCS in the mid 1980s prior to the launch of GrazingforProfit in Australia. After 21 years of supporting clients and various programs, Pam has recently "retired" from RCS but still continues to enjoy her ongoing support role in GrowthLink. Pam's valuable experience and expertise is available to all staff and clients and to assist with programs and projects when needed.