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<h1><em>Simon says...</em></h1><p><img src="/sites/all/files/images/Simon_photo_1_.jpg" alt="CEO - Dr Simon McKirdy" hspace="5" width="228" height="212" align="left" /></p><p>Welcome to the first edition of <em>The Leaflet.</em> It's hard to believe that a quarter of the year has come and gone and April is upon us. The CRC for National Plant Biosecurity has a big year ahead with the three-year review to be undertaken in the early 2009. We now have a large portfolio of research projects that are underway and I look forward to seeing the outcomes of this work and the subsequent publication.</p><p> </p><p>We have undergone quite a few changes in the past months. To start with, I am pleased to say we now have almost a full complement of staff which means we are better placed to establish processes to support our programs.</p><p> </p><p>Most of our members will have had the pleasure of meeting Carla by now. Joining us as Project Officer in August, Carla Tadich assists at an operational and strategic level across our projects and is our IMAP guru. You can find out more about Carla by reading her profile in this edition of <em>The Leaflet</em>.</p><p> </p><p>In September, Nick Langley was appointed as our Business Manager/Company Secretary and brings a vast amount of experience as a chartered accountant. Nick now has the business side of the company fully operational and will be visiting participants in the coming months to ensure we have the smoothest possible processes with project contracting and fund transfer.</p><p> </p><p>David Eagling and his family made the move north from Melbourne in February so David could take up the role as Research Leader. David has already made a significant mark on the CRC through his role as Program Leader 4 and his wealth of experience is driving our research activities. David, Nick and myself represent the Senior Management team overseeing the research and business activities of the CRC.</p><p> </p><p>In March, we appointed Kate Scott as our Communications Officer. Kate will be responsible for all our communication activities and is looking forward to working collaboratively with staff across the CRC. Kate will also be visiting participants in the coming months to build a stronger network between CRC and participant communication strategies.</p><p> </p><p>By filling these much needed positions, it was timely to review our organisational structure. A revised structure has now been approved by the Board and a diagram depicting these changes will soon be available on our website.</p><p> </p><p>Late March was the end of an era for the CRC with our move from the Deakin offices. We have relocated to temporary offices at the University of Canberra until our move to the Innovation Centre later this year (also based at the University of Canberra). The Innovation Centre leases commercial offices to science and research based organisations. We are looking forward to being co-located with other CRCs (eWater and Invasive Animals), and other organisations that may have an interest in plant biosecurity. </p><p> </p><p>Details of our new location are available on our <a href="/content/contact-us" target="_blank">contacts</a> page and we welcome all our members to drop in and visit us next time you're in Canberra.</p><p><img src="/sites/all/files/images/S_McKirdy.jpg" width="110" height="62" /></p><p>Dr Simon McKirdy<br /><strong>Chief Executive Officer<br /></strong>CRC for National Plant Biosecurity </p>
