SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
Amanda Schapel
South Australian Research and Development Institute ( SARDI ) Panel discussion : Whole of Orchard Recycling , Tuesday , Experts ’ Forum , 2.45pm Dr Amanda Schapel is a senior soils consultant for SARDI and has worked on agricultural soils since 1997 . She started her career classifying and assessing soils for grapevines and almonds and in the last decade has focused on the importance of organic carbon particularly in broadacre , sandy soils . She has been involved in a number of soil carbon projects that have included benchmarking carbon in SA agricultural soils under different soil types and management practices .
Andrew Reynolds
Murray-Darling Basin Authority Water Surety , Tuesday , Grand Stage , 2.45pm Andrew Reynolds joined the Murray-Darling Basin Authority in 2013 and is currently the Executive Director of the River Management Portfolio . Andrew Reynolds has over 28 years ’ experience in the water industry managing major water supply infrastructure , the past nine with the MDBA . He has worked extensively in the fields of engineering project delivery , dam safety and river management . He holds a Bachelor of Engineering ( Agricultural ) Hons . from the University of Melbourne . Andrew is the past Chairman of the Australian National Committee on Large Dams ( ANCOLD ).
Josette Lewis
Almond Board of California Panel discussion : Whole of Orchard Recycling , Tuesday , Experts ’ Forum , 2.45pm Dr . Lewis oversees research for the Almond Board of California . Prior to joining the Almond Board , she was Associate Vice President at the Environmental Defense Fund , where she focused on ecosystems and sustainable agriculture . She previously served as the Associate Director of the University of California , Davis World Food Center and worked in business development for Arcadia Biosciences . Dr . Lewis spent 16 years with the U . S . Agency for International Development , most recently as Director of the Office of Agriculture , where she played a leadership role in the development of the Administration ’ s global initiative on food security .
Tim Pitt
South Australian Research and Development Institute ( SARDI ) Research Findings on Growing Projects , Tuesday , Experts ’ Forum , 3.45pm Tim Pitt is a SARDI Scientist whose research activities target improved production efficiencies for perennial horticulture in Australia ’ s temperate irrigation districts . He currently leads a multidisciplinary team of field-based scientists characterising constraints to alternate almond production systems and manages a suite of smaller projects investigating soil amendments , the monitoring of rootzone nutrients and recovery strategies for tree crops affected by bushfire . At the 2022 Australian Almond Conference , Tim will present an overview of SARDI ’ s production focussed research activities at the Almond Centre of Excellence .
Trevor Dennis
Haifa Input Supply Outlook , Wednesday , Grand Stage , 2.35pm As the Managing Director of Haifa Australia , Trevor has had a front row seat to the challenges around supply of fertilisers to Australian agriculture over the past 14 years . He is a board member of Fertiliser Australia , the peak industry body for the Australian fertiliser industry and has a decorated career across a range of roles in the agriculture sector .