The new year in 2025 has brought with is new beginnings, renewed energy, and big plans for the future, especially for the AELERT network with ambitious plans including jurisdictional events across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, new work programs, and deeper collaboration with our partners to name a few.

Luckily we have enlisted the help of two highly capable and experienced women to bring these plans to fruition! Please join us in welcome both Michelle Ryan as AELERT’s new Executive Officer, and Kat Prgomet (whom you may have met at the 2024 Global Summit and inside your CoP meetings) as AELERT’s Project Officer.

Michelle Ryan

AELERT Executive Officer

Michelle brings to the team her experience in stakeholder engagement, program / project delivery, governance and executive support built from undertaking various role across the Environment and Agriculture portfolios (Cth) which included experience in the regulation space in the Targeting and Enforcement Branch and later the Biosecurity Division within the Department of Agriculture.

Michelle was most recently working for Parks Australia, a Commonwealth Corporate Entity which sits inside DCCEEW. She first undertook a Business Unit Manager role helping to establish a branch that was stood up to deliver ~$450m worth of infrastructure upgrades across commonwealth national parks including Kakadu and Uluru. After a two month secondment at Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park to support local projects getting off the ground before the upcoming tourist season, she moved across to the Mutitjulu Essential Services team who are responsible for delivering ~$141m of infrastructure upgrades for the Mutitjulu community, home to the Traditional Owners and park staff that maintain and operate the dual heritage listed national park.

Katrina Prgomet

AELERT Project Officer

Kat has a diverse background in compliance management, vocational education and training, and health sciences. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Medical Science part-time at the University of Canberra while managing AELERT’s membership and operations behind the scenes. She holds qualifications in Training and Assessment, Training Design and Development, AIIMS, and Leadership and Management, demonstrating her dedication to fostering learning and professional development.

Her career includes significant contributions to policy development, compliance management, and the design and delivery of training programs within organisations such as the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre, the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, and the Department of Defence. Kat also owns her own business and is a cosmetic tattooist!