Jonathan La Nauze appointed CEO Environment Victoria

By Emma Humann Board Member

The Environment Victoria Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Jonathan (Jono) La Nauze as CEO Environment Victoria, commencing January 2019.

With 18 years in the environment movement, Jono is a highly respected leader with a track record of of securing big wins for our environment and building a stronger movement.

The Board is proud to have run a rigorous recruitment process that saw an incredibly strong field of candidates from across the world lead them to the appointment of Jono as CEO Environment Victoria.

About Jono:

Grew up in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range near Albury in regional NSW
Studied Arts at University of Melbourne and Business at the Queensland Institute of Technology
Inaugural winner of the Jill Reichstein Social Change Award in 2014
Spent 11 years at Friends of the Earth where he led the River Red Gum Campaign and negotiated alliances between environment groups and Traditional Owners
Led highly successful campaigns for the Australian Conservation Foundation for five years as Healthy Ecosystems Program Manager including creation of the historic Murray-Darling Basin Plan
Executive Director of the Climate Action Network Australia (CANA)

Jono has been an influential player in some of Australia’s toughest environmental campaigns, including the creation of the first Murray-Darling Basin Plan, and in negotiating historic alliances between environment groups and Traditional Owners as part of the River Red Gum Forests campaign which led to new National Parks in Victoria and NSW.

As a proud member of the Climate Action Network of Australia (CANA), Environment Victoria has experienced first-hand Jono’s leadership as CANA Executive Director in building partnerships to strengthen climate action and deliver results for our people, planet and environment.

Jono’s deep campaigns experience, consultative leadership style, and passionate and authentic approach make him a natural fit for Environment Victoria and we’re excited by what Jono will bring to our vision for Victoria to be a global leader and national catalyst for solving the climate crisis, and a model for a thriving, sustainable society that protects and values nature.

Jono has said “I’m thrilled to return to campaigning in my home state next year with the extraordinary staff and volunteers at Environment Victoria. They exemplify what is best in our movement and make me proud to call myself an environmental activist. Our state has such potential to become the global leader on climate we so urgently need and I look forward to helping make that a reality.”

Mark Wakeham continues as CEO Environment Victoria and his focus and energy remains on delivering an election campaign that puts the environment at the centre of every party’s political agenda. His last day with Environment Victoria will be on Friday, 21 December 2018.