Living Future Institute of Australia Welcomes First CEO

MEDIA RELEASE

12 April 2019

The Living Future Institute of Australia (LFIA) has embarked on a new and exciting era of growth with the appointment of its first ever Chief Executive Officer.

From tomorrow Tuesday 16^th April, Laura Hamilton-O’Hara takes the helm at the LFIA at a time when a Federal election beckons and the living environment is, more than ever, front and centre as a major issue for voters.

Laura’s experience is diverse and different, her passion palpable. Her career spans education and community conservation work with Taronga Zoo to facilitating the Centre for Sustainability Leadership’s Future Makers Fellowship in Sydney. She has worked as a freelance consultant for several years, with a focus on building capability in leadership and sustainability.

Laura joins the LFIA from her most recent position as a Sustainability Officer, Partnerships & Engagement at Macquarie University.

Spending her youth in the wild spaces of South Africa, Laura developed a profound care for all lands and the people and animals inhabiting them. She is a social ecologist, devoted life-long-learner, community builder and genuinely incapable of containing her enthusiasm for helping others learn.

As she prepares to step into her new role, Laura says “The bubbles of joy, nerves and anticipation are very present. I’m looking forward to working with an incredible team and board with whom I can both learn from and get good stuff done. I’m inspired by the LFIA’s expansive and compelling mission which squarely aligns with my own values and purpose. Lastly, it is a personal answer to the calling of our time; will you step up and live at the edge of your capabilities to help create a Living Future? Yes, and I can’t wait to get stuck in.”

Chair of the LFIA Board, Paolo Bevilacqua, says that “Laura has a natural affinity with the values and culture of the LFIA. Her experience working with small and large purpose-driven organisations will be invaluable in building upon the successes already achieved by Executive Director, Stephen Choi, the LFIA staff and Board, and our generous volunteers.”

Looking to the year ahead, Paolo explains “this year we will be ramping up our nation-leading work in biophilic design as well as continuing with some extraordinary knowledge sharing events including our third symposium. We will also continue to work with our strategic partners, collaboratives, members, ambassadors, project teams, and other leading organisations to further our mission.”

Stephen will support Laura’s transition into the CEO role and continue to guide the organisation with his technical knowledge and industry experience.

The organisation had to expand to facilitate the next step in the evolution of the Living Building Challenge, widely accepted as the most rigorous sustainability standard for the built environment in the world. The new version (LBC 4.0) will be announced at the Living Future 2019 Conference in Seattle on May 1, 2019, and continues the standard’s mission of realising visionary buildings that are possible today.

The new evolution of the Living Building Challenge will present a streamlined approach focused on maximising positive impacts specific to the place, community, and culture for the 550 projects registered worldwide.

Founded as the Australian affiliate of the International Living Future Institute in 2012, and with the Living Building Challenge as a core focus, the LFIA has built a reputation for disruptive thinking and cross-industry collaboration in the built environment.

Under Laura’s leadership, the LFIA is in a strong position to build on this reputation, and to help realise a future that is socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative.

CONTACT

Stephen Choi

[email protected]

MEDIA ENQUIRIES AND REQUESTS FOR INTERVIEWS

Stephen Naylor

0432 656 193

About the Living Future Institute Australia (LFIA)

The Living Future Institute Australia (LFIA) is dedicated to establishing a powerful network of informed, influential, and active global citizens who are committed to redefining humanity’s relationships with the ecosystems we inhabit. Joining together as citizens of the planet, we seek to redirect our future towards a society that is socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative.

The LFIA was established in 2012 by a passionate founding committee as a visionary hub for restorative programs and action within Australia. The LFIA provides training, support, and initiatives to build capacity in others to design and create a Living Future for all.

www.living-future.org.au