Meet our Team
Emily Cotteril, (BSc, BA, CEnvP, MEIANZ, AWA, BAM Accredited Assessor)
Director and Principal
Emily is a Certified Environmental Practitioner (CEnvP) and Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM) Accredited Assessor (BAAS 20011) with extensive experience in environmental project management, including undertaking site impact assessments, provision of environmental management services, and preparation of comprehensive environmental approval documents and management plans for both the public and private sectors across southern Australia.
Her experience includes working with a variety of threatened flora and fauna species and survey techniques; establishing baseline data and setting up ongoing monitoring programs for Endangered Ecological Communities; undertaking pre-development environmental impact assessments and preparation of comprehensive environmental management plans for both public and private industry; undertaking extensive community, agency and stakeholder consultation processes; and providing environmental compliance guidance on multi-million-dollar infrastructure projects.
Emily also has a strong track record in applying for funding to drive environmental improvement projects, including for habitat enhancement, landscape connectivity and functionality, and threatened species management initiatives.
Her experience with the various Commonwealth, State and Local Government agencies, and the relevant Acts of legislation they enforce, is extensive having worked closely with and for these agencies since 2009.
Graham Stirling (BSc Zoo, MSc EnvMgmt, CEnvP)
Projects Manager
Graham is a project coordinator with over 9 years’ experience managing delivery of large-scale environmental restoration projects in both Australia and East Africa. Graham’s expertise includes research into community conservation, as well as logistical coordination and management of landscape scale ecological restoration projects.
Graham’s professional experience includes community conservation and social enterprise projects with Kenya’s Maasai community; managing field expeditions to record biodiversity in the Amazon Rainforest; management of environmental grants for both State and Federal programs in Australia and advising clients on best practice landscape restoration techniques in Regional NSW.
Graham holds a masters in Environmental Management where he focused on Environmental Impact Assessment, Environmental Economics and the community consultation phase of state significant developments in New South Wales. Graham has a strong interest in how the impact assessment process can be refined and improved to protect the environment and encourage businesses to adopt the principles of sustainable development.
Brianna Turner (BSc, BAM Accredited Assessor)
Senior Ecologist
Brianna is an environmental consultant and ecologist experienced in conducting environmental and ecological monitoring and impact assessments throughout the Riverina, ACT, Central West and South-western Slopes areas. She is an experienced terrestrial ecologist, with skills in floristic survey (including targeted searches), vegetation assessments (including vegetation integrity plots with reference to the BAM) and plant community type (PCT) mapping throughout western NSW and the ACT. She has also conducted various fauna assessments and has strong skills in bird identification.
Brianna has worked on a wide variety of projects across NSW, from State Significant Developments (SSDs), to local impact assessments. She is experienced in ecological and environmental field surveys and has conducted extensive ecological assessments throughout the western regions of NSW, including PCT identification and targeted threatened flora and fauna surveys.
She is competent in a wide array of environmental monitoring techniques, including soil sampling, dust monitoring and water monitoring, and has completed a variety monitoring, constraints and impact assessments for both Part 4 and Part 5 developments under the EP&A across the state of NSW.
Janet Sanderson (Dip. Exec. Sec.; Dip. SIS)
Senior GIS Analyst
Jan is a qualified GIS Specialist with expertise in spatial systems and data management with over 15 years of experience in cartography, Geographic Information Systems and broad executive administration positions.
Her professional expertise includes photogrammetry, hydrology and analysis of stream orders, GIS data management and environmental spatial data collating to support Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Protection Initiatives across a variety of developments and major infrastructure projects throughout NSW. Jan has worked with a range of private and government clients to conduct broadscale spatial services, including at a full Local Government Area (LGA) and Water Utility scale, collating and updating critical infrastructure and biodiversity data for a range of cities and towns across the state.
During her career Jan has worked internationally, having implemented, created and developed GIS data management and mapping systems within a Regional Fire Protection Agency for the Lowveld and Escarpment region of South Africa mostly for forestry, agriculture, councils, National Parks and conservancies. After immigrating to Australian, Jan began her role as a GIS Specialist with TEF and has been the GIS lead in spatial data collation, manipulation, analysis and cartography for a range of State and Local Government agencies and private enterprises to support Environmental Impact Assessments and Environmental Protection projects.
Jan is passionate about creating detailed and accurate datasets that tell the story of the projects she is analysing. She has a strong interest in cartography and good quality maps that can illustrate how the environment can be impacted or conserved. Jan is invested in developing ways impacts can be reduced with the assistance of the broader TEF team.
Amanda Muir (BSc)
Project Coordinator and HR
Amanda is an experienced professional with a background in local government, policy development and management. Her experience includes over 15 years in the areas of environmental, health, building, strategic land use planning, corporate planning and reporting, governance, major projects, community consultation and people management.
She has recently returned to the workforce with TEF, following time out for her growing family.
Sommer Dean (BSc (Animal Behaviour), MSc (Conservation Biology))
Ecologist & Environmental Consultant
Sommer holds a diverse and dynamic background, bridging her experiences in marine conservation with her more recent focus on terrestrial and freshwater ecology. With two years of hands-on experience as an ecologist in environmental monitoring, ecological impact assessments, waste management, surveying, and dam and waterway assessments across NSW, she has firmly established herself as a dedicated and hard-working early career scientist in environmental conservation.
Sommer’s unwavering passion lies in contributing to initiatives that bolster all environments and promote sustainability. Looking ahead, she is committed to honing her skills in the environmental sector, with a particular focus on biodiversity surveys, flora and fauna identification, and sustainable practices.
Ben O’Regan (Grad Cert Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies, Cert IV Spatial Science (GIS))
GIS Analyst
Ben O is an experienced general administrator with a broad background including finance, GIS, asset management, museum management, and project delivery and management. While working for 20 years in Local Government he developed systems and processes to capture and analyse spatial data and use it to develop management plans and forecasts. Working in the private sector he has developed and implemented large projects working with many stakeholders.
With an awareness of how to use spatial data to positively impact environmental outcomes, Ben’s interests in renewable landscape management adds to his existing experience with managing the built environment.
Tom McMahon (BSc, Hons)
Ecologist and Team Lead
Tom is a graduate ecologist with three years of experience in ecological impact assessments, environmental monitoring, and contamination assessments across NSW. He has undertaken biodiversity assessments, field surveys and reports, and previously worked on numerous environmental monitoring and site assessment projects in southern NSW. Tom has recently completed an Honours Course in ecology & conservation biology. Through his work and study, Tom specialises in terrestrial floral ecology with a focus on biodiversity surveys, vegetation mapping and flora identification, bringing previous skills from an environmental and ecological background.
Kate Farrell (BSc, GDURP, GDTL)
GIS and Environmental Consultant
Kate is a GIS and Environmental consultant with over nine years of experience in geology, GIS, and the environmental field. Her experience includes several years as an exploration geologist, working on a wide range of metalliferous and industrial mineral projects, and geothermal energy prospects in Tasmania, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and the Philippines. During her career as a geologist Kate undertook a wide range of GIS and mapping work, geological field mapping, drill rig supervision, development of drilling targets, and detailed lithological and structural core logging.
Kate’s more recent experience involves contributing to statutory environmental reporting, assessment, and management plans, and data capture with subsequent supporting GIS map production.