Widely-respected Livestock SA chief executive officer Andrew Curtis has leaving the industry body to move into a full-time role as SA Dairyfarmers' Association CEO, having jointly held both positions for nearly six years.
Mr Curtis finished up with Livestock SA on Friday last week, and said he had enjoyed managing the two organisations during his time at the helm.
"My agricultural roots are in dairy so I'm excited about being able to give SADA my full focus," he said.
"I believe this is the best decision for both organisations and I wish Livestock SA all the best as it moves forward."
Speaking at the Livestock SA northern region meeting in Port Augusta on Thursday night last week, Mr Curtis urged farmers to continue communicating with Livestock SA, to allow the group to best serve the state's red meat and wool producers.
"We can only do what we do if we hear the messages coming from farmers themselves, so keep reaching out to let Livestock SA know how you're going, what issues you're having, and what needs to be done," he said.
Livestock SA president Joe Keynes said he was supportive of Mr Curtis's decision to move to SADA full-time, and wished him well on his endeavours.
Livestock SA is an incredibly exciting organisation to be a part of and we are very excited about bringing in a new leader to take us forward.
- JOE KEYNES
"Andrew has served Livestock SA diligently, but his decision has been made with the best interests of both organisations at heart," Mr Keynes said.
"Andrew has helped to grow Livestock SA into the organisation it is today and we'll forever be grateful for his work.
"This certainly won't be the last we see of Andrew as he'll be working with our sister organisation to achieve the best possible outcomes for South Australian dairy producers."
Livestock SA is already on the hunt for a new full-time chief executive officer, with SA Sheep and Beef Industry Blueprint manager Libby Tedstone having been appointed to the position of acting CEO until the role is filled.
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Raised on a beef and dairy farm, Ms Tedstone has worked on sheep, beef, dairy and cropping farms across the country, as well as in Canada, the UK and New Zealand.
She has a BSc. (Hons) in Agriculture, is presently studying Animal Science, and brings extensive strategic, operational and change management expertise gained from senior executive roles across the retail, wine and health sectors in Australia and the UK.
"Livestock SA is an incredibly exciting organisation to be a part of and we are very excited about bringing in a new leader to take us forward," Mr Keynes said.
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