We Are Associations Campaign
Ambassador Case Study

Matt’s story is about how associations turn shared purpose into collective action, helping people feel supported, strengthening communities and building a better future for the next generation.

NAME: Matt Kealley
ORGANISATION: CANEGROWERS
POSITION: Senior Manager - Membership Engagement & Innovation
INDUSTRY: Agriculture
STATE/COUNTRY: Australian
YEARS IN ASSOCIATIONS: 17 years

ROLES:

Present:

• CANEGROWERS Australia, Senior Manager - Membership Engagement & Innovation

WE ARE ASSOCIATIONS | ASSOCIATION PROFESSIONAL STORIES

The We Are Associations campaign celebrates the people behind associations. Through the stories of Association Professionals, AuSAE showcases the people, purpose and impact behind the organisations that strengthen industries, professions and communities across Australia and New Zealand.

Matt Kealley, Senior Manager – Membership Engagement & Innovation, CANEGROWERS

Turning Shared Purpose into Collective Action

For Matt Kealley, association work is about helping people turn shared purpose into collective action.

It is work that brings together empathy, strategy, communication and practical problem-solving. It requires an understanding of what members are experiencing, making sense of the systems around them and creating the advocacy, programs and connections that help people feel seen, supported and understood.

“What I love about being an Association Professional is helping people by turning their shared purpose into collective action.”

At CANEGROWERS, Matt applies that purpose within a complex, real-world industry that produces sugar and energy used by people every day.

His work spans policy, sustainability, membership, innovation and strategy, helping translate industry complexity into practical value for sugarcane growers, their businesses and their communities.

The strongest sense of purpose comes from supporting young growers and the next generation of industry leaders.

Matt initiated and implemented Next Ratoon, a mentoring program for sugarcane growers aged between 18 and 40. The program pairs growers with agribusiness leaders to support their personal and professional development.

Seeing participants build confidence, strengthen their self-belief, step into leadership roles and then support others has been one of the most rewarding parts of Matt’s career.

He also coordinates young grower tours, giving participants opportunities to visit other sugarcane districts and industries across Queensland to learn about new practices, business management and leadership.

The tours build more than technical knowledge. They create relationships, professional networks and a deeper sense of belonging.

“These programs allow me to build legacy through people. Some of the most powerful work we do is not always the loudest or most visible.”

Matt is also particularly proud of Project Cane Changer, an initiative that demonstrated how science, empathy and practical action can come together to create meaningful change.

The project began with a question: could behavioural science be used to better understand and support growers while recognising their environmental efforts within their communities and across government?

Rather than treating growers as problems to be fixed, the program recognised them as people operating within complex systems.

Developed in partnership with the behavioural science organisation that became Evidn, Project Cane Changer helped shift conversations about agriculture and the Great Barrier Reef away from blame and compliance towards trust, motivation and practical support.

It showed that lasting change happens when people are respected, communities are involved and growers are empowered to become part of the solution.

CREATING IMPACT

CANEGROWERS creates impact by giving sugarcane growers a strong, collective voice on the issues shaping their farms, businesses, industry and communities.

The association translates complex challenges - including regulation, water, energy, markets, sustainability and biosecurity - into practical advocacy, trusted information and coordinated action.

It supports growers through local connections, leadership opportunities, industry programs and advice designed to build confidence and capability.

CANEGROWERS also helps protect the industry’s reputation by demonstrating the contribution growers make as responsible land managers and as essential participants in Queensland’s economy and regional communities.

For Matt, some of the clearest examples of the association’s impact occur during natural disasters.

After cyclones and floods, growers may be dealing with damaged homes, flooded paddocks, lost crops, broken infrastructure and enormous uncertainty about what comes next.

CANEGROWERS listens to what is happening on the ground and ensures governments understand what practical and effective recovery support looks like.

That local insight is turned into coordinated advocacy for financial assistance, recovery grants and programs that recognise the real impact on growers’ livelihoods.

Just as importantly, the association reminds growers they are not facing the crisis alone.

“We are there supporting them through some of their hardest days.”

CANEGROWERS also brings people together by creating a strong sense of community across sugarcane districts and towns.

Through shed meetings, grower events, conferences, industry forums and shared advocacy, growers can connect with others facing similar pressures and opportunities.

The Sugar Cubed conference is one example, bringing together growers, districts, industry partners and leaders to learn, exchange ideas and celebrate the future of the industry.

The association’s connections extend beyond local farming communities.

With approximately 80 per cent of Australian sugar exported, CANEGROWERS maintains relationships with organisations including the Queensland Farmers’ Federation, National Farmers’ Federation and the World Association of Beet and Cane Growers.

This creates a line of connection from individual farms and regional communities to international markets and global industry conversations.

“It turns a commodity into a community.”

WHY ASSOCIATIONS MATTER

Matt believes associations are often misunderstood as organisations that simply distribute newsletters, provide discounts or run annual events.

In reality, the role of associations is far more substantial.

Associations connect people, gather insight, solve shared problems and amplify many individual voices into one collective voice.

Much of this work involves the steady and often unseen process of building relationships, educating members, influencing decisions and advocating over the long term.

Its value becomes most visible when a crisis, policy threat, regulation or major industry change emerges.

“That is when people realise a united voice carries more weight than a lone voice ever could.”

Matt believes association management is a profession in its own right because it requires a specialist combination of capabilities.

Association Professionals must balance purpose, politics, community expectations, service delivery, volunteers, Boards and the long-term interests of an industry.

They need to understand members, build trust, influence without authority and translate collective concerns into practical action.

The work draws on leadership, governance, strategy, facilitation, advocacy and representation - often within tight budgets and with high expectations.

For Matt, the strength of any association rests with its people and volunteers.

He has tremendous respect for the industry leaders who give their time to CANEGROWERS for the benefit of their fellow growers.

That contribution often comes at a personal cost, taking time away from families, farms, businesses and other responsibilities.

“The association is only as good as the people and volunteers who work in it and advocate for it.”

Matt describes associations as one of the quiet engines of a stronger society.

They unite people around shared purpose, help industries solve problems no individual or business can address alone, share knowledge, lift standards and create pathways for future generations.

Without CANEGROWERS, growers would lose a strong and coordinated voice when decisions are made about their farms, families and future.

There would be no trusted organisation consistently connecting policy, markets, mills, governments, communities and growers on the ground.

During cyclones, floods, regulatory change or market disruption, individual growers would be left to navigate complex systems alone, often against organisations with far greater resources and influence.

The industry would also lose the collective support needed to manage mill contracts, engage with global sugar marketing entities and advocate effectively on issues affecting the sector as a whole.

LOOKING AHEAD

Matt hopes associations help future generations understand that they are stronger together than they are alone.

He wants associations to create industries where people feel seen, supported and proud of the work they do.

Through mentoring, leadership development, advocacy and stronger communities, associations can ensure the next generation inherits more than an industry.

They can inherit the confidence, capability, relationships and collective strength needed to shape the future.

“I hope associations leave future generations with something better than what they inherited.”

For Matt, this is the enduring value of association work.

It is the ability to create practical change today while building a legacy through the people and communities who will lead tomorrow.

Matt’s story is one of many that show the power of Association Professionals. Together, they are strengthening industries, supporting communities and helping shape the future on both sides of the Tasman.

We Are Associations.

ABOUT MATT

Matt Kealley is Senior Manager - Membership Engagement & Innovation at CANEGROWERS Australia and an experienced Association Professional with 17 years working across agriculture, sustainability, industry engagement and member development. His work focuses on translating complex industry challenges into practical advocacy, programs and opportunities for sugarcane growers. Matt is particularly passionate about supporting young growers, strengthening regional leadership and using behavioural science, trust and collaboration to create lasting change. He believes some of the most important work associations do is building confidence, connection and legacy through people.

ABOUT THE ORGANISATION

CANEGROWERS is the peak body representing Australian sugarcane growers. Through its network of local and regional organisations, it provides advocacy, representation, information and practical support to growers and their communities. CANEGROWERS works across issues including policy, markets, water, energy, sustainability, biosecurity and disaster recovery, helping ensure growers have a strong collective voice. The organisation also supports the long-term strength of the sugarcane industry and the regional communities, businesses and families that depend on it.

www.canegrowers.com.au