Farewell and thank you, Jenny Donelly

As Jenny Donelly sets off on her next adventure, this time beyond the world of strategic planning and stakeholder engagement, we take a moment to acknowledge her important contribution to ARMI.

Over the past two years, Jenny has been at the helm of ARMI’s strategic operations, bringing clarity, structure, and forward momentum to our work with the Board, industry committees, and wider ecosystem. Her ability to navigate complexity with calm purpose has made a lasting impact, not only on how we operate, but on how we communicate and collaborate as a research institute.

Professor Peter Currie, Director of ARMI, reflected on Jenny’s leadership during this time:

“Jenny has been a rock during a period of transition at ARMI. I’ve very much valued her insight and professionalism. She consistently went above and beyond to support us.”

Jenny joined ARMI after an impressive career that spanned corporate roles, rural medical education, and faculty leadership at Monash. At ARMI, she brought this experience to bear supporting the Institute through a period of growth and transition. Her influence has been felt in big and small ways, from supporting long-term planning and governance reform, to the quiet coaching conversations that helped align people, projects, and purpose.

Board member Peter Rogers AM also acknowledged her broader impact, particularly her support for community and outreach initiatives:

“Jennifer’s background in Monash Rural Health helped us build connections with remote schools to expand our BioEYES STEM initiative using zebrafish. It’s up to us to keep that momentum going to engage more students in regions where opportunities in English and Maths are declining. Thanks Jennifer. You’ve inspired us.”

We are grateful for Jenny’s contribution and wish her all the very best for the next chapter. We hope it brings travel, new experiences and well-earned time to explore life beyond work.

Thank you, Jenny.