About Us Board

Lana Snook

Board Chair

Lana is an experienced senior HR practitioner serving on the State Council for the Australian Human Resource Institute. She has a Masters in Human Resource Management and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Lana has a broad range of experience, including roles with Ruah, Silver Chain, Telstra and The Financial Times in London.  Lana contributes to City Farm with her expert knowledge of the Fair Work Act 2009 in the not-for-profit sector and passion for improving diversity, culture, and staff engagement and performance.

Rosanne Scott

Founder and Board Secretary

Alongside other alumni, Rosanne came up with the idea for Perth City Farm in 1990.  Rosanne has been involved in the Farm’s growth and development every step of the way and has worked very hard to ensure Perth City Farm produces outstanding community value, promotes local art and music, and of course continues to work towards a healthy and sustainable future through environmental conservation and sustainable food production. Her motto ‘Planting trees to help people grow’ combines her passion for the environment and for people. It was Rosanne’s passionate vision for a holistic project that saw the birth and evolution of Perth City Farm – kick starting the community garden movement in Perth.

Thom Scott

Father of Perth City Farm

In loving memory of Thom Scott. Thom has been involved in City Farm for more than twenty years, and has been pivotal in developing the gardens and built infrastructure at the site.  Passionate about community-led activism, Thom has served on the boards of the Wilderness Society, Bentley Community Garden, FERN, Avongrow and is the President of Trillion Trees (formally Men of the trees). He was a public speaker, educator and advocate for holistic people enabled, sustainable, built and natural environments.

Gary Ausbruch

Treasurer

Gary is a Chartered Accountant and graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has over 20 years of financial management experience spanning a number of industry sectors, and is currently the Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary of a large private group of companies headquartered in Perth. Gary joined the City Farm Board as Treasurer in July 2020 and provides valuable oversight to the organisation in the areas of financial management, strategy and corporate governance.

Kate Wood

Board Member

Currently working in Strategy and Transformation for the WA Department of Communities, Kate has spent most of her professional career helping governments support communities to cope with climate change.  As the Executive Director for Climate Change at the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Kate developed a new approach for climate change policy development, drove departmental cultural change, and represented Victoria at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 21st Conference of the Parties in Paris.  Kate has balanced this high level sustainability related work with roles on the boards of community gardens in Victoria, and now with Perth City Farm.

Mandy Ottaviano

Board Member

Mandy is a self-employed corporate finance professional with a background in equity capital markets advisory.  She has been engaged in a wide range of corporate advisory from large, ASX-listed industrials to private, consumer-focused start-ups. Mandy previously founded an online organic grocery retailer focused on delivering local, sustainably grown whole foods without plastic packaging. Mandy is a passionate advocate for certified organic and regenerative farming systems and has a keen interest in optimising health (human and planet) by eating seasonally, buying from the local farmer’s market and cooking from scratch