Kathryn is a former educator and administrator with a background in aged care and association management and Chinese language teaching, who now commits her time in the community to actively encourage the growth of philanthropy. Kathryn received an Order of Australia (AM) in 2020 in recognition of her service to the community.
Kathryn is Chairperson of Impact 100 (SA), a collective giving circle, which works to raise the profile of charities in our community and also sits on several boards including the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute and Grandcarers SA.
Kathryn is also a community ambassador for Catherine House Inc, supporting women who are experiencing homelessness, and is also founder and chair of Young Impact, a collective giving group for school aged children and co-founder of Powerful Women, a networking group for women in our community.
Ursula is an Assurance Director with EY, with qualifications and memberships in Accountancy in both Australia and the United States.
She has over 16 years’ experience as a qualified Chartered Accountant working with various publicly traded companies, and not-for-profit entities in Australia and the United States.
Ursula has gained experience and understanding of strong governance and best practices through extensive involvement with audit client Boards, and through serving on the Board of various Not-For-Profit entities and Associations.
Peter is a retired Clinical Biochemist. He and his colleague, Brian Rich, set up the laboratory in the Animal Health & Research Centre in late 1999.
Both were honoured by the then Board as Honorary Research Associates in 2003 for their contribution to the Zoo in providing a service to the Veterinary staff as an aid to diagnosis & treatment of our animals and for their research work. In 2019 Peter was part of the six person team who won “The Unsung Hero” Award of South Australian Science.
Peter’s interests lie in expanding the service that they currently offer and encouraging a greater commitment to research.
Eoin Loftus is a senior tourism industry advisor and former hotel group Chief Executive Officer with more than 30 years of operational, development and governance experience across the visitor economy. Beginning his career in hotel operations in 1993, he progressed through successive leadership roles to serve 12 years as CEO of a multi‑property accommodation group, being a lead in the design, construction and operation of six accommodation hotels across South Australia, including the Majestic M Suites development in 2021.
Eoin operates three specialist consulting practices — Loftus Business Advisory, Hotel Profit Boost, and Hotel Refurbs — through which he provides advisory services across the tourism sector. His work supports accommodation operators, regional tourism organisations, government agencies and wider visitor economy businesses, with a focus on commercial performance, feasibility analysis, refurbishment strategy and major project de‑risking. His proprietary commercial frameworks, developed over three decades of practical industry experience, have delivered more than $17 million in annual profit‑uplift recommendations for tourism businesses.
He has held significant governance roles within the sector, including six years as Chair of the Tourism Industry Council South Australia, and previously served on the International College of Hotel Management – Academic Board. Eoin currently serves on the Boards of the South Australian Tourism Commission and Zoos South Australia. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Adelaide University Business School.
Ana Koch is a lawyer, Notary Public, philanthropist and experienced non-executive director with a strong commitment to South Australia’s community, cultural and not-for-profit sectors.Ana is Chair of The Mill, a leading South Australian arts organisation, and a Director of GiveSA, the organisation supporting and strengthening philanthropy across South Australia through initiatives including Giving Week SA and the SA Philanthropy Network. She is also co-founder of the Ana and Christopher Koch Foundation, through which she supports arts, cultural and community initiatives.
Building on an international corporate career spanning law, commercial leadership and supply chain management, Ana has lived and worked in Singapore, Tokyo and Sydney and worked with major global organisations including Ashurst and Yum! Brands. She is now a family office principal, practising Notary Public and photographic artist. Ana is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ Company Directors Course and holds degrees in Commerce and Law with Honours from UNSW. She has also undertaken executive education at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
A Zoos SA Life Member and mother to a young son, Ana has a particular interest in strengthening community engagement with Adelaide Zoo and Monarto Safari Park, building sustainable philanthropic support for conservation, and ensuring future generations develop a meaningful connection with wildlife and the natural world.
As a Zoos SA Life Member, Sylvia has been passionate about animal welfare, the environment, and conservation since childhood. After completing an honours degree in marine biology at Flinders University, she began her career as a science and environment television reporter in Adelaide. Through this role she first connected with Zoos SA to share stories to raise public awareness about conservation and the environment. For the past 25 years, Sylvia has worked in corporate communications and government relations where she has used her skills to drive philanthropy and partnerships. Sylvia introduced major corporate partners to Zoos SA in order to secure vital financial support for Adelaide Zoo and Monarto Safari Park programs, including Lions 360. More recently she has used her broad network to extend the reach of fundraising programs, such as the community effort to welcome Asian Elephants to Monarto Safari Park. Sylvia brings to the board her extensive networks across all levels of government, business and the community, along with her expertise and knowledge of how partnerships and philanthropy can achieve conservation outcomes. Sylvia is dedicated to strengthening Zoos SA’s role as a leader in international conservation, education, and inspiring grass roots community action.
Mark has been involved with zoos and wildlife conservation his entire working life. For over 40 years, Mark has had the privilege of working within the zoo community, including nearly 20 years at Adelaide Zoo and Monarto as a Keeper, Curator, Manager, and Director, followed by 15 years in the United Arab Emirates at Al Ain Zoo as Director and Advisor.
Mark’s experience and expertise within wildlife facilities span conservation and research, project management, government liaison, finance, and advocating for strong connections between wildlife and the community. Throughout his career, he has remained focused on how zoos can enrich the lives of both local and international communities. Connecting people to wildlife remains a cornerstone of the modern zoo, while conservation, education, wildlife management, and financial stewardship continue to drive excellence in zoo governance.
Adelaide Zoo and Monarto Safari Park are wildlife conservation and education icons of South Australia. Much has been achieved on this journey, and even more is possible. It is this belief and energy that Mark hopes to bring as a Board Member of the Royal Zoological Society of South Australia.
As someone who began his zoo career at Adelaide Zoo, Mark wishes to give back to the Zoo and the Adelaide community through his time and commitment as a Board Member.
Matthew Romaine is the General Manager City Futures at the City of Charles Sturt, where he leads a diverse portfolio spanning city planning, development, transport and mobility, open space, economic growth, strategic partnerships and innovation.
With more than 20 years’ experience in local government, Matthew has built a reputation for driving strategic change, forging partnerships across government and industry, and delivering complex initiatives that create long-term community value. His expertise includes governance, urban planning, infrastructure, organisational leadership and securing investment to support transformational projects.
Matthew is passionate about the role that iconic institutions play in shaping South Australia’s future. As a Board Member of the Royal Zoological Society of SA, he brings a strong focus on strategic growth, commercial partnerships, government relations and long-term sustainability, supporting Zoos SA to continue inspiring conservation, education and exceptional visitor experiences for future generations.
Matthew holds a Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning (Honours) and is a graduate of the Governor’s Leadership Foundation program.
Ellen is a former CEO of a diverse range of sporting and professional organisations since the late 1980s. She has a background in association management including organisations such as the Equestrian Federation of Australia, the Australian Medical Association (SA) Inc, and the Medical Indemnity Industry Association of Australia. She has a background in governance and change management.
In recent years Ellen has been involved with collective giving circles such as Impact100 SA, as well as the Chairman’s Circle of the Adelaide Festival of Arts. She formerly volunteered as a mentor for families of newly diagnosed children with type 1 diabetes with the JDRF (now Breakthrough T1D), and also at her daughter’s school to help children with learning difficulties.
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