Karin Sitte (FLAG Chair)
Karen is a Hadfield resident and social impact professional with 20 years’ experience in the not-for-profit sector. She is active in food security and urban farming initiatives as a volunteer and consultant.
Our Food Leadership Action Group (FLAG) members bring diverse local food security knowledge and skills to the project. The FLAG has employed a part time Community Food Hub coordinator to support the development of the Merri-bek Community Food Hub business case and help them engage the community in a co-design process to develop the community food hub model.
Community Food Hub Coordinator
Ronella (Roni) Gomez
Roni is of mixed Malayalee and Anglo heritage, grew up in Malaysia, and lives in Merri-bek. Her migrant parents ran a food manufacturing enterprise where she learned about the role food can play in meeting community needs and employee welfare. She enjoys working with diverse communities and cares deeply about food justice and honouring culture.
Roni has held a variety of food systems roles including project management, leadership, operations coordinator, marketing and customer support. She currently balances her role at The Community Grocer (focused on operations and impact) with her Merri-bek Community Food Hub Coordinator role (focused on community engagement, partnership building, analysis and business case development).
Food Leadership Action Group Members
-
-
Laura Marchese
‘I am a PhD candidate at the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN) at Deakin University. My research interests include dietary patterns, with a particular focus on plant-based diets and cardiometabolic health, as well as ultra-processed foods and socio-demographic characteristics’
-
Charmaine Thomas Daborn
Charmaine has a legal / compliance background, as well as operations experience as a volunteer in several Merri-bek food security organisations including Fawkner Commons, Fawkner Food Bowls and now as the cofounder of the Merri Food Hub
-
Merrin Layden
Merrin is Community Food Systems Manager at CERES 3000acres where she connects communities by facilitating the growing, sharing and celebration of local food at the neighbourhood level. She studied Urban Horticulture and has extensive experience delivering urban food projects in Melbourne and London. Merrin is passionate about building on the existing wealth of knowledge in our city and partnering with local organisations to strengthen the local food system.
-
Molly Fairweather
Molly is a public health dietitian, currently working part-time at Sustain Australia as a Project Officer across consultancy projects with local governments. Molly also works in research at Monash University on the Benchmarking for Healthy Stores project to improve the food retail environment in remote Indigenous Communities. Molly is motivated by a passion for healthy, sustainable and equitable food systems which considers the social, environmental, political and commercial drivers.
-
Dr Gyorgy Scrinis
Dr Gyorgy Scrinis lectures in food politics and policy at the University of Melbourne, and researches and writes on a range of food system issues, including food security, ultra-processed foods, sustainability and corporate power.
For more information contact:
| Name | Lee Tozzi, Food System Officer |
|---|---|
| Phone | 9240 1111 |
| LTozzi@merri-bek.vic.gov.au |
