Our board
Bursting with experience and passionate about our beautiful city, our board drives the strategic direction of our work.
Board meetings are held monthly. If members of the public wish to attend a meeting they can contact the Executive Officer on dew.greenadelaide@sa.gov.au.
The next board meeting is on 25 June, 2026. View the agenda.
Get to know our board members:
Emeritus Professor Chris Daniels
Presiding Member
Chris has made an extraordinary contribution to science and science education in Australia. He educates and communicates through his ABC Radio program, and via a host of different modalities and organisations, to promote wildlife conservation and nature appreciation. Chris is Adjunct Professor of Biology at UniSA and Emeritus Professor of Zoology at Adelaide University. He has published 10 books, one DVD and more than 250 scientific and community publications. As Green Adelaide's Presiding Member, and as a member of dozens of other environmental boards and committees, he is leading many efforts to ‘rewild’ the city and connect citizens with nature.
Adrian Skull
Board Member
Appointed to the Green Adelaide Board in July 2020, Adrian is an experienced Chief Executive, executive coach, leadership and strategy trainer and change leader. He has held senior roles in local government, hotel management education (Switzerland) and defence. He has a long history on Boards and is currently a member of the Green Industries SA Board and COTA SA. Adrian brings to Green Adelaide a clear focus on and passion for the delivery of projects that meet our brief, alongside a strong commitment to sound governance, risk management and long-term organisational sustainability.
Dena Vassallo
Board Member
Dena Vassallo is the Founder and CEO of SOCIETY, an independent, female-founded marketing
communications agency operating in Australia and the US. Dena and her team work with brands
and organisations that seek to make a positive difference in the way people live, work and play. In 2026, Dena was awarded Australian Industry Leader of the Year at the Mumbrella Awards and received Highly Commended for Global Professional of the Year at the PRWeek Global Awards held in London. Dena and her agency are recognised globally as leaders across the advertising, marketing, media and the communications industry. More recently, she joined Global Women in PR as an inaugural Australian Committee Member.
Melanie Ford
Board Member
Melanie has worked in both the public and private sector most recently with the Office for Design and Architecture SA and with several architecture firms in Adelaide and Darwin over the last 30 years. Melanie is passionate about creating strong connections between inside and outside spaces for all to enjoy, which celebrate and assist in the regeneration of our unique environment. She advocates for our natural environment to be valued equally with our built environment. Melanie loves exploring and camping in our regional and remote places, including at her property in the Murraylands.
Natasha Davis
Board Member
Natasha Davis is passionate about the vital role of nature in supporting a resilient and healthy environment, as well as underpinning our personal and community wellbeing. Natasha grew up in Adelaide and has worked in the environmental sector for 30 years. She served as Chief Executive Officer of Trees For Life from 2015–2025 and currently works with the Peter Cullen Water and Environment Trust. Natasha’s skills include creating and nurturing strategic partnerships, people leadership, strategic and business planning, sustainability planning and designing environmental education and behaviour change programs. Natasha is committed to using her skills and networks to create good outcomes for people and our planet. She enjoys time in nature and loves walking and cycling in the beautiful natural areas in and around Adelaide.
Tiahni Adamson
Board Member
Tiahni is a proud Kaurareg woman, wildlife conservation biologist and advocate for First Nations Australians and women in STEM, with a career spanning conservation science, climate action, science communication, and First Nations science and engagement. She currently serves as National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Manager at Bush Heritage Australia, leading the organisation's partnerships with First Peoples to deliver culturally grounded conservation outcomes and protect Healthy Country. Alongside her professional work, Tiahni was a youth member of the Uluru Statement from the Heart movement and sat on the leadership team of Seed, Australia's only Indigenous-led youth climate justice organisation, and was trained by Al Gore as a Climate Reality Leader in 2019. She was named South Australia's Young Australian of the Year in 2024, recognised as a Superstar of STEM by Science & Technology Australia, and listed in InDaily's South Australian 40 Under 40.
Angela Evans
Board Member
Angela was elected as a Councillor in the City of Charles Sturt in 2006 to 2014 and then elected as Mayor in November 2014, a position she will hold until 2026. During her tenure, she has overseen significant redevelopment projects including the award-winning $8.4 million Henley Square Precinct, the $110 million Port Road Drainage Project, and the $26.5 million St Clair Recreation Precinct. Demonstrating her commitment to sustainability, she also collaborated with the Mayor of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield to establish a joint Materials Recovery Facility for processing recyclables. Angela’s committee involvement is vast, including roles on the Gender Matters Panel, the Greater Adelaide Region Organisation of Councils, the Central Adelaide Waste and Recycling Authority, the Climate Emergency Australia Strategic Advisory Group, and most recently, the Premier’s Climate Change Council.
Craig Wilkins
Board Member
Craig has worked in the areas of public health, social services, environmental change and politics for more than 30 years in for-purpose organisations, in the public service and in Parliament House. At the end of 2023 he stepped away from South Australia’s peak environment body, the Conservation Council of SA, after serving as Chief Executive for the past decade, and is now the National Director of the Murray Darling Conservation Alliance – the leading national conservation advocacy voice for a healthy Murray Darling river system. In addition to the Green Adelaide Board, he straddles the insider/outsider divide as an appointed member of the SA Premier’s Climate Change Council, the Adelaide Parklands Authority and Electranet’s Consumer Advisory Panel, while also leading and assisting community campaigns and movements for change. Craig is a passionate believer in collective altruism – people generously working together on behalf of others and the planet we call home.
Jake Robinson
Board Member
Jake explores the connections between biodiversity, ecosystem restoration and human health. He is a Senior Research Fellow at Flinders University, Editor for the journal Restoration Ecology, and leads the OH Zone: A One Health Lab and Studio, as well as the Aerobiome Innovation and Research Hub. His work is grounded in systems thinking and has included a leading role in a UNFCCC initiative, exploring pathways for climate resilience and planetary health. Jake convenes the annual Probiotic Cities Symposium, which brings together researchers, practitioners and policymakers to explore how biodiverse urban environments can support healthier people and ecosystems. He is a passionate science communicator and author of several books, including Invisible Friends, Treewilding, The Nature of Pandemics and The Nature of AI. He recently co-founded the Grounded Minds Consortium, a collaborative initiative exploring the links between soil, food, gut health and mental wellbeing.
Helen Donovan
Board Member
Helen has built a career at the intersection of individual, community and environmental health. As Executive Director of Walking SA, Helen championed the built and natural environment as drivers of population health. As an elected City of Adelaide Councillor and member of Kadaltilla, she contributed to the ecological stewardship of one of Australia's most significant urban park networks. At the Department for Environment and Water, she oversaw the Friends of Parks and Nature volunteer network and led implementation of South Australia's Environmental Citizen Science Strategy. As a registered Health Psychologist and member of the South Australian Public Health Council, Helen works at the intersection of human and environmental health. She chairs the Australian Walking and Cycling Conference, leads Donovan Projects, and is a registered apiarist and iNaturalist contributor.