Don Smarrelli OAM – Chairman
Don is the principal of Lawcorp Lawyers (which he founded in 1979). He is a former member of the Council for Multicultural Australia, an advisory body to the Federal Government for raising awareness and understanding of multiculturalism. He was also formerly on the boards of the Australian Multicultural Foundation and the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY). He is a founding member and former President of the Toccolan Club (1990), an Italian community organisation focused on fundraising for medical research. In 2007 Don was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to multiculturalism and the community.
Sauro has been involved with Assisi Aged Care since its inception in 1990 and was the inaugural Secretary of the organisation’s Committee of Management. He has been President of the Assisi Board over two periods, totalling seven years. In 2008, in recognition of over 40 years’ work in the Italian community, Sauro was awarded a Medal in the Order of Australia (AM). Sauro is Chair of the Patronato INAS in Australia and volunteers as a biographer with Eastern Palliative Care.
Ruth Richardson Clark
Ruth is a strategic finance executive with over 20 years’ experience in branded consumer businesses across education, cosmetics, technology
and food. She has lived and worked in Australia and Belgium, with additional business experience in six European countries and New Zealand. Currently Ruth is the CFO for Campion Education (Aust) Pty Ltd.
Joe Gangi
Joe has over 30 years’ experience in business management and corporate governance in both private and public sectors. He is a director of a consulting firm providing technical and project governance advice to both private and government clients and his corporate experience is focused on risk management, risk mitigation and business sustainability. Joe is also a longstanding member of the Industry Advisory Committee at RMIT University’s Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering.
Viviana Lazzarini
Viviana has more than 20 years of leadership experience in the Victorian health and human services sector with extensive knowledge of health
service performance, governance, risk management and resource allocation. Since February 2022 she has been Manager, Governance in the Department of Health.
Wendy Dunn
Wendy has over 40 years’ experience in nursing with 15 years in executive positions in aged and community care with Mercy Health and Mayflower. An accomplished and experienced nurse executive, Wendy brings specific skills in planning, models of care and change management, coupled with a passion for enabling a meaningful and positive life for older people, including those living with dementia.
Wendy has also held positions on the Board of Caroline Chisholm Centre for Health Ethics, Annecto, and the ACSA Victorian Advisory Committee.