NGIA Board
The NGIA Board of Directors is composed of elected representatives from each state or territory nursery and garden industry association. Provision exists for up to two additional representatives to be appointed to the board as a co-opted representative for a duration of 12 months. Board elections of President and Vice President occur during the first board meeting following the Annual General Meeting.
Karen Brock
Brocklands Pty Ltd, TAS (President)
Karen has 25 years’ experience in Floriculture and Horticulture which also involved industry participation by serving as President of Nursery & Garden Industry Tasmania (NGIT) for six years and a standing committee member of Agrifoods Skills Council for four years. She was appointed to the NGIA Board on 25 November 2014. Karen holds an Advanced Diploma Horticulture and is a Nuffield Scholar.
Ben Grange
Grange Growing Solutions, NSW (Vice President)
Ben has over twenty years’ experience in the industry and currently oversees the Sales and Marketing for the family business, Grange Growing Solutions which he manages with his brother and sister. The company is the largest growing media supplier in NSW operating in Ebenezer which is 70km NW of Sydney. Ben has also spent six years on the state Nursery & Garden Industry Board which has helped lay the foundations of professional corporate governance for current national board issues.
Paul Lancaster
Suncoast Water Gardens, QLD
Paul’s industry involvement spans over 12 years, as owner manager of “Suncoast Water Gardens”.
Zanthorrea Nursery, WA
Ross is the 3rd generation of Hoopers at Zanthorrea Nursery and as of 2015 the sole director of this award winning Garden Centre. He has been working and studying Horticulture since 2002, and has training in landscape design, interactive multimedia and photography. Ross also sits on the NGIWA board and represents the Retailers in Horticulture.
David Howard
Bay Road Nursery, VIC
David has been working in the industry for almost 40 years. From his first part-time job at Din San Nursery, where he was blown away by the sheer variety of the plants – “It was like a lolly shop,” he says – he moved on to Gill’s Nursery in Brighton to complete his apprenticeship. Then, 25 years ago, he bought Bay Road and has been running it successfully ever since.
Peter Jong
Jong's Nursery, SA
Originally from the Netherlands, Peter Jong has grown up in and around nurseries. Interested in following up his family tradition, he decided to study production horticulture. In 2008 Peter moved to Australia where together with his family he set up Jongs Nursery. In 2011 he was a National finalist for the Heather Rumsey Young leader award and has been building his involvement with the Industry ever since. Peter was the driving force behind a reinvigorated Nextgen group in South Australia, he was part of the Structure Change Advisory Committee and sat on the NGISA board for 4 years.
Hamish Mitchell
Speciality Trees, VIC