Board and Executive

Patron

Her Excellency Mrs Kerry Sanderson, Governor of Western Australia

Vice Patron

The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor Lisa M Scaffidi, Lord Mayor of Perth

Paula Rogers - Chair

Originally from Ireland, Paula has lived in Perth since 2002 and is passionate about living and working in Western Australia.  Being a part of Heritage Perth for over 5 years continues to provide an opportunity to engage with some of the best parts of our beautiful city. As the third Chair of Heritage Perth, Paula looks forward to working with the executive and the board to promote all aspects of heritage in Perth.

Paula’s executive role is the State Director of the Committee for Economic Development (CEDA) an organisation that promotes economic development in WA and across Australia.  Paula has over 20 years’ experience in management, sales, marketing and business development in roles such as CEO, Publisher, Communications and Marketing Manager, Advertising Director and GM Sales and Marketing.

Paula completed the AICD Company Director course in 2016 and has been appointed to the 2017 AICD Director Pipeline Program.

Councillor Reece Harley

Reece Harley is Founding Chair of the Museum of Perth and was elected a City of Perth Councillor in 2013.  Before his election to Council he ran a small-bar and history walking tours of Perth, sharing his knowledge of Perth’s thriving late night economy with hundreds of visitors and locals alike.

Reece has worked across various West Australian universities and the Federal Government and was the founding State Director for an indigenous mentoring organisation, supporting more than 1000 West Australian indigenous high school students into university, further study and employment.  Reece serves on a range of committees and boards and volunteers his time for a variety of community organisations.

Reece serves as a member of the City of Perth’s Finance and Administration Committee, and a Deputy Member of the Audit and Risk, and Works and Urban Development Committees.

Ben Della-Bosca

Born and bred in Perth, Ben can trace his ancestry back to ships arriving in the 1830’s. It is therefore no surprise that he has a keen interest in heritage. He has also spent considerable time working and travelling in the UK and Europe which has contributed to his passion for the conservation and promotion of Perth’s heritage.

Ben’s credentials include a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Finance) from the University of Western Australia, an ICAA Graduate Diploma from the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia and a Master of Applied Finance (Corporate Finance/Advisory) from Kaplan Professional. He has over 15 years of professional services and in-house experience with key expertise including valuations, financial modelling and project analysis and reporting.

Valerie Hodgins

Valerie is a commercial lawyer with over 14 years’ experience and is the Director, Legal and Governance Services at the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority which has carriage of some of Perth’s largest development projects.

Before joining the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority, Valerie work as an in-house counsel for an international miniming company prior to which she worked principally in private practice and, before taking up a career in the law, Valerie was a human resource manager with over 15 years of experience. Valerie is the current Vice President of the Western Australian Chapter of the Association of Corporate Cousel Australia, the peak Australian national body representing in-house lawyers.  Valerie was a Board member of the Western Australian Legal Practice Board up until April 2017, when she did not seek re-election.

Marc Beattie

Originally from Scotland, Marc holds a Masters qualification in European Urban Conservation and worked in the heritage sector in the UK for several years before moving to Perth in 2013.  He has quickly become a proud advocate of Western Australia’s history and heritage.  

Since arriving in Perth, he has worked as a heritage consultant for many conservation and adaptive re-use projects throughout the State.  In addition, he has worked closely with the Heritage Perth team in developing a series of ‘heritage in practice’ seminars to enhance professional development in the sector.

Emma Banks - Executive Director

Emma moved to Perth in March 2015 and had previously worked in the museums and heritage sector in the UK for over 10 years.  She started her career with museum collections in Birmingham before moving on to work at community heritage sites including two winners of the BBC Restoration television programme, Saint Nicholas Place & Chedham’s Yard.  

Before joining Heritage Perth, Emma worked as Museum  Development Officer for Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire & Berkshire.  In this role she advised and supported over 80 museum and heritage sites.

Emma is a Committee Member for Museums Australia Western Australia.  In her spare time she is an avid bookworm and enjoys spending time exploring Perth and Western Australia.

Leigh Barrett - Executive Director

Leigh has been working in the heritage industry since 2005 and has extensive experience in both the local government and private sectors.

In 2014, Leigh established Leigh Barrett Heritage Advisory Services providing heritage advice to local government authorities and private owners, primarily in the south west of WA.  She has a broad educational background with qualifications in history, business, environmental science and most recently, a Master in Cultural Heritage.

Leigh and her family returned to Perth in December 2016 after 24 years in the south west.

In her spare time, Leigh plays clarinet with the WA Fire and Emergency Sevices Concert Band as well as other chamber groups and with the South West Opera Company.  She runs several times a week and enjoys watching her sons play sport and music.

Joy Lefroy - Learning & Engagement Project Consultant

Joy Lefroy has been involved with heritage education since 2001. She was Manager for Education with the National Trust of Australia (WA) from 2001 to 2014 when she and Mike Lefroy began Museums Without Walls –  bringing local stories to life through walks and talks for all ages. In 2015 Joy was invited to join Heritage Perth’s Learning and Engagement advisory panel and later to develop education programs as an consultant.