The Marmalade Foundation Board

Carol Berg

Carol Berg came to Lou's Place to set up music sessions for clients and oversee their specialist education programs. She joined the Board of the Marmalade Foundation in 2009 and acted as Chair from 2010 to 2016.

Carol holds degrees in music from the University of Michigan and the City University of New York. She has spent 25 years in the field of music education, and was teacher of music at Ascham school, Sydney (1982-1999). She is past President of the NSW Chapter of The Australian Choral Association, and was a Director on the Board of the Bundanon Trust (1999-2008).

Carol's interest in mental health led her involvement with The Black Dog Institute where she became a member of the Board in 2009. 

Rebecca Fitzpatrick

Rebecca Fitzpatrick began volunteering at Lou's Place as a specialist music teacher in 2009, joining the Marmalade Foundation in 2014 and the Board in 2016. She holds a BA in Music, Grad. Dip. Ed. in Secondary Education and an A.Mus.A. She has worked as a music educator, performer and conductor for the last thirty years both in established programs and creating new ones for schools and businesses. Rebecca is responsible for Volunteers at Lou's Place, and works at the Plunkett Street Playgroup project. She is also involved in mentoring programs and has links to volunteering in remote Indigenous communities.

Elizabeth Gilbert

Libby Gilbert joined the Marmalade Foundation in 2014 and started the Marmalade Foundation Next Generation Committee, which she chaired from 2014-2017. Libby joined the board in 2017. She has an Arts Degree majoring in history and philosophy and Law Degree (Hons) both from The University of Sydney. Libby has worked at UBS and Clayton Utz as well as having experience in the not-for-profit sector. Libby lives locally and has always had a passion for working with the community. She is currently in charge of Institutional Donors and Relationships.

Alexa Haslingden, Chair

Alexa Haslingden joined The Marmalade Foundation in 2014, became a board member in 2015 and became Chair in 2017.

Alexa holds a degree in International Relations from Stanford University and has over 25 years experience in the advertising industry, having worked in the USA, Hong Kong, and Australia for J. Walter Thompson, DDB Needham, John Bevins Pty Ltd and Goldsmith-Jeffrey New York.  Alexa also serves on the Dance Noir Committee supporting Sydney Dance Company fundraising since 2013. 

Rose Owen

Rose Owen is an experienced corporate lawyer who has practised in Sydney and New York for over 20 years.

Rose joined The Marmalade Foundation Board as a company secretary and director early in 2019 and she concurrently works in-house for a large multinational corporation, dealing with the breadth of commercial and corporate law issues including in relation to corporate law, consumer protection laws, privacy laws and intellectual property. She has also implemented and conducted multiple compliance and training programs in relation to these areas.

Rose and her family have always taken community responsibility seriously, providing assistance, support and guidance to a variety of community organisations. Rose holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws from UNSW and is thrilled to be part of the Lou's Place community.

Jennie Kovacs

Jennie Kovacs is a director of the Ottomin Group.  She joined the Marmalade Foundation in 2016 and the Board in 2020, having been a long term supporter of Lou’s Place through her advocacy with the Ottomin Foundation which she co-founded in 2010.

With a background in interior design, events management and fundraising, Jennie has overseen various fit outs for Lou’s and has helped organise several client, volunteer and corporate events.

She works closely with several charitable organisations in the areas of Youth Mentoring, Children’s Health and Respite care and Community Sports. She is passionate about helping to extend the services that are offered at Lou’s Place and is currently developing a Philanthropic Foundations program.