Meet our Management Committee
PRESIDENT: RICHARD DENNIS
Richard Dennis is a retired Senior State Retail Operations General Manager for Target Australia who worked in retail for over 40 years. He is the President of the Seaside Shores Community Association Inc. that represents the most rapidly growing housing area in the North Shore Community of The Boardwalk, Town of Seaside and Mount Coolum Shores Estates. Richard wants to make sure that his Community plays its part in the development and establishment of the new Community Centre and will bring his many years of Operational and Customer Service experience into the Committee to work for the benefit of the Community he so enjoys living in. Richard is currently our Grants & Fundraising Officer.
TREASURER: TONY BROWN
Tony moved to the Sunshine Coast in 1994 and managed a small chain of computer retail outlets in South East Queensland before making the move to Real Estate in 1997. Tony believes that giving back to our community is a high priority. Tony’s business Maroochy North Shore Realty undertakes a number of sponsorship including donations to the Pacific Paradise State School, Mudjimba Kindy, Mudjimba Boardriders association, Pacific Paradise bowls clubs and other local sports and scholarship initiatives.
Tony is also a very active volunteer for Pacific Paradise Progress Association and the North Shore Traders Association providing a link to both of these valued associations. Tony, along with endless energy, brings many hats to our team including efficient and quality business and administration procedures and systems, advertising and marketing, technology, community connections, networking and financial reporting.
GENERAL COMMITTEE MEMBER: GARY CARVEN
Apart from providing lots of laughs, Gary is our important link to one of our strongest community partnerships, the Maroochy North Shore Lions Club. As the current treasurer of the Lions, Gary is a very active volunteer in our local area tirelessly serving the local community aswell as communities worldwide with various humanitarian efforts. Gary can be found organising fundraising events and regular activities where the monies collected go to local families/individuals in need, Medical Research Fundraising, Disaster Relief and local community projects . Gary brings to our team many years of knowledge and skills working on a committee with respect to good governance, particularly in the areas relating to financial matters effecting not for profit organisations.
GENERAL COMMITTEE MEMBER: LYN KENNEDY
Lyn is a dedicated, energetic and enthusiastic long term volunteer of the Maroochy North Shore area. Having raised a family in Pacific Paradise & Mudjimba, with her children being amongst the first students to attend Pacific Paradise School. Lyn and her family have lived in the Northshore area for over 20 years and Lyn is very passionate about the area and the community she lives in. Lyn, our very first president of the centre and former president of the Mudjimba Residents Association, has extensive knowledge of event management, business and general management, accounting, customer service, policies and procedures, gardening, and marketing. A proud business owner of Kennedy Property Real Estate at Pacific Paradise, Lyn came on board the Management Committee to ensure that the communities’ dream of a wonderful place for people to connect and improve upon their lives became a reality. Lyn is very excited about the future of possibilities that we now have available in our area, through this centre.
GENERAL COMMITTEE MEMBER: DORIS DENNING
Doris is a long term resident of the North Shore Area and as a mother of 2 children, Doris knows the value to her family of being connected in a great community. Doris is the NSCC connection to our closest primary school, the Pacific Paradise State School at which Doris is a very active and valued part of the School P & C. Doris brings to our team a wealth of knowledge and awareness regarding fundraising, local meetings and events, grants opportunities, local families in need, partnerships and opportunities for growth. After many years of volunteering, Doris is now employed as our Be Connected Digital Mentor, Health My Way Digital Mentor and Relief Coordinator.
GENERAL COMMITTEE MEMBER: NICOLE LEWIS
Nicole, a long term Mudjimba resident, through her many past and current business pursuits understands quality customer service, how to run an efficient business and the value of networking. As a resident in touch with her community, Nicole has gained valuable, compassionate, lifelong relationships with many members of the community. Nicole brings a wealth of experience, skills and knowledge to our team particularly in the area of working with community groups and volunteers as the current and past years President of the Mudjimba Kindergarten. Nicole is an outgoing and energetic young mother of 2, who displays passion and commitment in all areas of her life, generously giving of her time wherever possible to give back to her community that she loves. Nicole can often be seen wearing many hats within the community centre, she is always ready to help out wherever needed. Her versatility as a volunteer makes her an extremely valuable asset to our team.
Our Staff
MANAGER: SHANNON EMBERY
Our dedicated Manager Shannon’s love of the Maroochy North Shore community began over 20 years ago when her family moved to the area and Shannon was a student in the very first Grade 6 class for Pacific Paradise School. As a long term resident of the area and mother to 3 young boys, passionate about finding ways to better the community she loved, Shannon became involved in the Pacific Paradise Progress Association as their Vice President. Undertaking a Bachelor of Social Science majoring in Community Services has allowed Shannon to apply her skills into a number of community projects prior to the centre’s opening. Shannon then joined the steering committee for the North Shore Community Centre and was an integral part of the planning, design and vision for the new centre.
Shannon was elected as Coordinator by the committee to run the centre on their behalf and on behalf of the community in 2011. With the help of the management committee, community mentors and the community development officers of the Sunshine Coast Council, Shannon and her team of volunteers have tirelessly created, implemented and maintained all systems, procedures and policies for the smooth efficient running of the centre. Shannon currently manages over 40 regular classes and hirers, various activities, programs, projects, events, fundraisers and more that now form part of our vibrant and busy centre.
Shannon now wears two hats under her managerial role as Accounts Manager and Community Development Coordinator.
BOOKINGS COORDINATOR: ALISON KENDALL
Alison ‘retired’ to the north shore of the Sunshine Coast a few years ago but could not resist applying her skills and experience in Human Resources, specialising in Project and Change Management by getting involved in a range of community-based projects and volunteering roles. These sparked her interest in local Community Centres and ultimately brought her to us.
As one of our newest staff additions to the Centre, Alison took on the key role of Bookings Coordinator after a small restructure, to jointly support others personal life balances and the needs of the organisation. After helping to re-open the Centre post COVID lockdown, Alison is now working part-time with Shannon and the Management Committee to expand the capacity of the Centre for Events, Regular Classes and Community Group meetings, in supporting the needs of the local catchment of potential users from the greater Maroochy North Shore.
PLAYGROUP COORDINATOR: SUZI GELLING
Suzi fell in love with the beautiful region of North Shore from the moment she moved here 11 years ago. It’s spectacular beaches, relaxed coastal vibe and welcoming people secured in her mind, and her heart, that this was where she’d call home for a very long time to come. Blessed with 3 gorgeous children, Suzi and her husband Paul are kept busy with their brood, and their concreting business, and enjoy camping and travel whenever they can.
Suzi is passionate about maintaining that relaxed, supportive and welcoming coastal vibe she fell so in love with all those years ago, as the North Shore continues to grow and develop with the times. She feels honoured to have been made part of such a passionate team of community minded people, and looks forward to contributing towards sustaining and further building the communities connections alongside them, particularly our families. Suzi’s background in childcare, working with families, as well as many hours of community volunteering and working as a previous Coordinator in our centre, make her a very welcome addition to the team as our Playgroup Coordinator.
BE CONNECTED DIGITAL MENTOR: DORIS DENNING
Doris is a long term resident of the North Shore Area and as a mother of 2 children, Doris knows the value to her family of being connected in a great community. Doris is the NSCC connection to our closest primary school, the Pacific Paradise State School at which Doris is a very active and valued part of the School P & C. Doris brings to our team a wealth of knowledge and awareness regarding fundraising, local meetings and events, grants opportunities, local families in need, partnerships and opportunities for growth. After many years of volunteering, Doris is now employed as our Be Connected Digital Mentor, Health My Way Digital Mentor and Relief Coordinator.
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