Management Committee - 2023/2024

Sally Jensen - President

Sally is an environmental educator, with experience in schools, environmental organisations and local governments.

She completed her PhD in Education for Sustainability in 2015 whilst teaching at Green School, Bali. Sally is an artist, and a published academic, she continues to write and speak about sustainability, creativity, and education.

She loves being active and adores our beautiful local environment. Her tenure at SCEC is a part of her volunteer actions to support a highly engaged community working for true and equitable sustainability and a thriving, innovative and well paid environment sector.

Ross Smith - Vice President

Moving here in 1994, and working and raising my family here since, I have a strong appreciation for the values and lifestyle the Sunshine Coast region offers. I operated my energy efficiency and sustainability business here for 7 years.

I received a Fisher Community Australia Day Award for Services to the Community for substantial contribution to a range of community organisations. I have had successful involvement in several community actions including advocacy and events.

I presently work with several indigenous communities assisting with projects and capacity-building. With my SCEC involvement, my aim is to help preserve and improve this special natural environment so that we may all continue to enjoy.

Sue Etheridge - Treasurer

Sue has a lifelong association with the Sunshine Coast. As a child, family holidays were always spent here, and Sue loved the coast so much, she has been living and working here since 1982.

Sue worked for the Commonwealth Bank as a Loans Officer until 1999, and since then she has worked from home as the Accounts Manager and partial owner of a successful local business. She is a registered BAS Agent, and has recently completed a Diploma of Accounting. This has allowed her to have full-time employment, but also be a full-time mother to her two children.

Sue is an active member of the community, and, over the years, has served on several local committees as President and Treasurer.

Sue is extremely passionate about preserving the natural environment, and has been on the Management Committee of SCEC as Treasurer since 2012.

In her spare time, Sue enjoys reading, gardening, bushwalking, and adventure holidays. The highlight to date has been walking the Kokoda Track in 2008 as a tribute to her late father who served there in WW2.

Kelly Matthews - Committee Member

Kelly is the founder director of Green Tape Solutions, an environmental based consultancy. She has extensive experience and expertise in environmental management, biodiversity impact assessment and community liaison. Over the past 20 years, she has been involved in management, consulting, research and community-based studies of terrestrial ecology. She is known in South-east Queensland, where she has practiced in environmental consultancy since July 2006 and she has a reputation for professionalism, integrity and expertise in her field. Kelly is committed to high standards of professional and ethical conduct in the areas of environmental impact assessment and management.

Kelly obtained in-depth knowledge of planning and environmental legislation, in addition to a comprehensive understanding of development-related impacts. Having worked as an ecologist within and outside Australia (France where she is born and New Caledonia) and in the Development Assessment team within local Government, she understands the fundamentals needed to deliver major developments and associated infrastructure in a difficult legislative and economic environment.

Kelly is a Certified Environmental Practitioner from the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ). This was awarded in recognition of her role as a leading environmental professional, committed to high ethical and professional standards in the areas of ecological impact assessment and management.

The focus of her role in Sunshine Coast Environmental Council is to assist with the assessment and delivery of sustainable developments across Sunshine Coast and ensure a balanced outcome is achieve for our environment.

In her spare time, Kelly is a bat carer, license bird banders and passionate horse rider.

Key Staff

Narelle McCarthy - Advocacy and Engagement Manager

Passionate about nature from a young age, Narelle holds a Diploma in Conservation and Land Management and has been actively involved in natural resource management, conservation and related fields for the past almost 20 years. Narelle undertakes and is involved in a wide range of activites, campaigns and initiatives focussed on improved environmental outcomes and the practice of sustainability and is continually inspired by the many outstanding environmental stewards and champions who make such a difference to the Sunshine Coast and the planet.

Working with SCEC enables Narelle to fulfil her personal and professional desire to be effective in the protection of the natural values of the region (and beyond) while building on SCEC’s impressive 40 year conservation legacy.

Narelle is an Environment Sector board representative and Deputy-Chair of the SEQ Catchments Members Association and is an Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) Counciller for Queensland.