Anne Kennedy - Chair

Passionate about emissions reduction, Anne brings broad and deep Board level experience as a Chair, Executive and non-executive Committee member/Executive Officer to Boards nationally & internationally, at state, regional and local level in the public, private & NFP sector. She has worked across diverse industry sectors and in the political arena. Anne initiated the establishment of Cleantech Industries Sunshine Coast Inc. to promote cleantech businesses, and the region as a hub for cleantech businesses, including renewable energy. She has a B.Ec. and is a GAICD. Anne was elected Chair at the 2021 AGM and is a member of the ZEN Inc. Finance & Fundraising & Comms. & Advocacy Committees.

DR Carina Anderson - Board Member

Carina lives in beautiful Noosa with her husband and two grown up children. She is a nursing lecturer who has a passion for environmental health and sustainability. A keen e-cyclist, you may have seen her zipping around Noosa on her e-bike. Findings from her latest Noosa-based research revealed that riding an e-bike significantly improves mental health and wellbeing. Carina Chairs the ZENTAG (Transport) Working group and is a member of the Governance & Operations committee.

Joe Shlegeris - Treasurer

Joe Shlegeris was born in California and witnessed the ruin of that once-wonderful place by overpopulation and rampant car-centric development. He earned degrees from Harvard and from Stanford, started and sold a software company in Silicon Valley, and came to Australia in 1985 to work with a venture capital firm, later buying and operating a stock broking business. He knows that if we don't halt and then reverse the accumulation of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere then we'll have zero chance of achieving any other social or economic objective.

Mat Colefax - Board Member

Mat has lived and raised his family in Noosa for several decades, and always contributes to community organisations as a volunteer or on their boards. Speaking of boards Mat is Australia’s 1st kiteboarder, and all terrain standup paddle boarder. And he still reconnects with nature on his surfboard too. Previously heading up import and distribution companies, Mat currently helps businesses and homes by brokering solar as well as innovations such as ebikes. He also works as a professional consultancy to outdoors enterprise, responsible for successes such as the Tewantin Trailcare mountain bike initiative right here in Noosa. Mat is a member of the ZEN inc. Communications & Advocacy committee. 

Melanie Dixon - Board Member

Melanie Dixon is an experienced environmental management and land access consultant that has worked on large infrastructure construction projects across Australia. In her current role as Director and Principal Consultant at Applied Environment & Safety, Melanie has led planning, implementation and compliance for power, renewables and transmission line projects in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. Melanie is also passionate about business sustainability and carbon reduction which lead to certifying the business as carbon neutral. As a Noosa local, Melanie contributes her enthusiasm and experience to the ZEN Inc Board and Chair of the Finance & Fundraising Committee.

COLIN LAMBIE - Board Member

Colin brings with him a wealth of experience. As co-founder of the Bendigo Sustainability Group in 2007, Colin has been involved in bulk buys of solar hot water systems & solar PV systems, establishing solar on community and I&C roofs, and fundraising to install solar PV on social housing & low-income homes.

A relatively new resident to the Sunshine Coast, we look forward to “picking his brains” about what worked well for BSG and sharing some of our ideas with them.

Colin graduated as an electrical engineer and has been a telecommunications engineer, a teacher & lecturer, a hospital engineer & a hospital IT manager.  As a member of an international service club, called YMI, which supports YMCAs, Colin led the way to YMI becoming zero net carbon. He has conducted training across Asia about YMCAs becoming zero net carbon.

Thorsten Kels - Board Member

Thorsten is a clean energy and energy efficiency consultant with a keen interest in social justice. He holds the equivalent of a bachelor honours degree in Energy- and Environmental Technology from the University of Applied Sciences Aachen, Germany and has spent his career in Hydrogen fuel cell research for the German Aerospace Centre and General Motors' Global Alternative Propulsion Centre. Thorsten also has significant R&D experience in energy storage and management systems. Thorsten is chair of the ZEN E (Electricity) Working Group and is a member of the Communications & Advocacy Committee.

Gabriele Sartori - Board Member

Gabriele Sartori’s passion is the energy transition in Australia and throughout the world. In her professional roles, she has managed not only compliance of liable entities, but also engaged proactively with various levels of government on drafting future policies and amending existing ones. She has been a board member on a number of industry and government boards, to develop sustainable policies supported by industry. She is an internationally respected industry expert of intermittent renewables, demand forecasting modelling, demand response, demand side participation, energy productivity, storage and green hydrogen. Additionally, she is well connected internationally and has lectured in ‘energy transition’ at the University of Queensland. Gabriele is a member of ZEN Inc’s. Finance & Fundraising and Communications & Advocacy Committees.

Marc Purcell - Board member

Mark Purcell, is an electrical engineer, and a fervent proponent of sustainable energy and climate change mitigation, Mark emphasizes the integration of market-linked electricity pricing, home automation, and energy-efficient technologies to minimize household expenses and ecological footprint. Having effectively implemented sustainable energy measures in his own Noosa residence, he exemplifies the pragmatic advantages of adopting eco-friendly energy practices. Mark brings his expertise and dedication to fostering a sustainable future and an ideal contributor to the ZEN Inc’s pursuit of a net-zero emissions community by 2026.

Nikki Thornton has joined us with a breadth and depth of Admin. & Coordination experience across a number of industry sectors and is a solid networker. She looks after our membership, providing administrative support assistance to our Board & ZEN E & ZENTAG Working Groups as well as helping to boost our communications with members and the broader community.

Nikki is a mother of two young children and has a passion for sustainability. She believes strongly in reducing our impact on the environment to create a better future for our children and future generations.

ZEN gratefully acknowledges the support of Noosa Council through a Community Alliance 3 year partnership grant which has enabled ZEN to create the above positions.

Zero Emissions Noosa, Inc. Public Fund Account Committee Members

This committee oversees administration of this fund as is required by the ATO. Committee members are:

Bruce Davidson (Chair); Prof. John Martin, Prof. Karen Woolley & Anne Kennedy, ZEN Inc. Chair. Joe Shlegeris, as Treasurer, is an ex officio committee member.