After receiving more than 200 applications, Sunshine Coast Council has selected a world-class group of people to join the inaugural Sunshine Coast Events Board.
The chair-elect and members-elect represent a wide range of top-level experience in and around the events industry as well as across a generous breadth of sporting, artistic and cultural areas.
Appointees are:
Chair – Ralph Devlin, QC
Board members – Vickii Cotter, Andrew Lofthouse, Garth Prowd OAM, Paul Smith (and deputy chair), Lynne Banford, Simon Ambrose, Bill Darby, Cr Jason O’Pray
“I am proud and honoured to acknowledge the quality of talent we have attracted to this new board,” Mayor Mark Jamieson said.
“Ralph Devlin brings a wealth of experience in managing community-oriented boards as well as his obviously lengthy and successful legal background – and he is Surf Life Saving Queensland President and a director of Surf Life Saving Australia.
“Vickii Cotter from Peregian Springs has worked in the events business for many years – she currently owns Noosa Jazz Festival as well as her own events management company Visabel. For three years she was CEO of the Gympie Muster and was for a number of years a senior manager with Bluesfest.
“Nine Network News presenter Andrew Lofthouse needs little introduction – and he brings many years of broadcasting experience from ABC Radio and Television with him. A former music teacher, Andrew still plays with the 80s Brisbane band he founded, Let’s Go Naked.
“Anyone remotely connected with world-class event management will know – and revere – the name Garth Prowd. While now running his own consultancy, Garth spent 13 years as managing director of globally respected USM Events, managing more than 750 national and international sporting and music events in that time.
“And Marcoola-based bank owner Paul Smith has for 20 years run his own promotional company as well as being a director of Wayne Grady Golf Design. Paul currently serves on the Events Centre Caloundra board, and is a director of the Ian Healy Foundation.
“The chair and members will join nominated appointees from Sunshine Coast Destination Ltd: CEO Simon Ambrose and board membership representative Bill Darby.
“They in turn will be joined by fellow nominated appointees, Tourism Events Queensland director Lynne Banford and council’s Economic Development (Tourism, sport and major events) portfolio councillor Jason O’Pray, to complete the nine-member board, whose goal is to promote the Sunshine Coast as a perfect destination for a wide range of major events and to maximise the potential of events which the region already plays host to.”