BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Robyn Schell, Board Chair
Robyn grew up in the Maritimes, moving to attend SFU in the distant past.
Jef Keighly, Vice Chair
Jef Keighley grew up on rural Burnaby Mountain and developed his love for the earth while rambling the wilds of the mountain with neighbourhood friends.
Jef spent 2 years teaching Land Surveying and Building Construction at a technical high school in Jamaica in the early 1970s with CUSO – Canadian University Service Overseas. Returning to Canada he was significantly involved in international development education and progressive political organizing, which led him to trade union activism.
Jef worked as a National Union Representative with CAIMAW – Canadian Association of Industrial, Mechanical and Allied Workers union - for 12 years followed by 13 years with the CAW – Canadian Autoworkers union - which included 4 years as the CAW Vice-President of the BC Federation of Labour. Jef served as the Executive Director of the World Peace Forum 2006, which convened some 5,500 people from 78 countries for a 6-day peace forum held at UBC that year.
Throughout his adult life Jef has been committed to progressive political organizing and activism on both domestic and international issues of social, economic and environmental concern. Jef and his wife Jill Wight put down roots on the Sunshine Coast in 2005 and currently live in Kalpalin - Garden Bay.
Mary Louise Hendry, Secretary and Treasurer
Mary Louise lived on the Sunshine Coast from 2015 to 2020 and has now moved back to Vancouver Island where her son lives. While on the Sunshine Coast Mary Louise volunteered with Hospice, the Green Party, Community Services’ Bellies and Babies and Parent and Tot programs and was an ESL tutor, as well as serving on the SCCA Board as Secretary and as volunteer coordinator.
Mary Louise has a B.A. in Political Science, a graduate diploma in International Development and an M.A. in Canadian and Women’s Studies. She was formerly an MP’s Assistant at the House of Commons where she worked for a time with Jim Fulton, Environment critic for the NDP who later became the first Executive Director of the David Suzuki Foundation. Mary Louise volunteered on Elizabeth May’s first and subsequent campaigns in Saanich Gulf Islands and for a time drafted correspondence and processed donations for Ms. May.
Dan Bouman, Director
Dan grew up hunting, fishing and bird watching. In 1969 he graduated from Grand Valley State College in Allendale, Michigan with a Bachelor’s degree in biology and went on to complete an internship at the Butterworth Hospital School of Medical Technology. After a few years of working in clinics and one incredible summer touring remote BC with a mobile medical clinic, Dan moved up to Narrows Inlet to work a cedar claim. Subsequently he got involved in the tree planting industry, eventually earning provincial certification as a silvicultural surveyor.
“My life changed radically again when I began working with the Tetrahedron Alliance for the purpose of creating a Class A Park over the Tetrahedron plateau and the upper Chapman Creek Watershed”. The park was designated in 1994.
Dan was one of the founding members of the SCCA in 1996 and was also a founding member of the SC Water First Society. Dan acted as our Executive Director from 1999 until 2011 when he resigned to serve on Gibsons Town Council. “I’m so grateful that the SCCA is such a good home for an extended family of people who want to effectively pursue environmental protections”.
Theressa Logan, Director
Theressa Logan is the Executive Director of the Sechelt Downtown Business Association, Board member of Sunshine Coast Tourism and owner of The Castaway (vintage clothing and furniture store in Sechelt). Theressa joined the SCCA with hopes to help create more awareness on the importance of protecting the land and waters in which we depend on to survive as well as ensuring that more Federal, Provincial and Municipal policies are put in place to better protect wildlife from the effects of climate change.
Bill Wareham, Director
Maryann Kamphious , Director
Lee Ann Johnson, ex-officio chairperson
Lee Ann Johnson brings a lifelong commitment to the preservation of wild places and sustainable human settlement practices to the SCCA. She has several decades of experience in land-use planning, as a developer of non-profit co-op and rental housing in Victoria and the BC Lower Mainland, as a Municipal Councillor in Gibsons for three terms, and as an Alternate Director at the SCRD. She has served on the Executive of many non-profit Boards, developed and taught workshops on various non-profit organizational topics, and was a Library trustee for eight years. Since climbing Mt. Olympus in Washington at the age of 15, she has persistently worked in many volunteer capacities to encourage and support both individuals and groups in honouring relationships with the natural world and a sustainable human presence within it.
STAFF
Suzanne Senger, Executive Director
For the last 20 years, Suzanne has worked with local, regional and provincial non-profits, First Nations and governments to develop and implement strategic solutions for complex environmental issues. She joined the SCCA as a volunteer in 2007 and has supported the organization in various ways, since. She was recruited as our Executive Director in 2020.
Suzanne believes strongly in collaborative advocacy and supporting grassroots groups to 'punch above their weight.' Before joining the SCCA Suzanne worked as Campaigns Director with BC Spaces for Nature (2013-2020). She was a co-founder and Secretary / Treasurer of the Átl'ḵa7tsem Howe Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region Initiaitive Society (2016-2024); founder and President of the Gibsons Alliance of Business and Community Society (2008-2020).
Committed to "being the change”, inspired by a deep love of the natural world, Suzanne is keen to share her skills, experience and passion working with the SCCA to protect biodiversity in the Sunshine Coast Natural Resource District in the territories of the in the territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, shíshálh, Tla'amin, Klahoose and Homalco First Nations.
Ian Hunt, Administrator
Ian joined the SCCA to lend his experience at working in an administrative role with non-profits. Currently on the board of One Straw Society as Treasurer, he values the work done by organizations to make the world a better place for all of us.
A resident of the Sunshine Coast for over 25 years, Ian loves to explore the wild spaces and lend his voice as an advocate for conservation. Working with the SCCA provides him with a greater opportunity to make change here at home.
Formerly the owner of the Roberts Creek Health Food Store, Ian greatly values the health and wellbeing of all, and feels that the natural world is a reflection of our health as a society. As we take care of the world around us, we take care of ourselves.
Sully Messner, Evemts Coordinator