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Who are we?
The Sunshine Coast Coalition of Community Boards Cooperative Ltd has a simple, yet very effective structure that has enabled the COCB to attract resources and partner with others for many years.
As a Co-op, we are committed to co-operative principles.
For many years Caloundra Community Centre Inc. has provided administrative and managerial support, enabling the COCB to continue its important work of supporting small community boards.
cocb current members
One of our founding members, with a passion for governance of small community-based organisations as critical social infrastructure. Community Praxis Co-operative Ltd; Nambour Community Centre; Community Development Queensland Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University of the Sunshine Coast, teaching community development and critical social policy advocacy.
Athena (Tina) Lathouras
I joined the Caloundra Community Centre Management Committee after I retired from the position of CCC Manager because I wanted to reconnect with the place where I had invested so much of my life and that I loved so much. Because of my interest in community development and the important role unfunded Neighbourhood Centres and Volunteer Committee’s play in encouraging, maintaining and building local citizen participation I joined the Sunshine Coast Coalition of Community Boards around 2017.
Carolyn Nolan
A highly experienced community worker and organisational development for small to medium community based organisations. Governance matters are a key area of focus for her post graduate studies at Queensland University.
Bea Rogan
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During her working life Lyndall worked in a range of government and non- government organisations; principally in the field of Community Development. After retirement in 2012 Lyndall continued to be involved with community sector organisations, through her membership of their management committees. Currently Lyndall is a member of the management committee of the Range Community Gym and Fitness Centre, Mapleton and District Community Association and the Sunshine Coast Coalition of Community Boards. In her spare time she practices visual arts through her membership of Blackall Range Visual Artists. Lyndall spends time with her 2 adult children and 6 grandchildren as often as she can.
Lyndall Hulme
Sharyn has been serving on Committees and Boards for the last 48 years and has been involved with diverse range of community organisation and assisted in a wide range of capacities. Sharyn, has learnt to understand and navigate the governance landscape and is always interested in the various ways other groups work their way through their various situations. She has encountered, over the years, a wide variety of experiences and several quite unique situations. Her forte includes general organisational governance, Constitutions and Rule Books, Risk Management, and strategic planning. Sharyn enjoys learning about other peoples’ experiences and challenges. She welcomes the opportunity to work with individuals and groups to develop appropriate organisation centred solutions. She believes all organisations have commonalities and each is also unique in how they serve their community and its members.
Sharyn Innes
Tomas Passeggi is the Manager of Caloundra Community Centre Inc. More than a manager, Tomas sees himself as a grassroots community development worker, passionate about community connections and the power of small locality based organisations to harness people’s engagement in civic society and participatory democracy. Born and raised in South America, Tomas understands the complexities of working with disenfranchised communities and people affected by poverty, disadvantage, oppression of indigenous people and those with low or no political agency. Tomas graduated with a bachelor of Social Sciences (Community Work ) from the University of the Sunshine Coast in 2007. He has worked across the community sector from ageing to youth homelessness and for the past 15 year has been the Community Development Coordinator at the Caloundra Community Centre and Coordinator of Baringa Community Centre for the past 2 years. Tomas is an Honorary Senior Fellow of the University of the Sunshine Coast and besides his committee work with Neighbourhood Centres Queensland he also sits as a Queensland representative on the board of ANHCA (Australian Neighbourhood Houses and Centres Associations), committee member of The Coalition of Community Boards and on the Community Development Institute Initiative.
Tomas Passeggi
Ian brings a wealth of experience to community organisations, underpinned by his DipTeaching (Primary and Special Education), GradDip Reading, and GradDip Management qualifications. His long involvement in such groups has given him a practical understanding of their inner workings, particularly in financial management and governance. Ian's expertise is grounded in real-world experience, much of it gained through learning from past mistakes, giving him valuable insights into what truly works. Ian has been involved with establishing a few community organisations over the years, including this one. He has long been involved with Rotary at the Cub and District levels and currently volunteers as the Co-ordinator of the North-East NILS program, based at Kalinga.
Ian Hope
our team
The Co-op through the Sunshine Coast Council Community Partnership Grant contracts Howard Buckley and Nike Adityarini to undertake the work of COCB
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Howard Buckley
Project Coordinator
Howard is the part-time Project Coordinator with the Sunshine Coast Coalition of Community Boards. He has been in the role for over 2 years. He began his journey in community work in 1980s cutting his teeth doing voluntary work with young people and refugees in Goodna and joining with his friends to build a vocation in community work. He has held community work roles in local government and in a range of community organisations in southeast QLD. He is also a long-term Director and worker with Community Praxis Co-op. After more than 30 years living in Maleny Howard recently moved to Caloundra with his partner Lisa and is very involved in the life of his two young grandchildren and loves being their Poppy. As a resident of Maleny he was involved in much voluntary community work including being a founding member of the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre being on the management committee for 18 years, most of those years as President. Howard is passionate about community work and is keen to share his experience and stories through training opportunities.
Nike (Nika) Adityarini
Administration and Communications
Formerly a Lifestyle Editor at a fashion magazine, Nike specialised in developing engaging lifestyle, fashion, and educational content, including articles and photo shoots. Upon relocating to the Sunshine Coast, she founded Marble+Blossoms, where one of her achievements was collaborating with an international wedding dress designer for New York Fashion Week 2016. Currently, she is with the Caloundra/Baringa Community Centre, where she manages all communications work for the organisations, such as social media, website design and content, also newsletters. Additionally, she works with the Diverse Queensland Workforce program to support multicultural individuals in finding employment opportunities on the Sunshine Coast.
The COCB is supported with technical expertise by Kiki Fong Lim. This voluntary assistance is gratefully appreciated by the COCB.
Sunshine Coast Coalition of Community Boards Co-Op Ltd Board Profile 2025
What is the board of the Sunshine Coast Coalition of Community Boards?
The board is made up of volunteers who have experience, skill and passion for small community-based organisations. As a Co-op all board members are equal, and decisions are made by consensus. There are currently 6 board members (also called Directors in Co-op language). The key business is to keep the Co-op operational to achieve its mission. For over a decade it has done this through a Partnership Grant from Sunshine Coast Council to assist small community groups in governance work. Much of the business at board meetings focuses on planning and supporting this work. The board meets for about 1.5 hours every 4 months. Current board members were recently asked the question:
“Why I’m on the Board of the Sunshine Coast Coalition of Community Boards Co-op Ltd”
Here are their responses:
Ian Hope
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Small community-based organisations, regardless of their purpose, are the lifeblood of our society. The Sunshine Coast Coalition of Community Boards is active in building the capacity of these organisations' management committees, particularly with collaboration, networking, governance and strategic planning. Developing these attributes will strengthen our community.
Sharyn Innes
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Being a Co-op member provides me with the opportunity to pass on some of the knowledge gained over many years from being a committee/board member and enables me to learn new methods of addressing many of challenges facing members of community organisations. Membership and participation enables me to grow my knowledge and skills whilst giving back to communities.
Tina Lathouras
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I am passionate about the power of small community organisations to bring about positive impacts that make a difference in their local communities. Yet, I’m aware that the ‘governance’ work of community organisations can feel a bit daunting, and at times, a bit ‘dry’. But it doesn’t have to be! Management committees are literally the backbone of an organisation, and the role committee members play is vital. So, with a few others, we formed the Coalition of Community Boards to provide support to small community associations, which we know increases their sense of empowerment and the sustainability of their organisation. As they say, “Knowledge is Power”, and as part of the CoCB, I feel privileged to be supporting these important organisations to thrive!
Carolyn Nolan
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I joined the Coalition of Community Boards because I believe the Coalition of Community Boards can provide a vital role in supporting those holding a Governance role within small community-based organisations. A passion for making a difference is at the heart of all those who put up their hands to participate in small community-based organisations. The Coalition of Community Boards can play a vital role in the areas of training, resourcing, and support to assist associations in reaching their goals, defining their needs, and working collaboratively with others in their communities.
Tomas Passeggi
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I believe in the importance of small community organizations. When we feel overwhelmed by today's toughest social challenges, we tend to look at Government, or technology, or science for solutions. However, at the forefront of the fight for a better and more just world, from the loneliness crisis to the worst impacts of environmental degradation, are small community organisations doing the everyday work to keep this planet liveable and humanity bearable. The Sunshine Coast Coalition of Community Boards provides an invaluable resource to support active citizens in organising, resourcing and structuring in a way that enables them to fulfil their mission.
Bea Rogan
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I’m proud to be a member of the Sunshine Coast Coalition of Community Boards Cooperative because I deeply believe in the value of small community organisations and being a member of the cooperative provides a way for me to contribute to their sustainability. These organisations across interest areas - truly form the backbone of our region, with deep local knowledge and trusted relationships. Through the Coalition of Community Boards, I together with others have had the opportunity to share what we have learned, learn from them, and contribute to effective committee management. I’ve seen volunteers grow into skilled treasurers, secretaries and leaders, enabling these organisations to thrive and grow. This growth in governance skills strengthens our organisations and encourages ongoing local participation – it reflects the cooperative values of connection, mutual support and community empowerment that I care about.