Meet Elizabeth Sturgess - Deputy CEO 

Tell us a bit about yourself

I’ve lived in Hervey Bay for 13 years but I’ve also lived in China, Thailand, The Netherlands, Ukraine, Turkey and The USA. I spend my free time with my husband and kids and enjoy cooking, travel, and reading.

What is a quick summary of your professional background?

I have a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Grad Certificate in Forensic Mental Health and an MBA. I spent my early career in China managing an English department before moving into business development for an ITO company. When I moved to Australia I held several positions with corrections before moving into the family and relationships services space, from there I moved into the youth mental health space and then I came to the Neighbourhood Centre.

What drew you to work with Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre?

I was looking for an opportunity to take on new challenges and grow my skillset whilst remaining in a space that would allow me to contribute to positive outcomes for the community. The Neighbourhood Centre has a fantastic reputation and I had always had positive experiences when collaborating with them in previous roles so I was very excited when an opportunity became available to join the team.

How do you see your role making a difference in the lives of the community’s most vulnerable?

I hope to be able to support our existing programs to continue to thrive while contributing to innovation and development of new programs to meet the constantly evolving needs of our local community.

What’s one thing you hope to see happen or change for our community?

I would like to see increased engagement in community activities and programs for participants and volunteers, and a commitment from the community towards improving outcomes for our most vulnerable members