Noosa local and Sunshine Coast Volunteer of the Year (2022) Leigh McCready has ended months of speculation by announcing she will be a candidate in the upcoming Noosa Shire Council elections.
Leigh, who is currently the Head of Fundraising and Partnerships at Katie Rose Cottage Hospice, will step down from the role this month to focus full time on her campaign and engage with the community.
“I plan to spend the next four months meeting with and listening to the Noosa community about what they want for our hometown over the next four years. I’ll be out and about every day meeting with members of the community to understand what matters most to them,” said Leigh.
Leigh juggles many balls as mum of four, business leader, and what she refers to tongue in cheek as her work as a “professional volunteer”. Leigh says: “The ‘juggle’ is real but it’s worth every minute of forgone Netflix sessions and books left unread so I can devote my time to the people and community I love.”
Leigh moved to the Coast in 1988, attending Immanuel Lutheran College before moving to Brisbane for university where she completed a Bachelor of Commerce/Arts majoring in Accounting and met her husband Rob, a Woombye local and licensed builder.
After a stint in Melbourne and London working in business and people management roles, she returned to Queensland to complete her Master’s degree in Human Resources and start a family.
Best known for her volunteer roles, Leigh was elected to lead the community revival of the Peregian Beach Surf Life Saving Club and it was for this work that was awarded the 2022 Volunteer of the Year award by Volunteering Sunshine Coast. In 2021, Leigh was elected to Chair the LNP Noosa Branch, the first female to hold this position in Noosa’s history. Leigh is also a Director of the Sunshine Coast 2032 Olympics board and local charity Events 4 Greater Good, the President of the Tewantin-Noosa CWA, and founder and President of Peregian Family & Friends, Peregian’s resident’s association.
If you’d like to meet Leigh, she’ll be at Kin Kin Markets on Sunday 5 November, Noosa Farmers Markets on Sunday 12 November, Peregian Beach Markets on Sunday 19 November and Noosa Farmers Markets on Sunday 26 November and out and about in the community. Go to leighmccready.com or follow on Facebook ‘Leigh McCready for Noosa’ or Instagram @leigh4noosa.
