OUR TEAM

Meet the incredible team behind Keep Australia Beautiful NSW.

KEEP AUSTRALIA BEAUTIFUL NSW TEAM

VAL SOUTHAM

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

DEBORAH KELLY

Administration & Program Support

VERONICA DULLENS

Programs Manager

EMMA MCVIE

Events Coordinator

SHANI PATEL

Education Programs Manager

CASEY BLAUER

Sustainability Educator

JACQUI GORDON

Sustainability Educator

BOARD MEMBERS

GERARD VELAYUTHEN

Chair

Gerard has held senior executive and non-executive board roles in aerospace, mining services and infrastructure projects. He is currently director and shareholder of Velconsult International Pty Ltd and a Fellow member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

He brings to KAB NSW experience in formulation and execution of business strategies, business development, financial and operational management and a proven track record as a Finance Director/Chief Operating Officer in multinational companies.

HARRY PETROPOULOS

Deputy Chair

Harry is joint Managing Director of Red Pill Holdings Pty Ltd (trading as Red Pill Performance Consultants).

Red Pill consults to public, private and NFP organisations on business performance and board governance.

Harry has been the senior torch-bearer on several significant business transformation programs. He has held leadership roles at Laminex Industries, Lion Nathan, Boral and George Weston Foods.

Harry is a registered psychologist.

VAL SOUTHAM

Executive Director

Val has been a senior executive in the environment industry for 30 years, and CEO and Executive Director of KAB NSW for three years.

She has had senior environmental affairs roles in major corporates in the packaging industry and was the Chief Executive Officer of the Waste Management Association of Australia (WMAA) for 15 years.

Val has served on multiple boards and government advisory committees including the Federal Government’s Product Stewardship Advisory Committee, the Oil Stewardship Advisory Council, the National Packaging Covenant Council and the National Packaging Industry Association.

ANDREW BEST

Director for Education

After a 37-year long career in teaching, Andrew is the recently retired principal of Harrington Park Public School.

Andrew was the recipient of the 2008 Churchill Fellowship for Environmental Education. He is a trained facilitator for the Franklin Covey Seven Habits of Highly Effective People; and Great Teams, Great Leaders, Great Results programs. Andrew was previously Chairman of Macarthur Sustainable Schools Network, a position he held for 10 years.

Andrew is currently a part time Educational Leadership Consultant/Mentor with Climate Reality Leadership Corp operating through University of Melbourne.

LAYLA MCNEIL

Director

Layla McNeil, an environmental strategist and change agent, has dedicated her career to sustainability. Her expertise in policy development, project management, and stakeholder facilitation grew from an unwavering passion for making a difference. Currently stationed at CSIRO, Layla spearheads waste reduction and resource recovery efforts, crafting impactful strategic plans that drive real-world change.

Layla’s innovation shines in her environmental communications and behaviour change campaigns, transcending norms to motivate sustainable actions. She has expansive experience in conducting environmental audits, formulating waste management strategies, and executing diverse sustainability programs.

Her journey epitomizes dedicated leadership, with a genuine Earth-centric commitment that paves the way for enduring transformations. As Layla continues to steer projects, amplify sustainability, and champion resource efficiency, she becomes a trailblazer for a more ecologically conscious future.