Regular Board meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month and are open to SDBA members to attend at any time.
Members of the Board
Cheryl Chang – Director
Cheryl is owner of Nourish in Sechelt. She is passionate about community and sustainability and working with the SDBA to create eco-friendly plastic free solutions for downtown businesses.
Chelsie Marleau – Treasurer
Seril James – Director
Tess Bradshaw – Director
Michaela Smeaton – Director
Leisha Sloss- Director
Leisha is the owner and creative director of Local Tourist Ltd. – a retail and tattoo shop in downtown Sechelt. She graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University with a Bachelor of Design in Fashion Communication and has worked in the retail industry for over 15 years, most notably as a designer for lululemon athletica and in design and leadership roles at Arc’teryx Equipment for the last 10 years. Leisha has been proud to call the coast home since 2020 and is passionate about creating community and connection through design and a love of both travel and coming home.
Joanne Van Ginkel – President
Joanne van Ginkel principal of Garten Design graduated with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Guelph. Concurrent to this, she completed her Bachelor of Arts with a focus on fine art. This combined love of landscape architecture and art led to the formation of Garten Design Inc in 2002. The company specializes in artful residential garden design on the Sunshine Coast of BC. This past year saw her open a design studio and garden store on Wharf Avenue. She’s adding a nursery this spring. Areas of particular interest include: kitchen gardens, small space design, infill planning and development projects. Joanne sits on the Sechelt Chamber of Commerce and APC for the District of Sechelt.
Ashley Kitchen – Past President
Redecor + Design is a charming and established retail shop located in downtown Sechelt and has been supporting local makers and artists for over 10 years. ReDecor + Design also offers the community a friendly and trendy spot to consign their home décor objects with a focus in repurposing and upcycling unique finds while reducing the need to add to the landfill.
In May 2019 Ashley Kitchen became the new owner of Redecor + Design. Ashley has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emily Carr University of Art + Design as well as a Certificate of Interior Design from BCIT. Ashley’s professional experience includes 15 years in the design and retail industry.
Ashley is a highly motivated and organized professional who has held leadership roles in many business networking organizations such as BNI and the GVHBA, and is one of the founders and chair of a women’s business support group, SheMind. Having grown up in a small town in the Kootenays, Ashley believes in a warmhearted and connected community helping each other thrive and grow to our highest potential.
Ashley and her husband moved to the Sunshine Coast from Vancouver in August 2018, seeking a slower and more meaningful lifestyle. When Ashley is not at the shop you’ll find her at the beach or in the trails with her 2 dogs, Riley and Costa.
Jessica Hemingway – Director
Jessica is the present owner of Moorestock, a lifestyle boutique located in the heart of Sechelt on Cowrie Street. Having managed the business in an executive role prior to ownership (effective August of 2019), Jessica possesses a wealth of knowledge from her hands-on experience in all facets of the retail industry. As a long time resident of the Sunshine Coast, Jessica is invested in the potential of her community from not only a business perspective, but a personal standpoint as well.
Lucy Clark – Trustee
Lucy is the facilities coordinator for the District of Sechelt and also the program lead for the Sechelt Winter Market and supports major events in the downtown such as Bright Nights, Festival of Lights, Taste of Sechelt and Oktoberfest.
Lucy has a passion for the small town life, always finding ways of connecting with people. In Lucy’s spare time you will find her, with her 4 daughters and 1 granddaughter, spending family time, walking the beach, shell collecting and ocean and lake fishing.
SDBA Office Staff
Theressa Logan – Executive Director, SDBA
Theressa moved to the Sunshine Coast eleven ten years ago and is proud to call Sechelt home. Her background is in marketing communications, public relations and sales. Her focus is on building a vibrant downtown full of wonderful experiences. Her goal is to continue to build on making Sechelt a welcoming place offering boutique shops, eateries, art and music for locals and visitors to enjoy.
Theressa also is a Director on the Sunshine Coast Tourism Board and is the Marketing Director for Sunshine Coast Air.