Heidi Lee Douglas, CEO 

Heidi works from the lands of the Bidjigal and Gadigal Clans of the Eora nation. 

Heidi resides with her family on the edge of Kamay (Botany Bay) on reclaimed swamp land that was once the trading route for clans north and south of Goolay'yari (the Cooks River).

Heidi has more than twenty years of experience working in the intersection between politics, narrative, and social change. She specialises in empowering the voices of others to move the dial and using story medicine to help fix social issues. Heidi has a deep passion for community organising and advocacy and strives to enable others to fulfill their dreams.

Heidi knows that to create outstanding results a leader must nurture a strong and positive team. Her management style is informed by radical candour, creating “a yes and” environment, empowering others to lead while also providing clear directives.

Living in one of the most diverse areas of Sydney, Heidi is constantly reminded of the challenges and opportunities of finding common ground to build bridges and create a better tomorrow. She is deeply values aligned with Solar Citizens' focus on helping to fix climate issues by unifying the community to embrace and demand the cost of living benefits that clean energy can provide. Heidi is also a local government councillor for Bayside (NSW).

Joel Pringle, National Campaigns Director

Joel works from the lands of the Awabakal people.

Joel's expertise draws on community development, social policy, advocacy, and political campaigning, and he is adept at applying these skills to grassroots campaigning and mobilisation.

Joel's professional experience includes consumer policy, housing affordability, cost-of-living campaigns, and shifting social norms to address discrimination. He brings this rich background to his new role advocating for clean energy for all consumers, on behalf of Solar Citizens.

Joel sees ensuring fair access to the cost-of-living benefits of renewable technologies as the major driver of climate equity in Australia, and essential to consolidating the successes of climate campaigns. He knows that climate justice and social justice are integrally connected and that renewable technologies should be available to everyone in our communities. He understands that it’s up to Australian communities to get involved in making make this happen, and that organisations such as Solar Citizens and its partners can empower everyday Australians to do this.

Carolin Wenzel, Media and Communications Manager

Carolin works from the lands of the Bidgigal and Gadigal clans of the Eora nation.

With more than 30 years of experience in strategic communications and media engagement with national environment and community organizations, Carolin is excited to maintain and raise the profile of Solar Citizens and help drive our campaigns to ensure all Australians gain access to clean, affordable renewable energy in our homes and vehicles.

Carolin first got involved with Solar Citizens as a founding member of Electrify Wolli Creek - a pilot project to identify and reduce the barriers to electrification in high rise apartments. You can read about Carolin’s experience here.

Carolin sees big opportunities for Solar Citizens in the years ahead: to mobilise the four million Australians with rooftop solar to pressure political leaders of all sides to keep the gains for rooftop solar, drive more uptake of batteries (that are needed to ‘firm the grid’) and counter the disinformation by proponents of nuclear power. Also to gain access to rooftop solar and batteries (and other consumer energy resources) for 60% of Australian households that currently miss out on the cost-saving and sustainability benefits- including renters, people in high-rise apartments and in social housing.

For media enquiries, please email [email protected] or call 0434 983 633

John Sturt-Addicott, Operations Manager 

John works from the lands of the Bidjigal and Gadigal Clans of the Eora nation. 

John's professional experience includes rolling out electric vehicle adoption in Australia, strategic planning for for-purpose organisations, grass-roots community work, and a few years in the music industry. The focus of his work to date has been on working with others to achieve positive impact for people and planet. Originally a youth worker, helping individuals navigate the complexities of life, John came to believe that working to secure a livable planet for everyone was a higher priority. 

Originally from the UK, John immediately fell in love with the Australian landscape, especially the broad blue skies and the abundant sunshine. For John, capturing the plentiful, affordable, clean energy that reaches us remains a huge opportunity for Australia. Through his work at Solar Citizens, John is seeking to ensure a vibrant and climate-safe Australia that will be enjoyed by his children and many others in perpetuity.

Charlie Rodrick, NSW Clean Energy Campaigner

Charlie works from the lands of the Bidjigal and Gadigal Clans of the Eora nation.

Since learning about climate change at school to studying environmental science at university, Charlie has long been passionate about the global emissions-busting benefits of renewable energy. Her motivation stems from lived experience as well as the science, having worked with remote communities in Malawi during one of their worst droughts on record and then moving to Australia not long before the catastrophic 2019-20 bushfires. 

Charlie is an advocate for not only a swift transition away from fossil fuels, but an inclusive and equitable one too. From growing up in the UK’s most multicultural city, to teaching English in China and going on to assist Syrian refugees with resettlement, Charlie draws on a range of invaluable experiences working with many diverse communities. She looks forward to the day when all Australians can access the cost of living benefits of rooftop solar and clean energy - including the millions of renters and apartment residents like herself who are currently locked out. 

Charlie is skilled in digital marketing and fundraising, and has managed campaigns on behalf of a number of Australian charities throughout her career. She is also an avid e-bike rider, frequent ocean-swimmer and lover of all things outdoorsy. 

Dr Philippa England, QLD Clean Energy Campaigner 

Philippa lives and works in Meanjin on the lands of the Turrbal and Jagera people. 

Philippa worked for over 20 years at Griffith University where she taught, researched and wrote about Queensland planning laws and policies. She is passionate about urban sustainability and excited about all the new opportunities for consumer-owned energy resources in our homes, towns and cities. From her own personal experience, Philippa knows every solar rooftop offers great savings for its owners; reduces the overall cost of the energy transition and limits our impact on Queensland’s wonderful environment. The Sunshine State is a special place. Queenslanders know it and they are all in for reaping the benefits of their abundant sunshine – so let’s make it happen!

Annie Loo, Strategic Projects Officer

Justin Tan, NSW Community Facilitator

Genevieve Kelly AO, Chair 

Genevieve Kelly (formerly Rankin) has a wealth of experience in environmental activism and community organising. In 2004 Genevieve received an AM in the Order of Australia, for service to the community, in particular the areas of conservation and the environment, reconciliation, local government, social justice, and education. Most recently she was project lead for Sydney Alliance Western Sydney University Organising unit. She previously worked as a senior university lecturer at Western Sydney University and as NSW Secretary of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU).

For many years she was a core community campaigner in the campaign against the building of a new Nuclear Reactor at Lucas Heights. Genevieve was an elected member and Mayor of Sutherland Shire Council up until 2004. She was the first Mayor in Australia to give a formal apology for the Aboriginal genocide at the commemoration of Cook’s landing at Kurnell. Genevieve is a mother and grandmother and is passionately committed to Solar Citizen’s vision of 100% renewable energy for Australia.

Noosheen Mogadam, Secretary; Chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Subcommittee; Chair of the Risk, Governance and Employment Subcommittee

Noosheen is a lawyer and has practiced in commercial firms, as well as, community legal organisations in Australia. She has also worked in international emergency humanitarian response operations across the middle east, in program management, protection and advocacy roles. Noosheen is passionate about diversity in human rights and environmental movements for amplification of outcomes, and sees grassroots organisations like Solar Citizens as prime influencers in realising sustainable development initiatives locally. 

Stephen Pfeiffer, Chair of the Finance, Fundraising and Strategy Subcommittee

Ric Brazzale

Ric Brazzale is Chairman of the Green Energy Group and has more than 30 years’ experience in the energy sector. Prior to establishing the Green Energy Group in 2007, Ric headed the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE), now the Clean Energy Council, a leading advocate for renewable energy and energy efficiency markets in Australia. Before this, Ric worked in a number of business development and finance roles with Fletcher Challenge Energy, John Holland and Woodside Petroleum. Ric is also President of the REC Agents Association, President of the Voluntary Carbon Markets Association and a Director of the Energy Savings Industry Association. Ric is also Chair of the National Steering Committee of the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics.