There are so many people in our community who are doing great things and who are helping to make great things happen.

The list is only a sample and people are encouraged to suggest others.

Let’s acknowledge the people who help to make our community the great place it is.

16. JAN KRAAIJ

As the senior director of Keymax Property Group, Jan Kraaij has been part of the commercial growth of North Lakes since 2011. The developer was responsible for many of the commercial premises built around North Lakes. Originally from South Africa, Mr Kraaij moved to Australia in 2010. From its first commercial complex in Discovery Drive in 2011, Keymax built further commercial premises in Discovery Drive and a number of golf course- frontage homes. The six-storey North Lakes Specialist Medical Centre was completed in 2016, followed the next year by the five-storey mixed-use commercial building on Anzac Ave. Last year Keymax opened North’s Lakes’ first accommodation, conference and function hotel on the shores of Lake Eden.

15. STEPHANIE BLUNT

YMCA North Lakes Youth Space manager Stephanie Blunt is passionate about helping young people. She has dedicated her career to assisting and developing young people and aims to empower and inspire today’s young people to achieve their full potential. She works directly with young people and their families to provide support and practical assistance in development, parenting and engagement. Ms Blunt has been involved in many youth-oriented initiatives such as a breakfast program for school students, skate park days, has taken part in the annual Rat Race fundraiser and last year was a finalist in the Westfield North Lakes local hero awards.

14. KELLY MCLEAN

Senior women’s co-ordinator of The Lakes Football Club, Kelly McLean, has been a primary driver of attracting women and girls to the club. She joined the club four years ago as a player and was involved in forming the club’s first senior women’s team. At the time the club had a number of junior girl players but no senior teams. It now has nine all-girl teams in juniors and seniors including the newly promoted Premier League team. Ms McLean has been on the club committee for three years and does “a bit of everything”. This includes junior gradings, helping in the canteen and uniform shop and preparing the fields. Her efforts to launch the senior teams has boosted the numbers of younger women players to the club.

13. FR DAN BERRIS

Father Daniel Berris has been priest in charge of the Lakes Anglican Church since January 2012 and has immersed himself into not only the church community but the general community. He has set up office with YMCA staff at The Space in North Lakes where Sunday services are held. Fr Dan is a chaplain to the Queensland Police Service and had a hand in establishing a playgroup at The Space. For the past two years, Fr Dan and others have held a Community Christmas Event at The Space on Christmas Day for people who do not have family or friends in the area and want to meet others, and for those less fortunate. He was part of a group that held a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder seminar in North Lakes to give sufferers the information and links to service providers they need.