Surf Life Saving NSW has welcomed two new Life Members following the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 7 November, along with the election of a new Director to the SLSNSW Board.
Dr Dean Dudley CF of Bulli SLSC and Jimmy Keough ESM from Byron Bay SLSC were awarded Life Membership after sustained careers in Surf Life Saving, the former a patrolling member in the Illawarra for more than two decades and the latter joining the movement on the Far North Coast as a Nipper in 1986.
Dean boasts sustained and distinguished service, particularly in the education space, where he has spearheaded statewide and national educational initiatives since first becoming a lifesaver in 2003.
Across two stints on the SLSNSW Board, the second he is currently still serving, Dean’s strategic oversight has impacted how tens of thousands of surf lifesavers develop skills and receive training, contributing to the operational readiness of volunteers on the beach.
He sits on the National Research Advisory Committee, offering high-level expert guidance on evidence-based lifesaving practices, and was formerly the National Education Manager with Surf Life Saving Australia where he spearheaded the nationalisation and digitalisation of lifesaving training programs.
Dean is an active volunteer lifesaver and RWC operator, and has three times been commended for Excellence in Rescue at a national level (2006, 2015 and 2021).
Jimmy Keough joined as a six year-old Nipper at Byron Bay surf club and has remained an active and invaluable part of the club ever since.
He pioneered the concept of Emergency Call Out Teams (ECOTs) with his establishment of the Byron Bay Emergency Response Team in 2005 – prior to the formal existence of ECOTs – and has held down the role of Club Captain for nearly a decade.
He has also been a significant contributor as a Duty Officer, RWC Operator, and Emergency Management leader, and was a recipient of the Emergency Service Medal (ESM) in 2022.
As a crewman in the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Northern Service, a State Duty Officer and an Incident Management Team member, Jimmy has leveraged his calm demeanour and clear communication skills to coordinate multi-agency responses and refine emergency protocols and procedures across the state over several decades.
Also announced at the AGM was the election of Glen Dunkley from Fingal Beach SLSC in the Hunter as the new Director of Lifesaving on the SLSNSW Board.
An experienced volunteer of more than 30 years, Glen has led frontline lifesaving delivery at club level – as both a Patrol and Club Captain – as well as Branch and State.
His broader Emergency Management experience includes representing Surf Life Saving as a Liaison Officer at Marine Area Command and during SES events and has sat on various Local and Regional Emergency Management Committees.
Closer to home, as Hunter Branch Director of Lifesaving, Glen developed systems for coordination and communication across multiple support services to enhance coverage and response capability. He championed the Dusk Patrol Program in response to a spike in Port Stephens drowning deaths in the summer of 2023 – a program that would later be recognised at the SLSNSW Awards of Excellence with the Innovation Award.
He is a former Hunter Surf Lifesaver of the Year, Support Operations Member of the Year, and a Rotary Emergency Services Officer of the Year finalist, and takes on the role as the Board postures to begin delivering the objectives outlined in the 2025-2030 SLSNSW Strategic Plan – Strengthen and Consolidate.
Thursday 13 November 2025