Rod Best PSM
President
Rod is a retired a lawyer who specialised in the field of child protection.
Rod was awarded the Australian honour of a Public Service Medal in 2004 and was made an honorary life member of The Law Society of NSW in 2017.
He is also interested in Australian social history and is Chair, Beecroft Cheltenham History Group and Director Fellowship of First Fleeters.
For the last 5 years of his working life Rod was with Life Without Barriers.
He is also an elder of the Beecroft Presbyterian Church.
Ross Walker OAM
Vice President
Ross was awarded his OAM for many years of community Service. Ross is a retired public servant involved in property management, with qualifications in surveying and town planning. Ross has lived in Beecroft for 30+ years. Apart from his continuing work with the Trust, Ross continues to actively volunteer with Bush Care, Beecroft Probus and The Garden Club. He is a member of the Sydney North Planning Panel and on the Hornsby Council Bushland Management Advisory Committee.
Bill Rankine
Vice President
Bill has lived in Beecroft for almost 30 years. He has been involved in the local Neighbourhood Watch and the Beecroft Probus club. He has an MBA and is a retired oil company executive. Bill provides the Police reports for the Trust’s newsletters and liaises with the local Police Area Command on behalf of the BCCT.
Michael McAuley BA, LLB, M
Secretary
Michael McAuley with his spouse Kaye have lived in Beecroft for the past 30 years, together with his children and now grandchildren. Michael continues to practise as a lawyer. Not a day passes without him walking around Beecroft Cheltenham, and in the surrounding bushland. Michael appreciates the area, not only for its beauty, but also for its varied community groups, and educational and other facilities.
Nina Mital
Treasurer
Nina is active in the Beecroft-Cheltenham community, with management committee positions in NFPs like the Beecroft Garden Club. Her professional background is consumer insights, with special interest in analytics and behavioral economics. Her favourite natives at the moment are from the genus Corymbia, particularly ficifolia, among the red/pink flowering gums. Nina loves her yoga and can be found practising her sun salutations any time of the day.
Brian Shirley
Website, eNews, IT
Brian has lived in Beecroft for 25 years. He is a retired Electrical Engineer. Brian spent 5 years in the Advertising Industry and then 45 years working in the Audio Visual industry. Brian looks after the Trust's Website and eNews, He is also a volunteer Instructor at "Computer Pals for Seniors" in West Ryde.
Dr Julie Zetler
Emeritus Past President
Julie has lived in Beecroft for 26 years; she worked as a lawyer and law academic for over 30 years, retiring in 2019 from Macquarie University. Her main research, lecture and publishing schedule centred around Social Justice (Human Rights) Issues, Health Law/Bioethics, Employment Law, Intellectual Property Law, Marketing/Business Law and Administrative Law. After retiring Julie reinvented herself and recently completed the Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Visual Arts her specialty includes portrait painting and sculpture. Approximately 3 years ago Julie joined the Trust Committee because she is passionate about Local, State and Federal Government Governance Integrity requirements - transparency, accountability and social justice in relation to the environment; advancing local and broader social and physical change in a sustainable way and promoting the 'rights' ('in good faith') of local community members to actively engage and 'voice' their concerns about positive and negative government development policy.
Janet Hayes
Janet has lived in Beecroft with husband, Lawrie, for 21 years. She is a keen gardener and member of the Beecroft Garden Club and is membership officer of a local Probus group. Janet is a regular walker in the area. She values the bushland and the heritage that the Beecroft Cheltenham area offers and enjoys the friendship and sense of community that we are so fortunate to have here.
Tim Abrams
Tim’s parents built an American Colonial home in Fiona Road Beecroft in 1945 after WW2.
He was born in Poplars Private Hospital Epping in 1954. His professional career as a Industrial Relations advocate saw him represent both sides of the divide. This sense of a “fair go” allows him to ensure balance when applying to new developments and renovations. Tim’s passion is to ensure the Federation character and charm is not only maintained but is applied to any new development in the Beecroft Cheltenham catchment. Tim has a MBA ( Industrial Relations ) and is a local Justice of the Peace.
Glynn Rogers
Glynn is a retired communications engineer who worked for the CSIRO. He first came to Beecroft in 1973 after moving from Queensland, renting a flat for a year in the middle of what is now the M2. He returned as a rate payer in 1981 when he and his wife Heather bought their present property. As a keen walker, he is familiar with much of the surrounding bushland and believes it is a vital resource that must be preserved for the benefit of the whole community.
