Meet Our Board of Directors
KNC is governed by a dedicated team of experienced professionals and community leaders who are committed to guiding our organisation and shaping the future of community support.
Our Board plays a vital role in strategy, governance, and advocacy, ensuring that KNC continues to deliver essential services and empower the community.
Board Members
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Peter Kirkwood OAM
Peter has been a resident of Sydney’s Upper North Shore for over 30 years. He is married to his wife Gabrielle, has two adult children and four grandchildren.
He has an interest in local community affairs primarily through his involvement with the Rotary Club of Wahroonga and the Hornsby/Ku-ring-gai PCYC.
Professionally, Peter was involved in application engineering, sales, and marketing of high technology equipment in the defence, communications, and medical industries.
He is a Justice of the Peace and has received a Government of NSW Community Service Award. In 2018 Peter was named Ku-ring-gai Citizen of the Year, and in 2019 was awarded the Order of Australia (OAM).
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David Forsythe
David holds a commerce degree from Newcastle University, is active in the University community and in professional education programs.
Career as Chartered Accountant, partner in or consultant to various Chartered Accountancy and financial services firms in Newcastle from 1973 to 1986, and in Sydney from 1986, primarily with Rost & Kitchener from 1986 to 2008. Advised individuals and small/medium sized companies in tax, business strategies and management.
Resident of St Ives since 1986 and an active member of the Rotary Club of Ku-ring-gai since 1987. He held roles as President, Treasurer and Director, leading many of the club’s community hands-on projects, and advisor to two Rotary District Governors. Past member of Apex in Newcastle, Jaycees in Mosman and Justice of the Peace.
He is currently the Director and Company Secretary.
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Paul Locke
Paul was a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse for 14 years; then Group Controller with William Adams and following takeovers and spin-outs by BHP, retired as Company Secretary of Arrium (formerly OneSteel). Paul spent 20 years as Treasurer of Georgian House aged care facility until it merged with Wesley Gardens. He currently serves as a Director and Company Secretary.
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Michele Bell
Michele is a registered physiotherapist who worked developing functional exercises, falls prevention and hydrotherapy programs in NSW to promote wellness and reablement. Michele was actively involved in the development of these programs for public and private health services, built and directed services, managed development of public and private hospital hydrotherapy and water-based and land-based programs for over 28 years.
Consultant to the Department of Veteran Affairs and Motor Accident Authority for many years Michele is also a certified workplace trainer currently advisor to Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Dementia Alliance and current guest lecturer for UNSW Social Work faculty on ‘Culture Identity & Diversity – Pathways to accessing services’. Michele is also Guest presenter at NSW PHN forums, OPAN member and Executive member of Interagency Forum Sydney North. Michele is passionate about Advocacy and clear service information through the KNC Carer Connection program.
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Robyn Kerr OAM
B.A.(Hons). Robyn is a retired public servant and has been a local resident of Ku-ring-gai for 58 years. Active over the years in school P&Cs primary and secondary, she is also a long time parishioner at St John’s Anglican Church Gordon. She has been involved in local community groups offering advocacy in promoting the interests of these groups. She has been a Justice of the Peace since 1981 and a volunteer at KNC for over ten years. Robyn is committed to ensuring residents have access to all information about their rights and services.
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Vini Mehta
Vini has been a resident of Ku-ring-gai for fifty years. She worked in radio in India as a newsreader and doing children's and women's programs. She arrived in Australia in 1969 with her husband and family. She was approached by the Indian community in Sydney to take part in the first Hindi language radio programs in Australia in 1975. She worked with Radio 2EA (later SBS Radio) for 17 years broadcasting in Hindi. Vini chose to dedicate herself to helping people and the community after the loss of her husband in 2007. She joined KNC as a volunteer, teaching Mahjong and helping with the shopping bus. Vini is also a member of the Asquith VIEW Club which is part of The Smith Family and sponsors six children throughout their primary and secondary schooling. Vini has been a member of the VIEW club for the last 28 years, supporting The Smith Family causes.
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Anna Struthers
Anna trained as a pre-school teacher in Adelaide and worked part time in several Sydney pre-schools for twenty five years. She started driving clients for KNC in 1992 and has been involved in the ESL (English as Second Language) classes since 2008. She has been a Co-ordinator for these classes since 2014. Anna became a Director on the KNC Board in 2019. She has been volunteering as a driver for Meals on Wheels from their Turramurra Centre since 2005.
Anna was awarded the Northern Sydney Area Volunteer of the Year in 2018. She enjoys meeting and helping members of the Ku-ring-gai community.
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Anne Sigre
Anne began her career in the UK, working in administrative roles at British Gas before moving into real estate. In 1988, she relocated to Adelaide with her husband and two sons. There, she joined a medical practice as manager, gaining qualifications in HR and Management. She later worked as an Executive Assistant at an international packaging company.
In 2009, Anne moved to NSW to join her husband and settled in North Turramurra. She volunteered at KNC, handling administrative tasks, and also worked in a local real estate agency and a retirement village. Her dedication as a volunteer led to a staff position at KNC, focusing on volunteer recruitment, compliance, and administration.
In 2016, Anne returned to Adelaide to be closer to family but has remained connected to KNC, supporting its growth and development.
Guiding KNC Towards a Stronger Community
Our Board of Directors are dedicated to:
✔ Ensuring transparency and accountability in our operations
✔ Driving strategic growth to meet evolving community needs
✔ Advocating for better services and resources for those in need
Through collaborative leadership and community engagement, KNC continues to positively impact lives every day.
Want to learn more about our leadership?