what we do what we do what we do what we do

Meet our part-time staff

In order to maintain the Chest's integrity and continuity, two part-time staff are employed.

With many years of experience Julie Abramowski - Executive Officer and Wilda Kerr - Community Partnerships Manager coordinate the day to day business of The Chest.

from left Wilda Kerr and Julie Abramowski

Committee of Management

Chairman - Mr Mark Lane

His areas of interest include strategy, families, sport, volunteers and business. He has been a member of Junior Chamber International (JCI) Whitehorse Maroondah for 15 years. This group assists young leaders who want to learn and develop their skills through community projects and training.

He was JCI Australia National President in 2005, JCI Victoria State President in 2004 and JCI Whitehorse Maroondah President in 2003. Mark is also a board member of the Whitehorse Business Group.

 

 

 

Vice Chair - Mrs Judith Fry 

Judith has lived and supported her local Whitehorse community for many years. 

Prior to retirement Judith was a secondary school teacher.  She has 2 adult children and 2 grandchildren

 

 Treasurer - Mr Ray Freeman

 

Ray has always been an active volunteer because of he knows that many community organisations would not exist without the support of volunteers.  

He has been a member of the Chest's Management Committee for a number of years and is also strongly affiliated with Eastern Emergency Relief Network Inc as a founding member and long time Secretary.

As a life member of Nunawading Lions Club ( 27 years service) Ray has been President twice, spent a number of terms as Secretary and Treasurer, and has been on the Committee of the Lions Den Opportunity Shop in Forest Hill for 20 years.

Ray is also a Life member of the Ringwood Cricket Club, including 11 years as Treasurer.

In a former life ( ie. pre retirement ) Ray was employed by a Bank serving in three States over a period of 41 years. 

 

Assistant Treasurer - Mr Denis Street

 

Denis has lived in Vermont South for over 20 years and for more than 10 years he and his wife Denise have supported the home-based palliative care services provided by Eastern Palliative Care in a number of voluntary capacities. 

Denis served for 38 years in the Royal Australian Air Force as an electronic engineer and in recent years he worked in IT strategic consulting.  
Denis is a Fellow and Honorary Life Member of the Australian Computer Society. Denis has three children and five grand-children.

 

Mr Neil Angus

 

Neil has been involved as a volunteer in various community organisations all of his adult life and knows the important role that volunteer organisations play in the community.  Neil ispleased to be involved with the Whitehorse Community Chest.  The Whitehorse Community Chest has a long and proud history of assisting many local organisations over the last forty eight years.

Neil has worked as a chartered accountant in public practice for over twenty five years andis able to bring his business experience to assist the Whitehorse Community Chest.  As a board member of a range of not for profit organisations for many years, Neil is also able to bring the experience gained through these roles to assist "the Chest".

Mr Cedric Grigg

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr Matthew Koce

As a husband and as a father who has worked in community for many years, Matthew fully appreciates the important role that the not-for-profit sector performs in Whitehorse and the many challenges that they face, particularly when it comes to fundraising.

Having served on the Whitehorse Community Chest as a Committee Member since 2008 and as Chair of the Marketing Subcommittee since 2009, Matthew has contributed to the modernisation of the Chest's branding and worked hard to attract additional funding through sponsorships with local corporations.

Working as part of the Whitehorse Community Chest team has been an incredibly rewarding experience, as well as thoroughly enjoyable, and Matthew is keen to further build on the recent marketing and sponsorship successes.

 

Mrs Ann Chan

 

Ann Chan grew up in Forest Hill and has worked for the past 30 years in publishing, fundraising, communications and community development.  Ann currently works for Uniting Aged Care - Strathdon Community in Forest Hill.

Working in the not-for-profit sector, Ann has an appreciation for the need of dedicated volunteers and the importance of activities that build community.  As a new member of this committee, she looks forward to contributing her skills to support the important work of the Whitehorse Community Chest.  Ann is married with two adult children.

 

 

Miss Jeanette Lacy 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mrs Robyn Bell

                                              

With 20 years experience in the corporate world, owning and running several businesses in recent years, Robyn walked away from all but her risk consulting business in 2009 to focus on making a difference in her community. 

She is currently on School Council at her children’s primary school and is very active in her school community, is President of the Nunawading Toy Library, volunteers with Make-A-Wish and various other local charities, and has recently joined the Board of the Whitehorse Community Chest.  

She also completed a post grad business degree at Deakin University in 2010, and is looking forward to being an active member of the Whitehorse Community Chest Board in 2011. 

 


 

 

Mr Bob Slater AM

 

For the past 10 years (as an alternative to retirement) Bob has been involved in fundraising and community development for a variety of not-for-profits, and is currently at Alkira in Box Hill. A few years ago he was with Scope and became aware of the good work of Community Chest. In the 1990s he was CEO of an aged care organisation and for those seven years was very active in fundraising and community development in support of 560 elderly people. Bob has sat on school and professional boards of management and during a period when he was a consulting civil engineer was on the Board (including Chairman) of Victoria Division of Engineers Australia.

Bob and his wife Ruth have lived in the neighbouring City of Manningham for 30 years. For 17 years he has been involved with Rotary, including club president, and is currently on the District 9800 Board as Director of Vocational Service.

Bob is a returned serviceman who served for 36 years in various capacities throughout Australia and overseas in the Australian Army retiring as a Brigadier. He is a Fellow of Engineers Australia, Australian Institute of Management and Australasian Association for Gerontology, and is a Member of the Fundraising Institute of Australia. 

Ruth and I have three daughters and eight grand-children.