State President

Contact Paul Mannix

Education

My work on a community desk and attendance at branch meetings reinforces the need to keep up with the latest information contained in the handbook and to continually be involved in training. Just when you think you know it all a client will turn up with a request that really strains your knowledge.

Please do not hesitate to contact me via email or telephone (0419 801 867) if you have a question on any issue that arises as you carry out your JP duties.

Contact John Brodie

State Vice President and Membership and Regional Development

Born and raised a farmer's son in the Hunter Valley, student of Singleton Public School & Maitland Boys High. 1st place apprenticeship trade student of Newcastle TAFE. An Ausralian volunteer in Singapore, China & Borneo interiors. Graduate of Yale/Fujen University China with Diploma in spoken & written Chinese mandarin. NAATI Level 2 accreditation in mandarin-english-mandarin, & an Interpreter with Dept of Immigration TIS. Graduate of James Cook University with Diploma in Social Studies. Field Officer with NSW Dept. of Community Services assessing child welfare & foster parenting. Business owner/manager, receiving the NSW TAFE's highest faculty award & Sydney Institute of Technology commendation.

Currently a member of Wyong Drama Group involved in acting, set building & theatrical productions; Vice President of the Australia wide A'van Club of Australia; and travelling Volunteer with the Pathfinders Aboriginal Birth Certificate program, helping our first Australians to obtain Birth Certificates.

Contact Bruce Gibbs

Administration

Meryl was appointed a JP in 2013, after she retired, and became President of the Lower North Shore (previously North Sydney) Branch of NSWJA during 2014. She was elected to the NSWJA Board in November 2015.

Under her Presidency, the Lower North Shore Branch increased the number of JP Community Desks it oversaw to four: at the North Sydney Local Court (recently suspended), two in Willoughby libraries (that were transferred to this Branch), and a new Desk at Greenwood Plaza Shopping Centre, North Sydney. Meryl has visited each Desk and works at three of the four. To publicise the Desks, she developed a flyer listing local JP Desks and operating times and distributed these to various local businesses. After surveying Branch members for their concerns, she added an emphasis on training to the Branch activities.

Meryl's formal education includes a Batchelor of Pharmacy, Graduate Diploma of Administration, university courses in Technical Communication, and Training to Lead Auditor; plus workshops in workplace relations, handling bullying and harassment, assessor/auditing training, presentation skills and public speaking. She has a strong interest in ongoing education and developing and promoting the professionalism of JPs.

Contact Meryl Kane

IT & Communications and Strategic Development

Gary started his working life in the metal industry driving overhead cranes, mobile cranes and fork lifts. After 8 years of working in the metal industry he returned to study and gained library qualifications and spent 6 years working in various libraries including a stint with the United States Consulate General in Sydney.

In 1994 he commenced working at The Albion Centre, a specialist medical facility in Surry Hills and has been there since.

Gary has a side interest in an events planning company and with his business partners, plans monthly and annual events ranging from dinners, movies, kayaking, sailing and paintball.

Gary's interests include musical theatre, with an extensive collection of autographed theatre programs from major productions from the late 70's. Along with this interest he also has an interest in reading, movies and science fiction.

Contact Gary Wright

Marketing

I was born in Sydney and grew up in Kingsgrove and finished my schooling at Lewisham, gaining my Leaving Certificate.

I am married and between my wife and I have 4 children, 7 grandchildren and one great grandchild spread around NSW and Qld.

I have completed many sales and marketing courses over the years and a Commercial Negotiation course at Sydney Uni organised by BHP. It was an interesting but challenging course certainly worth the effort.

I have been involved with strata management and was elected Chair of the body corporate of 183 unit complex for a three year period.

We were involved with the Bed & Breakfast association on the Central Coast for 10 years and I was chair for 6 of these years of a group of 12 diverse properties.

I was involved with the rural fire service, as an active member for 6 years, when we first came to the coast.

We have been involved with fundraising and venture organising for Careflight for over 15 years now and still actively raising funds and running events.

I have been a Blood Donner for over 47 years and am on the call list for operations. With my plasma donations I have helped more than 6500 people who needed blood or blood products.

I am involved with the local parish as an acolyte, reader and commentator and bus driver, when needed.

I have been a JP since 91, at Pfizer, and was vice president under George Wares, of Ryde branch. We moved to the Central Coast and transferred to Central Coast branch, but the meetings clashed with the RFS training nights. Once I retired from the Rural Fire service I became active in the local branch and was then elected president around 2007 and have been ever since. I was asked to join the board in April to fill a vacancy in Marketing and accepted the position and have been re-elected at the last elections.

Contact Kevin O'Donnell

Administration and Governence

Contact Patricia MacDonanld

Desk Liaison

Ravi was born in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in 1964 and became an Australian citizen in 1973.

Ravi has completed a Bachelor of Engineering at UNSW and a Diploma of Law at the Legal Professional Admission Board.

Ravi owned and managed a construction company from 2008-2015 building architecturally designed commercial and residential properties. Prior to this, he worked as a Project Manager for the prestigious building company, Infinity Constructions in Sydney for 15 years working with award winning architects on significant projects such as ARIA restaurant, Opera Bar and Drog appartments.

Ravi has been a Director on the Board of WHOS since 2006. WHOS is Australia's largest organisation for drug and alcohol rehabilitation and operates in several states.

He became a Justice of the Peace in 2006 and has been a regular volunteer at the NSWJA Community JP desk at Waverly Council since 2015.

Ravi is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and recently complete the training program Foundation of Directorship.

Contact Ravi Proctor

Journal Editor

Since being elected, I have:

My objectives for the coming year are to:

Contact Peter Enderby

John Chandler

In February 2015 John was appointed to the voluntary position of State Registrar/Association Secretary as part the Administration Office restructure. His duties include statutory compliance, preparation of Board agendas and papers, preparing Board reports and taking minutes at Board meetings. John joined the Ashfield-Burwood branch in May 2013 and became President of that branch in August 2014. He volunteers on the Community JP Desk at Ashfield Library.

John has company secretary and accounting qualifications. He was the company secretary of one of Westpac's subsidiary companies. His other two management positions were in the Bank's Training and Legal divisions. He has also been the company secretary of a not for profit company. Casual employment included supervising university examinations, teaching children to swim and teaching pre-schoolers water confidence.

In 1990 he proposed to his wife, Marianna sitting on the bottom of the Tasman Sea while scuba diving at Clovelly.

Interests include classical music, gardening, bush walking and watching Rugby League and Rugby Union. Sports include running, cycling, surfing and snorkelling.

He is actively involved at St John's Anglican Church Darlinghurst, a complex parish that includes the suburbs of Woolloomooloo, Potts Point, Elizabeth Bay, Darlinghurst, Kings Cross and part of Rushcutters Bay.

NSWJA Patron

His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret'd), was sworn in as the 38th Governor of New South Wales on 2 October 2014.