ABOUT WESTIR

Academic: B.A., Grad. Dip. Ed.

Erich Weller retired from employment at Penrith City Council in 2019, where he served as the Community and Cultural Development Manager for 15 years. With previous experience as a Social Planner at Penrith, he maintained a long-standing interest in demographic research, a strong commitment to community engagement and participation, and a deep understanding of how Federal and State Government social policies impact communities. His work in research and engagement was significant, as it informed collaborative efforts with communities and the broader non-government sector to create a positive impact on people’s lives. Early in his career, he also worked in the community sector and believed that all levels of government should closely collaborate with community organizations to ensure accessible social services and support constructive change.

In his role at Penrith, he led a team of professional staff with diverse portfolio responsibilities, including social planning, working with various demographic groups such as young people, older people, individuals with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and culturally and linguistically diverse communities. He also oversaw responsibilities related to affordable housing, addressing homelessness, managing Council and other funding programs, facilitating the development of new community facilities, and coordinating a series of annual events.

Charles Casuscelli is the CEO of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) representing the collective interests of Local Government in Western Sydney. 

Formerly he was the State Member for Strathfield (Legislative Assembly) between 2011 and 2015 and was appointed Chair of the NSW Parliament’s Transport and Infrastructure Committee. 

Charles has held several senior executive appointments in the public and private sectors, including agencies representing both the State and Commonwealth governments.

Academic: Bachelor of Environmental Planning, Certificate IV in Project Management

When not working with and supporting WESTIR, Shaun is the Executive Planner – Business and Investment at Wollondilly Shire Council. With an extensive career in town planning within Western Sydney, Shaun likes to use data to inform decision making. In his time with the NSW Department of Planning and Liverpool City Council, he has focused on delivering planning information to the community and stakeholders through innovative solutions like Interactive Buildings and ePlanning Portal.

Shaun’s technology forward approach and appetite for evidence-based decision making ensures he is a great fit for WESTIR.

Academic: Bachelor of Social Science (Honours); G.Dip Education; PhD in Human Geography 

Dr Emma Power is an Associate Professor of Geography and Urban Studies in the School of Social Sciences and Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University. An urban geographer and housing researcher, her work focuses on the needs of low income and older households; income support recipients; people living in the private rental sector, social housing (including community and public housing) and with experience of homelessness. Emma lives and works in Sydney’s western suburbs and Blue Mountains. These are places with lived experience of social difference, facing growing urban and economic development pressures, growing housing affordability challenges and the escalating impacts of climate change including urban heat and bushfire. These challenges motivate her work, including current Australian Research Council funded projects that ask how welfare reliant households make ends meet, and that partner with social housing tenants and providers to explore innovative, community-developed responses to urban heat. 

Emma contributes to public policy debates nationally, appearing in radio and print media across Australia, and through opinion editorials in The Conversation, and Parity, the national homelessness journal. Emma is Editor of The International Journal of Housing Policy and co-founder of the Housing Journal Podcast. Emma co-leads the Urban Futures research program in the Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University.

More info coming soon…

Sharmily Nagarsekar, a passionate advocate for learning and development, has over two decades of expertise in workforce development and organisational capacity building within the not-for-profit sector. Her expertise encompasses a wide range of fields within the not-for-profit sector, from early childhood education to Vocational Education and Training, all the way to higher university qualifications. With highly developed strategic acumen and a deep appreciation for cross-cultural nuances, Sharmily is a driving force in elevating the Community Sector through the adoption of best-practice governance, leadership, and business strategies. 

One of Sharmily’s notable recent achievement is her instrumental role in co-implementing the Linker Network, an innovative and collaborative practice model that has brought about a transformation in coordinated, client-centred, and best-practice early intervention service delivery and sector change across the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) Western Sydney Nepean Blue Mountains District (WSNBM). This endeavour, conducted in partnership with NGO collaborators, aims to significantly improve the experiences and outcomes of vulnerable children, young people, families, and communities accessing the service system.

Sharmily is currently the CEO of LEAD Professional Development Association Inc., a peak not-for-profit organisation, providing dynamic, evidence-informed, and experiential professional development opportunities for professionals working with children, young people, families, and communities and a range of tailor-made capacity-building services designed to empower and strengthen the Community Sector. 

With a visionary outlook and a proven history of making a positive impact, Sharmily is committed to be a driving force in strengthening the strategic direction of WESTIR. Her commitment to lifelong learning and her unwavering advocacy for those in need align perfectly with the goals and values of WESTIR.

Academic: B.Bus (WSU), G.DipComMgt (UTS), M.ComMgt (UTS) MAICD, MIML, MAHRI, MICDA

Margaret Tipper has worked in the community sector for over 30 years, after initially working in the corporate sector. Her experience in the community sector has been in the Western Sydney area with a large charity as its Executive Officer; Manager of a Sub Regional Peak community organisation and most recently, as the Executive Officer of WESTIR Limited, a not-for-profit community organisation that provides enhanced and equitable access to social research and data for people and organisations.

Margaret is passionate about the work that the community sectors including Neighbourhood Centres and Sector Development Organisations do every day in communities. The importance of this work, often as the initial point of contact with the community, cannot be understated. Margaret is currently the President of the Local Community Services Association (LCSA), which is the NSW Peak Body for Neighbourhood and Community Centres. Outside of her employment, Margaret sits, and has sat, on a number of Boards and Advisory Groups. These include, the School of Medicine at UWS; BPW Australia, Immediate Past Executive Secretary; Chair of the Continence Foundation of Australia in NSW and is a Category D Member of the Animal Ethics Committee at the Children’s Medical Research Institute.

Ron Alder did not stand as a Board Member for 2023-24. WESTIR would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation for his remarkable contributions over the years. Ron initially joined the WESTIR Board as the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) Councillor Representative from Blacktown City Council in May 2001. Since then, he transitioned to the role of a community member. More recently, Ron achieved the status of a WESTIR Life Member, an honour awarded to him by WESTIR in December 2019 (the second WESTIR Life Member).

Throughout his tenure on the Board, Ron served as the Chairperson for several years, showcasing his commitment to the organisation’s goals. His extensive knowledge of Western Sydney and active involvement in community well-being initiatives have left a lasting impact. Ron has demonstrated a particular interest in understanding the changing demographics and growth patterns of Western Sydney. WESTIR is grateful for his dedicated service and wishes him the very best in his future endeavours. Once again, thank you Ron.

Peter worked with the Greater Western Sydney community for over 30 years. He was a strong advocate of the use of data and evidence in ensuring the voices of the community are heard. He sat on many boards during this time and was well known and respected across the Community Sector and beyond. He had notable involvement in Western Sydney initiatives such as the Western Sydney Area Assistance Scheme, WSROC Regional Community Development Team, Western Sydney Housing Information and Resource Network, TEAM WEST, Voice for Song, FACS Targeted Earlier Intervention Funding Reform, the Western Sydney Collective and others too many to list here.

Peter was noted for strongly supporting community sector governance and making data and research available to the Western Sydney community. His motto is “let the data run free”.