Cheryl Steinhardt is committed and firmly rooted in the Lockyer Valley community.
“I’ve always been very committed to community, right from an early age,” she said.
“I went to school in Forest HIll and then Laidley State High School and served in all the school councils and that type of thing, and I’ve kept the ball rolling.
“For the last 14 years I’ve served on a not-for-profit organisation in Milton (Lutheran Church of Australia Queensland District) that serves 26 schools, 25 aged care centres and disability centres, two camp sites, and 51 childcare centres.”
The newly elected Lockyer Valley Regional Councillor comes from a farming background and said she would remain committed to the region’s rural communities.
“I was born of a farmer, married a farmer, and my husband and I farmed in the Mulgowie region,” Cr Steinhardt said.
“Because of my rural background, I’m very committed to all of the rural outlets, not only the urban development we have, but inclusive of the whole region.
“There’s some absolutely amazing people in the Lockyer, they’ve got such pride, and anything council can do to continue that progress for them in the region is just a blessing and an honour to do.”
Cr Steinhardt said she was interested in policies and procedures.
“I always believe if an organisation has good policies and procedures, that’s the direction to the staff,” she said.
“Your mission statement and values are embedded in those, so that will flow through the organisation to make it stronger for the betterment of communities.”
According to Cr Steinhardt, council needed to address job vacancies and its communications strategies.
“If we can grow a good environment for our employees that’s going to bring the quality of experience that we need in those positions,” she said.
“We’re quite committed to addressing that.
“Communications is another big one, council is getting better at doing that.
“As an outsider looking in before the election, they are definitely getting better at communication, but there’s still some work there that we can certainly do.”
Cr Steinhardt said she was looking forward to stepping into her portfolio and learning the skills needed for the role.
“We’re trying to restructure the portfolios currently, to fit more in alignment with the areas of the departments that we work under and finding the best skill set for each councillor within those environments,” she said.
“It will be quite a different skill set from governance roles that I’ve previously had.”
Cr Steinhardt said the election campaign trail was a ‘humbling experience’.
“People would approach you and tell you about the needs of the region, thank you for your support, and thank you for putting your hand up and going forward,” she said.
“All of those candidates were so passionate, and it was a wonderful blessing to meet all of them.”
Residents have the opportunity to meet Cr Steinhardt at the Helidon Anzac Day service.
“I do enjoy face-to-face with the community, there’s nothing like it,” she said.
“If there’s anyone that has any questions or wants to reach out, that’s fine and I’m available any time, and I’ll get back to them as soon as I can.”
Lockyer Valley residents can contact Cr Steinhardt on her mobile – 0429 790 472.
