Cheryl Cook’s father, the late John Steinke, was a councillor and mayor of the former Hume Shire Council for 17 years. Upon retirement he and wife Melba became residents of Howlong until their passing.
Cheryl was raised on a farm near Brocklesby with strong Howlong connections dating back to 1974.
After living in Sydney, Wollongong and Melbourne she came back in 2011 with her husband Kevin and settled in Howlong.
Cheryl has developed confident skills as a personal assistant in the legal, local government and private sectors, self-employed businesswoman, sales trainer, real estate agent, and the past four years secretary of the Howlong Community Progress Association.
Her integrity, perception, ability to communicate at all levels and local knowledge of the entire shire will be an asset for councillor.
As the lead candidate for Group G, Cheryl realises that standing for council is not about a popularity contest.
“When elected it’s about a lot of extra unpaid hours, intrusion into one’s personal life, contentious debate in the chamber and potential abuse from ratepayers who don’t like the tough governance decisions that sometimes have to be made,” she says.
“So why did I put my hand up? I have the experience, the knowledge and the confidence to be a persuasive voice in the council chamber.
“I’m a willing listener for people’s issues of concern, I’ll be approachable but not exploitable, I’ll be firm but fair and I will uphold the oath that councillors make to be of service to the entire shire.”
Cheryl feels it’s timely for councils to get back to basics minus the distraction of social and political issues.
If elected, she wants to ensure that badly needed infrastructure upgrades and forward planning stays top of the agenda to ensure the future needs of all communities throughout the shire.