Executive Team
President: Steve Budden
Steve is a qualified Fitter and Turner tradesman and a qualified mechanical draughtsman. Owner manager of panel beating workshop specialising in Concourse car Restoration.
Multiple car show wins over the last 40 years.
Founder Owner Director of Australian Off Road for last 24 years major employer on Sunshine Coast manufacturing high-end Off Road Caravans employing 130 people also exporting to the USA.
Australia-wide people’s choice manufacturer of the year 2021 for the entire Caravan industry.
Multiple Caravan industry awards winner.
Recently semi-retired happily involved with BWMCA.
Secretary: Ian McKaskill
Ian is a professional mechanical engineer with over 40 years’ of experience in a diverse range of engineering and related areas including oil & gas, minerals processing, heavy engineering manufacturing, IT and education. He has expertise in project management and successful delivery of large capital works projects in the process industries. Ian’s career also includes marketing and business development and general management of engineering, construction and project management businesses.
Ian has also been involved in rural and regional-based activities in North East Victoria. Roles that Ian has held over the past 15 years include Board Member and Chair of the Alexandra District Hospital; Board Director of Yea Bendigo Community Bank; President, Vice-President and Treasurer of the Upper Goulburn Landcare Network; President, Treasurer and System Administrator of the Murrindindi East Chapter of U3A; and Independent Member of the Murrindindi Shire Council Audit and Risk Committee.
Ian has recently relocated to the Sunshine Coast and is looking forward to putting back into the community as he has done in Victoria.
Treasurer: John Meckan
John is an experienced executive, predominately in the Media/TV/Publishing industries. While initially studying Accounting/Economics in London, he worked as an accountant for both Twentieth Century Fox and Warner Bros.
Moving into General Management early in his career, and on his return to Australia, worked for a large magazine publisher, and a television production special effects company until establishing, with partners, his own consultancy practice, specializing in business planning and corporate workouts for advertising and media companies. John was appointed Director/Publisher for Melbourne University Press for 9 years before his retirement.
A graduate of Monash and Deakin Universities in Melbourne as well as studies at the London Business School.
Vice President & Grants Co-ordinator: Dougal Pitt
Dougal was educated by and worked in the forest products industry of South Africa.
After an assignment to a Hong Kong trading company dealing in specialised pulps for the textile, pharmaceutical and food industries, Dougal retired and has happily settled in Buderim.
Executive Committee Member & OPO Co-ordinator: Steven Cottingham
Steven is currently involved with several international Not-for-Profit organisations. His background as a business coach and advisor has seen him working on projects in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Indonesia and Hong Kong.
He has been a guest lecturer at the Sunshine Coast University on Social Enterprise and Corporate Social Responsibility, as well as serving on the university’s Business Advisory Board for Enactus.
Steven is also a qualified health consultant and medical researcher working internationally with companies such as Blackmores Ltd and Eagle Pharmaceuticals on new product development and education.
Executive Committee Member & Sponsorship Co-ordinator: Sue Wordsworth
Over four decades, I have had diverse roles including clinical, sales, marketing, professional and commercial education, compliance, governance and training, in public and private hospitals, and companies ranging from start-ups to multinationals.
I have focused my clinical, business and people skills on how best to support organisations and the teams I have worked with to achieve goals.
While accomplishments are important, what I have valued most are the relationships formed along the way; colleagues who became friends, mentors who shared the gift of their experience, and younger professionals I have had the privilege to encourage and learn from.
I am guided by a belief that when you put others, first, everyone benefits. This is especially true of the community we live in. I look forward to contributing to our Buderim community by building on the traditions of service that are the bedrock of the Buderim War Memorial Community Association and its affiliated community organisations.
