Get to know our people

Les Davis OAM - Chair

I am a retired School Principal, Media Producer, Grazier, Heritage Property Manager,
and Arts and Culture enthusiast.
With over 40 years’ experience in managing a variety of Not-for-Profit organisations I hope to bring some new ideas to revitalize the National Cartoon Gallery.
I would like to see more families visit the Gallery and broaden the experiences available to visitors. Developing partnerships with other Coffs Harbour family friendly attractions will increase the number of families that visit the Gallery.
While building on the uniqueness of the Gallery’s cartoon collection and the wonderful extensions opened in 2021, I envision the Coffs Coast community and visitors increasing their utilisation of the spaces that have been created by the Gallery's recent expansion. While having some cartoons on display at all times is envisaged there is now more scope for exhibiting other genres and having different activities.

I am confident that the National Cartoon Gallery's newly formed partnership with The Big Banana Fun Park, Dolphin Marine Conservation Park, Coffs Harbour Butterfly House will be a game changer for the NCG. The Coffs Coasty Multi Pass, with these four attractions available on one ticket, is an exciting development for tourism and the wider business community off the Coffs Coast.

Secretary

Stay tuned.

Treasurer

Stay tuned.

Neil Manson - Director

As a 5th generation local and a passionate supporter of all things Coffs Harbour, joining the Board of the Gallery was a great opportunity to give back to my town and to assist however possible with the growth of this tremendous community asset.

Our family business The Observatory Self Contained Apartments also has a strong commitment of giving back to the community and realising that the Gallery is a major driver in our visitor economy we have been long term supporters of the gallery. I have had a long history of community involvement from APEX, RFS, Orara Valley Fair, Can-Do Cancer Trust, P&C, industry bodies and various committees. To many, I am known as “the trainman” as each year I organise the Rainforest Rattler that brings joy to many thousands of people.

Many great things have already been achieved by past Boards and I firmly believe there is still much to be done before the potential of this unique Gallery is fully realised. I look forward to contributing towards its future growth and prosperity.

Peter Rektor & Robyn Trelore-Rektor - Directors

I am one of the Co-Founders of Designfocus Resource Pty Ltd, along with my wife, Robyn Trelore-Rektor. Our company specialises in commercial interior design and has successfully completed significant projects both nationally and internationally.

In our professional journey, we have been fortunate to engage in the creation of diverse exhibitions, ranging from significant ones to smaller-scale ones, both in Australia and Italy.

When it comes to the National Cartoon Gallery, our primary emphasis will be on forging partnerships with prominent enterprises in the North Coast region.

Our objective is to foster mutually advantageous collaborations that will generate awareness about the National Cartoon Gallery and secure sponsorships for exhibitions and events.

Additionally, I plan to actively participate in the conceptualisation and arrangement of various exhibitions, aiming to enhance the dynamism and excitement of the gallery visit for its patrons.