Dr Michelle Byrne has led a distinguished career in both the public and private sectors.
She has approached all her roles with the ethos of service, dedication and persistence.
Michelle was first elected to The Hills Shire Council at the 2008 local government elections and by 2011 was Deputy Mayor.
The youngest ever female Mayor of The Hills Shire, she was elected to that role in September 2012 at the age of 33.
She was re-elected to the role of Deputy Mayor in 2014 following two years as Mayor, and in 2017 became the first directly-elected Mayor of The Hills Shire, holding that position until 2021.
Michelle returned to local government in September 2024 as the directly-elected Mayor of The Hills Shire and will serve a four year term.
Michelle is passionate about education and life-long learning. She holds a Bachelor of Medical Science with first class honours and a Ph.D., whose thesis researched the overcoming of cancer cellular resistance to chemotherapy drugs. She worked in medical research for a number of years at the University of Technology, Sydney.
She also holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice and was admitted by the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2018.
Ever-dedicated to community service, Michelle has served on a number of boards and executive committees of local and national not-for-profit and community organisations and sporting clubs.
She is the founder of The Hills Winter Sleepout and co-founder of the Hills Community March for change and also serves as Patron to a number of charities and organisations including Hills Community Aid and Hills relay for Life, just to name a few.
Michelle is also a member of a number of community groups including the Castle Hill Sub-Branch of the Returned Services League and is a proud Lion, Soroptimist and Rotarian.
Michelle is an active community advocate, and is passionate about raising awareness of mental health issues, domestic and family violence as well as homelessness.
As Mayor, she enjoys connecting with the community, and her vision is to create an excellent quality of life for those who live in The Hills.