LG Professionals SA - Meet Our Members

Spotlight on the country - John Brak, Regional Council of Goyder

21 Mar 2011 5:25 PM | Anonymous

Each month we will place the spotlight on a country council and/or staff member.

This month, we are speaking with John Brak, CEO, Regional Council of Goyder.

What's your current role?
Chief Executive Officer, Regional Council of Goyder.

How did you get into that role?
I was employed as the Planner for the Regional Council of Goyder and held qualifications and prior experience in Local Government administration.
When the position of CEO became available I applied and the rest, as they say, is history.

What do you like best about the current job?
The challenge of managing a local community service organisation that is owned by, and accountable to the local community.

What advice would you give to someone looking to get into a similar role?
Have the support of your family to work the long hours that are expected of the position of CEO. Maintain and develop your sense of humor.

What’s next for you?
Enjoying the final two years on my employment contract and hopefully re-negotiating a further contract term of employment with Goyder.

Why did you join the LGMA(SA)?
I joined the LGMA (Lower North) Branch but things have been quiet for a while so have moved upward and onwards.

Describe a typical working day.
Arrive at work early before staff and telephones start working so that I can:
•    Check diary to reaffirm the day’s program.
•    Check emails received and prioritise/delegate responses.
•    Check records and customer service requests booked out to me during the previous day and prioritise/delegate responses.

Meet and greet the staff (so that they remember what I look like).

Attend to scheduled and, more often, impromptu meetings with staff, elected members, community members etc.

Stay at work late after staff and telephones stop working so that I can:
•    Write meeting notes, correspondence, reports resulting from meetings.
•    Check emails received for urgent attention.
•    Check diary for the next day’s activities.

Perhaps the above should be re-titled ‘an ideal working day’ as what usually happens is that some issue presents from left field and all the best made plans go west!

Wild World of Local Government Conference - March 2011 - photo gallery

21 Mar 2011 8:11 AM | Anonymous

Spotlight on the country - Mary Deakin, Copper Coast

21 Feb 2011 10:47 AM | Anonymous

Each month we will place the spotlight on a country council and/or staff member.

This month, we are speaking with Mary Deakin, General Manager, Corporate and Community Services, District Council of the Copper Coast.

Hi Mary – thanks for spending a few minutes with us for our LGMA newsletter. Can you start by telling us a bit about your professional background?

My professional background is in business. I completed my Postgraduate Diploma in Management through external studies in 2009. I undertook a Bachelor of Commerce with University of Southern Queensland majoring in accounting. My previous field was in visual arts and I am still able to be involved in this area through community art galleries, art prizes and Council’s community function.

What council are you currently with, and when did you start working there?

I started working with the District Council of the Copper Coast as General Manager Corporate and Community Services in August 2009 after working with the Berri Barmera Council. My first role within a Council was at Tennant Creek Town Council.

Why did you decide to work for a country council?

Being born and raised in the country I have always had an affinity with the country. I enjoy living in the country and working in a small close knit community. I find country people supportive and keen to be involved in what is happening within the community. My children are able to get around town easily as it does not take long for them to work out where everything is. Everything is within close proximity, work, school, home and shopping.

What’s different about working for a country council?

Country Councils have a lot of cross over roles meaning that you have variety in your work. Managing both corporate and community means on any one day I can be involved in both areas - covering everything from libraries to finance, Occupational Health and Safety to art galleries. Having never worked in a metro Council it is difficult to compare the two. I believe that country is the best fit for me.

What would you describe working for a country council as a career development step?

Working in the country has enabled me to move forward in my career as I have been involved in most of the aspects of Council at one time or another. Working in one of the smaller Councils with only 25 staff meant my role covered many responsibilities and also gave me opportunity to back fill other positions. This has enabled to expand my experiences beyond those of larger metro Councils.

What other involvement do you have in Local Government?

I am currently chair of the Local Government Women’s Network, a member of Local Government Managers Association, Australian Local Government Women’s Association as well as various roles at a local level contributing to the local community and building the profile of local government.

Member Profle - Nick Leaver

21 Feb 2011 3:05 AM | Anonymous

Nick Leaver is Procurement Manager for the G6 group, which keeps him very busy indeed! This month, Nick shares with us a little of his experience and background:

1. What's your current role?

Title: G6 Procurement Manager
Responsibility: Develop and manage contracts that maximise group buying power and deliver greater benefits to SA Councils.
Identify opportunities for “Super Council” value and support Council’s ability to provide independent excellence for our communities.

2. How did you get into that role?

Procurement requires a combination of general management skills. Alongside traditional skills of negotiation, contract and risk management, other soft communication skills are useful.

My Previous Roles:
Chief Procurement Officer (UK) contributing to construction projects including Royal Opera House, London Exhibition Centre, Swiss Re, MI5, and Heathrow T5.

GM and Sales & Marketing Director roles in construction.

Sales Manager, David Jones/ John Martin Retailers. I still carry part of the Johnnies spirit with me.

3.     What do you like best about the current job?

Working across Councils in the state and bringing people together who find better ways of doing things.

Council has a refreshing level of collaboration and goodwill that I didn’t experience in the commercial sector.

4.     What advice would you give someone looking to get into a similar role?

As Procurement continues to mature in our sector, formal academic accreditation (CIPSA) is recognised as an important professional element. SA is seeing good training options available for procurement and I’d recommend those that are given international credence, such as CIPS.

5.     What’s next for you?

The G6 has a pretty robust program that we plan to deliver over the next two years. My primary focus is on the execution and delivery of our service, and consulting with our stakeholders to contribute to further excellence in Local Government.

6.     Describe a typical day for us…

Typically we facilitate User Group meetings between our participating councils. These meetings are at the heart of our operation; it’s here that positive synergies happen between our people.

I also spend time listening to local government CEO’s and encouraging our top tier suppliers to help deliver innovative solutions to Councils’ strategic objectives.

YoWiLG Dinner June 2010- Photo's

14 Oct 2010 1:13 PM | Deleted user

The YoWiLG Dinner June 2010 was a huge success at the Adelaide Pavilion. 200 women plus 2 brave men (CEO Tim Jackson and Mayor Lindsell) from all councils across the state enjoyed listening to fantastic guest speakers, the Local Government Ambassadors, wined and dined and I think the most fun of all was listening to the chatter of all the women + 2 men networking and catching up with fellow work collegues.