Katrina’s early career developed in some of Australia’s best known not-for-profit organisations where she thrived in roles that had purpose and meaning. She quickly progressed from marketing and communications to fundraising and corporate event management, and on to leadership positions, including an opportunity to integrate statewide executive and operational responsibility and successfully achieve sustainability for children’s cancer organisation Camp Quality.
Joining local government at City of Holdfast Bay after having her first child, Katrina realised she had found a new and consequential sector in which she could exercise her passion for community and capacity building. Now at City of Mitcham, she is drawing on her portfolio of expertise across community services to strategically navigate disability and aged care sector reforms and develop stakeholder engagement amongst broader vulnerable community cohorts.
Katrina is a firm believer in the power of stories to connect people and communities, and to transcend differences. In this session Katrina is ‘taking the plunge’ by sharing her own story and shining a light on one of her greatest personal and professional learnings about vulnerability, rethinking fate, and making meaning.
Challenge Yourself Panel
Join us as we hear from four inspirational women in local government who took part in the 2023 LG Professionals SA Management Challenge, as they share their perspectives on their experiences and taking the plunge into this incredible opportunity.
Jacque Opie
Property Officer, City of Marion
Jacque Opie, a passionate Property Officer at City of Marion, made the decision to take the plunge from the corporate world just 11 months ago to join local government.
In that time, Jacque participated in the LG Professionals SA State Management Challenge with her team, ‘Marion At First Sight’. The team triumphantly secured the winning position and represented South Australia at the Australasian Management Challenge, where they were crowned national champions!
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Jacque finds joy in spending quality time with her family and nurturing her love for travel. As we celebrate the theme of ‘Taking the Plunge,’ Jacque serves as an example of fearlessly embracing challenges and achieving success. She believes that anything is possible with determination, leadership, and passion, as she continues to make a positive impact in her role within local government.
Anna Provatas
Project Coordinator - Parks and Gardens, City of Port Adelaide Enfield
Anna is an accomplished professional with a diverse and dynamic career spanning various sectors. With a solid foundation in State Government, she spent 12 years making significant contributions in DA policy and planning both in the natural resources management space, followed by the State Commission Assessment Panel, where she successfully managed inner city, Crown, and state significant DA projects.
Not content with just one hat, Anna has also rocked the world of education as a primary school teacher. Eager to explore her creative side, she specialised in performing arts and incorporating inclusive and active learning techniques across the curriculum. Her mission: to make learning fun!
Now, Anna has found her "forever home" in local government, where, from 2021 she joined City of Port Adelaide Enfield to become a versatile force in the regulatory space, tackling compliance on building sites. Since participating in the LG Professionals SA Management Challenge, she has ventured into infrastructure project management with the Parks and Gardens team – this new role fulfills her thirst for challenge and creativity!
Sarah Rose
Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer, Alexandrina Council
Sarah Rose brings to the table 14 years of administration experience and closely works alongside the executive team. Sarah specialises in delivering diverse projects and tasks which require quality outcomes and within timeframes. Sarah’s flexible, innovative, and creative in adapting and applying knowledge and experience to different circumstances and environments.
These skills have become crucial during the formation of the new Executive team and transition of new Councillors, making her an asset to Alexandrina Council. Having recently participated in the LG Professionals SA State Management Challenge, she is committed to empowering individuals by sharing knowledge and best practices, equipping them with the tools needed to excel.
Beyond her professional attributes, Sarah finds inspiration and balance outside of her work maintaining a healthy work-life balance. She stays engaged with the sporting community through netball and regular gym sessions. Additionally, her recent accomplishment of learning how to do a backflip highlights her willingness to take on new challenges and embrace new experiences.
Jolyn Phillipps
Community Development Officer - Youth, City of Onkaparinga
Jolyn is a Community Development Officer for youth and has worked for City of Onkaparinga for 12 years, undertaking various roles and projects within the Community Capacity Team. Over the past four years, Jo has been managing event management training, the Regen Series (events ran by young people for young people) and has been a driving force in planning and implementing the YP+ME Conference.
Jo’s expertise lies in project and event management, business and people management, fundraising, grant writing, legislation and governance, human resources, training and development, leadership, and community development, which supported her team in the 2023 LG Professionals SA State Management Challenge.
Working at City of Onkaparinga on a permanent part time basis Jolyn has found other passions in life such as the Lion Hearts Learning charity which she is the directing founder. Lion Hearts Learning supports children and families affected by cancer. Through her passion and dedication to this cause, she was named a finalist for Australian of the Year in the Local Hero category in 2019.
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