We caught up with one of this year's Emerging Leaders Program participants, Egon Loh, Community Development Officer at Mount Barker District Council to find out how he is enjoying the program so far. 

What made you sign up for the Emerging Leaders Program?

I was new in the local government sector (less than a year), and I saw the Emerging Leaders Program as a great opportunity to understand and develop my leadership style, help me understand my strengths and weaknesses, and build valuable connections with fellow peers undertaking the program.

A recent module focused on the ‘Political Context’ – what were some of your takeaways from this module?

I was fascinated by Clinton Jury, Chief Executive Officer, LGA SA presentation about the complexity between the three tiers of government (local, state and federal), and I remembered the exact words Clinton said “the crossover between the three tiers is where the magic happens.”

Alison Hancock, Executive Manager, Mount Barker District Council, also shared about the uniqueness and different working relationships between the administration and the Elected Members, and their separation of roles is quintessential to how local government operates.

This module enabled me to gain a deeper appreciation of the intricacies of working in local government.

What are you most looking forward to as the program progresses?

I am looking forward to the last module of the program (Integration) where I will review the learnings and reflect on my personal growth over the past 5 months in the ELP and I am excited to apply them in my work area.