WELCOME FROM THE COMMITTEE CHAIR
Welcome to the final Women’s Network newsletter for 2024.
As the year comes to a close, I want to take some time to reflect on the year that was and share my gratitude to everyone who contributed to, and participated, in our network offerings.
Our Forums have continued to bring together thought leaders, industry experts, and women from our sector to participate in lively discussions and gain actionable insights that provide education, empowerment and help facilitate meaningful change in our professional and personal lives. |
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Naomi Molly
Women's Network Committee Chair
Project Manager Business Systems
City of Unley |
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The annual conference on 1 November was yet another powerful
day filled with inspiring speakers. It provided us an opportunity to come
together, share stories, and network with familiar and new faces. The energy in
the room was palpable. I’m incredibly proud that this year we also collected
donations to Share the Dignity, a charity that seeks to alleviate period
poverty for anyone who menstruates, particularly during times where they may be
experiencing homelessness, or fleeing domestic violence. You can read more
about their organisation here.
With our quarterly newsletters, we aim to share important
updates, topical articles and practical tips, all bought together in a nice
bite sized email, perfect for consuming with your morning coffee. We also use
this as an opportunity to highlight and celebrate a woman in the sector so
please feel free to get
in touch if you know someone who should be featured.
I’m so proud to announce that due to overwhelmingly positive
feedback, we’ll be continuing our Mentor Mentee Connection Program in 2025. If
you have ever considered being either a Mentor or Mentee there is no formal
requirement and no position or title you need to hold to apply. We have a range
of resources available to help get you started and if you’re interested in
both, you’re absolutely welcome to do so! Learn more about the Program and apply now.
Finally, I wanted to express my gratitude to our Women’s
Network Committee. This incredible group of women help bring together
everything we deliver for the year, they offer their expertise, insights and have
a common passion for advancing and celebrating women in local government. It is
an absolute pleasure to work with them. And a sincere thank you to Rhi, Mel and
the LG Professionals SA team for being such a fantastic support to make our
offerings a reality.
So, that’s it from me for 2024. I hope you have a safe and
happy festive season; however you choose to spend it. I look forward to seeing
what 2025 has in store. |
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REFLECTIONS FROM THE LG PROFESSIONALS SA WOMEN'S NETWORK CONFERENCE: THE POWER OF BELONGING |
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The LG Professionals SA Women’s Network Conference 2024, The Power of Belonging, brought together more than 230 attendees at the Morphettville Event Centre. The atmosphere in the room was electric, with energy and enthusiasm setting the stage for a day filled with inspiration, insight, and empowerment for women in local government. Focused on inclusion, visibility, and wellbeing, the conference celebrated the power of belonging as a vital element in creating thriving workplaces and communities.
The day began with a moving Welcome to Country, where Rosalind Coleman shared a story about the red kangaroo, a symbol of forward movement, and the resonant words, “the greater power of a woman is to be a woman”. This opening grounded the event in themes of resilience and strength, setting a powerful tone for the rest of the conference.
Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia, then officially opened the conference by encouraging attendees to practise curiosity, actively listen, and ensure all voices are brought to the table. She emphasised the power of genuinely asking about others and listening to their stories, reminding everyone of the empathy and understanding essential to fostering belonging.
Khadija Gbla, disability advocate and human rights activist, presented a heartfelt keynote on belonging as connection without rules, emphasising the power of being heart centred. She reminded attendees that inclusive acts benefit everyone, and visibility fosters a true sense of belonging. Her words, “It’s never too much to feel safe and belong,” inspired everyone to approach one another with curiosity, authenticity, and compassion.
Anna Lee, founder of Hacks for Her, explored the personas women often adopt in the workplace, such as the “good girl” and “everyone’s mum”, and urged attendees to view their careers as a ship, asking, “Are you the captain?” She encouraged women to claim their space and recognise that their presence matters, both for themselves and for the women who will follow.
Mel Garibaldi ACEcD, Economic Development Manager for the District Council of Kimba, shared her journey of finding belonging and reminded us that it’s not tied to a single place or organisation. Rather, belonging is a feeling we create by connecting with people who share similar values. “You can belong in more than one place,” she shared, inviting us to seek connection wherever we go.
Amy Springhall, founder of The Visibility Project, emphasised that success is made up of 90% image and exposure and only 10% performance.
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She explained the difference between being good at your job and being well-known for what you do and reminded us that confidence is built through commitment, courage, and capability. Amy also encouraged attendees to treat their social media channels as assets that amplify their professional presence. Rebecca Weatherill, founder and CEO of Workplace Wellbeing SA introduced the PERMA(H) model - a wellbeing framework encompassing Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment, and Health. She highlighted the importance of taking intentional actions towards wellbeing and offered practical advice on how these pillars contribute to resilience and overall satisfaction in both our personal and professional lives.
The day concluded with Bec Goddard OAM, a trailblazer in women’s sports and inaugural AFLW premiership coach. She shared her “WIN” mindset, encouraging us to always ask, “What is next?” Bec spoke about the importance of honesty, identity, and vulnerability, and urged us to focus on “1% actions” that drive innovation and improve outcomes. By reflecting on what we can control and accepting what we can’t, she reminded us that resilience is an essential part of success.
A unique feature of this year’s conference was the “Success Wall,” where attendees were invited to write down their personal and professional successes and stick them to a communal wall. Throughout the day, selected achievements were read aloud, celebrating everyone’s growth, resilience, and accomplishments.
This year’s conference exemplified that “The Power of Belonging” is about more than a sense of place, it’s a commitment to fostering inclusive, supportive environments where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute. Through storytelling, practical tools, and actionable insights, attendees left ready to bring a renewed sense of belonging into their workplaces and communities. |
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Danielle Somerville
Women's Network Committee Vice Chair
Learning and Development Partner
City of Playford
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LG Professionals SA Women's Network Conference: The Power of Belonging.
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The LG Professionals SA Women's Career Navigator Program supports women to develop a strong, authentic professional identity and approach their career and work with positivity and proactivity.
Designed to be highly interactive, with an emphasis on peer learning, the Career Navigator Program is made up of two 1.5-hour online sessions and a two-day in person workshop at Local Government House, which will equip you with skills and tools to dial down your inner critic, build your career courage and take charge of your life and career.
Suited for
- Aspiring leaders
- High potential women
- Women who may not wish to move into more senior roles, but who want to build their professional profile and cultivate greater influence and impact in the workplace
- A variety of employment levels.
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The Women’s Network
Committee is thrilled to announce the successful completion of our pilot group
for the LG Professionals SA Women's Network Mentor Mentee Connections Pilot, one of the key programs outlined
in our 2024-2026 strategic workplan. This initiative aims to support women in
local government through mentorship, fostering personal and professional
growth, and creating valuable networking opportunities.
In this first
round, we successfully paired 44 Mentor Mentee partnerships. Both Mentors and Mentees embraced their roles with enthusiasm and dedication, actively engaging
in the process to build strong, meaningful connections. Feedback has been
overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the effectiveness of structured guidance
in areas such as open communication, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to
the mentoring process.
As we conclude this successful pilot, we’re excited to
announce that the Mentor Mentee Connections program will be re-launching to
continue into 2025. Participants are encouraged to provide feedback through the
mid-point and final surveys to help us further refine the program for future
rounds. Thank you to all who contributed to making this pilot a success; we
look forward to building on this momentum and supporting even more meaningful
connections in the coming year.
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We recently spoke with Noni Williams from City of Adelaide about her role as Associate Director City Operations.
Hi Noni, your role has oversight of quite a few areas of council. What are they and their focuses?
The City Operations program is responsible for the presentation and maintenance of our city, ensuring it is well-presented and maintained. All of its 250 staff take great pride in creating the best possible experience of our city for residents, workers and visitors from interstate and overseas. Most are based at the City of Adelaide’s London Road Depot in Mile End or at various locations across the Adelaide Park Lands.
As the Associate Director of City Operations, I oversee City Maintenance including Infrastructure Maintenance and Trades, Workshop & Facilities, City Presentation including Horticulture and Waste and Cleansing Services and Operations Support. Read more...
Over 20 years of your career has been in local government. What’s been the driving force of your time in our industry?
At my core I want to deliver exceptional services and experiences for our community – whether they be residents, businesses, visitor or property owners. It has been a privilege to spend most of my working life in local government and to now have the opportunity to continue to shape the city of the future from a very practical and effective viewpoint.
Working in local government in a leadership role I have been able to guide and support our people to understand the roles they play every day, in shaping the experiences of the city and how their work aligns with the City of Adelaide Strategic Plan. Read more...
You’ve spent quite a portion of your career activating Adelaide. What are the key areas of professional development that has guided you to your Associate Director role?
Learning and understanding the political environment and the importance of the relationship between the community and council is one component that has guided me to my current role. It is important to develop skills in stakeholder management, especially in complex environments when you are working with stakeholders with competing interests.
I maintain a people-centred approach which involves building a strong foundation of trust with my team. You must develop a clear understanding of short term and long-term goals and relate those goals to the strategic outcomes of the organisation. Read more... |
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The workforce has changed significantly over the last few decades. What advice would you give to women in local government who are as passionate as you are?
It is a privilege to work in local government and it offers opportunities and experiences that other organisations cannot provide. Do not take on an opportunity or challenge because you doubt your own ability. Just back yourself in and go for it! I have had a wonderful journey through local government by always accepting any opportunity which has presented itself. It has been an interesting, challenging and invigorating experience serving the community.
Local government provides a platform to test your skills, and knowledge when you aren’t necessarily a subject matter expert. It gives you the chance to learn from others and everything you learn from working within local government are skills that you can put in your toolbox for your next professional opportunity.
I strongly suggest continually connecting across your organisation to build strong, sustainable relationships with people at all levels, regardless of their roles.
Be curious and ask questions. I always approach things with curiosity, clarity, compassion and courage. As the first female to be appointed Associate Director City Operations in the long history of the City of Adelaide, I offer that advice to other women.
Not every day is easy at work. How do you invest in your wellbeing to bring your best to the role?
I ensure that I have time to connect with people and take the time to understand how they are tracking. It fills my cup and helps me connect the work that I do to our people and this brings me gratitude and pleasure. We always make time to have a laugh and reflect on the positives. I enjoy attending events, theatre, catch up with friends and family and drinking bubbles. One of my particular pleasures is arranging flowers. |
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Noni Williams
Associate
Director City Operations
City
of Adelaide
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The LG Professionals SA Women's Career Catalyst Program is designed for female leaders who want to build a strong leadership legacy and identity, without compromising their values, wellbeing or relationships.
Designed to be highly interactive with an emphasis on peer learning, the Career Catalyst Program is made up of a virtual orientation session, two-day in person workshop and three virtual implementation sessions, which provide ongoing accountability, the opportunity to troubleshoot, experiment, celebrate successes and share insights and support with co-participants.Suited
for
- Women working in
leadership roles
- Team Leaders,
Seniors Leaders, Managers and Executive.
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BELONGING: WHAT'S REALLY HOLDING WOMEN BACK?
By Deb Walsh, LG Professionals SA Women’s
Network Committee Member,
Lead, Contracts & Project Support, City of Adelaide
Cultivating a sense of belonging at work – does it matter? I say, absolutely it does!
With the evolving focus and supports around diversity, equity, inclusion; belonging is right up there in the top 4.
The word ‘belonging’ doesn’t discriminate, no matter what age you are, what position you hold, the struggle can be real in feeling a sense of belonging.
The ‘being accepted for what you can do, not who you are’ argument stands true.
On a personal note, I have quite often struggled throughout my working career, not reaching the heights that I was striving for, and always second guessing myself.
However, in saying that, I seem to have a natural instinct to please, which often leads me to be popular for what I can do, but not necessarily recognised for who I am.
Let’s consider the question - if you are feeling that you do or don’t belong in a team or organisation, does that have a profound effect on the quality of work you actually produce?
My working life to date has exposed me to work with some of the best and some of the truly worst leaders imaginable. When you have great leadership, you gain the freedom to express yourself, you feel valued for your work, and feel recognised for the person you are. This provides you with a sense of purpose, colleagues feel like friends, and you are at your most productive. Under the worst leadership, you tend to compromise your values, have self-doubt and feel unsafe, ultimately having no choice but to move on.
A Forbes article I read recently, Belonging Is A Top 2024 Workforce Strategy, Not RTO seems to support this sentiment. The key insight in the article talks about the research confirming the importance of belonging in the workplace, and that too many people don’t feel like they belong at work.
The piece goes on to suggest 3 steps to build belonging at work. 1. Fearlessly identifying and addressing psychological risks to workplace culture
2. Train managers in resilience skills so they can engender belonging in their teams
3. Connect employee work to the purpose and mission of the organisation.
I feel that what holds women back at work is not some unique challenge of balancing the demands of work and family but rather a general problem of overwork that prevails in contemporary corporate and work culture.
Women and men alike suffer as a result. But it seems women pay higher professional costs.
If we want to work towards solving this problem, we would need to reconsider what we’re willing to allow the workplace to demand of all employees. A reconsideration is possible over time, as individual families and employees slowly push back, as they pave the way for others to follow.
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INVITATION TO CONNECT
As the LG Professionals SA Women’s Network Committee represents you, we would love to hear your suggestions of content for future editions. Please feel encouraged to send relevant articles, links, profiles or information through to Melissa Davis-Bishop, Manager - Professional Networks Engagement at melissa@lgprofessionalssa.org.au.
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ABOUT LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROFESSIONALS AUSTRALIA, SA
LG
Professionals SA is a not-for-profit member based association representing
professionals working in local government in South Australia.
We have
the ability to link and connect people from different councils who may not
otherwise form relationships or share.
Our high
quality professional development programs and networking events are uniquely
local government – reflective of the culture of the sector and sensitive to the
needs of its
professionals.
The
content of our events and programs are informed by our members and people who
genuinely care about the sector.
We
provide a safe and supportive environment in which to grow and learn while
creating
opportunities to make time away from the office to work on the
business or on self.
We award and acknowledge
achievements of excellence. |
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