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A WORD FROM THE CEO

Welcome to the first edition of Leaders Connect for 2025! I hope it finds you refreshed after a well-deserved break and ready to take on whatever the year has in store. I was recently greeted with a ‘Hi Five 25!’ in an email – an exciting way to welcome the year ahead.

The team and I are excited to see what this year brings! We will continue to curate opportunities for local government professionals to come together and share, learn and build lasting connections, and we welcome your input to help shape our calendar of offerings. Want to be part of this exciting action? We are currently accepting applications to join us as our Manager – Professional Networks Engagement. Information on how to apply can be found below.

January 2025
Edition 160

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM 2024 COHORT

At the end of last year, our 2024 Emerging Leaders Program participants officially graduated at an event held at the University of South Australia. 

Through the program’s activities, exercising leadership, pushing personal boundaries and experimenting in a low-risk environment, participants graduated having grown both personally and professionally.

We wish them all the best and look forward to seeing them flourish in the next stage of their leadership journey.

Image - Back row (L-R): Rochelle Redmond, Georgy Zachariah, Victoria Olupeka, David Sboro, Kim Gregory, Carly Broadbent, Josephine Baker, Halyna Bai, Sonya Hedger, Leanne McCartney, Mikaela Rose, Justin Moule, Alisha Peeters, Dean Coats, Laura Morgan, Lok Chiu, Lyndal Obst, Myfanwy Mogford, Daniel Humby, Jayson Manners and Jamieson Thornton.
Front row (L-R): Tara Nicholson, Craig Pearson, Jade Ruzic and Sarah Rose. 
Not pictured: Amy Henshaw, Leon Nguyen.

READ THE EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM 2024 PROJECTS HERE

Each year, our Emerging Leaders Program participants are split into four groups and tasked with delivering a presentation to answer one of the two questions: “What is the biggest opportunity facing local government in the next five years?” or “If you could make one major improvement in local government in the next 18 months, what would it be?”.

Paired with the presentation, the groups write a 3000-word report to display their critical thinking, reasoning and business case. We are excited to announce the publication of our Emerging Leaders Program 2024 Cohort’s final reports on our website. We invite you to read these reports and see the fascinating work of your sectors' Emerging Leaders!

• Local Leaders: Empowering Our Youth Through Gap Year Experiences

• Can Artificial Intelligence Enhance Or Contribute To The Efficient Maintenance And Renewal Of Local Government Roads?

• How To Fill The Knowledge Gap With An Intergenerational Mentoring Program

• Policy and Governance For An AI Future 

DAYS LEFT TO NOMINATE FOR THE LG PROFESSIONALS SA
24TH ANNUAL LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE AWARDS!
Nominations close Wednesday 5 February 2025

Time is running out! There is less than ONE WEEK remaining to nominate for the
LG Professionals SA 24^th Annual Leadership Excellence Awards.

If you are thinking of nominating your project or initiative, don't leave it to the last minute! Nominations close 5:00PM Wednesday 5 February 2025.

Have you or your colleagues demonstrated excellence within local government?

Our awards program includes 11 categories and is designed to recognise outstanding achievement and innovation within local government.

Council and Subsidiary Members are encouraged to prepare their nominations in the following categories:

• Emerging Leader of the Year
• Excellence in People and Culture
• Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion
• Excellence in Community Partnerships and Collaboration
• Excellence in Cross Council Collaboration
• Excellence in Local Economic Development
• Excellence in Customer Service or Experience
• Excellence in Community Services and Development
• Excellence in Environmental Leadership and Sustainability
• Excellence in Emergency Management / Disaster Recovery
• Excellence in Infrastructure Delivery 

Read our nominations brochure for category information, eligibility and guidelines.

We would love to see all Council and Subsidiary Members represented in the nomination process, so that we can celebrate the outcomes of your initiatives. No matter how small you might think your project is - we want to hear about it!

JOIN OUR TEAM!

Special interest Networks of connected professionals are a key membership benefit of 
LG Professionals SA and we are on the hunt for a Manager - Professional Networks Engagement to strategically lead the high-level support and coordination of our current and future Networks of Members.

This is a busy but exciting role, which will provide the opportunity to engage with internal and external stakeholders across local government, playing an important role in shaping relevant opportunities for local government professionals across the state.

Applications close Monday 17 February 2025.

LG PROFESSIONALS SA 2025 ANNUAL STATE CONFERENCE:
GROWTH UNLEASHED
Friday 21 March 2025

Join us at the LG Professionals SA 2025 Annual State Conference!

The conference will begin with insights on enhancing work-life balance and performance through effective transitions between tasks and interactions. You will learn how to create supportive work environments that minimise stress and foster resilience, ensuring that individuals can thrive during periods of change.

With interactive sessions and networking opportunities, the LG Professionals SA Annual State Conference promises to be an enriching experience. Join us as we harness actionable strategies to unleash our potential, and collaborate to create a brighter future for our communities! An event for local government professionals of all levels, indoor or outdoor, we hope to see you there.

LAST CALL FOR CONFERENCE PANELISTS

Have you led transformative initiatives or championed change in your community? We’d love to hear from you!

In the program session ‘Unlocking Collective Potential’, we will be exploring how local government leaders have unlocked the collective potential of their communities through innovative and ground-breaking projects. We are looking for panellists who can share their experiences of empowering their communities, fostering collaboration, and inspiring local champions to take action.

As a panellist, you’ll have the opportunity to:

• Share the actionable strategies you’ve used to create an environment where individuals feel empowered to learn, collaborate, and overcome challenges together.
• Showcase how you’ve turned collective passion into a clear purpose and translated ideas into meaningful, unified action that leaves a lasting impact.

Inspire your peers by discussing how you’ve navigated the complexities of community engagement and innovation. To express your interest please email Megan Hay, Events Coordinator at mhay@lgprofessionalssa.org.au with a brief overview of your experience and the project(s) you would like to highlight. Please also include a little about you, and any relevant links to your work by Friday 7 February 2025.

REGISTER YOUR TEAM FOR THE 2025 SA LOCAL GOVERNMENT MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE

Teams are challenged to respond to a series of tasks in a unique, fast-paced, "pressure cooker" environment. Some tasks may require written responses (such as a Council report or recommendation document), whilst others may be more interactive and take the form of role plays or presentations – but the mix will be a surprise for the day! 

Key Dates

Registrations Close
Monday 17 February 2025
Challenge Day
Wednesday 9 April 2025

Venue

We are bringing the Local Government Management Challenge to a new venue in 2025! Challenge Day will take place on Wednesday 9 April 2025 at the Adelaide Showground on Goodwood Road, Wayville SA 5034.

This month we spoke with Mike Ravnö, Director – Development & Community, Adelaide Plains Council, about his career journey so far, his involvement in our General Managers and Directors Network, and what he's looking forward to as part of the Executive Leaders Program this year.

How long have you been in local government and what is your role?

My role is Director – Development & Community. I have worked in local government for 25 years. I started in the Field Staff team at the City of Playford in 1999, before moving indoors and taking a position as Technical Officer Traffic. With further part-time studies under my belt, I progressed from Traffic to Land Development and from Mitcham Council to the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. Read more...

Mike Ravnö
Director – Development & Community Adelaide Plains Council

LEVEL UP YOUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

LG Professionals SA offer a range of short courses that have been curated to equip the sector’s staff with the skills that are essential to deliver on efficiency, performance and continuous improvement.

We currently have a variety of short courses scheduled for the first half of 2025, to be hosted at LG House, 148 Frome Street, Adelaide - take a look below. 

Have questions? Please contact Eve Jackson, Training Support Officer at eve@lgprofessionalssa.org.au for more information on any of our short courses or how we can bring them in-house to your council or subsidiary. 

SPEAK WITH INFLUENCE, NEGOTIATE WITH EASE
* NEW COURSE *
Monday 24 February 2025

This short course encourages you to gain an insight into your current negotiation preferences and to develop the micro-skills necessary to navigate through the range of negotiations you face in the workplace. It will provide you with tips and tricks to enhance your current communication, negotiation and influencing styles - giving you an edge in the workplace.

POWERFUL BUSINESS WRITING
Friday 28 February 2025

Even if your role doesn’t require a lot of writing, how you come across is crucial to your credibility. The ability to write clearly, precisely, powerfully and persuasively is a key skill that enables you to summarise and present ideas, build relationships and gain commitment to action. It can also demonstrate your knowledge, confidence and professionalism.

INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Tuesday 18 March 2025

This short course is designed to cover the basic principles of managing projects to help you plan, control and organise activities to ensure that you are delivering successful projects every time. It is best suited for staff who may be new to managing projects or have not previously undertaken any formal project management training.

MANAGING YOUR TIME,
ENERGY & PRIORITIES 
Tuesday 29 April 2025

This course will provide you with the knowledge and skills to improve your time management approach to your daily and weekly workload - work smarter, not harder! You’ll dive into issues that are preventing you from reaching optimum effectiveness and develop a range of techniques and strategies to better manage your time and get more out of your day.

ADVANCED PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Tuesday 6 May 2025

Beyond providing you with essential knowledge and skills to plan, manage and execute projects on time and on budget, this course takes a deeper dive into project management theory and looks at both operational and strategic elements of project management.

Please save the date for the following LG Professionals SA events for 2025. If you are planning a local government event, we invite you to contact us to avoid date clashes. 

Friday 9 May 2025 - LG Professionals SA 24^th Annual Leadership Excellence Awards Gala Dinner

Friday 25 July 2025 - LG Professionals SA Community Development Network Conference

Thursday 18 September 2025 - LG Professionals SA Rural Management Challenge

Friday 7 November 2025 - LG Professionals SA Women's Network Conference 

Thursday 13 November 2025 - LG Professionals SA Annual General Meeting

Friday 14 November 2025 - LG Professionals SA Economic Development Conference

We caught up with one of last year's Emerging Leaders Program participants, Lyndal Obst, Corporate Governance and Risk Officer, Mount Barker District Council, to find out how she enjoyed the program.

What made you sign up for the Emerging Leaders Program?
Initially, I had wanted to challenge myself and step outside of my comfort zone whilst taking on new responsibilities and gaining a broader perspective of other councils. I also wanted to gain exposure to different leadership styles and perspectives to become a more versatile and effective leader. A while ago, I attended a presentation given by a leader whom I admire, and one of my takeaways from what she talked about was to ‘choose who leads you’ – this resonated with me, and I wanted to take that and progress my learnings on becoming a leader embodying my values of integrity, honesty and inclusion.

Your final module focused on the integration of your learnings – what were some of your takeaways from this module?

This module was a time for reflection on what we had learned from the Emerging Leaders Program. We worked through some of the personal and professional challenges we had faced throughout the year and how we integrated some of the concepts and frameworks we’d learnt from the ELP into both our work and personal lives. Reflecting and sharing our journey of leadership development throughout this program also helped us set our own specific goals for the future. It was a true celebration of our time together and a culmination of what we had achieved during the year.

What advice would you give to someone considering doing the Emerging Leaders Program?

Honestly, just do it! ELP was a transformative experience for me that helped to push me outside of my comfort zone, both personally and professionally. It inspired me to pursue a new role and saw me transition between councils during the program. I'm grateful to The Rural City of Murray Bridge for offering me the initial opportunity to join the program, and to the Mount Barker District Council for their ongoing support in helping me to complete the program. The program also provides a valuable opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, and expand and build on a strong professional network, which I have found incredibly rewarding. And finally – be prepared to have fun! The lifelong connections and friendships you will make throughout the program are something that will stay with you forever, and I believe that is truly priceless.

Lyndal Obst
Corporate Governance and Risk Officer
Mount Barker District Council

EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM
Program commences Thursday 29 May 2025

We're pleased to announce that registrations for the 2025 Emerging Leaders Program sold out in record time!

If you were looking forward to joining us in the program this year, we encourage you to sign up to our waitlist to be the first to be notified of any places that might open up prior to the program commencing

Now in its 20^th year, this highly sought-after program will take 28 emerging leaders from across the sector through a 7-month experiential learning journey to develop their leadership skills. The program, delivered in partnership with UniSA, explores participants personal leadership styles and gives them the opportunity to curate their own local government modules, increasing their understanding of leadership concepts and practices.

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PROGRAM - LIMITED PLACES REMAINING!
Program commences Thursday 6 February 2025

Developed in partnership with the University of South Australia and local government experts, the Strategic Management Program has been designed to build high-level leadership and management skills within a local government context. Participants will develop technical skills to manage business functions, enhancing innovation, strategic thinking, business acumen and operational excellence.

The program has been developed to:

• Explore challenges facing senior managers in a local government context
• Broaden leadership skillsets
• Assist managers in seeing the ‘bigger picture’
• Enhance business acumen skills to drive efficiencies and effectiveness
• Develop the essential technical skills required to manage core business functions
• Develop enhanced analytical and problem-solving capabilities
• Stimulate robust discussions and build networks for sharing and collaboration across the local government sector.

If you'd like to watch a recording of the Information Session, please email Eve Jackson, Training Support Officer on eve@lgprofessionalssa.org.au.

WOMEN'S CAREER CATALYST PROGRAM
Program commences Thursday 20 February 2025
Registrations close Friday 7 February 2025

Unlock your potential and transform your leadership journey with the
LG Professionals SA Career Catalyst Program - where female leaders build lasting legacies without sacrificing their values or wellbeing.

Designed to be highly interactive with an emphasis on peer learning, the Women's Career Catalyst Program is made up of a virtual orientation session, a two-day in-person workshop and three virtual implementation sessions. This program provides ongoing accountability, the opportunity to troubleshoot, experiment, celebrate successes, and share insights and support with co-participants.

WOMEN'S CAREER NAVIGATOR PROGRAM
Program commences Wednesday 19 March 2025
Registrations close Wednesday 5 March 2025

The LG Professionals SA Career Navigator Program supports women to develop a strong, authentic professional identity and approach their career and work with positivity and proactivity.

The program equips participants with the knowledge, skills and confidence to:

• Build their professional presence and profile
• Maintain their cool in stressful and challenging situations
• Understand and navigate organisational politics and team dynamics with integrity
• Apply a Growth Mindset to personal and professional challenges to build resilience and wellbeing
• Set and pursue personal and professional goals.

Designed to be highly interactive, with an emphasis on peer learning, the Career Navigator Program 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.

This program is suitable for aspiring leaders, women with high potential, 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.

YOUR NEEDS, YOUR MEMBERSHIP

2. BE INSPIRED AND MOTIVATED

From small discussion groups to international keynote presentations, our programs are developed reflecting current and future priorities, needs and issues, with members offered a discount for each event.

Learn more about what your LG Professionals SA Membership offers you. 

NEW MEMBERS

Welcome to our 33 new members! Click here to see the list.

We look forward to providing support and professional development and networking
opportunities through every stage of your local government career.

Our Network Forums provide our Members the opportunity to learn and develop whilst sharing and networking with peers from their own and other councils and subsidiaries across the state. Our upcoming Forums include:

Thursday 13 March 2025 - LG Professionals SA Women's Network Forum 

Thursday 20 March 2025 - LG Professionals SA General Managers and Directors Network Forum

Tuesday 25 March 2025 - LG Professionals SA Business Performance and Improvement Network Forum

Thursday 3 April 2025 - LG Professionals SA Community Development Network Forum

Registrations and further details on our Forums coming soon!

LG PROFESSIONALS SA SPONSORSHIP AND CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP

Do you work for or know an organisation who would be interested in gaining exposure to local government professionals through sponsorship with LG Professionals SA? 

As a not-for-profit association, LG Professionals SA rely on the support of sponsors to be able to continue to deliver the range of high quality events and professional development programs that we are known for.

Partnering with sponsors also creates opportunities for our members to learn, build
relationships and receive best value.

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.

LG Professionals SA | 148 Frome Street, Adelaide SA 5000 | Phone: 08 8224 2080
www.lgprofessionalssa.org.au

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