A WORD FROM THE CEO
Welcome to this month’s edition of Leaders Connect. Thank you to all who have renewed your organisation membership subscriptions – we are excited to continue to support your teams in the coming year.
July brings with it the start of a new financial year and,
for many of us, new plans and goals. LG Professionals SA is here to support your progress towards these goals and
has been working hard to coordinate a range of professional development
opportunities – watch this space as they are released and make sure you
register early as spaces are limited. Should you have a training need that you
can’t see on offer, please reach out!
We kicked off this month running, with our People and Culture
Network Conference: Connect Influence Grow held on Friday 5 July –
congratulations to our People and Culture Network Committee for pulling
together a timely, engaging and informative program.
The second 2024 intake of the LG Professionals SA
Women’s Career Navigator Program has just launched, and registrations are
closing soon for our Community Development Network Forum: Beyond the
Highlight Reels and General Managers and Directors Network Forum: Harnessing
the power of Generative AI: the need to knows - both held in early
August. If you are part of these Networks, I strongly encourage you to register
– attendance is free for members.
Best wishes to the Le‘Gully’ Blonde team from the City of
Tea Tree Gully who will take on Challengers from across Australia and New
Zealand at the Australasian Management Challenge Final in Brisbane from 4 - 6
August – you will do SA proud regardless of the outcome.
Wishing you all the best – keep warm and I look forward to
seeing you soon!
Best wishes
Rhiannon |
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Please save the date for the following LG Professionals SA events for 2024/2025. If you are planning a local government event, we invite you to contact us to avoid date clashes.
Friday 1 November 2024 - LG Professionals SA Women's Network Conference
Thursday 7 November 2024 - LG Professionals SA Annual General Meeting
Friday 8 November 2024 - LG Professionals SA Economic Development Conference
Friday 21 March 2025 - LG Professionals SA Annual State Conference
Wednesday 9 April 2025 - LG Professionals SA Australasian Management Challenge (NOTE: date change)
Friday 9 May 2025 - LG Professionals SA 24th Annual Leadership Excellence Awards Gala Dinner |
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REFLECTIONS FROM THE 2024 PEOPLE AND CULTURE NETWORK
CONFERENCE: CONNECT INFLUENCE GROW
Friday 5 July 2024
On Friday 5 July, more than 120 people and culture professionals representing 40 councils and subsidiaries from across South Australia gathered at the Crowne Plaza Adelaide for the 2024 LG Professionals SA People & Culture Network Conference ‘Connect Influence Grow’. The event provided attendees with essential tools and resources for managing psychological safety, a critical topic in today’s workplace, provided insights into human resources issues in other sectors, and equipped us with great tips to manage our own wellbeing.
Highlights included a panel featuring Linda Reinhardt, Chief People and Strategy Officer at Credit Union SA, Hugh Wells, Director of Organisational Development and Workforce Strategy at Central Adelaide Health Network, and Miranda McDonald, Executive Director of People, Talent and Culture at Uni SA, who shared insights on people and culture trends beyond local government. They highlighted the importance of good culture, engagement and collaboration.
After lunch we heard an invigorating CEO Panel discussion, featuring Mark Withers - City of Port Adelaide Enfield, Nat Traeger - District Council of Robe, and Nathan Cunningham - District Council of Yankalilla. They emphasised openness, authenticity, the need for shared values and the importance of culture in driving success to deliver on strategy. The day concluded with an inspiring keynote from Sarah Prime of Champions Academy, who spoke about champion mindsets and empowering people and communities to become change agents.
Thank you to the LG Professionals SA People & Culture Network Committee for organising such a fantastic event, to Ritu Datta from the Network Committee for emceeing the day, and to all attendees for investing in their professional development. Lauren Green, People and Culture Advisor, Whyalla City Council
LG Professionals SA People and Culture Network Committee Member |
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Yorke Peninsula Council recently won the Excellence in Local Economic Development Award for the Yorke Peninsula Childcare Initiative. We spoke with Nick Perry, Manager Economic Development and Business Sustainability, Yorke Peninsula Council to find out more.
Congratulations! Can you tell us about your project?
Thank you! The project is about bringing childcare to the Yorke Peninsula region, which had just 18 daycare places for a population of almost 12,000.
Council has built an 80-capacity childcare centre in Minlaton and opened another 40-capacity centre in Maitland, thanks to Federal grant funding and a partnership with private operator Adelaide Family Learning & Care. This has increased extended daycare availability to 138 places per day.
The final hurdle was creating a workforce, essentially from scratch. We have utilised ELC Training Australia to upskill locals, and our centres now employ 49 staff, 30 of whom are studying formal qualifications in Early Childhood Education.
What does winning this award mean to you, your council, and your community?
Our project has been a real team effort, so it was an excellent reward for the whole organisation. Special acknowledgement must go to CEO Andrew Cameron for stewarding the project, Director Development Services Ben Thompson for his vital roles, and our former Economic Development and Tourism Advisor Tramy Ngo, whose needs analysis and project plan allowed us to secure funding and secure an operator. |
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The initiative was driven by passionate and positive advocacy from the local community starting in 2020-21. It is gratifying to have created such a positive outcome in just a few years. The increased availability of childcare will mean much more than just the 49 jobs directly created. This means young working families can stay in (or move to) the Yorke Peninsula. It will mean more people can work, increasing household income and helping local businesses. Grandparents/caregivers can see the grandkids for quality time, rather than out of obligation, and are freed up to contribute in other ways, such as volunteering. Our children receive quality early learning and social opportunities, which leads to better outcomes later in life.
What advice would you give to someone considering nominating for an award in the future?
Councils
do so much for local communities; it is often thankless work, but we should be
proud and celebrate our achievements. Nominating is a simple process (not to
mention a great excuse to attend the Gala Dinner), so I’d encourage anyone to
give it a go. |
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Nick Perry
Manager Economic Development and Business Sustainability
Yorke Peninsula Council |
Are you interested in nominating for an Award? Nominations for the 24th Annual Leadership Excellence Awards will open in October 2024. |
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Yorke Peninsula Council - Yorke Peninsula Childcare Initiative
Left to right: Nick Perry, Manager Economic Development and Business
Sustainability, Andrew Cameron, CEO and Ben Thompson, Director of Corporate and
Community Services |
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23RD ANNUAL LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE AWARDS GALA DINNER
HIGHLIGHTS REEL
Earlier this year we celebrated the 23rd Annual Leadership Excellence Awards alongside more than 500 local government professionals. We are excited to share some highlights from the Gala Dinner. Thank you to
our Multimedia Partner Stray Creative for putting together this amazing video. |
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Just like a
Rubik's cube, the decisions and choices you make today can shape your next
move, tomorrow.
Registrations are
now open for the eighth annual LGRS Risk Management Conference. Join us as we
unpack strategies for a risk-ready future, exploring how you can navigate the
twists and turns of uncertainty to shape a successful tomorrow.
Free
to attend for all local government employees in South Australia, our event will
bring together experts and thought leaders to explore the sector's pressing
risks and WHS topics. Register today to secure your seat! |
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MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS
Thank you to all organisations that renewed their organisation membership subscription. We are thrilled to have this opportunity to support all local government staff on their career journey into the future. As
your membership association, we are so grateful for your ongoing support, and
investment in your teams. Not sure if your organisation holds a membership subscription? Click here to find out!
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YOUR NEEDS, YOUR
MEMBERSHIP 4. EXPAND YOUR INFLUENCE
Our range of Leadership Programs and Short Courses provide professional development opportunities, for every stage of your career journey with content contextualised for the local government sector.
Learn more about what LG
Professionals SA Membership offers you.
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NEW
MEMBERS
Welcome
to our 127 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.
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Lucy Reynolds
This month we spoke with Lucy Reynolds, People & Culture Support Officer, City of Mitcham, about her role, professional development and what's next for her.
What is your role and how long have you been in local government?
My role is People & Culture Support Officer at the City of Mitcham. I work as a generalist support within the People & Culture team, assisting with recruitment, onboarding and offboarding, and employee relations. I started out at City of Mitcham as a Graduate through our Grad Program with Flinders University. In December this year I will reach my five-year milestone of working in Local Government. Read more... |
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WOMEN'S CAREER NAVIGATOR PROGRAM
Tuesday 10 September 2024 - Wednesday 16 October 2024 Designed to be highly interactive, with an emphasis on peer learning, the Women's 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. |
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We caught up with one of this year's Emerging Leaders Program participants, Georgy Zachariah, Senior Capital Works Planner, City of Onkaparinga to find out how he is enjoying the program so far.
What made you sign up for the Emerging Leaders Program?
By participating in the Emerging Leadership Program, my primary goal was to augment my knowledge of local government and significantly deepen my understanding of political and sustainability contexts, which are among the modules being presented. In addition, I am aiming to broaden my professional network and gain mentorship from experienced leaders.
As a pioneer leadership program, the objective is not just to learn and implement impactful leadership best practices, but also to foster personal growth and development. This aspect of the program fuels my aspirations to undertake diverse roles within the City of Onkaparinga.
A recent module focused on Culture – what was your biggest takeaway from this session?
The session proved highly enlightening, particularly in exploring the relationship between culture and leadership and their combined impact on organisational success. In particular, I found the importance given to showcasing the difference between Paternalistic culture & Stewardship culture quite insightful, especially aligning an individual’s vision to the organisation's interest and contributing to its success. |
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What are you most looking forward to as the program progresses?
I look forward to the different modules the teams will present. In addition, working on a group project that could contribute to enhancing the functioning of local government is quite appealing.
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Georgy Zachariah
Senior Capital Works Planner
City of Onkaparinga |
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For 60 years, the generosity of South Australians has been
the driving force behind Lifeline Adelaide's life-saving local service. The
Lifeline Adelaide Gala Ball is a celebration of this support, a chance for us
all to take pride in what we've achieved together. Join them to raise vital
funds and continue this legacy of compassion and generosity.
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MANAGING YOUR TIME, ENERGY
AND PRIORITIES
Monday 5 August 2024
By its nature, work is
never ending, so how do we get back on top of our workload and feel in control?
Learn how this short course can help you achieve this. Limited places remaining |
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INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
Wednesday 11 September 2024
Enhance your career and make a greater impact in your
community. Project management is a fundamental skill in our modern workforce,
as it ensures that what is being delivered is not only right, but that it
also delivers against the business opportunity.
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ADVANCED PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
Wednesday 6 November 2024
Expand your knowledge and
skills further as you take a deeper dive into project management theory as well
as operational and strategic elements of project management. |
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POWERFUL BUSINESS WRITING
Friday 22 November 2024
Learn
how to improve your writing skills to communicate clearly, efficiently and with
impact using plain English principles. |
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GENERAL MANAGERS AND
DIRECTORS NETWORK FORUM:
HARNESSING THE POWER OF GENERATIVE AI: THE NEED TO
KNOWS
Wednesday 7 August 2024
Dive
into and discuss the transformative world of Generative AI and its profound
implications for your organisation. As we embrace digital transformation,
understanding the Risks, Rewards, and Reality of Generative AI is more crucial
than ever. |
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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
NETWORK FORUM: BEYOND THE
HIGHLIGHT REELS
Thursday 8 August 2024
Learn
about the challenges faced by those working in community development and
services, while also celebrating the meaningful impact and outcomes that result
from their dedication and efforts.
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CEO NETWORK & GENERAL MANAGERS AND DIRECTORS NETWORK FORUM: EFFECTIVENESS AT THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL
Thursday 5 September 2024
Gain insights from across industries and explore what makes
executive teams and relationships truly successful.
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WOMEN'S NETWORK FORUM: MY CIRCLE
Wednesday 11 September 2024
Building on this year’s Network theme of ‘Belonging’, this
forum will help you discover the importance of knowing and growing your
‘Circle’. Registrations opening soon.
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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. Please contact Megan Down for further details on corporate partnership opportunities. |
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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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