Leaders Connect

A word from the CEO

Happy end of March!

Last week I had the privilege of emceeing the 2023 
LG Professionals SA Annual State Conference ‘Reaching New Heights’. What an honour to host over 280 of you on the day – the connections, chatter and pride in our sector made my heart sing. Thank you to those who were able to attend for your support of this important annual event.

As always, there is so much happening at
LG Professionals SA – please read below for many amazing development opportunities, including the launch of expressions of interest for two new Women’s Programs, as well as a range of short course and Network offerings. Should you have missed out on submitting your expression of interest for the very first intake of the LG Professionals SA Graduate Certificate in Business Administration please feel encouraged to reach out here.

Soon, we will start to announce the finalists of the 22nd Annual Leadership Excellence Awards – keep an eye on your inbox and LinkedIn for updates. Congratulations again to all finalists and thank you to all who nominated – we are so proud to support the local government professionals behind so many amazing projects.

This edition is a big one, so I won’t keep you. Happy reading and I look forward to catching up soon.

Best wishes
Rhiannon

March 2023
Edition 138

SAVE THE DATE

Please save the date for the following LG Professionals SA events for 2023. If you are planning a local government event, we invite you to contact us to avoid date clashes. 

Friday 28 July 2023 - LG Professionals SA People and Culture Network Conference 

Friday 25 August 2023 - LG Professionals SA Community Managers Network Conference

Thursday 21 September 2023 - LG Professionals SA Rural Management Challenge

Friday 3 November 2023 - LG Professionals SA Women's Network Conference

Thursday 9 November 2023 - LG Professionals SA Annual General Meeting 

Friday 17 November 2023 - LG Professionals SA Economic Development Conference

NOMINATE A PEER FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE SECTOR
Nominations close Friday 31 March 2023

Do you know someone who has made an Outstanding Contribution to the Sector? Please take the time to nominate them by Friday!

This prestigious award recognises and acknowledges a local government professional who, over a minimum of ten years, has made an outstanding contribution to the local government sector in South Australia. The recipient is nominated by their peers and determined by a subcommittee of the Board of LG Professionals SA.  

For more information and nomination criteria please download the Call for Nominations form.

Nominations must be received by 5pm, Friday 31 March 2023 and be submitted to Rhiannon Grebenshikoff, Chief Executive Officer at executive@lgprofessionalssa.org.au.

NEW WOMEN'S PROGRAMS ANNOUNCED
Expressions of Interest now open!

LG Professionals SA are pleased to be partnering with Anna Lee of Hacks for Her to explore the opportunity to deliver two new programs for local government women, to support those in both leadership and non-leadership roles to navigate their careers with courage and confidence. The programs will be scheduled on an EOI basis – should you be interested please express your interest here. 

Career Navigator Program

A hybrid program for women in non-leadership roles who want to take charge of their careers.

Delivered over two 1-1.5 hour sessions and a two-day in-person workshop, this program is suitable for aspiring leaders, high potential women and women who may not wish to move into more senior roles, but who want to build their professional presence and cultivate greater influence and impact in the workplace.

The 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:

Designed to be highly interactive, with an emphasis on peer learning, the Career Navigator Program will support you to identify and articulate your strengths, skills and expertise, and to dial down the inner critic to build your workplace presence and profile.

Career Catalyst Program

A hybrid program for women in leadership roles who want to build executive presence and operate in the workplace with power and purpose.

Delivered over three 1-1.5 hour sessions and a two-day in-person workshop, this program is suitable for women in leadership roles, from first-time managers to senior leaders.

The Career Catalyst Program is for women leaders who want to build a strong leadership legacy and identity, without compromising their values, wellbeing or relationships.

Participants will leave the program with:

• a deeper understanding of their current professional terrain, and the skills and tools required to navigate it with resilience and authenticity
• the ability to dial up 'executive presence', without feeling fake or awkward
• an understanding of how gender dynamics can influence workplace - and particularly leadership – experience
• and tried-and-tested tools to respond effectively to bias and double standards

Designed to be highly interactive, with an emphasis on peer learning, the Career Catalyst Program will support you to deal with imposter syndrome and self-doubt, develop strong professional relationships and networks, cultivate an executive presence aligned to individual strengths and values and effectively navigate organisational dynamics and politics.

BUSINESS PERFORMANCE AND IMPROVEMENT NETWORK FORUM: WELCOME TO BPIN
Wednesday 5 April 2023

Join us for the re-launch of the Business Performance and Improvement Network. We look forward to bringing councils and subsidiaries together to improve how we plan, prioritise, and perform, facilitating collaboration and sharing within the sector.

This forum will be held both in person at LG House and virtually via Zoom.

PEOPLE AND CULTURE NETWORK FORUM: EMERGING TRENDS AND INNOVATION
Thursday 13 April 2023

Join us for the first People and Culture Network Forum of 2023: Emerging Trends and Innovation, and hear from guest speakers Jordon Tomopoulas, Tahlia Willey, Simone Lavelle and Sally Niehuus. Join us as we explore macroeconomics, employment trends, emerging industry sectors and what this means for those working in human resource management and b inspired by council innovations relating to recruitment and onboarding experiences.  

This forum will be held both in person at City of Adelaide and virtually via Zoom.

22nd ANNUAL LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE AWARDS GALA DINNER 
Friday 19 May 2023

Registrations must close Friday 14 April 2023. Don't miss out!

Please coordinate registrations through your CEO office. 

NEW HEIGHTS REACHED: REFLECTIONS ON THE 2023 LG PROFESSIONALS SA ANNUAL STATE CONFERENCE

Thank you to everyone that joined us at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Friday 24 March for our 2023 Annual State Conference: Reaching New Heights. As mentioned by LG Professionals SA President Michael Sedgman in his welcome message to delegates, 'It is no easy task to carve time away from our day-to-day roles to invest in ourselves, but it is so essential for our growth and development, and for that of our sector as a whole.' It was inspiring and heart-warming to see connections between our members being made, renewed and strengthened, and we were reminded that events like these are so much more than just the speakers who take the stage – they provide an essential forum for the reflection, discussions and collaboration which moves our sector forward.

This year’s conference program brought together a combination of uplifting, thought-provoking and educational speakers from both inside and outside the sector to provide delegates with key takeaways and inspire us all to 'Reach New Heights'. We heard a thrilling tale of mountaineering achievements from Andrew Lock OAM that he attributes to passion, perseverance and resilience, and we uncovered the keys to truly inclusive workplaces which we can all contribute to thanks to Sophie Hampel. The midday session was focused on local government: Mark Puncher from Employer Branding Australia talked about the fabulous people in our sector and how to attract and retain them, and then facilitated a panel session which delivered fantastic insights. Huge thanks must go to Kristie Johnson, Matt Pears, Ranveer Singh, Jodie Stevens and Ross Whitfield who spoke authentically about their experiences in local government and did a fantastic job as our panellists.

We were entertained and engaged by a tight battle between Mabel Tam and John Baker, with John narrowly awarded victory for his persuasive arguments in this year’s debate: Does Austerity Breed Innovation? Darren Ruger shone a spotlight on artificial intelligence and how it is currently being used in local government to enhance our communities, and we wrapped up the day with Future Crunch, who wowed us with their knowledge and explained that adaptability is the key to success moving into the future.

The LG Professionals SA corporate partners and event sponsors who attended the day commented that they love coming to the SA conference to connect with our members, and we thank these organisations for their ongoing support of our Association. Thanks must also go to all the speakers and presenters for sharing their time and knowledge with us.

Please save the date for next year's conference, Friday 22 March 2024

Meet the LG Professionals SA Team

Meet Megan Hay

Event Coordinator, Megan, joined 
LG Professionals SA in January 2023 and works closely with (other) Megan, to deliver all LG Professionals SA events. Having worked in the events industry for more than eight years, Megan brings a solid background, enthusiasm and creativity to the team. Read more...

Network News

LG Professionals SA Members are invited to join one of our many Networks.

Networks are groups of professionals who share a common interest or experience. We run a comprehensive range of Network meetings and forums throughout the year, offering staff the opportunity to learn and develop whilst sharing and networking with peers from their own and other councils and subsidiaries, across the state.

Our Networks include:

• Women's Network
• People and Culture Network
• Community Managers Network
• Business Performance and Improvement Network 
• General Managers and Directors Network 
• CEO Network

If you would like to know more about our Network offerings, or have a suggestion for a new Network please contact Haylie Maynard, Membership and Networks Officer at haylie@lgprofessionalssa.org.au.

Network Offerings

Women's Network Forum
SAVE THE DATE
Wednesday 31 May 2023

Further information will be released soon.

Women's Network Forum
SAVE THE DATE
Wednesday 20 September 2023

Further information will be released soon.

General Managers and Directors Network Forum
SAVE THE DATE
Thursday 6 July 2023

Further information will be released soon.

General Managers and Directors Network Forum
SAVE THE DATE
Thursday 26 October 2023

Further information will be released soon.

Community Managers Network
Open Network Meetings

These meetings are held at
LG House and via Zoom from 9:30 AM -11:30 AM and are open to all Network members. These meetings provide the opportunity for all Network Members to come together to discuss topical issues and are separate to Network Committee Meetings.

People and Culture Network Forum
SAVE THE DATE
Wednesday 6 September 2023

Further information will be released soon.

People and Culture Network Forum
SAVE THE DATE
Wednesday 16 November 2023

Further information will be released soon.

Business Performance and Improvement Network Forum
SAVE THE DATE
Thursday 10 August 2023

Further information will be released soon.

Business Performance and Improvement Network Forum
SAVE THE DATE
Thursday 23 November 2023

Further information will be released soon.

RelianSys® is Australia’s leading provider of governance solutions for Local Government.

Providing best-in-class, cloud-based software solutions that enable Councils to establish control, improve visibility and boost productivity to achieve better governance.

New RelianSys® Corporate Planning module

Designed in consultation with Local Government customers, the new Corporate Planning module simplifies complex processes, is easy to navigate and includes the features that matter in managing Corporate, Strategic and Operational Plan delivery.

The Corporate Planning module embodies the RelianSys® principle of simple, intuitive software that does the ‘complex’ to deliver:

• Essential Features - including new ones you’ve always wanted
• Intuitive User Interface (UI)– so even infrequent Users navigate with ease
• Seamless Workflows – enabling effective plan and action management

For more information or to arrange a demo contact Febin Philip, Business Development Manager on 1300 793 905 or fphilip@reliansys.com.au

Member Profile - 
Proudly sponsored by

Michael Mallamo

This month we caught up with Michael Mallamo, Coordinator, Corporate Planning Strategy, at City of Adelaide about his role, joining the Business Performance and Improvement Network and Committee, and his learnings from participation in the LG Professionals SA Management Challenge.

What is your role and what does it involve?

I am one of two Corporate Planners at City of Adelaide where I provide advice, reporting and planning standards for a range of internal and external stakeholders. I am often the ‘go to’ person for policy administration maintenance and advice, organisational and performance reporting, budgeting, planning research, insights and implementation. I’m also responsible for grants and advocacy work, project management and community engagement. Read more...

New Members

Welcome to our 86 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.

Kickstart your professional development journey in 2023

We offer a range of short courses that have been curated to equip the sector’s staff with the skills essential to deliver on efficiency, performance and continuous improvement. We encourage you to register today for one of the courses below.

Monday 8 May 2023

Learn the basic principles required for managing successful projects that drive real results.

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 before.

Please note: This course will be held in person at LG House.

Thursday 1 June 2023

Conflict in the workplace is a common occurrence, but it can cause stress and tension for all concerned. In this program we will use everyday conflict situations with colleagues, managers and customers to improve your ability to handle the emotion and stress of conflict, think through the situation and resolve it with confidence.

Please note: This course will be held in person at LG House.

Friday 2 June 2023

Project management is something we do every day in local government and it’s an area we should be leaders in. Beyond providing you with essential knowledge and skills to plan, manage and execute projects on time and on budget, this program takes a deeper dive into project management theory and looks at both operational and strategic elements of project management. This course is suitable for staff who have experience with managing projects.

Please note: This course will be held in person at LG House.

Monday 26 June 2023

Develop skills in informal performance conversations and increase leadership effectiveness through performance coaching skills.

This course enables participants to develop skills and confidence in holding these conversations in an easy and comfortable environment.  Participants are provided opportunities to engage with a new and contemporary approach and will prepare for effective performance conversations in their workplace.

Please note: This course will be held in person at LG House.

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 Rhiannon for further details on corporate partnership opportunities.

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.

We are proud to be part of a national Federation of State based Local Government Professionals Australia organisations, supported by a national office dedicated to supporting the National Local Government sector.

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

Connect with us on: