We caught up with Danielle at the 2023 Finance Conference and she kindly answered a few questions about her experience as a Member and on our Finance Professionals Executive Committee.
Tell us a bit about yourself and what is happening at your Council.
Hi everyone, I'm Danielle Parker, Director (Business and Corporate Services) at Georges River Council. I've been a member of LG Professionals, NSW for seven years now, starting as a Next Gen Member in 2017. I'm now on the Executive Committee for the Finance Professionals Member Network, meaning I get involved extensively in the planning and coordination of our finance events, and with sector response to financial challenges. Throughout my career I've held roles at the Manager, Director and Chief level, and my membership has been super helpful in navigating the sector, and connecting with a range of people with similar experiences and aspirations. I really enjoy the Australasian Management Challenge, where I previously participated and am now a mentor. I also love having the opportunities to help form the finance intensive training, serve on the committee or help work with our members on what they want to hear about at the conference. In terms of being on the Member Network, we advocate, we ensure that we get feedback from and access to the sector, making sure that we're listening and as a collective working together on the common issues, and it's a great social network as well.
What advice would you give someone entering the sector?
I think being an accountant myself, I was probably a little bit introverted in my professional life, and I didn't get involved much. Through LG Professionals, NSW, I met some of my peers when I first started out networking and building connections with other like minded individuals or those in the sector, with those connections turning out to be critical. It took me a while to jump out, but when I did, it's really a great opportunity to share the load, get support and get input from other professionals. Talking about learning and growing with others and challenges the way we do our work. And also it's a good support group for the sector and also just doing your job day to day. It's nice to have those connections.
What do you think are the key benefits of coming to our events?
It's always a fun conference that we put on every year and you can get involved. We encourage any members to come along, hear from different people and get involved in panels. Today for example, we're running a panel on how to influence decisions, especially with the financial sustainability challenge we have now. So it's great to come along and hear from everyone, in particular from recognised sector leaders, about the issues that everyone is facing.
What have you enjoyed about your membership with LG Professionals, NSW?
I really enjoyed that it gives me a break from the day to day grind. It's nice that we have the conference, and I've also had the opportunity to be a mentor to people in regional councils. Coming from a metropolitan Sydney Council, I think we sometimes forget the diversity of what we do in the community. So it's nice hearing about the regional councils and what they encounter on a day to day - and that gives perspective that sometimes the opportunities we have to take for granted in my career and making sure that we are supporting all of those in my government for the community and gives us a broader purpose in what we do in the sector.