Tell us a bit about yourself.
Having worked in Insurance, as a Sheriff’s Officer, Clerk of the Local Court and in Banking Fraud, over the years I realised I had a thing for compliance and following the rules so this, coupled with the realisation that I was in fact too short (not short on skills, just height) to be a superstar netball or basketball player, I jumped at the chance to join Council and thought it would be a positive change.
This turned out to be the start of my Local Government journey at Orange, moving through Customer Service Officer, Team Leader, Governance Coordinator and onto the Manager of Corporate Governance. Completing my Business Management/Human Resources degree and becoming Dux of the Governance Intensive have been some of my biggest highlights.
What is your current role at Orange City Council?
I am currently the Manager Corporate Governance at Orange City Council. Governance is such a varied discipline in Local Government and no one day is the same. My days are full of Governance, Council Meetings, Investigations, IP&R, ARIC, Internal Audit, Records, Risk Management and everything in between. Having a great Governance support team makes my job a lot easier and we are all along for the ride together.
What piece of advice do you want to share with others entering the sector.
Bring your fresh ideas, enjoy the ride and if you can settle into the Local Government ‘way’ you can have a very rewarding career. The first year is usually the most challenging, go easy on yourself.
What have you enjoyed about your membership with LG Professionals, NSW?
It allows me to connect with other professionals in the same industry and for the most part those doing the same roles day in day out. It provides a platform for us to develop individually and as a wider sector of professionals.
What do you wish others knew about working in local government?
It is so different to other areas of Government and Private Organisations. There is so much to learn, and no one can learn it all in a day or a week. Local Government allows for different skills and backgrounds to come together and work towards common goals and with Local Government often providing so many varied services and facilities there are opportunities for the most skilled and knowledgeable people to work closely with the community. Please don’t write us off as standing around holding up a shovel... We all work for our communities, and we work hard for our communities.