2015 Alumni Events Calendar

Alumni Professional Development – held in partnership with the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD)
Governance Foundations for Not for Profit Directors

Thursday 18 and Friday 19 June (1.5 Days)

Port Fairy Community Services Centre: 16 Atkinson St Port Fairy VIC 3284                                             

Early Bird Rate (Register and pay by 15 May): $920 inc GST            Full Rate: $990 inc GST

See course info below.

This event is fully booked – registration of interest for our next Program are bring taken on 0408627066 

Alumni Professional Development Event – held as part of the Warrnambool Small Business Festival
Tuesday 18 August

5.30 pm onwards – Spotlight on Leadership – Knowing your Personal Brand
Held in partnership with our major partner Telstra – our guest speaker is Sadhana Smiles 2013 Telstra Business Women of the Year 

Sadhana  is CEO of Harcourts Victoria, one of Australia’s leading and well respected real estate brands and the 2013 Vic Telstra Business Woman. Her personal and professional leadership journey will inspire you and her personal branding advice will be invaluable to all.

Dinner to follow event (at own cost)

Alumni Networking Event + Christmas drinks
Tuesday 17 November – pencil this date in your diaries

Venue TBA 5.30 pm onwards – Canapés provided – drinks at bar prices

Economy Program Day

We live in challenging times; an aging population, climate change, technological advances and globalisation are all major issues which require foresight and planning.

The 2015 Leadership Program participants heard from several experts in Regional Development, Economics and Industry. Throughout an intensive session, discussion revolved around trends and events that are currently shaping local, regional and global economies.

Keenan Jackson, Senior Economic Policy Analyst with Regional Development Victoria, encouraged the group to consider factors which cause growth and decay in regional centres, and how strong leadership can impact these trends.

Dr Greg Walsh, Chairman of Champions of the Bush, presented an informal discussion on the challenges that have faced Australian leaders over the past 50 years. He encouraged the group to consider how we might learn from the past as we face new and unforseen challenges in the future.

The final speaker for the day was Daryl Roe, Former Senior Vice President and Executive General Manager of Incitec Pivot and Orica, who gave a moving account of his experiences in Executive management within a multinational organisation.

The day provided the participants with a greater depth of knowledge about economic and political factors affecting our region, from some very inspiring speakers.

The Leadership Program participants acknowledge the terrific contribution of these speakers, and the value they bring to our Leadership journey.

Special thanks to our hosts Corangamite Shire.

Gareth Colliton

Climate Adaptation Program Day

Climate change is scientific fact. How we choose to respond will have a significant impact on our community’s future.

The 2015 program participants learned about the challenges a changing climate will pose to our region, from temperature rise to storm events and rainfall changes.

The Department of Environment’s Climate Extension Specialist Graeme Anderson gave insight on how those impacts may manifest. Discussion focused on how we as leaders can considerately involve the community in planning for that future.

Professor of horticulture and viticulture at the University of Melbourne, Snow Barlow, spoke specifically on the challenges and opportunities climate change poses for the wine industry.

The discussions were brought into practice with a visit to Jigsaw Farms, managed by Mark Wootton and Eve Kantor. Jigsaw Farms is an exceptional example of leadership mixing with sustainable practice – proving that biodiversity can be improved whilst being harnessed for increased agricultural productivity.

The wicked problem of climate change will take time to solve, but our program participants now have greater awareness of what can be done.

Thanks to our Program Day sponsors, RMIT, Mark Wootton and Eve Kantor.

By Billy Greenham

Project Leadership in the Great South Coast

LGSC ran the annual Skills Program Day for the 2015 Leadership Program at the Port Fairy Community Centre on Friday 17th of April.

Our team of exciting emerging community leaders were introduced into the realms of Project Management and clearly identified how people and leadership are acutely intertwined.

The day opened up with a foray of flair from facilitator Corrinne Armour. Corrinne’s enthusiastic and flamboyant style set a high energy tone about what it means to be a choiceful leader, and how to develop ones individual’s capacity as a leader.  

The group were taken on a sobering journey through project management and the tools available to define, overcome and run successful projects. Good communication emerged as a core theme.

Through this Corrinne brought participants back to earth, and walked the emerging leaders through reflections on success and failures, discussing resilience and how to use negatives as useable learning experiences to encourage growth, courage and strength into the future.

The Program Day ended with groups passionately pitching and discussing their community projects, all of which will reward and enrich our communities.

Demogene Smith