February 2007: The Australian Women & Leadership Forum- The Leadership Journey

I was invited to be a Guest Speaker at the Australian Women and Leadership Forum just recently and enjoyed the opportunity to speak about “Reflections on a Leadership Journey”. For those that attended they will know that I shared some of my life journey and explained how in life you need to believe in yourself. This was not the case when I was younger and there were many obstacles put in my path.
This Forum proved to be a valuable source of support for all that attended with a dynamic day of self- reflection, sharing and planning for future success and happiness. Some of the key themes from the day were leadership styles, work/life balance, networking and leadership goal setting. This is the second year that I have been at this function and the way in which the organisers and speaker interact with the people at the event was very welcoming.
Now I promised that I would give those that attended a copy ofmy 10 suggestions on how to be a leader that others want to follow, so here they are:
10 Tips To Be A Leader (PDF File)
Also the instructions for planting the Sun-Flower seeds I handed out on the day are:
Sunflower Seeds (PDF File)

Spring Creek Dam Upgrade Opening 26th February

I attended the opening of the Spring Creek Dam Upgrade recently with my two children Kayla and Tristan and plenty of other official people present.
In particular The Hon Ian Macdonald MLC opened the Spring Creek Dam Upgrade which in itself has significantly increased the total holding capacity.

Now for the rain to fill it up!

Visit By Minister For Health 23 February

Well this was really a non event and quite disappointing for those who attended. We waited for two hours and even though the Minister was there behind closed doors he did not take the time to say hello to those who had made the effort to be at OrangeBaseHospital to welcome him.
Its expected that those who are in Government positions and are placed there by election should take the time to speak to those who put them there, the voters!

Lions Club Youth of the Year Awards 22nd February

A two day event that culminated in an evening of four very talented teenagers speaking about topics that were important to them and answering questions off the cuff. The Lions Club should be congratulated for the initiative of organising this event which recognises our Youth and gives them the opportunity to present in a professional manner which will lead to one young person being selected for the clubs Youth of the Year Award.
I had the role along with two other judges to conduct the interviews and devise questions for these young people. We had the opportunity to meet and greet and hear about each persons interests and ambitions in life. I always feel quite humble in this role as judge because at each of these events I have found the young people are so open and honest and speak with conviction for what they believe in.
The winner for the awards was a young man called Callum who would be very happy to get through this year and finish year 12. Congratulations to all four contestants, it takes quite a talented person to run through this process with such skill.

Council Simulation 21st February

Orange City Council along with a consulting team ran a recent workshop at Orange Function Centre.The planning simulation allowed everyone the opportunity to experience how interesting and complex the process of decision making for Council can be. The conflicting priorities, available resources and competing community expectations all contribute to the process within Council.
The Workshop provided some valuable information and insights for Council and will assist in the way in which it formulates its policies it plans for the future development of Orange and it understands the community "system".
The day's activities included people from the community, council staff and Councillors and this proved a rather innovative way of consulting with staff and members of the community. It was an enjoyable day with everyone adapting to their roles.

Radio Interview at Community Radio 107.5 FM February 20th

Down to the local Community Radio station 107.5 FM for a radio interview with Kevin Mason and his lovely wife June. The interview was a bit of a mix with some talk about a presentation I was doing with Women in Leadership this month and how my life started in England. We spoke about lots of different things but I guess the most important for me was about encouraging others to put their hand up for things that they would like to do when they arise. Many a person I have met has doubted their ability for whatever reasons but when I hear their story I cant understand why they have little confidence in themselves. We have the most amazing people out there who could do the most amazing things if only they believed in themselves.

Food Week 2007 Launch

Beautiful Orange weather the birds singing in the South Court and the smell of fresh food this was the welcome for those at the launch of FOOD week 2007. My eldest daughter and youngest son called down to the event with me to see what is in store for this year. There was quite a crowd at the morning’s event which has been running for the past 16 years. Food week is a 10 day event which is including a family focus this year. The FOOD week program is available on line www.orange-foodweek.com.au
I would recommend a visit!

Road Safety Conference 2007

2007 Local Government Road Safety Conference (PDF File)