Sixteen graduates have emerged triumphantly from ACWA’s intensive seven-month Community Leadership Program (CLP) this year to begin their journeys as future sector leaders.
The group (pictured above) celebrated their achievements during a graduation ceremony at ACWA in November, with Mark Ashby presenting each of the graduates their certificates on behalf of program sponsor HESTA. This event also incorporated a leadership panel discussion featuring former NSW Deputy Premier and now CEO of the Mental Health Coordinating Council, Carmel Tebbutt, Dr Robert Urquhart of Barnardos and former ACWA CEO, Andrew McCallum. The graduates were able to get up close and personal with these leaders to discuss a wide range of topics, from ‘worst ever’ leadership episodes to light bulb moments.
NSW Children’s Guardian Janet Schorer was also on hand to announce Annette Myers, from Centacare Bathurst, as the recipient of the inaugural Andrew McCallum Leadership Scholarship. Generously funded by the Office of the Children’s Guardian, this $5000 scholarship is designed to future-proof the community sector through developing its emerging leaders, and to give recipients a helping hand with pursuing their career aspirations. With the full support of her employer, Annettehas chosen to pursue a path to become an accredited coach and will begin with a course of neuroscience-based coaching training with Michelle Loch at Leading Humans. The scholarship will go a long way to helping her achieve this goal. Recent graduates of the Community Leadership Program are lucky enough to be eligible for next year’s scholarship, which will be opening soon.
In the past 11 years, the highly successful CLP has launched more than 160 community and human services professionals onto their leadership pathway.
Participants of this year’s program were able to develop skills in adaptive leadership, team leadership and coaching staff, as well as venture into the uncharted waters of leadership and neuroscience. Each graduate was supported along the way by one-on-one mentoring with highly experienced coaches.
The group's experience can be best summed up in the following words of one of our new graduates:
“The Community Leadership Program is the best learning experience I have had in my professional life.”
If you would like to be a part of the 2020 Community Leadership Program, please contact Lesley Furneaux-Cook: leadership@acwa.asn.au
