Leadership Victoria Yearbook 2009 Our Mission Leadership Victoria LEADERSHIP VICTORIA IS AN INNOVATIVE, INDEPENDENT, NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANISATION DEVELOPING PEOPLE WHO EXERCISE POSITIVE AND ENDURING LEADERSHIP IN AND FOR THE REAL WORLD. Yearbook 2009 Table of Contents Message from the Chairman 6 Message fron the Executive DIrector 8 A Letter to Hugh Williamson 10 Williamson Community Leadership Program 14 WCLP – 2009 Fellows 16 WCLP and the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority 26 Welcome to the Leadership Victoria (LV) WCLP – 2009 Guest Speakers 28 2009 Yearbook, which coincides with LV’s ExperienceBank 30 20th Anniversary. ExperienceBank — 2009 Guest Speakers 37 This publication serves to recognise individuals Praise for ExperienceBank 38 graduating from our Williamson Community SkillsBank 41 Leadership and ExperienceBank programs. Praise for SkillsBank 42 It also highlights some of the achievements Organisations supported by LV 44 made through LV’s community engagement LV Alumni 46 programs: ExperienceBank and SkillsBank. LV Council Members 2009 60 These formal programs help meet the needs LV Alumni Representitive Group of community organisations by matching skilled Convenor’s Report 2009 63 LV Alumni to specific projects, and enabling LV Staff 64 our Alumni to enhance the wellbeing and Our Sponsors 66 development of the broader community. Thank You 67 We warmly welcome the current graduates of the Williamson Community Leadership Program and the 2008 ExperienceBank programs as Alumni of LV. 5 Message from the Chairman Garry Ringwood I am pleased to congratulate and welcome our 2009 is the 20th Anniversary of Leadership Victoria 2009 Alumni — this year’s Williamson Community and while that is significant, this year also marks the Leadership Fellows and ExperienceBank Associates. retirement of Richard Bluck, our founding Executive Already leaders in their own right, their experiences Director. Richard has been an essential part of mak- throughout the year now give them an insight and ing Leadership Victoria what it is today, and his part understanding as to how they can use their leader- in the growth of the organisation is immeasurable. ship skills for the benefit of the community. On behalf of the Council, I thank and congratulate Despite the optimistic outlook for our economy as Richard for what he has left behind for the people a whole compared to a year ago, the last 12 months of Victoria. have seen parts of our community tested in ways At the same time, we have been pleased to welcome many of us have not seen in our lifetime. The Vic- Jerril Rechter as our new Executive Director. We torian bushfires have touched all of us in their own look forward to working with Jerril to take Leader- indelible way. I have been moved to see how the long ship Victoria to the next stage of its development. journey of recovery for those most directly affected Jerril, an Alumnus of the program in 2003, will be is largely being driven by initiatives at the commu- well known to many of you. Her experience in man- nity level. aging not-for-profit organisations equips her well It is times like this that show us the power of com- for the future. munity involvement, which is the ethos of Leader- On behalf of the Council, I wish to acknowledge ship Victoria. Our Alumni give their time, resources the continued support of our partners who support and skills to make our community a better place to us financially. I would also like to acknowledge the live invaluable help provided on a voluntary basis by the For our 2009 Alumni, this is not the end of a pro- many speakers, panel members and advisers who gram. It is the beginning of the opportunity to be an give their time to make Leadership Victoria work ongoing part of the Leadership Victoria family and as effectively as it does. to continue to grow personally by helping others. 6 7 Garry Ringwood Chairman Message from the Executive Director Jerril Rechter When Council offered me the role as LV’s Execu- Using web-based technologies and creating a col- and Alumni in the new year. 2010 will become a agree that his passion and contribution is worthy tive Director, I was inspired by the potential of both laborative site for Alumni enabled broad engagement year of critical importance to LV as we begin the of this honour and you will join me in welcoming the role and the organisation. As I suspected, the with the consultation process – the online space journey of revitalising our programs, systems and Richard as a Fellow of the Williamson Community ten months since taking the helm have proven to be acted as a “super whiteboard”. The site quickly technology in order to become the go-to organisation Leadership Program. some of the most thought-provoking and rewarding became a space where information could be shared in leadership. In concluding, I also wish to thank all of the mem- of my career. and where LV’s Alumni, wherever they happened to I would like to take this opportunity to personally bers of LV’s Council and Chairman, Garry Ringwood. Having graduated as a Williamson Fellow in 2003, it be located, could play an integral role in the strategic welcome and congratulate our new Alumni. I hope Council has been extremely encouraging of our has been enlightening to get to know LV, its Council, change process. Through a combination of online that you stay connected with LV for many years to review process and supportive of the new strategic Alumni, sponsors, staff and stakeholders from a new discussion, face-to-face meetings, and larger group come, taking advantage of the continued opportuni- direction, which will see the organisation thrive perspective. From the outset, I extend my thanks consultations, Alumni collectively took a leadership ties for professional development and for contribut- over the next 20 years. My thanks also go to Richard to Founding Executive Director Richard Bluck AM, role in guiding the future direction of the organisa- ing to the broader community. Bluck, the Alumni of LV and our longstanding spon- who generously shared his passion and unique in- tion. LV has played an important role in most of our Joining you this year is an esteemed group of Honor- sors for making my first year an engaging, stimulat- sight into the organisation he led since its inception lives and it was encouraging to see so many people ary Fellows of the Williamson Community Leader- ing and rewarding period. Extra special thanks are in 1989. I valued Richard’s sharing of not only practi- connecting or reconnecting with LV, and making ship Program. Peter Laver AM, Kevin Luscombe AM, also extended to LV’s committed staff who have un- cal knowledge but also the vital intangibles – the meaningful contributions to shape its future. Don Macfarlane, Sue Nattrass AO, Peter Sheldrake dergone a period of significant change and who have values and principles that drive the organisation, its The net result of this planning process will be a and Noel Turnbull, along with the members of The contributed enormously to LV’s future direction. rich history and relationships. focused, driven and relevant organisation that is Hugh DT Williamson Foundation — Chair Denis Upon commencing in the role, I felt it important to primed to have a major impact in the 21st Century Tricks AM, and fellow Trustees Martin Carlson consult as broadly as possible with both our Alumni – an organisation of which we will all continue to OAM and Harry Carrodus — are being honoured in and current and future stakeholders. Starting in the be immensely proud. recognition of their outstanding contribution to the organisation’s 20th anniversary also provided a time- We will operate with a new mission: to be an in- evolution of LV. We are also inducting as an Honor- ly opportunity for such consultation to take place. novative, independent, not-for-profit organisation ary Corporate Fellow Roberto Scenna on behalf of Throughout its history, LV has grown organically in developing people who exercise positive and endur- ANZ Trustees. I congratulate each of these worthy Jerril Rechter accordance with the needs of our diverse Alumni. ing leadership in and for the real world. Supporting individuals and ANZ Trustees, and thank you for Executive Director As we move forward, it is critical we continue to this mission is our new strategic plan comprising six 8 9 your ongoing support. meet your needs while also addressing the changing Critical Success Factors, each underpinned by a goal. Of course this list of Honorary Fellows would not be needs of the broader community. The strategic plan will be shared with participants complete without Richard Bluck. I am sure you will A Letter to Hugh Williamson Richard Bluck AM, Retiring Executive Director THIS LETTER WAS WRITTEN BY RETIRING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RICHARD BLUCK, AS A WAY OF EXPRESSING HIS THANKS TO THE HUGH WILLIAMSON FOUNDATION AND THE ORGANISATION HE LED SINCE ITS INCEPTION. Dear Hugh • Sharing experiences — both professional and life ‘special’ (and we were able to replicate this later 2009 has been a year of transition for LV and me. as our modus operandi across all activities — to for the LV Associates) Having handed over to my successor Jerril Rechter build trust and broaden emerging leaders’ ideas • That LV ‘walks the talk’ it espouses at the end of February I worked full-time at LV till and attitudes rather than espouse any particular • People’s experiences with LV are positive the end of April, mainly to allow a solid handover, model or ‘solution’. • That LV is an asset for Victoria then part-time to the end of June. Since then, I have • Modelling the philanthropic pro bono ethos in • That our brand values are overwhelmingly strong been ‘on call’ as a resource.