A special evening was held in Kerang on Friday 17 February to welcome 24 emerging leaders from across the region who will take part in the 2012 Loddon Murray Community Leadership Program (LMCLP) over the next nine months.

Facilitated by Community Leadership Loddon Murray (CLLM), LMCLP has been successfully developing leaders for vibrant and sustainable communities across central and north-west Victoria since 1998, with more than 300 graduates across the region undertaking a range of community leadership roles.

The program aims to build the skills, knowledge, confidence and networks of participants so they can make a difference within their own communities, and at a regional and industry level.

The guest speaker for the evening was Professor Kate Auty, Victorian Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability who delivered an engaging story about her leadership journey with the theme of “Leadership Beyond Boundaries”, sharing some of her insights into leadership including “it’s not about how we make ourselves as leaders; it’s about how others help make us who we are” and “leadership is about looking around and seeing what’s about you”

Adding a touch of excitement to the evening was an announcement by the Hon Peter Walsh, Deputy leader of the Nationals, Minister for Agriculture & Food Security, and Minister for Water, that the Victorian Government will provide a grant of $800,000 over 4 years to Community Leadership Loddon Murray through the Regional Community Leadership Program.

Representing Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development, Peter Ryan, Mr Walsh said the annual Loddon Murray Community Leadership Program was a highly successful program that focused on local issues and opportunities within the region and he was delighted that the government would be supporting this important community initiative over the next four years.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the 24 participants that will be taking part in the LMCLP journey during 2012.  Representing nine shires from across central and north-west Victoria they
are:

- Roslyn Affleck from Broadford (Mitchell Shire), 

- Marg Boers from Waranga Shores and Jan Webster from Toolleen (Campaspe Shire), 

- Stephanie Ash from Eaglehawk, Max Bickford from Ravenswood, Kate Booth from Golden Square,
  Cecilia Connellan from White Hills, Noemi Cummings from Kangaroo Flat, Sue Gerdsen from California
  Gully, Lisa Gormley from Spring Gully, Sam Hawkins from Bendigo, Judith Henschke-Reid from
  Ravenswood, Megan Kreutzer from Kangaroo Flat (City or Greater Bendigo), 

- Tracy McLoughlan, Donna Salathiel and Paulette Vargas from Swan Hill (Swan Hill Rural City
  Council), 

- Di Bowles from Mead and Tracey Clifford from Kerang (Ganawarran Shire), 

- Pearl Fernandes from Inglewood (Loddon Shire), 

- Ash Harris from Donald and Peter Noble from Charlton (Buloke Shire), 

- Leonie Lomax from Carisbrook (Central Goldfields Shire), 

- Jill Loorham from Faraday and Elaine Murphy from Barfold (Mt Alexander Shire)

The 2012 Program launch was proudly sponsored by MADEC, a long-time supporter of the program.

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