The 2023 Fairley Leadership cohort recently attended a two-day Closing Intensive held in Yarrawonga-Mulwala to wrap up an action-packed 10-month program.
The 2023 participants, including Yarrawonga resident Daryl Bennett, spent some time looking back on the experiences and challenges highlighted throughout the 2023 program.
The cohort was also joined by founder of World Class Friend Damian Murdoch, who guided conversations about leadership development over the year and workshopped techniques around public speaking.
Mr Bennett said one of the strengths of the program was that it exposed people to diverse sectors and other community leaders who were operating in that space.
“I have gained valuable insights into what community leadership can look like thanks to this broad exposure,” Mr Bennett said.
“I feel the connections we have made and the techniques learnt through the Fairley Leadership Program will go a long way to helping us all make a positive impact in our local communities and regions.”
The participants of the program, including individuals from eight local government areas in Victoria and NSW, look forward to making a difference and advocating for positive change in their communities with this being the final time the group will meet this year before their graduation in late November.
The Fairley Leadership Program is Goulburn Murray Community Leadership’s flagship program, which takes its cohort of future leaders on an immersive learning experience.
The program educates emerging leaders about the challenges and opportunities impacting on the Goulburn Murray region, equipping them with the leadership skills to make an impact.
Expressions of interest for the 2024 program are now open with participants selected based on demonstrated community leadership, and their willingness to contribute their skills to local communities or sustain positions of responsibility in the community.
People from rural and isolated communities, disadvantaged backgrounds, Aboriginal and ethnically diverse communities are actively encouraged to apply.
Successful applicants can be sponsored through their workplace to receive a position in the program, or they may seek support from individual sponsors.
“We are grateful for local organisations who support local communities and development of the Goulburn Murray region through participant sponsorship, community scholarships and in-kind support,” Goulburn Murray Community Leadership executive officer Nathan Bibby said.
For more information on the program or for expressions of interest, visit the Goulburn Murray Community Leadership website at https://www.goulburnmurraycommunityleadership.com.au/fairley-leadership-program