Two graduates – Sue Cassidy and Daniel Meade – were elected to local government last month and another participant Paul Ross was appointed as Station Leader at the Casey Research Station in Antarctica.

Another graduate, Jarrod Clarke, drew upon the leadership skills he learnt through the program to step in as interim chief executive at the Gunditjmara Aboriginal Cooperative when his brother Marcus left the role to take on a job with the Department of Human Services,

Jarrod, a housing and premises officer with Gunditjmara, did the CEO job voluntarily for nine weeks before handing over the interim role to Jill Gallagher, the chief executive of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation.

The four were among the 16 graduates who were acknowledged at a ceremony at Warrnambool’s Deep Blue Ballroom this week.

Leadership Great South Coast Chair Jill Parker said “it has been a delight to see our participants, many of whom were already established leaders in their own right, challenge themselves throughout the year.

“Without exception, each participant has grown and learned important things about themselves, their peers and their regional community through this year-long journey,” she said.

During the program, which runs from February-December, participants took part in a series of themed program days and were required to work on a community project of their choosing.

The team projects ranged from securing a $34,000 grant to install an all-inclusive carousel play equipment at Warrnambool’s Cramer Street playground to supporting Basalt to Bay Landcare with its project to create 37-kilometre long vegetation corridor along the former Koroit to Minhamite rail line.

Other projects were the creation of a mobile-friendly ‘Head Out’ website that featured regional events with a mental health focus and a Literacy Buddies program that set up a pen pal program between Warrnambool East pupils and Lyndoch Living residents.