YOUNG ACHIEVER

BAW BAW SHIRE COUNCIL DOMINIQUE FOENANDER Manager Governance

Dominique Foenander epitomises leadership, with a clear sense of purpose and the drive to achieve. Commencing her Local Government career at Baw Baw Shire Council in 2015 as a casual in the West Gippsland Arts Centre cafe, she had set her sights on developing her career, quickly rising through the organisation to become one of Baw Baw’s youngest female managers in 2021.

Now responsible for the council’s Governance, Property and Risk portfolio, Dominique has actively improved the culture of her team, refreshed risk management across the organisation, and spearheaded efficiencies in governance processes. In her first 12 months, she identified and lead improvements in each of her portfolios and fostered a positive transformation in the culture of her team to develop one of the highest-performing business units, according to an organisation-wide staff engagement survey.

In addition to her regular duties, Dominique is the longest-serving member of the council's Growing Culture Consultative Committee and a founding member of the Future Ready Baw Baw design team, a change management program readying the organisation for the challenges of the future. As one of the first to volunteer to co-design Future Ready, she established its momentum and lead group activities at the program’s launch to the organisation’s leadership team.

Dominique is trusted and respected by her council’s leadership team, Councillors, and the community alike, known for her integrity, strong work ethic, and commitment to culture. Having achieved so much in such a short amount of time, she has paved the way for an exceptional career ahead of her.

YARRIAMBIACK SHIRE COUNCIL REBECCA BOTHERAS Projects Coordinator

Rebecca Botheras is a collaborator by nature with big-picture vision. Growing up in rural Victoria, she brings an empathetic understanding of the challenges rural communities face to her work. Rebecca is a leader of change, being innovative and adaptive.

Rebecca is adept at meaningfully engaging with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, understanding their challenges, and assisting them in navigating complex problems and finding solutions.

The highly regarded young professional has recently taken on a project coordination role where she epitomises sound project management. She has a passion for and love of sport and recreation which shines through when she is planning and delivering her projects. Her ability to negotiate and communicate has been instrumental in ensuring successful outcomes for her projects.

As a leader, Rebecca listens, is rational, and makes informed and considered decisions. She is recognised by her peers as a teacher, a collaborator, and a problem solver with vision. Her professionalism is infectious, making staff around her proud to be part of her team.

A self-starter, Rebecca championed the organisation’s digital transformation, providing training and selling the positive benefits of new systems and processes to staff across the organisation. One step further, she also championed the procurement processes and the council’s compliance obligations, along with the systems and processes required, mentoring fellow co-workers to support their onboarding.