IPWEA is committed to developing and maintaining a high level of competency and the capacity and capability to meet community demands within the sector through our scholarships.
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I am passionate about infrastructure asset management in Local Government and my career journey has recently taken me from asset accounting to asset management. Being awarded the 2024 IPWEA Women in Asset Management Scholarship will provide me access to valuable industry knowledge and the opportunity to network with others who understand the challenges we face. I plan to use my learnings to positively influence our asset management practices. I want to educate and share my knowledge across the organisation. I also hope my story inspires other women to consider asset management as a career.
I am an Environmental Engineer/Scientist with experience working in local government and consulting. I have been with the City of Launceston for 5 years and currently lead the Water Team. The team comprises engineering and environmental specialists, and is responsible for management of the flood protection and stormwater drainage asset portfolios. Through the scholarship I look forward to connecting with other asset management professionals and better understanding the nuance of managing different asset classes. I'm eager to explore diverse methods and options for asset management, particularly effective communication of decisions to the community - an area I believe that needs improvement across the local government sector. I have been in a formal leadership role for a couple of years, and am always seeking opportunities to further develop my leadership skills. The Leading with Resilience Course included within the scholarship is particularly appealing in navigating challenges and uncertainties, crucial in the local government space. Leadership plays a significant role in influencing how challenges impact team members and identifying opportunities within these challenges.
With over 15 years local government experience and as an improvement focused project lead and asset management professional, I am currently leading Ipswich City Council’s Effective Asset Management project. The opportunity to complete the Professional Certificate in Asset Management Planning will allow me to enhance my skills and better support my peers at both a tactical and operational level. Partnered with my existing IPWEA certifications, it will enable me to continue to share my asset management knowledge within the council. This will be achieved through mentoring and coaching support, production of asset management guidance materials, undertaking change management and increasing my capability as we deliver a new set of Asset Management Plans. I am recognised for cultivating strong asset management leadership and governance practices and through the scholarship opportunities, I am committed to broadening my connections and engaging in new relationships to collectively advance the industry.
Working for a small federal government agency, the National Capital Authority (NCA), means there is a lot of opportunity to learn different skills and so I made the move into an Asset Manager role, after spending the previous 15 years as an ERP Systems Administrator and Consultant. My day-to-day involves administering an AMIS of over 60,000 assets across a diverse range of asset classes, updating key asset management documentation, coordinating the Asset Management Steering Committee, and working with and training various internal staff and contractors. The IPWEA Future of Asset Management Scholarship will allow me to formalise and build upon the skills I have acquired over the last 12 months, as well as provide opportunities to network with other asset management professionals from all levels of government, from both Australia and abroad. I will then impart this knowledge and experience to my colleagues here at the NCA, to help guide us as we mature in our asset management journey.
I’m excited to have been offered this scholarship opportunity with IPWEA. Being responsible for all our infrastructure services across the Wellcamp Business Park takes in a lot of assets and one of our key priority projects is our asset management and GIS improvement. We are working towards improving all our asset registers and systems including our spatial GIS platform. I plan to use this scholarship to improve my financial asset accounting knowledge through completing the IPWEA Professional Certificate in Infrastructure Financial Management. I get a lot of value out of our IPWEA membership through their information resources, courses and networking / ask your mates forums.
Receiving this scholarship for the Fleet Management Certificate holds significant potential for positively impacting both my organization and the communities it serves. As an integral part of an organization catering to a vulnerable community with complex health needs, the provision of a reliable vehicle fleet is paramount to our mission. This scholarship will equip me with the specialized knowledge and skills needed to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our organization's vehicle fleet management. By gaining insights into strategic planning, maintenance, and optimal resource utilization, I will be better equipped to ensure that our fleet operates reliably and consistently, getting our workers out safely and on time.