DUOBusiness | Promotion
Opposite page left to right: Emerging Leaders Zammi Rohan and Brent Tate, Leadership Program Coordinator Eleni Millios-Hullick, Emerging Leaders Melissa Vander Haak and Rabin Tuladhar
“If we want to see a better future both economically and socially, we need to invest in our region’s next generation of leaders and teach them the leadership skills required to continue to foster consistent and sustainable growth for our region.” ELENI MILLIOS-HULLICK
An initiative of Townsville Enterprise, the program runs over 14 months and is aimed at enhancing the critical skills, knowledge and aptitude required to become leaders in business or industry through a series of modules, a mentoring program and the delivery of a community project. Each project is aligned to Townsville Enterprise’s mission to achieve sustainable economic and lifestyle benefits for the region. THE TOWNSVILLE NORTH QUEENSLAND EVENTS HUB The Townsville North Queensland Events Hub is a dedicated physical space, managed by an Events Development Consultant that aims to foster and facilitate events to raise their profile and, in turn, collectively increase event attendance by 10% injecting tourist dollars into the economy. Townsville North Queensland Emerging Leader Melissa Vander Haak said the project aims to shape the region’s reputation as a major events destination through the development and support of successful, home-grown, sustainable events. “We know the region has a goal to double visitor expenditure to the region by 2020 and by providing a facility that will assist in growing and developing events we hope to raise the profile of our events, attracting visitors to the region and ultimately injecting much needed tourist dollars into the region’s economy. “Many smaller events across the region have significant development potential. The events hub provides the opportunity to enable existing events to grow and potentially become a major event on the Queensland events calendar and this is one of the key goals. “By increasing the profile and quality of events the Hub will also indirectly help to develop a sense of community pride and create a lifestyle that keeps people in the region.” “Through the Events Hub project the Emerging Leaders Program gives us an opportunity to be involved in high level decision making which will ultimately move this region forward. Being directly involved in setting up the Events Hub and assisting in the growth and development of a region you are passionate about is quite a rewarding experience.” iNQ Innovation is a word on the lips of many of the nation’s key decision makers and with Townsville’s first innovation hub up and running, Emerging Leader Rabin Tuladhar says it’s through collaboration of a number of industries that this city will thrive.
“Townsville has a great potential to thrive as a university city where the local businesses and educational institutions work together to nurture and build entrepreneurs and innovators who will help shape the future economic development of the region. “The establishment of innovation hub – iNQ – in Townsville is dedicated to nurturing, enabling and growing innovations and entrepreneurial pursuits in Townsville North Queensland. “iNQ will provide a platform for individuals and businesses to collaborate and drive creative impulses. iNQ will also provide opportunities for individuals and businesses to connect with mentors and expert advisors in relevant technical and business spheres to take innovation to commercialisation. We believe that iNQ is the first step towards establishing entrepreneurial culture in our region. BISHOP MICHAEL PUTNEY FELLOWSHIP In a world where technology and development is king it is important to remember that social development is key to a sustainable future. In a bid to improve the social fabric of the Townsville North Queensland community the Bishop Michael Putney Fellowship aims to raise much needed funds for research into youth mental illness. Emerging Leader Jaqui Gillespie said the project, which has raised over $50K to date and fills a need that has become apparent within the region’s Rugby League community. “Mental health and youth suicide across Northern Queensland is the highest in our country and has now infiltrated Rugby League with several recent deaths in our region. “If we want to see a better future both economically and socially, we need to invest in our region’s youth and teach them the leadership skills required to continue to foster consistent and sustainable growth for our region. “The Fellowship will raise awareness and money for urgent research into this problem. This research can then be used and applied to improve the health and wellbeing of our young people in this code and others. TAKE THE LEAD – RSPCA TOWNSVILLE Emerging Leader Zammi Rohan says the ‘Take the Lead- RSPCA Townsville’ project aims to assist the community by keeping animals off the streets which is currently a significant cost to the community. “The reclaim, adoption, and desexing rates in Townsville are some of the worst in Queensland. The RSPCA does an amazing job looking after all of
the animals that are brought into their centre but at times their resources are stretched to the limits. “Our project team has created a volunteer committee called ‘Take the Lead – RSPCA Townsville’ and our purpose is to work collaboratively with the local RSPCA to improve public awareness around these issues and assist with events and fundraising. “The goal, through improving responsible pet ownership is to reduce the number of animals going into the centre and get pets back to their owners or find new homes for them as quickly as possible. “The world is evolving at a rapid rate and I believe it’s important that younger people step up now to shape the future, particularly if we want to be recognised as an innovative and progressive city. Townsville North Queensland Emerging Leaders Program Director Eleni Millios-Hullick said good leadership is critical to redefining the region’s potential. It is important to foster leaders for our city and region who are armed with the critical skills and knowledge of our city past and present. With this knowledge they are better able to serve the community as leaders and they are also enabled by this to grow and diversify Townsville North Queensland. “It is part of our civic and social duty to empower people to do great things, to be part of and give back to their community in a positive and proactive way. “I am constantly delighted in watching the incredible people in this Program put what they have learnt into actions that have great outcomes such as the community projects. “I think we can smile and breathe a sigh of relief knowing that our future is in good hands because we were part of an initiative that took the time to teach, mentor, inspire, enable and empower young people in our region to become the leaders we need them to be to move this region forward.”
For more information on the Townsville North Queensland Emerging Leaders Program and the community projects visit www.townsvilleenterprise. com.au and to participate in the next cohort contact Leadership Program Coordinator Eleni Millios-Hullick eleni@tel.com.au
March 2016 DUOMagazine
113