19 JANUARY 2022 | ISSUE 491 | FREE
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Ian Coutts – Helping to Celebrate Who We Are This will be the tenth year Ian Coutts has enjoyed giving back to the community as an Australia Day Ambassador. Spending 20 years in management at the Carlton Football Club, he likes to describe himself as “just a bloke from Essendon who has worked in sport”, he feels incredibly humbled to accept the role and get to know people at the heart of tight-knit communities across Victoria. “I love the opportunity to travel to regional Victoria and to meet people in the local communities. And having the opportunity to be involved with the Community Awards allows me to meet some of the leaders and shining lights in the community, it is very special and something I am very grateful for.” It is no surprise he enjoys visiting the rural regions as Ian grew up in the small town of Kaniva, in the Wimmera region of Victoria. “I lived in Kaniva for the first 18 years of my life, and I wouldn’t swap my upbringing for anything. In a small community, I was very fortunate, I have a wonderful family and growing up in a small community provided me with the best lessons in life – opportunities, manners, respect
and the importance of the community. I still like to get back to see my family (Mum and brother still live in Kaniva) and I continue to be proud of what small communities can achieve through working together. It is the people that make things happen and the best example of this is in small communities.” Usually, Ian just asks for his Australia Day Ambassador role to be in regional Victoria, rarely does he list a preference. However, this year he requested Nagambie because he has visited a few times and he and his wife “liked the feel of the region and love the way the community has embraced progress while maintaining the country atmosphere”. “We haven’t been here enough to know the area well and this role as an Australia Day Ambassador provides a great opportunity to gain a better understanding of Nagambie and surrounds. There is so much to do in the region, I am sure it will give us even more reason to come back in the future”. An experienced Public Affairs and Strategic Communications Manager, Ian has spent more than 25 years involved in administration roles in top level Australian sport, including 20 years with the Carlton Football Club.
His extensive background in sports marketing and communications commenced in the role of Marketing Manager for the North Melbourne Giants in the National Basketball League, before switching to the AFL. A very brief stint at the Fitzroy Football Club led to a role in Marketing with Carlton where, in 1998, he became the first Communications/Media Manager for a Victorian based AFL Club. In 2000 Ian was appointed General Manager Communications and was part of the senior executive team, managing the media and developing communications policies and reputation management initiatives for Carlton through until 2013. He then moved into the not-for-profit sector as the General Manager Marketing, Communications and Fundraising for a Victorian Children’s Cancer charity and volunteered for a number of community groups. In 2015 Ian helped form the Mullagh Wills Foundation to commemorate the All Aboriginal cricket team from Western Victoria that played against Victoria at the MCG in 1866 and then toured England to become Australia’s first international sporting team in 1868. The Mullagh
Wills Foundation is named after the star of the team, Johnny Mullagh and the original coach of the team, Tom Wills. Ian is still a committee member of the Foundation. Since 2016, when he established his own business, Ian has been consulting in strategic communications for several organisations in the sporting and not-for-profit sectors as well as being involved with a number of charities, including as a Board Ambassador for Kids Foundation, located in Ballarat.
Nagambie Australia Day Breakfast January 26th Free sausage sizzle Nagambie Rowing Club ~ 301 High St, Nagambie Starts at 8am | Award Ceremony 8:45 am
Enjoy the water on Australia Day GoAdventure Nagambie will be at the boardwalk below Jacobsons Outlook between 10am - 12pm with free water activities including pedal boat rides, Stand up paddle boards and more. This activity is free and all are welcome to join in on the fun.