Shire

CARDINIA Shire Council’s general manager is among three Victorians to be selected as an ambassador for the Year of Women in Local Government.
Fiona Hodges, who has been working on the council for several years, was among 21 women in local councils across Australia to be selected from a pool of 60 outstanding nominations.
Cardinia Shire mayor Bill Pearson congratulated Ms Hodges on her appointment. He said it was well-deserved and an illustration of the effective work being done by Ms Hodges in one of the most important areas of the council’s operations.
“Fiona Hodges is a wonderful role model for all women in our community,” said Cr Pearson.
“Her ‘can do’ approach enables her to successfully manage her family life and council commitments in a calm and inspiring way.
“Her appointment as an Ambassador for a Year of Women in Local Government 2010 lifts the profile of the Cardinia Shire across Australia as an employer of choice.”
National steering committee chairman Ray Pincombe said the ambassadors would represent the varied roles and responsibilities in local government.
“Each ambassador is committed to promoting the advancement of women within the sector, both in management and at the council level and they have great stories to tell about their own personal journeys in local government,” he said.
Women in senior management roles in local government represent only 20 per cent of its work force – a figure that hasn’t changed since 1996.
Just five per cent of chief executives or general managers are women and less than a third of all councillors are female. The other two ambassadors selected from Victoria were Cr Yvonne Jennings from Swan Hill Rural City Council and Ms Noelene Duff, the chief executive of the City of Whitehorse.