Amanda Spalding facilitated ten community consultation sessions to assist Bega Valley Shire Council in the development of its first Integrated Planning and Reporting framework. The ten sessions consisted of six place-based community forums and four issues-based forums. I found Amanda to be a skilled facilitator who listened carefully, giving feedback to the forum about her understanding of what was being said. She also dealt easily with some community members who had entrenched views of Council and the direction that the future should take. . She reported back on outcomes from the sessions and recommended best practice for strategy presentation. The final plan incorporated many outcomes from these sessions and ensured a completed link to the community input into the final adopted Council plans.
Leanne Barnes, General Manager: Bega Valley Shire Council
I am fortunate to have Amanda Spalding as my mentor. She is generous in her support and knowledge of the sector, and shares her own experiences and insights when she thinks it will help in my decision making. As a mentor Amanda is not seeking to make clones. Rather she is attuned to my particular strengths and is honest about where I can develop. I believe that an effective mentoring relationship requires the mentee to be open and vulnerable in order to learn and be receptive to a mentors insights. Amanda has proven herself time and again to operate in this relationship with utmost integrity. To be someone I can trust to use that sensitive knowledge to help me, never to harm me or further her own interests (this is vital because in my experience some mentors can abuse that information shared in confidence for their own gain). When helping me at a crossroads recently, she shared what she would do but held the space for my very different personality, obligations and ambitions. She helped me draw focus from a mass of data, and make an informed decision that was my own. Amanda gives me the boost, with her wit, intelligence and directness, to come into my own potential, and often introduces ideas and options that I simply didn't see. I am grateful to have Amanda on my team as a professional who I respect, admire, and happen to like immensely!
Tiffany Lee-Shoy: Culture Strategy - Senior Strategic Project Leader City of Parramatta
Amanda has been a long time member of ALGWA NSW. ALGWA NSW President, Lithgow City Councillor Cassandra Coleman [centre] visited Orange recently and took the opportunity to catch up with Orange City Councillor Joanne McRae [R] and Amanda Spalding [L] who was named one of the Top 50 Public Sector Women of NSW in 2018.
Australian Local Government Women's Association NSW
In July 2018 Amanda Spalding was awarded the Inaugural Top 50 NSW Pubic Sector Women award recognising women’s inspirational leadership within the public sector and outstanding leadership in building high performing teams and transforming communities.
Inaugural Top 50 NSW Pubic Sector Women award
Amanda was part of the organisation of the very successful 2019 Rainbow on the Plains Festival in Hay, NSW. Amanda worked on a voluntary basis as a member of a small Board, organising and promoting the entire event. The second annual festival was a major success with 40 groups and over 400 marchers in the Parade and a similar number attending celebration events on Saturday evening. It is estimated the weekend’s event generated some $200,000 spend from visitors for the local economy of Hay.
Krista Schade, Chair Hay Mardi Gras Inc.: Role as a Director
‘The Workshop was well worthwhile, and useful; it was practical and well set out. The handbook and checklists are excellent resources.’
Central West Region Community Home Support Program: Teresa Ashworth, CEO – Bathurst Seymour Centre
“Our club (Emus Rugby Club) has been successful in achieving a NSW Government Stronger Country Communities grant for over $360,000. This funding secured the capital to build woman’s changerooms at our facility. We received assistance from local grant writer Amanda Spalding, who gave us excellent guidance to make a successful application for funding.'
Orange Emus Rugby Club: Jamal Khalfan, President, Orange Emus Rugby Club
‘The Workshop was well worthwhile, and useful; it was practical and well set out. The handbook and checklists are excellent resources.’
Central West Region Community Home Support Program: Teresa Ashworth, CEO – Bathurst Seymour Centre
