Connect Planning Committee Member, Mariska Pelchen, in conversation with Catherine King
Great event to start the year MY STORY: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A FEDERAL POLITICIAN
The first Connect Networking event for 2016 heralded another great year for members to connect with each other and with fascinating speakers.
The Honourable Catherine King was one such fascinating speaker. For a woman who described herself as incredibly shy at school, she was both forthcoming and forthright in her talk.
Topics ranged from her upbringing and the clear family voices in her head guiding her, to juggling family life with community and politics, to the intense stress of fronting ABC Television’s Q&A cameras and journos, to the need to keep learning, to keep challenging and testing herself. Catherine was interesting and inspirational, approachable and real, as proved by the unusually high number of questions from members.
Simon Monk, GM of the Mercure Ballarat Hotel & Convention Centre, provided an update on the revitalised facilities, the new Billy’s Bistro and other plans for the site. The sensational lunch provided for members was wonderful and plentiful – bowls of hot food and salads as well as sandwiches and wraps, fruit and cheese. De-lish!
It was terrific to welcome a number of new members to our group and Abbey Bell from Hip Pocket Workwear, attending her very first event, was the lucky door-prize winner of a gorgeous white Cyclamen pot plant.