The program is designed to encourage community-based leadership within the Goulburn Murray region.
Candidates from various sectors across the region are assessed based on their leadership potential and commitment to supporting the community.
Avni is the manager of Surveying Services at Goulburn-Murray Water, leading a team that has radically improved the water corporation’s surveying methods.
He has also volunteered in different roles for local schools and sports clubs and as part of the Shepparton Albanian Harvest Festival.
Avni said he was pleased to be selected for the program.
“It’s something I have been considering for a few years now, so it is exciting to have been given the opportunity,” he said.
“I have been in the region my entire life, so I’m eager to learn some new skills and create some new connections that I can use to give back to the community.”
Growing up on a farm and having spent more than 20 years in the water industry has given Avni an appreciation for some of the challenges the region faces in the coming years.
“I’m passionate about agriculture, which is such a big part of our area both economically and culturally,” he said.
“Diminishing water availability will be a key challenge for our region, and it is really important people in the agriculture industry are connected and supported by their communities as we adapt.
“But I’m also very eager to learn about what some of the other challenges our area is facing that I might not be aware of, and I think the program will be great for improving my understanding there.”
G-MW insights and information manager John Weber said he believed Avni would thrive in the program.
“Avni is a great asset to our organisation and is very committed to his work and his community,” he said.
“It is fantastic he has been given this opportunity and I’m looking forward to seeing him develop further as a leader and what he brings back from the program.”
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