Dear Members, Leaders and Alumni,
I write to inform you that last Friday, Rebecca Casson handed in her resignation from her role as CEO of the Committee for Geelong.
Rebecca will soon assume the role as CEO of the Master Builders Association of Victoria.
I congratulated Rebecca on her new role and thanked her for her great job in raising the profile and the influence of the Committee for Geelong during her six years as CEO.
I commend Rebecca on leaving the organisation in a secure financial position, with a strong membership base and a legacy of global evidence-based research.
From the ‘Winning from Second’ work to the Committee’s influence on successful advocacy campaigns, Rebecca has worked tirelessly to drive a visionary future for the Committee and for Geelong.
This work has also outlined a pathway for the future direction of the Committee, as we undertake further research about the need for a national Second Cities Policy. Rebecca has also given the Committee a truly international outlook through her networks in England, Europe and the United States. She has also represented the Committee in China, The Netherlands and Malaysia.
Since she has been in the role with the Committee, much has changed in Geelong and Rebecca has worked tirelessly with members and partners to improve the perception of Geelong through a range of key initiatives.
These include the Transforming Geelong project, which saw the Committee collaborate with partners to hire Federation Square and the Victorian State Government’s Investment Centre in Melbourne to promote a large and unified contingent from our city-region, in a successful bid to raise Geelong’s profile.
Rebecca has also led a range of successful advocacy campaigns, including funding for Stage 4 of GMHBA Stadium, GPAC’s redevelopment and the Runway Geelong initiative. In addition, she has also worked recently to secure $16m investment for a commuter ferry service between Central Geelong and Melbourne, together with funds for initiatives including ICE Fight Geelong and the Geelong Defence Alliance.
Members should reflect on recent comments by the Premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews, and the Leader of the Opposition, Matthew Guy, on the influence and profile Rebecca has provided to her role as CEO.
Last month whilst speaking at a Committee for Geelong briefing, Premier Andrews described Rebecca as “a force” who, in her role, “is listened to, valued and you could not be better served by her as your CEO.” Mr Guy also thanked the Committee “for being a very frank and to-the-point advocate to all sides of politics.”
I believe that is a great reflection of the way Rebecca is regarded by influential figures in government, business and the broader community. Her commitment to developing future leaders of Geelong and building strong and productive working relationships with federal and state governments should also be lauded.
Rebecca will work out a notice period until the end of the year, and the Committee will be launching an Australia-wide recruitment process to find the right person to lead the organisation for the next phase of its development.
Please join with me in thanking Rebecca for her outstanding performance as our CEO.
We wish her all the best for the future,
Sincerely,
Dan Simmonds
Chairperson, Committee for Geelong