SB
Steve Bayliss
Director Business Services - Coffs Harbour City Council
Local Legends was really enjoyable, delivered in an insightful and friendly way, there were great simple tools that we can use to improve our strategic decision making.
DH
Darrly Hancock
Group Leader Legal & Governance Services - Coffs Harbour City Council
I really enjoyed the delivery of the Local Legends workshop - real interaction rather than death by PowerPoint. A positive atmosphere was created from the very beginning with Alicia leading the way.
AM
Amy Mott
Chief Financial Officer - Coffs Harbour City Council
I loved Alicia's delivery of the content and gained useful knowledge I can apply day to day. She was engaging, collaborative and energetic!
TJ
Tony Judge
Group Leader Transport and Open Space Services - Coffs Harbour City Council
Alicia really opened up the opportunity to work with Council staff on hypotheticals - so we could focus on the process, not the pressure.
Stellar Curie
Reader Engagement and Community Support Specialist
"Local Legends" is a comprehensive and invaluable resource for anyone involved in local government. It offers practical guidance and expert strategies to help leaders excel in their roles, fostering collaboration, effective decision-making, and sustainable growth. The book's focus on building trust, balancing priorities, and driving long-term success makes it a must-read for councillors, council managers, and other local government professionals. With its actionable insights and real-world applications, ""Local Legends"" is poised to become a go-to manual for shaping the future of local communities.
Jamie Garnett
GM Capital Portfolio | Invercargill City Council
I like that Alicia has a way of keeping it real from both sides for Elected officials and Council Officers. More specifically... I think you have a way of helping people to self-reflect. Which in turn helps with the new role and responsibility bestowed upon them. Alicia is straight talking. Not a single buzzword all day. Able to make complex situations manageable in simple ways.
Erica Deegan
Senior Leader Asset Management Project | City of Launceston
I loved the approach to content delivery - as well as all the content! I would recommend this program for anyone in a leadership role in local government who is trying to understand how to wade through the messy decisions.
AF
Anna Feldman
Strategic Projects Advisor | City of Launceston
I loved the pace and flexibility of the presentation. I would recommend this program for anyone who works at council.
LP
Leanne Purchase
Senior Leader Governance | City of Launceston
I loved that you're sharing first hand experience in local government. Alicia is energetic and genuine. I enjoyed the two days with you a lot, thank you.
LR
Lynda Robins
Senior Leader Infrastructure and Engineering | City of Launceston
I enjoyed the banter between the SLT team, Alicia's facilitation and the way had a down to earth approach to strategic systems. I would recommend this program for anyone in local govt. Wish I had done it sooner.
NT
Natasha Tempest
Senior Leader Health and Compliance | City of Launceston
Your teaching/ facilitation style is superb. Phenomenal that you can run a two-day workshop without the prompts!
Rebecca Matthews
@RebeccaJEmm
Local Legends by Alicia McKay has been doing the rounds with councillors after a recommendation from our Observer, and it should be required reading for anyone in local government. Honestly, it’s affirming my focus on long term, high level decision making - peak not paddock.
JP
Jane Price
Interim Director Community Wellbeing - Glen Eira City Council
Practical, plain language and engaging session that really supported great collaboration and development of trust plus on point content around roles of Crs and good decision making approaches.
Tim Heenan
Councillor - Yarra Ranges Council
In all my 15 years on Council I have never had had any facilitator as good as Alicia
PM
Peter Mcilwain
Councillor - Yarra Ranges Council
It's extremely hard to do what you do Alicia. You make it look easy but there's a ton of work that's gone into it. It's very clever the way you navigate in sometimes politically sensitive areas keeping a focus on achieving outcomes. It's intelligent, sophisticated and much needed. Many thanks.
Katie Clements
Councillor | Mildura Rural City Council
I learned that I need to be in the WHY, not the WHAT. I would recommend this programme for any person who is in middle leadership in the public sphere, private enterprise or the education sector.
Rebecca Crossling
Councillor | Mildura Rural City Council
I loved the sessions with Alicia. Alicia's workshop was fun and unpretentious. She has a craft to speak to everybody in the room, no matter where they sit in the organisation and connect with them in a meaningful way.
John Vastianos
Chief Financial Officer - Glen Eira City Council
The most valuable things I learned were around the decision making process, public vs private, decision making. I found Alicia's teaching style to be excellent, engaging and uplifting. I loved the role playing and getting to know new Councillors and reinforcing concepts.
Kay Rimbaldo
Councillor - Glen Eira City Council
I enjoyed the interaction; Role Playing; Alicia’s energy in delivering the workshop. I found Alicia's teaching style to be fun and inclusive. Keep doing what you are doing Alicia - it's awesome.
Kellie Vise
Director Customer and Corporate Affairs - Glen Eira City Council
I loved Alicia's style and approach I really enjoyed the refresh on all of the strategy 101 concepts. I would recommend this programme for Executives and new Councillors. Alicia was engaging, energetic, funny and powerful!
Cr. Arabella Daniel
Councillor - Glen Eira City Council
I got a better appreciation of my executive team - that they are lovely humans as well as high level professionals. I would recommend this programme for community groups.
Li Zhang
Councillor - Glen Eira City Council
I enjoyed the fun way Alicia delivered important skills and knowledge to us.
Andrea Metcalf
Mayor | City of Greater Bendigo Council
I enjoyed the engaging and energetic way the training was delivered that had us all thinking and working. Alicia's facilitation style was engaging, energetic and incredibly knowledgeable. Thank-you for making it so practical.
Brian Westley
Director - Presentation & Assets | City of Greater Bendigo Council
I loved the content, format and style of the workshop. Alicia's facilitation style is awesome. Heavy content delivered in an engaging way with lots of relevant lived experiences.
Karen Corr
Councillor | City of Greater Bendigo Council
I enjoyed the connections & the conversations between Councillors & Executive. Loved learning more about role clarity, question frameworks & decision making
Stacy Williams
Director Healthy Communities and Environments | City of Greater Bendigo Council
I love Alicia’s style, her stories and her practical approach. Alicia's facilitation style is real, authentic and heaps of fun!
Thomas Prince
Councillor | City of Greater Bendigo Council
I can't pick specifics on the most valuable things I learned. I felt some elements confirmed a lot of the frustrations I've raised since joining council. A lot of the content also helped me articulate sentiments I've tried communicating . It's also helped challenge me to how I can take this into other areas (my university groups) (while having to adjust to their governance structures). But the most valuable thing by far was the informal elements. Connecting with my Exec and other councillors. The importance of those relationships will go beyond my time at council.
Merri Southwood
Mayor | Lane Cove Council
Alicia's delivery was great. She drew all participants in to the discussion. I think our group discussions were useful and insightful. The role play exercise was fantastic - probably the most thought provoking activity.
Katie Little
Councillor | Lane Cove Council
I thought it was two days of really interesting, fast moving, thought provoking concepts … I loved that as a squeaky new councillor I didn’t feel stupid! And that the level of knowledge was assessed and moderated to fit discussions throughout.
Steve Kludass
Director - Corporate Services & Strategy | Lane Cove Council
I enjoyed learning new things about myself and others.
Excellent session. Alicia was interactive and engaging.
SK
Stephanie Kelly
Director Community and Culture | Lane Cove Council
Loved the energy and the plain english approach to leadership
Corinne Hitchenson
Executive Officer to the GM | Lane Cove Council
I loved how topics with 'complexity' were explained in relatable ways to offer some certainty in what is a challenging environment.
There are many managers who would benefit from understanding their role in the bigger picture.
Helen O'Neil
Councillor - Bega Valley Shire Council
I would describe Alicia's facilitation style as astonishingly bright, well read and has that rare gift of breaking down complex ideas into clear concepts - so that you can actually take them into daily work
Iliada Bolton
Director Business and Governance - Bega Valley Shire Council
Alicia is engaging. There was a fantastic balance of workbook, discussion, games, and presenting 'theory/concepts'. She is honest and passionate about conversations that help people appreciate each other's roles and responsibilities. Concepts were presented as imagery (tree, iceberg, interpretive dance) to help visual learners.
Jim Child
Mayor - Yarra Ranges Council
I enjoyed the style of presentation. Kept me engaged for two days.....
Mark Crawley
Managing Director | Volunteer Committee Member - Global Engagement Committee - ICMA | Experienced Local Government CEO | Local Government Specialist | Husband | Dad | Brother | Son | Poppy | Managing Director | Volunteer Committee Member - Global Engagement Committee - ICMA | Experienced Local Government CEO | Local Government Specialist | Husband | Dad | Brother | Son | Poppy |
Alicia McKay I enjoyed your latest book “Local Legends, How to make a difference in Local Government”, I would highly recommend this to those working in local government, Executives and Councillors should obtain a copy.
Well structured and “the strategies outlined can transform a councils impact” in delivering for its community.
Thanks Alicia, another great resource for Local Government, hope to catch up with you again some time in the near future. Cheers
#localgovernment
Matt Prosser
Chief Executive Officer Dorset Council Chief Executive Officer Dorset Council
I had the privilege of meeting, listening too and chatting with Alicia McKay recently - and this is a great read, binged it from cover to cover in one sitting and will now pass it on for others to appreciate. Thanks Alicia you are a legend!
Jenni Cochrane
Group Manager Customer Experience Group Manager Customer Experience
My pre-order copy of Alicia McKay's book Local Legends arrived last week and I demolished it already.
It's six months since I shifted from a Comms Manager role to a GM role, and this book has been better at articulating the differences between being a technical expert and a strategic leader than anything else in my induction so far. It's a brilliant mix of stuff I know, but need reminding of - like needing to focus relentlessly on our strategic objectives, and get out of the way in the operational space - particularly where I used to be the subject matter expert. But also practical frameworks to identify the things we need to work on to help us keep moving forward.
Plus it's so satisfying to read a book that has you going "YES!" as you read it - because Alicia gets and articulates both the system and people-based challenges that we grapple with every day.
Highly recommend the book. In fact, wondering how we can make it part of the induction for every senior leader and elected member in local government…
Peri Zee
Mayoral Candidate for Upper Hutt Mayoral Candidate for Upper Hutt
While waiting for our IT people to fix my laptop this morning I got to get stuck in to Alicia McKays new book Local Legends.
The first chapter on how to move a Council from Laggard to Legendary is 👌
Kaliegh Smerdon
Manager, Corporate Planning and Improvement at Bega Valley Shire Council Manager, Corporate Planning and Improvement at Bega Valley Shire Council
The perfect read before we begin planning with our newly elected councillors. For my colleagues in the LG sector get around this book- it’s top shelf.
Sam Johnson OAM GAICD
Chief Executive Officer | Board Director Chief Executive Officer | Board Director
Got this in the 📬 today 😀 For all the other local government nerds out there - do yourself a favor and order a copy. Having read all the other Alicia McKay editions, I have no doubt this will be sure to impress! 📕
Daryl Connelly
Rolling out the red carpet, not the red tape | Director Strategic Growth @ Tasmania's Central Coast Council
Alicia, the book is very good, thank you. You know your stuff, and your messages are simple and engaging. I’ve encouraged staff and councillors to check it out. The public value payoff ratio is gold!
Craig Swift-McNair
General Manager at Woollahra Municipal Council
A super read and I have now received copies for all my Managers and newly elected Councillors…there are many important lessons included in this book, which should be compulsory reading for all in local government.
Anthony McMahon
CEO at Bega Valley Shire Council
Ordered 50 copies after reading it. One for new councillors and all exec/managers plus some extras for staff. Nails the challenges and the joys of LG and shares lots of useful strategies.
SB
Steve Bayliss
Director Business Services - Coffs Harbour City Council
Local Legends was really enjoyable, delivered in an insightful and friendly way, there were great simple tools that we can use to improve our strategic decision making.
DH
Darrly Hancock
Group Leader Legal & Governance Services - Coffs Harbour City Council
I really enjoyed the delivery of the Local Legends workshop - real interaction rather than death by PowerPoint. A positive atmosphere was created from the very beginning with Alicia leading the way.