Change of pace: Greater Shepparton Lighthouse Project executive officer Lisa McKenzie has stepped down.
Photo by
Rodney Braithwaite
After a decade of helping local young people realise their potential, Lisa McKenzie has stepped down from her position as executive officer of the Greater Shepparton Lighthouse Project.
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With a strong sense of social justice and looking out for the underdog, Lisa has been a driving force of the advancement of youth issues in the local area.
In her former role as executive officer at the Community Fund Goulburn Valley, now the Greater Shepparton Foundation, Lisa was involved in forums on poor outcomes around childhood, education and disadvantage in the early 2010s and what the solution would be.
This led her to helping lead the establishment of the Greater Shepparton Lighthouse Project, where she has been the executive officer for eight years since its inception.
It’s since grown to 20 staff and 500 volunteers, partners, supporters and numerous programs and initiatives.
“When I see kids not performing well I think it’s not just the responsibility of their family, it’s the responsibility of the whole community,” Lisa said.
Raising her two children, Alexandra and Edward, who are now happy and successful adults, Lisa said she had noticed how a great network of supportive people impacted on them.
“I learnt you can’t do it all for them — they need a raft of people around them and they draw something from everyone,” she said.
“I see kids who are quite isolated and through no fault of their own don’t necessarily have access to that network and I’ve been trying to create a similar sense of belonging for all kids.”
This need for connection is the overarching ethos of the work of the Lighthouse Project, through a “whatever it looks like” approach.
The project’s ‘1000 conversations’ model is about listening to the community, understanding its needs and trying to create solutions in direct response to what they hear.
Drawing on local knowledge and skills, with lots of people being part of the solution, Lisa said co-designing with people had led to better outcomes.
Lisa said the project had seen change at an individual and cohort level, and an external evaluation had showed it was causing catalytic change in the town.
“There’s a knock-on effect that people are now understanding the issues, they’re part of the solution and they’re drawing other people into part of the solutions,” she said.
“I think maybe our biggest success is raising the issues around young people and putting them on the agenda.”
One of the proudest achievements, and a standout for Lisa, is GV Cares.
During Shepparton’s COVID-19 outbreak about a third of the local population was plunged into 14 days’ isolation and access to groceries and essential items became impossible for some.
Led by the Lighthouse Project, thousands of local people were supported with access to food and essential items, including culturally appropriate meals and support to ensure no-one was left behind.
Achievement: Shepparton FoodShare chair Jeremy Rensford and Lighthouse Project executive officer Lisa McKenzie in August 2021 as part of GV Cares.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Now after working since she was 18 years old — starting out as a young journalist in Kyabram — Lisa’s last day at Lighthouse Project was Friday, January 28, as she steps back from work for a rest and a chance to “lean in” to other parts of her life.
And her work ethic during that time speaks for itself.
“You really have to commit to the work — there’s something about doing things in a really intense way that yields strong results,” she said.
“Going the extra mile for people really builds mutual respect and leads to change.”
