Corangamite Shire South Central Ward Councillor Jo Beard has received the Municipal Association of Victoria's (MAV) 10 Years' Service Award.
Cr Beard was among 56 recipients of the 2022 Councillor Services Awards at the 2022 MAV Annual Conference Dinner on Thursday.
First elected in 2011, she has been on Council for eleven and a half years but her 10-year milestone came up during the pandemic.
"I'm grateful for the recognition but awards are not the reason why you do these things," Cr Beard said.
"I often get the most enjoyment out of helping the community achieve the smallest project that can often mean the most to them.
"I can't thank enough my fellow Councillors I served with across those four terms—especially those at the beginning who encouraged me to put my hand up when it was the last thing I thought I'd be doing.
"Mayor Ruth Gstrein had been an incredible mentor to me over all of those years and a great support through some challenging times.
"I must also acknowledge CEO Andrew Mason and the staff at the Shire who have always inspired me by their knowledge and expertise, a lot of which is underestimated and the general public don't get to see.
"Many thanks also to the residents of the South West Ward who have continued to have faith in my ability."
Cr Beard said being an accessible public figure was a 24/7 job that could be taxing at times and made keeping a balance with family challenging.
"It's not an easy task juggling such a role with a young family and part time work but what you get out of supporting your community and the Corangamite Shire more broadly, far outweighs anything I could have imagined."
Corangamite Shire Mayor and MAV Deputy President Rural Ruth Gstrein congratulated Cr Beard on the well-deserved honour.
"Jo has been an incredibly effective Councillor for her community," Cr Gstrein said.
"She's passionate about Cobden and its future. She has a very caring manner which came to the fore during and after the St Patrick's Day fires.
"Her own family has a long-term connection to the CFA and her insight into emergency management is invaluable to Council.
"Her level of preparedness and knowledge of local issues is thorough and it's a real credit to Jo how she has managed her Council roles and responsibilities including three terms as mayor while she and Daniel are raising two children.
"You're certainly reliant on family for support while you're in a Council role and I thank her parents, as well as Daniel, Jordan and Cooper, for supporting her."
MAV President, Cr David Clark (Pyrenees Shire Council), said serving one's community through their local council was a unique responsibility.
"Communities need dedicated individuals, like those receiving these awards, who are willing to give their time and energy to serve in the best interests of the people and their local communities," Cr Clark said.
"The MAV has the great privilege of seeing firsthand the hard work and hours dedicated councillors put into their role – often on top of their day job. It's wonderful to provide some recognition."
The Councillor Service Awards acknowledge the efforts and remarkable contribution of elected councillors. Their commitment to public service deserves to be celebrated.
"They might say all politics is local, but councils are the true local representatives. We have the closest ties to our communities because we are products of our community. It's a great honour, but equally a responsibility I know all of these recipients take very seriously," Cr Clark said.
