Two outstanding leaders from the City of Melville – one a senior staff member and the other the Deputy Mayor – have been honoured in the 2025 WALGA Local Government Awards announced on Saturday night.
Deputy Mayor, Karen Wheatland and Manager of Cultural Services, Leeann Reid, both received Eminent Service Awards, a category that recognises distinguished contributions to and leadership in Local Government.
“The City is thrilled to have such dedicated staff and elected members as Leeann Reid and Councillor Karen Wheatland, and I congratulate them both on their awards that come after many years of hard work and dedication to our Melville community,” said Council CEO, Gail Bowman.
“They are setting an excellent example for others with their compassionate leadership, their creativity and their willingness to be involved in the pursuit of positive change and a better community, not just locally here in Melville but on a broader societal scale too.
“One of the City’s key focuses in its Plan for the Future 2024 -2034 is on good governance and leadership and I’m really thrilled to have these two award winners exemplify that.”
Cr Wheatland was elected to the Council in 2017 and is currently serving as Deputy Mayor, She is described by the Council as exemplifying exceptional service, unwavering dedication, and visionary leadership in the local government sector.
Her governance spans diverse and critical sectors including gender equity, environmental sustainability, First Nations advocacy and youth and community development.
Ms Reid has been in her position since 2008 and is described as working with spirit, vision, values and an empowering approach. Those attributes have seen her contribute to a very long list of successful projects including;
- The Goolugatup Lowerlands reconciliation project transforming a disused space on the waterfront in Applecross into a high value community and cultural space that celebrates its heritage both as a significant Aboriginal cultural site and historical site.
- Helping build Melville’s strong reputation for high performance arts and cultural programming. For example, Melville Summer Music outdoor performances and Melville Open Studios, servicing over 150 studios and creatives, tens of thousands of residents and wider community audiences each year.
