Jess Talks - November 2023

Written by Jessica Jones, Executive Director Engagement and Strategic Partnerships

The hardest thing about writing this intro for Local Buy is knowing it is the last one I write.

Some of you may have seen recent communications advising of my upcoming departure from Local Buy and Peak Services. What a year it has been! Together we have achieved so much over the past 12 months, and I like to think the improvements we have made to our engagement and communications have been beneficial to our member councils and our valued suppliers. The goal behind these improvements is to position Local Buy to ensure that we communicate the value of the business and the role we play in the sector. And, most importantly, that Local Buy continues to deliver to meet the needs of the sector in providing effective procurement capability.

So why am I heading off?

Sometimes in life, events and circumstances force us to take a step back and look at life from a different perspective. Asking yourself tough questions like ‘have I achieved what I wanted to?’, ‘what does my future look like?’, and ‘what do I need to do now, to get where I want to be?’

When I reflect on the last 5 years or so years, so many emotions come to mind; friendship, growth, joy, connection and fulfilment. During my reflection, which many personal events have imposed on me to undertake, I realised it is time to take a break. A bit of a longer break than normal. I love my work. I love my colleagues. I love local government and the connections I have made with each and everyone in my network. 

I will always value the time I have had with my colleagues at Peak, Local Buy and the Local Government Association of Queensland and the role I have played in growing the business into a successful and trusted organisation that delivers incredible value to the councils and communities of Queensland. It has been an absolute privilege this last 12 months, taking on leading Local Buy’s engagement, communications and strategic partnerships function knowing that the changes we have made in support of your business or council will make a difference to not only how councils engage with their suppliers, but also showcasing the capability, breadth and diversity of our supplier base. Not just this, but also telling the story of all the amazing work that councils, working with our suppliers, actually deliver across every part of council operations under Local Buy Arrangements.

There is still much to do, but I know with what has been already put in place that the team will keep driving this program forward and continue to innovate and adapt to the needs of local government and business. Improvements around providing ESG go-to-market and reporting capability through Givvable, important supplier education opportunities including the State Government Roadshow, which Local Buy continues to support under our partnership with the Queensland State Government, and a meaningful council engagement program post the elections to ensure Local Buy is well understood by elected members for smooth transition for council operations.

There will be a series of educational webinars supporting all things procurement and Local Buy and these will be open to councils and suppliers. If you haven’t visited the ‘new’ Local Buy website, please take a look at the much-improved user experience. We will continue to enhance the website with additional search functionality and visibility of our suppliers. Another focus will continue on our Procurement Technology Program to ensure all councils are deriving value from this fully funded program and our Arrangements will continue to grow in terms of our diverse supplier base, as well as impending new arrangements to meet upcoming infrastructure challenges, specifically supporting housing and construction.

Along with this, the team are busy planning for the 2024 Local Buy Annual Procurement Conference which is pencilled in for August 2024. Further information and a ‘save the date’ will be coming out in the new year but it is gearing up to be a great event with a really solid program. Speaking of conferences, take a look at our supplier photos in this newsletter which celebrates our incredible and diverse supplier base supporting Queensland councils. It was a fantastic conference and definitely one of the events I will miss the most.

I look forward to watching the organisation continue to grow and be successful from outside the business, I know that I leave Local Buy in very capable hands as we have a bunch of incredible people who are as passionate about what we do as I am. Emma Peters, who has recently taken on the role of Senior Manager Stakeholder Engagement is well positioned to lead Local Buy’s engagement program, given her previous experience with Local Buy, Master Builders Association and most recently wearing a procurement hat with Mount Isa City Council. Emma is an absolute rockstar when it comes to stakeholder engagement and will lead this part of the business for both councils and suppliers.

Right now, I have the opportunity to take some time, rest a little, travel the world for a bit, rejuvenate, reflect and take a different approach for a little while. The plan is 12 months, but we all know best laid plans have ways of changing. The next chapter is exciting, I don’t know where it will lead but I look forward to finding out and having many adventures along the way.

I will finish up on the 22nd December so there’s plenty of time to say my goodbyes between now and then.

Thank you for being part of my journey thus far and I wish everyone the very best for the year ahead.

Stay in touch, connect with me on LinkedIn

Jess