Recovery Uncovered is a webinar series that explores disaster recovery from a community perspective. Through a fusion of lived experience, expert research and practical advice, each webinar session offers the opportunity to explore disaster recovery through the eyes of those who have lived it and gain valuable insights, evidence and tools to enhance recovery practice.
Join AIDR and the Australian Red Cross as we listen, learn and engage with disaster recovery mentors and advisors.
Webinar five: Leadership, Mentorship and Community-led Recovery
In this 90-minute webinar, we will explore the benefits of engaging with mentors with lived personal and professional recovery experience and the collaborative approach taken to leadership and community-led recovery. Disaster Recovery Mentor and chair of the Strathewen Bushfire Renewal Association Malcolm Hackett will be joined by mentee Simon Hof, former president of the Sarsfield Community Association to discuss how their communities navigated through the aftermath of the Black Saturday and the East Gippsland Bushfires respectively. Malcolm came to mentor the Sarsfield Community Association following the 2019/2020 bushfires that affected the Sarsfield community and has continued to provide support over the last four years.
Join us to hear Malcolm and Simon share their insights and experiences of community-led recovery, establishing effective representation and leadership, the challenges faced and the role of a mentor in recovery.
Guest Speakers:
Malcolm Hackett
Disaster Recovery Mentor
Malcolm Hackett is a retired teacher and principal with 34 years of service in Victorian government schools. He now farms 600 acres north of Melbourne, raising beef cattle and producing fodder for horses. After losing his home and farm in the 2009 Black Saturday Bushfire, Malcolm became chair of the Strathewen Bushfire Renewal Association, which developed a democratic, community-led approach to recovery.
Malcolm also chairs a community company operating five Bendigo Bank branches and is a director of Bushfire Resilience Incorporated, which provides free webinars on bushfire preparedness. Since 2020, he has mentored the Sarsfield Community Association, bringing his expertise in governance, communication, and community engagement, along with his personal experience of loss and recovery.
Simon Hof
Civil and Water Engineer, Department of Energy Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)
Simon Hof is a civil and water engineer, currently working for the Department of Energy Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) in the area of flood plain management. Simon is a member of the Sarsfield CFA Brigades' management team and was heavily involved in the local response to the 2019 fires.
Simon is a husband and father with a couple of kids. The Hof family have been heavily involved in Sarsfield’s journey after the Black Summer fires. Simon’s wife Tiana was a member of the original Hall sub-committee which began the community led process and has remained connected to recovery activity through delivery of youth led community projects. Simon was elected as President of the Sarsfield Community Association late in 2020 and spent three years in that leadership role. He is currently an ordinary member of the committee heavily involved in the delivery of the community's projects.
Erin Pelly (Facilitator)
National Recovery Manager, Australian Red Cross
Erin Pelly is the National Recovery Manager at Australian Red Cross. Erin previously worked as the Recovery and Resilience Lead in Western Australia with the Australian Red Cross. Erin has over 10 years' experience in community development and has worked in emergency services and disaster recovery for the last 6 years. Over this time, she has worked with over 65 local government areas impacted by disasters. This includes providing recovery programming support for communities impacted by the 2019-2020 black summer bushfires, 2021 Wooroloo bushfire, Tropical Cyclone Seroja and communities impacted by flooding in Queensland and New South Wales. Erin has a particular interest in inclusion and leading for wellbeing and program improvement as well as demonstrating the impact of recovery efforts. Erin is passionate about community led recovery and ensuring all community voices are included in recovery activities.