In a ‘David versus Goliath’-style battle, a Kiama Council employee beat Federal, State and Local Government candidates to take out the prestigious national award for ICT Professional of the Year.
During the CeBIT awards dinner Council NBN IT Manager John Holland was formally recognised by leaders in the IT industry for his exemplary work and commitment to the innovative delivery of local government services to the community.
Other finalists for awards included Federal and State Government heavyweights such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Department of Human Services.
Mr Holland was nominated for his work on Kiama Council’s NBN Digital Local Government Project, which involves the videoconferencing of council workshops, information sessions and meetings via the NBN and the ‘Kiama Connect’ platform. Mr Holland’s professional and positive approach earned him the respect of senior management and established Kiama Council’s IT department as an innovative and customer-focused unit.
Kiama Council General Manager Michael Forsyth congratulated Mr Holland for winning the prestigious award.
“The award is recognition of his hard work and commitment to pioneering a new and exciting platform for delivering local government services to our community.”
Mr Holland excelled as the NBN IT Manager, leading Kiama Council through intense periods of IT upgrades and through establishment of Wi-Fi hotspots in council buildings for the community to access the NBN.
He also took on a communications role to demystify the NBN videoconferencing platform for the public through video messages and media interviews.
Mr Holland said he was extremely honoured to receive the award.
“The NBN is the catalyst for this project and my work, so I thank the Federal Government for their initiative to roll out the National Broadband Network with fibre to the home. The NBN is an enabler for the delivery of innovative projects which are of real benefit to our council and local community.”
Highlighting excellence in the delivery of e-Government services, the nationwide award recognises outstanding work of staff in the field of Information Technology. The highly contested awards are an initiative of the Federal Department of Finance and are presented at CeBIT Australia, the biggest business event in the Asia Pacific.
