It's Local Government Week, an event dedicated to the important work councils do for their communities. To acknowledge our dedicated staff, we are sharing with you a bit about them and how they help you in Kempsey Shire.
This is Jess and she is our Sustainability Officer at Council. Like many of us, as a kid her dream job was working at a lolly shop! Through growing up on a farm, her love of nature and animals became abundantly clear and she pursued a career in helping the environment.
"The thought of working as a vet, a wildlife sanctuary manager or a researcher in those areas was pretty appealing to me because I wanted to help and make a difference," said Ms Marsh
"I am thrilled to be working in the sustainability space as it is a fast-moving area with positive changes happening right now, and I have the opportunity to take advantage of the current focus to improve things for us and future generations."
Jess's love for the environment has not dwindled one bit and you'll often find her enjoying the diverse surroundings we are fortunate to have in the Macleay Valley.
"We are so lucky to have beaches and coastline, rivers, farmland, mountains, national parks and unique towns. Plus we don't have to travel far to experience something new and there's so much natural beauty here."
"When I'm not at work, you'll most likely find me with my family enjoying the outdoors kayaking, walking, playing sport or pottering around in the garden at home."
As a lover of the environment, Jess is the powerhouse behind developing a Sustainability and Resilience Strategy for the shire, which aims to prepare the local environment and residents for a challenging future.
"I really enjoy working with Council because I can see the progress in our local area, and together we can make some real changes. It's great getting to know more about the area and being part of positive projects that improve the way we live here."
Jess is one of more than 300 Council staff working hard every day to provide an enormous number of services to residents.
