Inarrabri

16 / 20

All At the one locAtion - 3 cAroline wAy, nArrAbri (next to Kaputar Ford)
reliable brands, Fantastic range, excellent Service & expertise. cAll wAyne todAy  6792 1586
ironman 4 x 4
What is NextGen and how did it come about?
NextGen was started by Carla Campbell, Vir-
ginia Tapp and Grace Farrer and has since
grown to a committee of eight people.
It was started to develop a forum for young
professionals in the area to network and discuss
relevant issues concerning the region.
Who is eligible to join Next Gen and how do
they go about this?
Anyone working in the area or looking for
fulltime employment is encouraged to join
NextGen. All they have to do is go on to the
NextGen facebook page and find out when the
next event is being held or they can email us at
What is expected of NextGen members?
There is no formal expectation, NextGen is
designed to benefit the members by creating
opportunities for locals to connect on a profes-
sional level.
What is planned for the NextGen Ball?
The ball is planned for Friday the 24th of April
at the Crossing Theatre. We have been working
closely with the manager Trent who has prom-
ised quality canape’s throughout the night!
We have a great musician from Sydney com-
ing out for the event and Kate Campbell from
Moose Lab Photography will be running a pho-
to booth throughout the night.
In addition NextGen will be donating a percent-
age of the ticket price to Legacy given the tim-
ing of the event being on the Anzac weekend.
What activities has the Next Gen Committee
planned for 2015?
So far we are looking at holding an event every
two months...
June: A prominent ABC reporter.
August: Adam Marshall (Young politician).
October: Mental health month (a mental health
representative).
December: Christmas function.
Also NextGen is in the process of purchasing
organisational membership to the Narrabri
Chamber of Commerce allowing any commit-
tee member to attend meetings and provide a
summary to our members.
What is your role with Next Gen?
I am the president, although the roles in Next-
Gen are more of a formality as everyone is
hands on.
On a personal note, what do you get out of
being involved?
When I first moved home I was surprised at the
amount of young people working around Nar-
rabri, whilst there where a lot of us that had
grown up here, many had moved to the area
in a professional capacity and I think if we can
develop and promote the opportunities avail-
able in these regional areas then that is great
for the district.
What do you think Narrabri offers young
professionals?
Working in a regional area like Narrabri allows
young people an opportunity to be more in-
volved with the operation of a business than
you would in larger centres where organisa-
tions are generally more compartmentalised.
Also with agriculture as the primary driver in
our local economy it allows young profession-
als an opportunity to work in and be associated
with an industry that is highly specialised and
will see substantial growth in the years to come.
As a young professional, what do you think
Narrabri needs?
I think one of the big things that Narrabri needs
is a flight service to Sydney & Brisbane.
When you’re not Next Genning, what do you
do for work?
I work for Landmark Harcourts as a sales con-
sultant and registered valuer.
If you weren’t working in this profession,
what would you like to have a go at?
I’m pretty lucky in the fact that I really enjoy
what I do.
Is there a piece of professional advice or wis-
dom that has stuck with you?
There’s no substitute for hard work
And finally, baked beans or spaghetti?
Baked Beans
nextgen
james thomas
(L-R) Virginia Tapp, Will Guest, Melinda Leculier, James Thomas & Georgie Lawrence. Photography: John Burgess
Community Organisation
16 iNarrabri Magazine April 22nd - May 5th