Meet your Board member.
This is the third in a weekly series where we introduce you to the people entrusted to run our sport in NSW.
Finance Director Melanie Christie (Uringa). Joined the Board 2020.
Melanie started orienteering in the most innocuous way, at Sydney Olympic Park in October 2016.
Her husband saw an advertisement for the event and said to her: “You like maps, you might like this”. He was correct.
And like most people who come into our sport via a summer series, it was akin to planting a seed.
Just two years later Melanie was stunned at the ONSW presentation day when she picked up the Rookie of the Year award. That’s some progression!
And equally speedy ‘off the map’, Melanie quickly became a Board member of Uringa, a first aider, general volunteer and sometimes coach for members of the public.
When a seat became available at the 2020 AGM, she decided to take another step up – administratively, this time – and give back even more to the sport she really loves. This commitment evolved into accepting the position of Finance Director.
Importantly, Melanie’s experience of working with people from many different cultural backgrounds in several countries has made her value the input of others.
It also made her appreciate the hard work of other volunteers and the importance of communicating with people at all levels of an organisation.
We didn’t ask Melanie what her favourite terrain is but we reckon it would be rock. After all, she has a Diploma of Gemmology.
