Amberly Keating, Port Stephens Strata
The 2017 CHU Strata Community Awards have been handed out for another year but this time there are new categories with some winners going on as finalists to the SCA Australasian Awards and some to other awards including the NSW Business Chamber Awards.
Congratulations then to Amberly Keating winner of the new for 2017 Support Team Member Award who is now the NSW finalist for the SCA national awards.
Amberly is Operations Manager at Port Stephens Strata, which is part of the Strata Plus group. She is a highly-valued and dedicated team member who started working part-time for the company located at Nelson Bay in 2001 while still at school.
“Working in the office was my after-school job until 2003, then a part-time job from 2003 until 2005 when I was asked to work full-time in the receptionist position. Over that time, I’ve worked and learned along the way and am now the Operations Manager,” Amberly explains.
“I work in the background on the management system and supervise the administration team located across the offices in Nelson Bay and Newcastle. Most recently I’ve been running a major project to integrate the old system into the new. This is where my experience and in-depth knowledge of the business has been invaluable.”
Amberly enjoys learning and taking on new challenges which is one of the factors about her that resonated with the judges. She says she enjoys helping the team with whatever is given to her, and trying to do it in the most efficient way possible.
“I’m the team’s go-to person whenever they have an issue they can’t resolve on their own. I step in and assist in all situations from internal IT problems, to client and account queries that the team may be unfamiliar with.”
Amberly has also put time and effort into her education, completing the Certificate of Registration in September 2016. She also has plans to do more study.
“I’m currently considering options for further study to support my career goals and hope to start a Diploma of Business Administration later this year. As an alternative, I am also looking at the training options that have become or are becoming available through SCA.”
Around this Amberly fits in time to get involved with sport and is the President of the Nelson Bay Netball Association as well as sharing her life with her partner and three step children.
The win however was unexpected and the first people she shared it with were her staff who were all waiting on Facebook or wanting SMS messages.
“I was shocked and felt humbled. I don’t do my work for recognition but it was appreciated and it reflects on the staff and colleagues right up to Olivera Ferguson who support me, and in this case had a hand in my nomination.”
Amberly said the process of writing about herself for the award submission was a learning curve about herself and a realisation of how much she had achieved.
“I was surprised to learn what people think and say about me which is that I always support them and drop what I’m doing to help others. I guess that’s who I am.”