Impressive List of Nominations for 2024 ARV Industry Awards

The entire MOVE Moonee Valley team from across all three MOVE Venues - Ascot Vale Leisure Centre, Keilor East Leisure Centre and Queens Park Pool have submitted several nominations for the upcoming 2024 ARV Industry Awards.

Held annually, the ARV Awards are a recogition of the incredible efforts of individuals, teams and Venues across all of Victoria.

Collectively, the MOVE Team submitted a whopping 19 nominations, which is an incredible effort, and reflects the calibre of our entire high-achieving team here at MOVE Moonee Valley. We would like to extend our congratulations to every single person who was nominated, and thank them all for their incredible hard work and dedication to making our venues such a positive experience for all our patrons.
 

INDIVIDUAL AWARD NOMINATIONS:

• AVLC - Emergent Leader Award - Stacey Washburn

  • Joining the AVLC team in 2023 as the Aquatics Manager, she has overseen the growth of the GOswim program, and growth of the Aquatics Team including swim teachers, deck supervisors and a Swim School Coordinator. Having completed the ARVs Advancing Women Program in 2023, it is an honor to be nominated for the Emergent Leader Award. Stacey also worked closely with our Commuity Engagement Coordinator to develop and implement a swimming program for the CALD community. 

• AVLC - Swim Teacher for Babies, Infants and Preschool Award - Lilian Smith

  • Since joining the AVLC team in 2023, Lilian in as Ascot Vale local who specialises in infant and preschool classes. Lily's dedication for teaching shines through in her work every day. Her impact on the students and families that she teaches is amazing. Lily has also bcome the go-to instructor for training new teachers in the infant and preschool programming at AVLC. Her wealth of knowledge, coupled with her natural ability to connect with children and parents makes her an invaluable mentor for aspiring instructors.

• AVLC - Customer Service Award - Emily Forster

  • Emily has been part of the AVLC team since January 2018. initially starting as a Swim Instructor, she progressed into the role of Swim School Supervisor, before expanding her skillset to the role of Customer Service Officer. Emily received the Customer Service Award at the 2023 MOVE Moonee Valley awards. Emily's commitment to providing great customer service is outstanding, and this is evident in every interaction she has with our patrons.

• AVLC - Group Exercise Instructor Award - Tony Tarquinio

  • With a group fitness career that spans over a decade, remarkably, Tony has been part of AVLC since the venue opened in 1976 as a young Squash enthusiast. Commencing a career as a group fitness instructor in 2008 is something that has cemented him as a favourite amongst our group fitness participants. When asked to describe Tony, participants highlighted he is hard-working, good-natured, engaging, committed, respectful, fun, entertaining, excellent vibe; "I make Tony's class a non-negotiable part of the week... his class is packed for a reason!.

 

• KELC - Most Valuable Employee Award - Bianca Battye

  • Joining the KELC team in 2022 as the Sales & Guest Experience Manager, Bianca has achieved an increase in the KELC NPS scores, which is a direct reflection of her work with the entire Guest Experience team, and improvement in the standards of customer service within the facility. Her unwavering dedication to delivering exceptional customer experiences has led to signifcant growth of our membership.

• KELC - Personal Trainer / Gym instructor Award - Kasey Pisani

  • Kasey has built an exceptional rapport with the members at Keilor East Leisure Centre. Currently overseeing the Coaching Zone area, she is also a fantastic trainer who takes a tailored approach, utilising her deep understanding of the body and movement in order to help all her clients achieve their goals. Kasey has been instrumental in the planning and driving of various activations within our health club, including rowing challenges, cycle challenges, group fitness challenges, ice bath experiences and the MOVE Summer Series.

• KELC - Group Exercise Instructor Award - Aaron Joyner

  • To say Aaron is a beloved member of the instructor team at KELC would be an understatement. Teaching 15 classes a week, he is the most requested instructor at KELC, and it's not hard to see why. A highly skilled and experienced instructor, Aaron is our Group Fitness Coordinator at KELC, and is also the creator of the POP YOGA program, which continues to be incredibly popular amongst our patrons. Aaron was also a finalist at the 2023 AUSActive awards for Victorian Yoga Professional of the Year Award. Aaron puts his heart and soul into his work, continually educating and training himsels above and beyond what is required. 

• KELC - Customer Service Award - Molly Tyrrell

  • Since joining the KELC team in 2022, Molly has quickly risen to the role of Kiosk Coordinator at KELC. Molly has a natural knack for making each customer feel valued, seen and appreciated. She is also a mentor for other team members, passing on her knowledge, proactive approach and dedication. Molly is always looking at ways to increae her skills, including the recent completion of Mental Health First Aid training. She always manages to remain calm under pressure and consistently demonstrates empathy, builds rapport and ensures customer needs are always met.

• KELC - Duty Manager Award - Alessandra Dent

  • Joining the KELC team after it reopened in November 2021, Allesandra works across multiple roles - Swim Instructor, Aquatic Services Officer (ASO), Lifeguard and Duty Manager. Having such a comprehensive skillset across multiple departments requires an incredible wealth of knowledge - making Alessandra an incredibly versatile member of the KELC team. She always ensures that KELC is running smoothly by drawing on her problem solving skills, managing conflicting priorities, whilst ensuring a safe environment for all patrons. Alessandra is also a mentor to the Operations team and a go-to person for the team members. She also competed int he 2023 Life Saving Victoria Lifeguard Challenge, where the KELC team came in 4th place.

• KELC - Emergent Leader Award - Lauren Shaw

  • Lauren joined the KELC team in October 2021 as a Duty Manager, before progressing to the role of Operations Coordinator in Feb 2022, and then the Operations Manager in September 2023. Lauren has a passion for safety and compliance and has achieved Gold Safety Status for two consecutive years, as well as providing support for regional pools during their Pool Safety preparations. Lauren has been a guest speaker for multiple events by Belgravia Leisurre, Life Saving Victoria and Aquatics and Recreation Victoria, discussing topics such as the future of aquatics, health and safety and operations. Lauren was also the recipient of the CLEAR Award for Excellence at the 2023 Victorian Belgravia Leisure Awards.

• KELC - Swim Teacher for Person with a Disability Award - Renee Roy

  • Renee has developed a passion for teaching people to swim, especially those with a disability. Her dedication and investment to creating individual lesson plans specifically tailored to her students is a clear reason behind her 92% attendance rate! Teaching 6 classes per week, she also plays a pivotal role in the Access All Abilities (AAA) Swim & Social Program, creating meaningful connections with participants and creating a welcoming environment for all. During 2023, Renee completed an impressive 66 sessions within the AAA program, totalling an astounding 152 hours.

FACILITY AWARD NOMINATIONS:

• AVLC - Swim School Award
• AVLC - Facility Management Award (Medium)

 

• KELC - Facility Management Award (Large)
• KELC - Watch Around Water Award
• KELC - Marketing & Communications Award

 

• QPP - Facility Management Award (Seasonal)
• QPP - Marketing & Communications Award

 

• MOVE Moonee Valley - Innovative Program Award - AAA Swim & Social Program

We're very proud to be able to nominate all three MOVE venues in three separate categories, as well as be in a position to submit multiple nominations within the Marketing & Communications category. This marks the second consecutive year that MOVE has submitted two nominations in the same category, which reflects the continuing efforts of our Marketing Coordinator, Josh Wilms.

Our AAA (Access All Abilities) Swim & Social Program nomination is also incredibly exciting for us, as this has been a mammoth project for our Community Engagement & Inclusion Coordinator, Jaye Hansford. She has worked tirelessly at the initial development of the program and personally overseen its implementation across Ascot Vale and Keilor East Leisure Centres, and collectively, we have seen first-hand the positive impact it has had on the community and how well it continues to be enjoyed by all participants.