LIA NSW Graduate of the Year

Graduate nominees were (l-r) Matthew Rogers (Penfold Buscombe); Neville Williams (Rural Press); Shannon Hurry (Sony Music); Jennifer Batt-Rawden (Business and Tourism Publishing); David Purdon (Rotary Colour Print); Simon Studdert (Sydney Allen Printers).
Royce Joseph of PMP Printing was unable to attend due to illness.

A prepress apprentice with Business and Tourism Publishing in Sydney, Jennifer received a trophy and an all-expenses paid trip for the LIA National Biennial Conference in Queensland next year. She will also represent NSW at the National LIA/GAMAA Awards which has a first prize $15,000 study grant.

As the major sponsor of the State event, Heidelberg Australia’s Customer Support Manager, David Evans, presented the trophy. Evans said the challenge for today’s apprentices was to integrate traditional skills and knowledge with new technology.

This was reinforced by keynote speaker Professor Tony Stevenson of the Futures Foundation of Australia. Prof Stevenson called on all the Award candidates to challenge their own thinking and learn from the future as well as from the past. He said the printing industry had plenty of career opportunities and many yet to be defined. Print and paper had proven to be very resilient technologies because of their important role in the social life of mankind and its increasing need for education and entertainment.

In other LIA news Grant Churchill of AE Hudson was elected President for NSW .

The new committee comprises:
Vice President - Nyryn Norris (J.S.McMillan); Secretary - Allan Wetherell (TAFE); Treasurer - Mike Williams (Ink Solutions).

Committee members: Warwick Roden (Roden Print); Angus Scott (Brissett Rollers); Mitch Mulligan (Bottcher Australia); Greg Grace (Heidelberg Australia); Robert Lamont (Consultant); Peter Munro (Agfa); Ray Berwick (A.E.Hudson); Tony Barhoum (Brissett Rollers); Dan Wilson (Printing & Pre Press I.T.); David Mandile (Garrick Offset Services).