The national LIA 2017 Graduate of the Year awards announced Print DNA’s Chloe Rudd as the winner for South Australia.
Sponsored nationally by Heidelberg for more than 40 years, the SA ceremony was hosted by Fuji Xerox and Printing Industries, where regional SA made up two thirds of the candidates, including Print DNA’s Rudd.
SA LIA state president Gordon Wilson said it was difficult for the judges to decide a winner due to the exceptionally high standard of this year’s nominees.
“It took us an unprecedented two or so hours to reach our final decision,” said Wilson. “Our industry should be incredibly proud of the calibre of apprentices we are attracting and producing.”
Print DNA’s Ian Andrews said it had been a pleasure to have Rudd as part of the team and hope to find more apprentices like her. “She has always been willing to do whatever is needed to meet the client’s needs and our expectations."
Fellow judge and Printing Industries’ director of government relations Mary Jo Fisher said other states’ finalists should look out for SA at the upcoming biennial national competitions.
“With SA’s finalists being 2016’s Jason Turai and 2017’s Chloe Rudd, other states had better be good. Watch out – South Australia is here, front and centre!” she said.
Turai and Rudd will compete for the Visual Connections-LIA National Scholarship Prize worth $15,000, as well as an all-expenses-paid trip to Drupa or IPEX as part of the LIA-Printing Industries Future Leaders Award, in Brisbane at the end of the year.