KING, Marcia

Degree

Diploma of Project Management

Graduation year

2010

Current position

ICT Business Partner and Business Analyst (and artist and roller derby coach)

Employer

City of Ballarat

Deputy Mayor of Ballarat, Belinda Coates with Marcia King

What are some of your career highlights?

Working across three different sectors in a similar position, insurance, education and now local government, has given me the ability to relate and adapt to many different stakeholders and requirements. One highlight of my career has been working with Michelle Nunn and Nick Balkin in IT at Federation University. They taught me so much and put me in a position to succeed in any role. My ten years of employment with Federation University was a very rewarding time and I would recommend it to anyone as a great place to work.

I am also an artist. I completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts at another university, graduating with honours and winning the graduate prize which was to travel overseas for a couple of years. I have had about ten solo exhibitions and too many group exhibitions to count, the most recent solo exhibition was the 'Who Gives a Crap?' project. My work is held in private collections in Australia, America, the UK and Canada. I owned Redbrick Gallery in Ballarat for three years where I developed a lot of business skills and curatorial experience. I do private work and commissions and mostly focus on portrait and figurative work, predominantly drawing and painting but I love printmaking as well. I sponsor an art award at my old high school where I award one Year 12 student with a financial prize and mentorship. The prize has been going for 12 years and was created as a way to say thank you to my art teachers but also to celebrate the work art students put in during their high school years. Other subjects are celebrated and recognised but the arts are often forgotten. The prize was also created to encourage young artists in regional Victoria to continue with art after high school.

Another branch of my career is roller derby. I been involved with roller derby for around 11 years. In that time I have both refereed and played the sport. Now I coach with a particular focus on having new people join up. I was awarded the Ballarat Community Event of the Year in the 2020 Australia Day Honours for my involvement with Ballarat's Rollerskate Fit Club.

Describe the most enjoyable and challenging aspects of your job

My job is different from day to day. I get to meet lots of different people. I get to help solve their business problems.

What are your strongest memories while you were studying at the University?

Great staff who provided great support while studying. Working at the University for ten years was also a really rewarding experience.

Do you have any advice about life after study to pass on to current students?

Take every opportunity given to you.If opportunities aren’t given to you, make your own.