Office Team Reflections 

My First Year at GEKA

Michael Lynch, General Manager Finance

Reflecting on coming up to the end of my first year at GEKA, it has been a year like no other. It is normal that the first 6-12 months in a new role, is a period of change and learning, with new processes and procedures to become familiar with, along with bringing previous experience to the new role. COVID-19 has managed to turn this usual practice upside down with everyone needing to come to terms with the new norm which has been anything but.

A great strength of GEKA has been the support and teamwork that has been evident throughout this year, from all staff. From the beginning of the pandemic, Government policies to deal with COVID, were being brought in and changed on a weekly basis. This affected our funding, from both the Government and families, as well as the way our staff are paid. All this made for a challenging time for the finance area.

As GM Finance, I am part of the senior leadership team  - a very supportive team, as we all navigate through this year. During the year, the team, along with all office staff, attended our kindergarten services to assist with temperature taking of children each morning, and to provide support to the teachers and educators, and to supply all with the necessary personal protective equipment.

The office finance team of Mary and Kerry, have provided me with excellent support during this year, from my initial first few weeks, and right throughout the year in this ever changing period and I thank them. One of my first duties at GEKA was completion of the audit for 2019 which commenced in February. Due to COVID, additional first time reporting requirements were incorporated into the audit, and was not completed until May. 

Being part of the GEKA team has been a great experience in my first year, and I look forward to 2021 as our lives get back to a new normal.