CEDA Director, Membership, Mel Nelson, shares what she's working on and what she is excited about in our new program of work.
Describe your role at CEDA
As the Director Membership I lead a national membership team dedicated to delivering a compelling value proposition for all CEDA members and facilitating engagement across CEDA’s program of work. The team is focused on supporting and expanding our membership base to maintain our diverse, engaged and influential membership community aligned to CEDA’s purpose.
What do you think makes CEDA unique?
As an independent, member-based think tank, CEDA stands apart from traditional industry associations and research groups to provide a unique value proposition for our members. I believe that CEDA’s trusted voice, independent research, and commitment to debating and discussing the issues that matter to all Australians combined with our diverse, cross-sector membership base, sets us apart. Regardless of specific interests or sector, being a part of the CEDA community connects members to our shared mission to deliver better economic and social outcomes for the greater good.
What excites you about CEDA's new program of work?
What excites me most about our new program of work is the opportunity for members to share knowledge and expertise with each other and with CEDA and add their voices on important topics to increase our collective impact and generate positive change. The challenges we face now require cooperation, collaboration and creativity to build a safe and sustainable future.
What are you working on now?
The team and I are focused on increasing members’ knowledge of, and engagement with, CEDA’s new program of work, exploring new ideas to further develop CEDA’s value proposition and addressing the structural challenges of the membership model.
The challenges of the past few months have given rise to new ways of working, both for CEDA and for our members, and challenged us to think differently about how we can provide value and effect change. We are working across CEDA to provide more avenues for engagement with our research, digital content and events program and to explore options for partnerships and collaboration with our members.
Our two new team members, joining CEDA today, round out a passionate membership team located across the country, maintaining our local presence and ensuring the diversity of members’ voices is incorporated into everything we do. We look forward to continuing to catch up with you on a regular basis and encourage you to reach out to the team to tell us about the issues that matter to you and how CEDA can add value.