Written by Russ Benning @russbenningphotography
When many people think of the word business, they tend to conjure images of the corporate world with stern CEO’s, bustling board rooms and bottom lines. A very serious, impersonal world some might interpret as selfish or greedy.
This month we explore a very different side to the business world and one that might even be considered the opposite.
I have the pleasure of sitting down and getting to know a person who’s title could seem boring or bureaucratic to some, but the person behind the desk is anything.
Introducing Sotera Trevaskis, Director of Regional Development at Regional Development Australia Wide Bay Burnett (RDAWBB) a regional economic development organisation that covers the regions of Fraser coast, Bundaberg, North and South Burnett, Cherbourg and Gympie.
We take a seat on the balcony, enjoying the mild winter’s afternoon as she begins to explain to me her role on paper, using a lot of official government jargon. Most of it went over my head but I’m certain she knows what she’s talking about.
“God, it sounds really wanky” she reflects, seemingly catching herself saying it out loud for the first time. “My job sounds really boring but I enjoy it.” She delivers it dryly but I get the subtext and a pleasant hint towards her character.
I learned a little about her nature and her proclivity to say what she’s thinking, how she’s thinking it at the same time remaining completely professional. Quite the art form I must admit.
As she broke it down for me, it made a lot more sense. Behind the shroud of fancy terms I learn that in essence, Sotera is in the people business. The business of people and their businesses.
Sotera is like a two-way conduit between the region and the Australian Government. She refers to RDAWBB as the eyes and ears of the region, feeding back local issues and opportunities while simultaneously connecting businesses and community organisations to funding programs and government support.
Essentially she connects with local people and business to better understand what they need and works to move the region forward across the areas of people, services, places, local industries and economies. “We’ll meet with people, community organisations or businesses to find out what they do and how we can help out.
At one point she mentions a certain sector that is currently receiving “a bucket load of funding” and I laugh at the contrast of proper lingo and the slang that makes her unique.
I’m fascinated by the juxtaposition such a highly qualified person with such a sense of humour and humility. I love that she doesn’t take herself too seriously and catches herself when she walks too close to the line.
That’s not to say she doesn’t take her work seriously— in fact it’s the opposite. She is deeply passionate about her work and it shows with the way she speaks. To take it a step further, she’s a deeply passionate person, period, who cares deeply about her people.
“Yeah I like the diversity— it suits my ADHD brain,” she remarks dryly going on to explain what she enjoys the most about her job.
Her strong moral compass is what lead her to her current role. Up until late 2021 she was working for Queensland Health and decidedly happy with her role. Once the mandates (enforced by her department) took place and essentially removed bodily autonomy from anyone wanting to remain employed, she took a stand.
“Putting pressure on people to take a medication or a drug or whatever you want to call it, and using it to leverage their income was pretty piss poor.” Again I have a chuckle at her language here. I feel her passion as she gives fierce, lioness energy.
“Shame on them for imposing that on people. It made me so angry.” She goes on to tell me that she was actually forced to work from home when her position was made clear and was not going to change. A credit to the department, she was not fired, however realising a distinct mismatch in alignment, she promptly left of her own volition.
During that time she also wrote a lot of letters to government members and attended rallies to show her support for those affected by the absurd new impositions.
Seeing the systemic flaws from the inside she tells how she lost a lot of faith and indeed respect for the government (Australian and international) in that phase of history, asking, “why don’t we focus on nutrition, sleep, exercise or even sunshine?” We discuss the benefits of prevention being better than cure in the sense of boosting immune systems and creating healthy habits instead.
“Where are the leaders when you need them? I’m here to step up and speak on their behalf— that’s what good leadership is.” Sotera is speaking of not just her own family but also her colleagues and here.
I see clearly that this attitude is reflected in her work with the clients she represents also. She tells me she has no problem standing up to government and telling them what needs to happen for our region and the businesses and organisations within it.
Discovering how much we shared in common the latter part of our meeting felt more like a catch up between old friends. At one point I lost track of who was interviewing who as she asked tons of questions to really understand who I am.
I notice how present she is as we connect. I notice the eye contact and active listening. She asks thoughtful, expansive questions.
As I’m explaining my passion for drones and the work I do with them, I see dots connect in her brain and she tells me of another contact she has in that space. “Can I introduce you to him?” A natural born networker with a kind, solution first attitude.
A loving wife and mother of three, Sotera gets emotional and sheds a tear as her daughter bids farewell on her way back to Brisbane part way through our meeting.
I see another layer of depth and compassion in our strong, passionate, caring, hilarious protagonist. I’m actually really grateful that she’s on our side!
She really embodies the human element of business and continue to prove that people matter. She is a champion of our region and a living example of local business being greater than the sum of its parts.
In Wide Bay and surrounds, we do business person to person, with a smile, to benefit the whole region.
