BILLY COTSIS
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Summary
Experienced with leading colleagues and teams to achieve project success through innovative solutions. Utilizes strategic planning and effective communication to ensure seamless project execution. Track record of fostering collaborative environments and driving continuous improvement.
Work History
Economic Development Team Leader
FAIRFIELD CITY COUNCIL
09.2024
- Developed communication strategies to revitalize mainstreets.
- Established agencies to foster collaboration between community and businesses.
- Special Entertainment Precincts @The Canleys
- Visitor Economy lead and analysis
- Night-Time Economy resilience and growth
- Purple Flag accreditation for Canley Vale and Canley Heights
- Government relations across all three tiers
- Establishment of economic development companies
- Business engagement across the Fairfield LGA
- Support for the growth of the local economy especially across major industries and places
- Advocating for the local economy including generating large grants
- Adapting to change and opportunities such as AI
- Managing a team to support and build the capacity of the local economy
Economic Development Team Leader
INNER WEST COUNCIL
02.2019 - 07.2024
- Stakeholder engagement across industry groups, government agencies and the community;
- Author and manager of key strategy documents including night-time economy and Aboriginal economic development;
- Provision of strategic advice to senior staff and government departments on growth opportunities for the economy;
- Inner West Economic Recovery Taskforce and implementation of 39 actions
- Management of the Economic Development Team;
- Champion of access, inclusion and diversity across our programs;
- Est. Inner West Creative Network, established Newtown/Enmore Chamber;
- Public domain re-modelling to generate diversity of users;
- Brand and marketing exercises for our precincts and villages;
- Visitation, investment and activation initiatives;
- Mainstreets improvements including winning Sydney’s Best Mainstreet for Lackey Street;
- Management of Roadway Dining Program, lead on Purple Flag accreditation;
- Understanding of future needs such as Tech Central;
- High level advice on arts, hospitality, trade and brand management;
Community Development Manager
FRASERS PROPERTY AUSTRALIA
12.2017 - 02.2019
- Management of the community development program across Fairwater and Ed Square Town Centre, business engagement, building diverse communities
- Community and economic development strategy for ED Square Town Centre
- Development of community and marketing strategies, including interpretation of previous strategies;
- Use of resources to engage with external clients and partners;
- High level stakeholder engagement and partnership management with a focus on diverse communities
- Projects with First Nations
- Social media and comms campaigns, EDMs
- Brand management
Team Leader, Community Development
CUMBERLAND/ HOLROYD CITY COUNCIL
09.2013 - 07.2017
- Management of a team of staff and volunteers, providing leadership, guidance, strategic vision, brand management and community planning;
- Drafted and implemented a number of Council strategies with colleagues;
- Oversaw several community centres/venues
- Stakeholder engagement including managing forums, delivering messaging for key Council policy, partnership building and delivering events across Cumberland, government agencies and politicians across three tiers
- Identifying and working with hard-to-reach communities;
- Oversaw Access and EEO/Inclusion policy and programs.
- Business and engagement plan development for community centres;
- Other activities include financial planning, identifying and addressing needs affecting constituents, report writing, marketing of the Council image, event management, grant development and strategic planning across numerous key areas of the Local Government Area;
- Developed and implemented PR campaigns and project planning for the majority of team (70) events and programs;
- Facilitated networks and inter-agencies across Holroyd/Cumberland
Stakeholder Engagement
WORKCOVER NSW
02.2013 - 09.2013
- Strategic engagement, marketing, education and partnerships;
- Engagement with key business stakeholders in NSW including in the CBD;
- Development of a strategic engagement plan for businesses;
- Facilitated signed agreements with key industry groups;
- Part of the NSW leadership team
Scheme Manager CBCP
BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
London
05.2010 - 08.2012
- Successful stakeholder and business engagement;
- Significant brand and marketing campaigns
- Managed the Croydon Business Crime Reduction Partnership business
- ‘Yes’ vote in the renewal ballot for the Business Improvement District in 2011, ensuring a second term;
- Data analysis, trends
- Marketing plans and education campaigns based on client feedback especially after the London riots; devised a business engagement plan for the crime partnership; created 10 sub committees and working groups to assist with the successful reduction of crime in the Town Centre.
- Successfully activated key areas of the Town Centre in Croydon
- Key events such as Christmas Lights and Love Croydon Festival, each generating tens of thousands people and business input, safer spaces, Old Town concept and support, intelligence network to improve safety
- Developed crime reduction strategies for the Town Centre in Croydon.
- Developed a crime strategy for the Town Centre;
- Established Business Watch, Transport Watch, Hotel Watch, revitalised Pub Watch and resourced the Business Intelligence Group; intranet site;
- Reports and high-level advice to separate Croydon Boards;
- Business and performance analysis
- (London)
Community Engagement Programme Manager
SAFER LONDON FOUNDATION
06.2008 - 05.2010
- Created community engagement strategies with government, charities, police, business and community partners;
- Devised a strategy for police and other stakeholders to engage with the community and develop and sustain partnerships; devised a strategy on how to reach ‘hard to reach communities;’ provided strategic advice to police and members of the community on engagement and crime prevention through on line tools, a hot line, newsletters and the forums;
- Devised and implemented training syllabus for project, which was reviewed and changed at 6 monthly intervals;
- Successfully established and managed the Community Engagement Programme for the Metropolitan Police Service, the Police charity (Safer London Foundation) and the Police Authority;
- 150 workshops, seminars, master classes and a conference across all 32 London Boroughs; engaged and liaised with 632 electoral wards to provide information about and about their feedback on Police engagement;
- Managed the agreements for delivering training seminars to every London Borough and supervised police trainers associated with the project;
- Reported to a Board and to three funding bodies in relation to the progress of the project; supervised admin staff, six police trainers and volunteers;
- Created links and networks with the business community and Local Authorities to deliver a range of initiatives;
- Successfully brought together key individuals, community groups and business representatives every six months to partake in the project;
- Created youth/community partnerships leading to the creation of youth panels
- Media Engagement; Developed media releases and partnerships with the majority of the 32 London Boroughs to promote the project
Project Coordinator – Safe City
CITY OF SYDNEY COUNCIL
02.2005 - 04.2008
- Policy development and implementation based on safety, security and community development needs;
- Key strategies developed or involved with include Oxford Street, Drug and Alcohol, Woolloomooloo Improvement Plan, Safety Audit Strategy draft and Community Local Area Plans; Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) protocols between Planners and Police, CCTV Protocols;
- Successful stakeholder engagement across the 33 suburbs of the city;
- Enhanced existing partnerships across all of the suburbs in the City and key agencies such as the 7 government organisations, community representatives, the 7 Local Area Commands (Police), residents and businesses; this resulted in partnerships such as BizSafe for businesses, translating existing and new public education material in key languages; developing community engagement days in known hotspots and reinvigorating Licensed Premises Accords (City Central, Kings Cross, The Rocks, Newtown);
- Managed public education campaigns to improve City safety;
- Managed the development and successful implementation of key crime prevention campaigns
Coordinator, Newington Community Centre
AUBURN COUNCIL
11.2001 - 02.2005
- Engagement and regeneration of Olympic Village and surrounding suburbs;
- Stakeholder engagement ie SOPA and Mirvac Lend Lease Village Consortium, EPA, state and federal members
- Established and managed the Newington Community Centre; Established the Centre based on the needs of the local community to have a multipurpose cultural facility; 15 programs in partnership with community and business groups; obtained feedback from the approximate 1500 visitors per week to ensure a high level of customer service, created 4 residents’ action groups; established the Newington Fair;
- Developed a Business Plan for the Centre; devised an engagement strategy for the new groups to the Auburn area resulting in residents’ welcome packs and free tours of the area; contributed to the development of the Council Social Plan;
- Developed community grants guidelines and successfully obtained grants and sponsorships for an array of high profile projects;
- Was instrumental in developing an annual grants program for community groups in the Auburn Local Government Area; assisted key groups to develop grants to the Council and State Government resulting in a number of new initiatives such as youth activities, a disability study, a community bus and refugee information kits
Community Development Officer
AUBURN COUNCIL
12.1999 - 11.2001
- Developed an array of new policies and strategies that improved the community well-being and social inclusion;
- Co-authored the Community Social Plan based on 20 community engagement workshops (including key language groups) and a household survey; developed a Community Action plan that led to the creation of multicultural and youth worker positions;
- Created a Youth Council and a multicultural interagency;
- Successfully established new services and programs for multicultural groups including refugees and migrants;
- Integration strategies that resulted in cultural harmony events and residents’ tours, employment projects, promoted seeding grants for multicultural projects for key partners and ensured that Council documents were being translated into relevant languages.
Education
Master - International Studies
University of Sydney
Bachelor of Arts - Politics
University
Business course - undefined
Skills
- A leader in communities, public relations and engagement strategies
- Solution focused with long- and short-term vision to implement strategic goals
- A leader in stakeholder engagement including mapping out trends and opportunities for the community and business
- Stakeholder expertise for diverse communities
- Strategy writer and implementation
- Event management expertise
- People leader
- Creative Industries
- Author of books, docos and published articles
Extra-Curricular Activities
- Former-board Member of two significant organisations with hundreds of employees, twice as the Vice-President including Community Migrant Resource Centre
- Produced a range of award-winning documentaries to promote Greece & Italy
- Author of eight niche history and fiction book titles
- Freelance international journalist
- Contributor to Melbourne based Greek media agency on Greek history/culture
- Football Captain – though not good at football
- Board member for The Living Room Theatre, Marrickville an organization supporting arts and anti-violence
- Board member for Modern Greek Studies Foundation, Macquarie University
- Former presenter to community show on Aurora Channel, Foxtel
- Director, Modern Greek Studies Foundation
- Small business investor in Brasil – a fitness and wellbeing project
- Mentor of various people
Timeline
Economic Development Team Leader
FAIRFIELD CITY COUNCIL
09.2024
Economic Development Team Leader
INNER WEST COUNCIL
02.2019 - 07.2024
Community Development Manager
FRASERS PROPERTY AUSTRALIA
12.2017 - 02.2019
Team Leader, Community Development
CUMBERLAND/ HOLROYD CITY COUNCIL
09.2013 - 07.2017
Stakeholder Engagement
WORKCOVER NSW
02.2013 - 09.2013
Scheme Manager CBCP
BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
05.2010 - 08.2012
Community Engagement Programme Manager
SAFER LONDON FOUNDATION
06.2008 - 05.2010
Project Coordinator – Safe City
CITY OF SYDNEY COUNCIL
02.2005 - 04.2008
Coordinator, Newington Community Centre
AUBURN COUNCIL
11.2001 - 02.2005
Community Development Officer
AUBURN COUNCIL
12.1999 - 11.2001
Bachelor of Arts - Politics
University
Business course - undefined
Master - International Studies
University of Sydney
Section name
- These are all current except when specified as ‘former’
Personal Information
Date of Birth: 1977-02-18