Wednesday, 15th September 2021
After 15 years of excellent service to the Club, sadly Naomi Smith (Nomes) is leaving us. Nomes has secured a full time opportunity with a great local school near her home and we wish her all the very best. She finishes up her employment at SYC on Friday 1 October. She will however see out two projects, the 2021-22 Diary and the 2021 edition of Off the Wind, she currently has on the go, so will be working behind the scenes until they are complete.
Nomes has made an incredible contribution to the Club in her time at Sandy. It all started back in 2006 when we were looking to fill a Function and Event Sales role and I was told about a highly organised lady from the Volvo Ocean Race office – a great girl with a big personality and a loud laugh – I remember thinking at the time surely she won’t be any louder than her predecessor Liz McCormack but sure enough she was! So Nomes joined us then and over the journey she has filled a few roles but it’s in her current role that she has really excelled for the benefit of members.
Here’s a snapshot of the Nomes highlight package;
- She has always been very loyal, hard-working and has always had the members and the clubs interests at heart
- She has looked after our signature club events including but not limited to Opening Days, the Mercedes-Benz Brighton Port Phillip Challenge, Kids Xmas parties, the Club Marine Discover Sailing Day etc
- She managed all of our milestone celebrations – Centenary Year events and our 10th Clubhouse birthday events
- She introduced and managed our Member concerts and comedy nights which were incredibly popular – 500 people at Mental As Anything was a highlight
- She has worked with our wonderful social groups over the years co-delivering their various theme nights, balls and great range of club activities
- She was instrumental in organising all of the land based activities for the Laser Summer of 2020
- She managed several of our communications including Off the Wind, the annual Club Diary and our weekly eNews (wait till you see the 2021 ed. of Off the Wind, it’s a beauty)
- She managed our community partner events that involve the Sandringham Hospital and Challenge – supporting kids with cancer including the very popular annual Oaks Day lunches
- She helped manage our Member Benefit Scheme and the SYC Community Supporting our own and 10 partners programs
- She’s been instrumental in helping manage key sponsorship partnerships including Club Marine, Veolia and Mercedes-Benz Brighton
- Personally during her time at the Club she has gotten married, became a mum to 2 boys and become a fully accredited marriage celebrant
And for these reason plus more it was also my absolute pleasure to present her with the Staff Member of the Year Award at the General Committee dinner back in December 2019.
Nomes has been amazing to me personally and to the club at large and she will be sorely missed.
Please take the time to wish her all the best.
Warm Regards & Stay Safe,
Richard Hewett
Chief Executive
Sandringham Yacht Club
