In June, we attended the Aquatic Recreation Victoria industry awards, where excitingly our very own Mel was awarded the prestigious Membership Sales Award. 

The ARV Industry Awards recognise and reward outstanding achievement and commitment to the industry. Mel’s dedication, and commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive for members has earned her the top prize in 2026. In celebration of this incredible achievement, we sat down with Mel for a Q&A session to chat about her win, journey and what working at PARC means to her.  

Read on to learn more about Mel, and what makes her such a special and valued member of our PARC family. 

Q: Mel, congratulations on winning the Membership Sales Award! Can you share with us what this recognition means to you and how it feels to be acknowledged for your hard work? 

I still can’t believe this happened to me! I have been in the industry since I was 21, and during that time we have celebrated a lot of amazing people, so for it to be me, I was really shocked. I am happy enough to just be celebrated here, within the PARC walls, so to be recognised by the industry feels really special, because in my head, I am just doing my job, getting to know people and do the best I can when I walk through the door. It solidifies the things that I hear, when people will thank me, or tell me I am ‘you’re really good at this.’ I don’t really believe it, because I feel like it’s my normal, and I am just doing my job, but it’s always so nice to hear and know that I am helping other people.  

Q: What do you love most about your role?  

I love that I get to sign someone up through Memberships and then get to see them again when I am working in Customer Experience. I don’t just sign them up and then never see them again; I get to have that full circle kind of experience where I get to check in with them and see how they are going on their journey.   

I genuinely love meeting people, and enjoy creating a welcoming and supportive environment, where people feel important, and know that they are more than just a number. 

Q: What do you love about being a part of the PARC family? 

Being able to work in multiple departments, I’ve met a lot of our staff and have enjoyed getting to know our team on a personal level, but also getting to learn 

about their departments from them.  

Within my own team, I always enjoy working with Cliff, it’s the highlight of my day. I love working with Cliff, so getting to know him has been my favourite part. Chris has been very supportive of me, throughout the whole journey. Working with her has been a wonderful experience, and I have learnt heaps.  

I’d also like to add a little shoutout to Leah, Cliff, Claire and Matt who I forgot to mention in my speech at the ARV Awards. I was a little bit nervous and overwhelmed in the moment, so a huge shoutout to them.   

Q: Can you please share a memorable story or moment with a member/s? 

There are a few people who come to mind. There’s a couple who moved here and had lots of great goals that they wanted to achieve, so the environment at PARC was very important to them. They love PARC and are our biggest advocates. They went on a trip last year, with their PARC beanies, and wore them all across Europe, taking lots of photos. I always give them a wave whenever I see them; it’s been amazing to watch their journey, and how far they have come. They say it’s because I made them feel welcome, but it’s not me, it’s all them! I just introduced them to PARC, but they took off from there. They are awesome!  

Q: What advice would you give to someone starting out?   

Listen. Listening is the only part that matters. Being able to listen to someone, and read between the lines, or pick up the little cues that people give off is so important. Be passionate for the person; cater their experience to what is right for them, and trust your gut, and your instincts. 

Q: What’s your favourite way to unwind and relax outside of work?  

Being with my family. I will happily watch any kind of sport, if you want me watch darts, I’ll watch darts. Especially if it’s live sports; if you take me to most sports, I’ll happily get on board. I enjoy reading as well. 

Congratulations Mel, we are immensely proud of you and love having you as part of our PARC Team.