Larry Fergeson: Difference between revisions

In June 2010, Larry moved to [[Cyprus Community Media Centre]] where he serves to the present day as its General Manager.

Larry is currently the General Manager of the [[Cyprus Community Media Centre]] where his role is comprehensive management of daily activities and efficient delivery of business operations for a media centre based in the United Nations’ buffer zone, promoting and providing a channel for the voice of local communities. Larry contributes to the design, development and implementation of strategic plans, ensuring aims and objectives are in accordance with organisational core values. He also provides direction and leadership for six staff and media freelancers, delivering multimedia productions, community outreach, research, advocacy and campaigning. Larry is adept at performance managing, training and developing all personnel, in addition to performing HR functions. He also produces financial forecasts, meticulously controlling budgets and accounting for all expenditure and income. Larry also works to devise publicity plans, coordinating and developing content for both traditional and innovative promotional methodologies, including risk assessment and mitigation to ensure a continuing positive public image. He monitors and evaluates all stages of service delivery, ensuring high standards and deadlines are consistently met, providing comprehensive progress and financial reports for donors and stakeholders. Moreover, he researches potential opportunities for project development, contract procurement and income generation, liaising with key donor stakeholders to develop the sustainability plan. Larry was instrumental both for the creation as well as for the expansion of the [[Cyprus Community Media Centre]] as he was the project leader in writing the application for its creation and also, during the past few years, he managed to raise thousands of euros to expand the operations. He engages with international and governmental authorities, the media and public to raise the organisation’s profile, coordinating informational visits for high-level delegations as well as organising forums and consortiums to initiate joint activities within the community and new services in response to identified needs, ensuring synergy across all stakeholders, maximising advocacy, coordination, collaboration and participation.  

Larry was also a professional Project Manager for the United Nations Development Programme where his role was to support the development and delivery of a key component of the Action for Cooperation and Trust programme, providing a means for Cypriots to actively participate in the reconciliation process. While with UNDP-ACT, Larry collaborated with the programme analyst to negotiate, prioritise and document the key needs of the partnership between USAID, UNDP, business leaders, media, civil society activists, youth leaders, researchers and opinion leaders. He devised a strategic plan for peacekeeping activities, including aims and objectives, expected outputs, financial forecasts, and risk and mitigation assessment. He also cultivated effective professional relationships with key stakeholders, including productive relationships with donors, diplomatic missions, advisory boards, CSOs and media. Larry also monitored and evaluated delivery of project activities, ensuring targets were met within deadlines and to a high standard, regularly providing comprehensive progress reports. He used his communication skills to increase public awareness by managing communication strategies, networking and providing outreach, engaging communities in becoming empowered, media literate and socially active.