Mr Oguntade grew up in Nigeria and relocated to Shepparton 15 years ago after instantly falling in love with Shepparton’s friendly community.
“I knew this was the place for me and I haven’t looked back since,” Mr Oguntade said.
Working as a mental health counselor by day, Mr Oguntade has spent the last four years volunteering his spare time on the board of Shepparton’s Ethnic Council.
“We have seven members and we organise activities, projects and ensure they meet the needs of the local community,” Mr Oguntade said.
“I will be president of the board for one year and my target by the next annual meeting is not to hold it here but have to hire a room because we have too many members coming,” he said.
Mr Oguntade hopes to drive community engagement from people of all backgrounds during his stint as president.
“My passion is in the youth of the region and my focus is ensuring youth engagement in our community,” Mr Oguntade said.
“I’m looking at driving my team to focus more on youth and ensure they are part of our projects.
“There’s no merit in having a fantastic project but having no one attend,” he said.
He also looks forward to engaging with the town’s older demographic.
“One of the big issues living in a migrant community is not having a suitable or culturally appropriate facility for our ageing population,” he said.
“We all can get involved and promote what we think will be beneficial for that age group and work with the government,” he said.
The Ethnic Council board welcomes people to become a member of the council or bring their ideas and concerns to the board to help ensure the community supports multiculturalism.
Mr Oguntade said he hoped he could use his contacts within the community to his advantage and make an impact in Shepparton.
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