Berridale’s Adolf Franco and Michelago’s Abby McPherson will be flying the Snowy Monaro flag at the upcoming NSW Volunteer of the Year 2025 awards.

Mr Franco was awarded the senior volunteer of the year and Ms McPherson the volunteer of the year at the Southern Inland Volunteer awards in September.

Trailblazing Michelago Rural Fire Service captain, Ms McPherson, was awarded the 2025 Southern Inland Volunteer of the Year for her leadership, innovation and commitment to saving lives and building community resilience.

Captain McPherson is the first female RFS captain in the region.

She has been the driving force in saving lives and protecting property through smart, modern firefighting strategies and new technology, as well as problem-solving under pressure, going above and beyond to ensure the safety and resilience of her local community during times of crisis.

A respected local leader, her outreach has helped grow the service’s volunteer team and inspired people of all ages to join, securing the brigade’s future.

Mr Franco is a dedicated, long-serving member of the Snowy River and Alpine Search and Rescue team, which is part of the NSW State Emergency Services.

His expert search skills have been critical in remote land and marine rescues, and his commitment to training and team development has strengthened local emergency response across the region.

With 14 years of service, including as deputy commander, Mr Franco also volunteers with Alpine Lakes Marine Rescue and the Berridale Rural Fire Service.

The committed duo will head to Sydney for the state finals on Thursday, 4 December.

The local volunteers were selected earlier this year as regional finalists for the statewide volunteer awards in one of 25 local ceremonies covering all parts of NSW.

The Centre for Volunteering CEO, Gemma Rygate, urged people from across the region to show their support for their local finalists.

“Volunteers help make communities stronger, healthier and more resilient.

“They’re worth their weight in gold and we need to let them know how proud we are of their efforts,” Ms Rygate said.