Friday 24 May 2013

Michael Presser – Passionate and Committed


A funeral service was held today at Springvale Cemetery for trader Michael Presser. Michael passed away this week after being rushed to hospital last Saturday.

At today’s funeral service the Rabbi talked of Michael Presser’s passion and commitment to his family and his religion. This came as no surprise to the traders who attended the service because these were certainly qualities he displayed as a Trader and a Traders Representative at QVM. Few people exhibit the sort of passion that Michael had for his beloved market and even fewer understand the essential ingredient of the market’s existence.

As far back as the 2002 QVM Master Plan submissions, Michael was writing that the market was not its buildings and alleyways - it was not the market management or the City Council - it was the market traders. It was the traders who provided the core reason for the market’s existence (a place of business) and who added the intimacy, excitement, and entrepreneurial spirit that kept customers coming back. He was passionate about empowering traders and letting them determine a bright future through commercial freedom.

Michael was a powerful character and argued his point of view quite forcefully. In various aspects of his life he applied the role of teacher.  Michael asked that we reject the concept of market re-development and embrace “renewal” and “restoration”. Some may think that this is playing with words but renewal and restoration imply retaining the ingredients that are at the heart of an organisation and then carefully considering how to make them better. This view could be one of Michael’s more important legacies as we move forward.

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COMMENTS:
08/06/2013 17:20:27 Michael "Michael RIP and thank you for all the years you stood up for us traders at the Queen Victoria Market." Annette Boere