LEADING educator, Dr Lee-Anne Perry AM, will leave her role as executive director of the Queensland Catholic Education Commission at the end of January.
“After seven and a half years the time is right for me to move on to other challenges,” Dr Perry said.
“I am fortunate to be able to leave the role at a time of my choosing and knowing that a great team is in place in the Secretariat to ably support the Commission in its work.”
During her tenure, Dr Perry oversaw major changes to funding for Catholic schools, significant governance and assurance enhancements, the introduction of the new Senior Assessment system in Queensland and faced major disruptions to education during the pandemic.
QCEC Independent chair the Hon Margaret White AO said Dr Perry had been the strongest of advocates for Catholic education at both state and national levels.
“Lee-Anne’s expertise developed from her first teaching role in Townsville in 1979 through to taking up the principal’s role at Mt Carmel College, Wynnum, then Mt Alvernia College, Kedron, and prior to joining QCEC she was principal of All Hallows’ School, Brisbane, for 16 years,” she said.
Mrs White said Dr Perry’s significant expertise had been recognised with her appointment to many working groups including the Review to Achieve Educational Excellence Committee (Gonski Committee), the Stem-Industry Partnerships Forum chaired by Chief Scientist Alan Finkel and the Queensland Anti-Cyberbullying Taskforce.
She said Dr Perry’s outstanding leadership had been very evident during the recent years of the pandemic.
The National Catholic Education Commission acting executive director, Sally Egan, said Dr Perry, who is the deputy chair of the National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC), had provided the NCEC with significant expertise, leadership, wisdom and advocacy, while always placing students front and centre in her decisions and actions.
“Many of us at the NCEC have had the privilege of working with Lee-Anne and it has always been a strong relationship where we have witnessed her outstanding understanding of learning, teaching and leading
Dr Perry’s replacement will be appointed by the Bishops of Queensland following a recruitment process.
