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Executive Director of the Queensland Catholic Education Commission, Dr Lee-Anne Perry AM, will leave the role at the end of January after seven and a half years as the Commission’s chief executive.

QCEC’s Independent Chair the Hon. Margaret White AO said Dr Perry would leave the Commission with an outstanding leadership team in place, robust governance and an Australia-wide reputation for excellence in carrying out its various statutory roles.

“Lee-Anne has been the strongest of advocates for Catholic education at both the state and national level,” Mrs White said.

“She has represented the sector in many education policy and implementation bodies and is a board member of the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority, the Non-State Schools Accrediation Board and the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership.

“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.

“Under Lee-Anne’s encouraging guidance, the QCEC Secretariat offered outstanding leadership, and practical assistance to Queensland Catholic School Authorities during the difficult days of the COVID-19 pandemic which enhanced their capacity to do the best for their school communities,” she said.

“Lee-Anne has also led the way in ensuring the Commission has equitable, consistent and transparent processes with the introduction of independent committees to advise on capital grants distribution and audit and risk management.

“We have been fortunate to have had Lee-Anne to lead QCEC through the last seven years and she leaves the organisation in great shape for the future,” Mrs White said.

Dr Perry said after seven-and-a-half years, the time was right for me to move on to other challenges.

“My period as executive director has taken in major changes to funding for Catholic schools, significant governance and assurance enhancements, the introduction of the new Senior Assessment system in Queensland and of course the pandemic,” Dr Perry said.

“I’m 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.

“I’m looking forward to embracing new opportunities that will allow me to contribute in a wider range of areas and to work more flexibly in the future,” she said.

Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace paid tribute to Dr Perry on the final day of parliamentary sittings for 2022.

“She began her teaching career at St Patrick’s College in Townsville in 1979 and has made an outstanding contribution to education in Queensland ever since,” Minister Grace said.

A new Executive Director will be appointed by the Bishops of Queensland following a recruitment process in 2023.