Penny Goodall
Chairperson
Community development worker, mother, grandmother and relentless advocate for children and families.
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After more than 30 years’ experience in government and not for profit organisations working to "fix" entrenched social problems, in recent years Penny has turned her focus to supporting children and families early in their journey. Penny operates from the understanding that the first five years of a child's life are fundamentally important. They are the foundation that shapes children's future health, happiness, growth, development and learning achievement at school, in the family and community, and in life in general. She is persistent in her quest to support communities and families so children get the best possible start and her passion to see children thrive at every age and stage.
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Penny has been a Manager, Team Leader, Program Manager and Project Coordinator for the Australian Government and Queensland Government and is known for her focus on building thriving teams and building productive partnerships across government, non-government and community sectors. A career watershed was her role as Program Manager for the Australian Government Supporting Jobless Families and Helping Young Parents Programs. In this role she developed a passion for using data to influence change for children and families. She also used her extensive connections with community to take government services outside the mandatory meeting spaces and into safe and trusted spaces.
Currently a Community Development Worker with The Salvation Army Communities for Children Logan, Penny contributes her strengths in partnering and capacity building to the collective work across Logan focused on the wellbeing of children and families. Penny was a driver for the creation of the Logan Children’s Charter, and Child Friendly Neighbourhoods Toolkit. She is supporting the implementation of these across the Logan.
Penny is part of a large and vibrant extended family, which consumes most of her heart, mind and recreation. She is an experienced dragon wrangler, having read the entire collection of How to Train Your Dragon with her Grandson.
