Board Members

Recently retired, Jenny has established herself as an educational leader in Queensland. With 33 years practising in the state education system, Jenny has expertise particularly in secondary education as well as the vocational education and training sector.

After teaching and Middle Leadership roles in secondary schools on the Sunshine Coast and in Gladstone, Jenny moved to Bundaberg to take up the Deputy Principalship at Kepnock State High School in 2006. She was appointed Principal at Kepnock State High School from 2009 to 2018 after which she moved into the Senior Public Service sector as a Senior Reviewer with the Department of Education School Improvement Unit based in Brisbane.  Her final two years in service were as Assistant Regional Director, Sunshine Coast Region.

Jenny has a Bachelor of Education from Queensland University of Technology and a Masters Degree in Education Leadership from University of Queensland.

Jenny’s work ethic is driven by her desire to give back to her community and in particular young people who can benefit from a helping hand to succeed.

Amanda Ronan-Hearn has over fifteen years experience across a range of industries and currently is the Queensland Tourism Advisor to the Minister for Tourism Industry Development, Sport and Innovation. Prior to this role, she held senior human resource and marketing positions within the private and not for profit sector.

Having worked as the National Recruitment Specialist at BoysTown, Human Resource Advisor supporting commercial and corporate departments at Virgin Australia, Executive Search Consultant at Arete Executive, Recruitment Specialist at Vita Group, along with marketing roles in a boutique HR consulting firm and leading Australian publishing house Australian Academic Press, Amanda is passionate about people and achieving successful business outcomes.

Amanda completed a dual degree at the Queensland University of Technology. Graduating with a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Human Resource Management and Advertising and Bachelor of Creative Industries majoring in Media Communication.

Amanda's experience gained in marketing, stakeholder engagement and project management ensures the ability to provide an exceptional level of service.

Amanda is committed to achieving positive results for the tourism industry. By applying her diverse experience and knowledge, she is dedicated to working each and every day with tourism stakeholders and tourism operators across the great state of Queensland.

Leanne is a highly accomplished Non-Executive Director and financial professional with over two decades of board-level experience spanning the private and not-for-profit sectors. Her expertise encompasses a wide range of areas, including taxation, business advisory, wealth advisory, leadership, governance, management consulting, and financial management. She holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) and is a Fellow of CPA Australia. Additionally, Leanne is a Financial Planner and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

As the founder of The Money Edge, an agribusiness, accounting, and financial advice firm in Bundaberg, Leanne has spent 30 years in public practice, aiding regional and rural businesses to thrive sustainably.

Leanne is deeply passionate about business and leverages her extensive experience to drive positive change, enhancing outcomes, efficiency, and fostering collaboration within organisations.

I have worked in technology, project management, risk and compliance across varying industries including healthcare, education and financial services.

My time in both professional services and industry has given me the breadth of experience required for my current role working with the business, finance and technology sector to provide governance and delivery assurance over strategic projects.

I have a passion for health, human rights and sharing my own experiences to improve employment outcomes for students.

My time working and living in Bundaberg was an unforgettable experience and I look forward to contributing to a wonderful community through my appointment to the board of IMPACT.

Luke Sinclair is the Associate Vice-President (AVP) for the Gladstone and Wide Bay Burnett Regions.

In this role he has responsibility for the business development and growth of CQUniversity in these regions, fostering opportunities for regional engagement and research, and overseeing the pastoral care of students and staff.

Luke is always keen to hear from industry and community leaders with regard to opportunities for how CQUniversity can engage further in terms of research, learning and placements for our students.

Giovanna’s first experience of business was growing up and working on her family’s large-scale horticulture farm in Bundaberg. Mentored by her father, she supported the operations of the family agribusiness. So business became a way of life for her - as natural as sleeping and breathing.

Giovanna's ability to build and transform brands into sustainable business models is built on the back of her business acumen acquired from over 20 years commercial experience across the agriculture, education, health, community development, tourism, and sport industries.

Giovanna is well known for her expertise in helping organisations and their stakeholders in transformational and collaborative change management. She does this through her innate ability to bring disparate stakeholders together for the common good enabling advocacy long after the project is delivered. She is an expert in facilitating co-design environments for stakeholders at all levels and functions.

She began Sparrowly Group with a clear vision to help create better, sustainable businesses backed by a better workforce for the future. She has done this successfully for a number of organisations in both the private and public sectors and in many instances, bringing the two sectors together to better align and drive impactful outcomes for their customers.

As well as providing strategic consultation, Giovanna runs impactful leadership and development and reflective mentorship programs for small businesses owners through to executive leaders. 

Giovanna has co-authored two research papers on accessible tourism and career pathways which has received acclaim from the sector and decision makers alike.

She is a regular guest lecturer at University of Technology Sydney and University Western Sydney and sits on the School of Business and School of Behavioural Sciences industry advisory committees with both universities. Outside, Sparrowly Group, Giovanna is a Non-Executive Director for national charity, Mummy’s Wish and IMPACT Community Services.

A strong advocate for the powerhouse that is regional Australia, Tanya’s expertise is firmly based in both high-level business practice and deep study of human behaviour.

Joining IMPACT in 1999 and working in a range of management positions prior to being appointed Managing Director, Tanya is well known for her capacity building and advocacy, serving on influential and highly effective Boards and committees as well as working with emerging leaders as a coach and mentor.

Organisations Tanya has contributed to at Board level include Surf Lifesaving Queensland; the Wide Bay Burnett Fraser Coast Regional Community Forum and the CQUniversity Post-Graduate Business Course Reference Group (among many others).A regular in local media and the holder of multiple degrees (including an MBA and a Bachelor of Psychology (Hons)), Tanya is a heartfelt, entrepreneurial leader who has achieved outstanding results across business, personal development and community.

While at IMPACT, she has led the organisation to overcome disastrous floods, major budget deficits and COVID to create a multi-million dollar enterprise that successfully competes on the open market. Tanya works with the IMPACT Board, staff and participants to envision, create and evolve significant opportunities for people within our community. Opportunities that empower, improve resilience, increase social and economic participation and to put it simply ‘improve lives’.