Deanne Wooden will step up as the Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Association of School Tuckshops (QAST), bringing more than 20 years’ experience in progressing public health nutrition initiatives that aim to keep young Queenslanders healthy.
Since joining the QAST team in 2021, Ms Wooden has been a passionate advocate for positive change, and an active supporter of the Board and outgoing CEO as school tuckshops across the state continue to evolve.
Ms Wooden’s commitment to improving and supporting school tuckshops in Queensland has seen her working with Queensland school communities to build capacity and improve health outcomes for children, while ensuring QAST’s position as the industry’s peak body.
QAST President, Lorie Robinson said the Board was delighted to appoint Ms Wooden and pointed to her comprehensive industry experience and genuine understanding of the needs of Queensland school communities.
“Deanne has a unique understanding of what our members need, and her passion for promoting healthy eating for children is an asset to the association,” Ms Robinson said.
“A familiar face in numerous industry and government groups and committees, Deanne has the ear of industry stakeholders and is regularly sought after for commentary on all things tuckshops.
“Deanne will continue to be the face of school tuckshops in the media and in her role as a key influencer, working regularly with the Queensland Government on the issues that matter most to the industry.
“We know the association and our members are in good hands with Deanne, as she takes over the reins and leads us towards continued growth.”
Ms Wooden’s appointment follows the 20-year leadership role of former QAST CEO Chris Ogden. During her tenure as CEO, QAST established a reputation as a nationally recognised voice in healthy tuckshop operations.
“Ms Ogden leaves a legacy of a dynamic, capable, and responsive organisation that delivers grassroots support and recognition for those working hard every day in school tuckshops in Queensland,” the QAST announcement of Ms Wooden’s appointment stated.
Ms Wooden had 20 years of experience in the education and health sectors across both government and non-government roles before she joined the QAST in October 2021. As a qualified dietitian-nutritionist, she loves cooking good food, serving the community, and is an active volunteer in her own children’s schools’ P&C and tuckshops.
Her new role, she told The Bursar, holds some challenges, with financial stability of the small not-for-profit association being one of the biggest.
“QAST survives on a combination of membership fees to provide our core services, and short-term government funding to deliver projects,” she says. “At this present time, our membership income is subject to the cost-of-living crisis everyone is facing. P&Cs and schools need to prioritise where they spend their money, and our small membership fee is unfortunately sometimes seen as a discretionary spend. Government funding comes and goes, and when it goes, this creates uncertainty in our staffing levels, and negatively impacts our ability to deliver our core services. Safeguarding not just our survival but aiming for growth is where my efforts will be focused in the coming months and years.”
Integrating and supporting more Queensland tuckshops
Her focus, as CEO, will be driven by her desire to see tuckshops become “more integrated into the school environment – driving a whole of school approach to healthy food environments for our children”.
“I have seen too many examples where the tuckshop is sidelined and not given the resources and recognition they deserve, to be part of the solution for better children’s health, wellbeing and academic outcomes,” Ms Wooden told The Bursar. “I have heard of school tuckshops being set up in new schools as the ‘wellbeing hub’ of the school – this is where I think all tuckshops have the potential to be, with the right support.”
To help achieve that goal, Ms Wooden hopes that sustainable funding will increase the equity of access to the QAST’s core member activities.
“These activities are the capacity building training, services and resources tuckshops need to truly deliver healthier menus in a sustainable way. Just like telling an individual to eat well when they lack the financial resources or the skills to acquire and prepare a healthy diet, telling tuckshops to serve healthy menus without building capacity will ultimately fail,” she says. “Currently, we have around 400 members, but there are over 1400 tuckshops in Queensland. There are so many missing out on our vital support and my vision is being able to reach all tuckshops in a meaningful and equitable way.”
Although Ms Wooden acknowledges she does not have all the skills of a seasoned CEO, she says that what she lacks in experience, she makes up for “with a determination for learning, combined with my passion for helping families and children access healthy diets”.
“I see this role as a natural landing place to apply the skills and experience I have acquired over many years in other roles,” she told The Bursar. “And I can’t wait to get started.”
