The WA Council of State School Organisations, WACSSO, acknowledges and thanks Lisa Rodgers for her incredible leadership over the past 5 years. Her legacy at the helm of the WA Education Department will be enduring and we wish her all the very best for her exciting role with the Australian Council for Education Research.

“I have greatly enjoyed building a strong relationship with Lisa over the past few years,” says WACSSO President, Pania Turner. “Her understanding and appreciation of the role of parents has been so important to and valued by us, and our affiliates. Lisa has genuine concern for the young people in our State and has been an outstanding leader of the Department. This leadership was tested during COVID and found to be unwavering – Lisa demonstrated how to navigate challenging situations by being empathetic, transparent and, crucially, by bringing people together. I know I speak for all affiliates when I say how much the public school network will miss her,” adds Pania.

In her role as Director General, Lisa addresses WACSSO affiliates each year at our Conference, in a session that is highly anticipated. Lisa also attends regular meetings with the WACSSO President and once a year comes to the WACSSO State Council to discuss high level challenges and opportunities facing families and WA P&Cs. Lisa has always been a strong advocate for the essential role parents play as partners in their child’s education and she will be missed by the WACSSO team. In addition to our well wishes for her new role, WACSSO also congratulates Lisa on her much-deserved Public Service Medal (PSM) as a part of the King's Birthday 2024 Honours List.