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organisational structure.
Our divisions
Office of Industrial Relations
The Office of Industrial Relations is responsible for regulatory frameworks, policy advice and compliance activities for workplace safety, electrical safety, industrial relations and workers’ compensation—to make Queensland work and workplaces safer, fairer and more productive.
Policy, Performance and Planning
Policy, Performance and Planning leads strategic planning across the department and engages in policy development and intergovernmental relations, legislation, governance, reporting, monitoring and review of the department’s performance framework. The division oversees the management of grants for non-state education and grant programs for the non-school organisation sector, the delivery of services through Home Education and the Australian Music Examinations Board and supports several portfolio statutory bodies.
The division includes the Office of Racing, the administrative agency with oversight of Racing Queensland and responsible for legislation enabling the operation of the racing industry in Queensland.
State Schools
State Schools supports the work of 1,254 Queensland state schools, preparing young Queenslanders with the knowledge, understanding, skills and values to live fulfilling, productive and responsible lives. State Schools supports regional and school planning, improvement and operations to ensure that every student has access to quality learning opportunities and engages purposefully in their learning.
Early Childhood and Education Improvement
Early Childhood and Education Improvement is focused on every child making a confident and positive start. The division supports the delivery of early childhood education and care services and provides strategic leadership in the development and implementation of policy, funding and regulatory frameworks that shape the early childhood education and care sector in Queensland. The division delivers school, regional and system reviews, training and capability development programs, and the sharing of effective practice and key learnings system wide.
Infrastructure Services
Infrastructure Services supports the work of regions, business units and schools through the provision of fit-for-purpose infrastructure to deliver on the government’s $1.9 billion education infrastructure investment to build, maintain, improve and renew our schools and facilities across Queensland. The division has 3 service streams: asset provision, asset management and administration, and asset advice and advocacy.
People and Corporate Services
People and Corporate Services provides leadership and oversight across the department’s human resources, information and technologies, strategic communications and engagement, and legal services functions. The division is focused on supporting a diverse, capable and confident workforce that designs and delivers responsive services as our population grows and technology changes how we learn, work and live.
Finance and Assurance Services
Finance and Assurance Services ensures we are focused on the delivery of our substantial financial investments and commitments. The division incorporates the department’s finance and procurement functions and works closely with Internal Audit.
Executive Management
The Executive Management Board (EMB) is the department’s principal decision-making body. It supports the Director-General as the department’s accountable officer to ensure the department maintains an appropriate governance framework.
Further information about EMB and the department’s governance committees is in
appendix D.
Tony Cook PSM—Director-General
Tony began his career in Queensland and is a registered primary school teacher with a focus on early childhood education. Prior to joining the department in April 2018, Tony was the Associate Secretary for Schools and Youth with the Australian Government’s Department of Education and Training.
In October 2013, Tony was made an Honorary Fellow of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders and in January 2014, he was awarded a Public Service Medal (PSM) for driving school policy and funding reform in Australia.
Craig Allen—Deputy Director-General, Office of Industrial Relations
As Deputy Director-General, Office of Industrial Relations, Craig is responsible for improving work health and safety and electrical safety performance through the regulatory framework and provision of services, regulatory responsibility and provision of policy advice on workers compensation matters, and supporting a productive industrial relations framework for the public sector in Queensland.
Craig has held senior management positions for more than 22 years, with a government career spanning more than 39 years. His previous roles include Commissioner for Public Employment for the Northern Territory Government, Assistant Director-General with the Department of Education, Training and Employment and Executive Director for Corporate Services, Queensland Department of Corrective Services.
Craig has a strong commitment to leading strategy that improves employee engagement, organisational performance and service delivery. In his current role, he has a strong commitment to ensuring the work health and safety of all Queensland workers through the implementation of the Best Practice Review recommendations.
Craig has tertiary qualifications – with a Bachelor of Education from the Tasmanian College of Advanced Education and postgraduate qualifications in public administration from Flinders University.
Annette Whitehead—Deputy Director-General, Policy, Performance and Planning
As Deputy Director-General, Policy, Performance and Planning, Annette is responsible for driving a strategic approach to the portfolio’s policy development across early childhood, schooling and Indigenous education at a whole-of-government and national level.
Annette has held strategic leadership positions in diverse portfolios including ageing, disability, child care and the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. She has extensive experience in developing and driving social policy initiatives, planning, program development and legislative reform in the public sector, non-government and private sectors.
Peter Kelly—Deputy Director-General, State Schools
As Deputy Director-General of State Schools, Peter is responsible for providing strategic leadership to Queensland state schools, ensuring students develop the knowledge, skills and qualities required for success. Peter is committed to helping every child succeed in a safe, supportive environment and brings a thorough knowledge of the day-to-day operations of Queensland state schools based on his 30 years of education experience.
Peter began his career as a teacher in Mount Isa, then worked as a year and subject coordinator, a head of department and then on to working as a Deputy Principal, Principal and Executive Principal in various schools. Later in his career, Peter was appointed as the Secondary Teaching and Learning Auditor which saw him visiting schools in every corner of the state, before taking up corporate positions as Assistant Regional Director and Executive Director in State Schools Performance.
Most recently, Peter held the position of Regional Director—North Queensland, where he worked with 110 schools and more than 250 early childhood education and care services across the region.
Sharon Schimming—Deputy Director-General, Early Childhood and Education Improvement
As Deputy Director-General of Early Childhood and Education Improvement, Sharon is responsible for providing strategic leadership in the development and implementation of the policy, funding and regulatory frameworks that shape the vibrant early childhood education and care sector in Queensland.
As a long-serving educator including over 20 years in principal positions, Sharon has worked with a range of students in environments across Queensland from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, regional towns west of the Great Divide to metropolitan schools on the north side of Brisbane.
Sharon gained further insight into a wide range of schools across Queensland during her time as a Teaching and Learning Auditor. She has also been the principal of the Queensland Curriculum into the Classroom business unit supporting the state-wide implementation of the Australian Curriculum. In Sharon’s previous role as Regional Director, North Queensland, her priority was to prepare Queenslanders with the knowledge, skills and confidence to participate effectively in the community and the economy. The role required her to lead the implementation of the Queensland Government's policies and programs across state schools, training and early childhood.
Shannon Cook—Deputy Director-General, People and Corporate Services
As Deputy Director-General for People and Corporate Services, Shannon provides leadership and oversight for the department’s human resources, information and technologies, legal services, and strategic communication and engagement. He has a strong commitment to the delivery of strategic goals in partnership with staff, communities and stakeholders to build a diverse, capable and confident workforce and provide services responsive to changes in how we learn, work and live.
Shannon began his public service career as a frontline health employee in New South Wales in 2004 and has held senior human resource and corporate executive positions in the Queensland, Commonwealth and New South Wales and Australian public service. These include Deputy Director-General with the Department of Premier and Cabinet and Deputy Commissioner with the Public Service Commission, as well as Senior Executive roles with Queensland Treasury, Child Safety and Youth Justice, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, New South Wales Transport and New South Wales Health.
Duncan Anson—A/Deputy Director-General, Infrastructure Services
As the A/Deputy Director-General of Infrastructure Services, Duncan is responsible for delivering sustainable investment in education to build, maintain, improve and renew our schools and facilities across Queensland.
Duncan has over 20 years experience in the Queensland public sector and commenced with the Department of Education in January 2017. Prior to this, Duncan served as the Chief Finance Officer in 2 other Queensland Government departments for more than 7 years. Duncan is a Fellow of Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) Australia and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He also holds a Bachelor of Business from the Queensland University of Technology.
Alison Mohr—Chief Finance Officer and A/Assistant Director-General, Finance and Assurance Services
As Chief Finance Officer, Alison provides strategic financial advice to the Director-General and has overall leadership of the department's finance strategy, functions and systems through her delegated responsibilities under section 77 of the
Financial Accountability Act 2009.
Alison has over 16 years' experience in the Queensland public sector and commenced with the department in December 2018. Prior to this, Alison served as the Chief Finance Officer in one other Queensland Government department. Alison is a member of CPA Australia. She also holds a Bachelor of Electronic Commerce (Accounting) from the University of Queensland.
John Norfolk—Regional Director
As Regional Director, South East Region, John is responsible for providing leadership to Queensland state schools, regulation and partnership with the early childhood sector and working across communities, various levels of government and business whilst ensuring students receive a high-quality education.
John began his career as a teacher in Mount Isa, then worked in a variety of roles in locations such as the Sunshine Coast, Proserpine, Gold Coast and Logan before working as a Teaching and Learning Auditor and Behaviour Auditor in a state-wide role. John became an Assistant Regional Director in Metropolitan Region before his appointment as Regional Director, South East Region in 2017.