Meet the Chair of the FCAC Council: Kirsti Kee
By Ross Strong The role of the Chair and indeed the whole council is not immediately apparent to parents and students. Council members bring their vast experience to advise the Principal and Executive Leadership Team. In our conversation, Kirsti Kee (Chair of the FCAC Council) says that she sees the Council’s role as operating in the background, providing advice and oversight when needed. The previous week I had reached out to some FCAC students, asking them what I should ask the Chair of Council. There was only one thing they all wanted to know. What is it like to be Mr Wright’s boss? Kirsti laughs when I put this question to her. “It is more of a partnership. Joe and I have learnt to work together over the last few years in particular”. Kirsti recounts meeting Mr Wright at Council meetings and building a working relationship over time as he stepped into the Principal’s role. Kirsti joined the FCAC Council with a long history in teaching and administrative roles and various board and volunteer appointments. I asked about where she chooses to dedicate her energies. “It’s how you use your skills and where to support your community”, she replies. “I can cook a sausage if needs be, but it isn’t my skill set,” she says laughing, “I am more at home dealing with governance and management, and that is where I like to volunteer”. I knew of Kristi’s background as a teacher, but I wanted to learn more, so I asked her when she decided to be a teacher. “From secondary school, I went to Teachers College (now QUT Kelvin Grove) and majored in infant education, and when I graduated, I taught years one, two and three”. Kirsti’s parents saw teaching as a safe profession, and indeed many of her friends chose to study education as well. In 1975, Kirsti and her husband moved to Malaysia, and she was appointed as a teacher at the Malacca International School. “There were many different nationalities whose parents worked in the free trade zone”. For many children in her class, their time in Malaysia was about a cultural experience. “I was fortunate that this happened early in my career as it taught me to be flexible and adapt to whoever was in your class”. After three years, Kirsti and her family returned to Australia, and their next move was to the Northern Territory.
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