South Burnett Says Thank You!

November 27, 2019

Most people in the South Burnett wouldn’t recognise her name … but Jenny Gregg has touched the lives of thousands of local residents.

Jenny is the Executive General Manager Business Services for Stanwell Corporation based in Brisbane, but she also wears another hat as the chair of the Tarong Community Partnership Fund.

This fund has helped not-for-profit groups and community organisations from one end of the South Burnett to another, distributing close to $2 million over the past 10 years.

Jenny and her community-based committee members receive and assess the applications that are put forward to Stanwell.

“It is my favourite part of my job, getting involved with the most amazing community organisations doing fantastic work,” Jenny said.

“I’ve been able to observe firsthand what they are doing in the community.”

A special morning tea was held at Mulanah Gardens on Tuesday to thank Jenny for her work with the Tarong Community Partnership Fund and to wish her well in her upcoming retirement.

Past and present committee members joined with representatives from various community groups to congratulate her.

Jenny brought along a special memento to show her colleagues: a large craft folder made by students from Nanango State School in about 2009 as a “thank you” for play equipment installed at the school.

Getting a little emotional, Jenny said every time she looks at the pages and photos she wonders what those children are doing now …

Another memento she has treasured is a huge painting done by students at Cherbourg State School, which is now hanging in the Stanwell office in Brisbane.

Projects that she is particularly proud of include the pallet kiln and laundry erected by South Burnett CTC at The Gumnut Place in Murgon; and the expansion of Endeavour’s Kingaroy Kitchen.

She said CTC and Endeavour had created fantastic employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Jenny said some of the other big projects that sprang to mind included the recycling facility at Cherbourg and the Meals On Wheels kitchen in Kingaroy; but smaller projects were also memorable, including the refurbishment of aged care units in James Street, Kingaroy; the Murgon Dairy Museum’s “shed”, the Murgon Junior Rugby League’s dressing shed and the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail platform in Station Park at Yarraman.

She said the Tarong Community Partnership Fund contributed a small amount of help to people who had already invested a huge amount in the community.

“Sometimes people need just a little bit of help to go to the next stage,” she said.

Jenny’s retirement looks set to be busy, and she’s keen to continue helping people wherever she can.

“I have signed up to the Ready Reading program in schools and I’m looking at a whole lot of different volunteer activities, maybe on some community boards,” she said.

“I am retiring from the paid workforce but will be joining the volunteer workforce, and I’m really looking forward to it!”

But Jenny is also sad to be leaving Stanwell.

“I have never worked anywhere where the heart and soul of the organisation is so good, it’s pretty special, really,” she said.

Fans of the Tarong Community Partnership Fund need not fear the program will disappear with Jenny’s departure; Stanwell’s current General Manager People and Culture, Sophie Naughton, will be slipping into the role when Jenny leaves.

  Stanwell