Principal Profiles 2025
Glenn Carpenter
Name: Glenn Carpenter
Current School: La Salle Academy, Lithgow
Previous Position: Assistant Principal Administration, St Monica’s College, Cairns
First Year as a Principal: 2023
My big picture for my current school is: Empowering staff and students by creating opportunities for growth and success whilst remaining true to the values of the La Sallian mission.
Favourite Book: Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
Favourite Food: BBQ
Interests / Hobbies: Gaelic Football, Travel
My Favourite Well-Being Strategy: Travel! Weekend breaks once a month. Take in a sports match, city break, cultural experiences.
Advice for an Aspiring Leader: You never stop learning. Try to experience leadership outside your silo (your comfort zone).
Favourite Leadership Quote: Sports quote that could be adapted to leadership: You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take (Wayne Gretzky).
What Title would you give to your TED Talk or Book: How we can change school operations to support teacher wellbeing and retention (I don’t have the answers yet!).
Kath Little
Name: Kath Little
Current School: St Patrick’s College Townsville
Previous Position: Deputy Principal: Teaching and Learning
First Year as a Principal: 2025
My big picture for my current school is: Building outcomes and aspiration in an authentic 21st century context.
The Joy of becoming a Principal is: empowering others
Favourite Book: Animal Farm
Favourite Food: All things potato
Interests / Hobbies: Reading, Movie watching
My Favourite Well-Being Strategy: Wasting time with great friends
Advice for an Aspiring Leader: Use the strengths of the team
Favourite Leadership Quote: Will this matter on your death bed?
What Title would you give to your TED Talk or Book: Leadership: Lessons from historical stuff ups!
Heidi Senior
Name: Heidi Senior
Current School: St Mary’s College, Adelaide
Previous Position: Director of Professional Practice and Partnerships, Edmund Rice Education Australia
First Year as a Principal: 2025
My big picture for my current school is: To realise the deep history and traditions of the College through a modern lens. To enable young women to activate and develop those same dispositions that have shaped our story – compassion, independence, bravery, grit, curiosity and kindness.
The Joy of becoming a Principal is: The gift of story.
Favourite Book: A Short History of Nearly Everything – Bill Bryson
Favourite Food: Cheese
Interests / Hobbies: Baking, gardening and landscaping, home improvement and renovation, reading.
My Favourite Well-Being Strategy: Working on a project that I can finish.
Advice for an Aspiring Leader: Be curious and work hard to understand and be confident in your own strengths.
Favourite Leadership Quote: The really important kind of freedom involves attention and awareness and discipline, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them over and over in myriad … ways every day. David Foster Wallace
What Title would you give to your TED Talk or Book: Elder wisdom and current learning.
Dr Napoleon Rodezno
Name: Dr Napoleon Rodezno
Current School: Caroline Chisholm Catholic College, Braybrook, Vic
Previous Position: Aquinas College, Ringwood, Vic
First Year as a Principal: 2025
My big picture for my current school is: Continue to offer our students the opportunities they deserve
The Joy of becoming a Principal is: In living Jesus' Ministry, having impact and promoting Gospel Values
Favourite Book: 100 Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Favourite Food: Anything Vietnamese
Interests / Hobbies: Playing AFL Masters, reading, stand up paddle boarding
My Favourite Well-Being Strategy: Dinner with my wife; walking and playing with my dogs
Advice for an Aspiring Leader: Be yourself and be a long-life learner
Favourite Leadership Quote: Leadership is about transforming limitations into possibilities, Robin Sharma.
What Title would you give to your TED Talk or Book: Displacement: insights of a life as a young refugee and the impact on a lifetime.
Stuart Ralph
Name: Stuart Ralph
Current School: St Brendan-Shaw College
Previous Position: Deputy Principal St. Patrick’s College
First Year as a Principal: 2023
My big picture for my current school is to provide a contemporary education for students in grades 7-12 that meets the needs of every student in my care, where they learn skills and knowledge that prepare them for the future.
The Joy of Principalship is: Working and leading people.
Favourite Book: Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
Favourite Food: Steak- eye fillet pepper sauce
Interests / Hobbies: Fishing/gardening/fitness
My Favourite Well-Being Strategy: Running / Gym
Advice for a Beginning Principal: Your personality is your greatest strength
Favourite Leadership Quote: Seek first to understand and then be understood
What Title would you give to your TED Talk or Book: Each day, you are leading by example
Vince Bellini
Name: Vince Bellini
Current School: Our Lady of Mercy College, Australind
Previous Position: Vice Principal at Emmanuel Catholic College
First Year as a Principal: 2023
Year of Birth: 21/04/1973
My big picture for my current school is to create a nurturing environment where students and teachers grow spiritually, academically, and socially. This is achieved through a holistic education that integrates faith and learning, emphasising Catholic values and providing a supportive community.
The Joy of becoming a Principal is: being able to empower and mentor aspiring leaders, equipping them with the necessary skills to develop into the next generation of leaders.
Favourite Book: The Dry by Jane Harper
Favourite Food: Indian cuisine
Interests / Hobbies: reading, travelling and cooking.
My Favourite Well-Being Strategy: Getting outside and doing something away from the hustle and bustle of our roles.
Advice for an Aspiring Leader: Believe in yourself and have the confidence to make a positive difference in your community.
Favourite Leadership Quote: “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” St Teresa of Calcutta
What Title would you give to your TED Talk or Book:
“Why are you leading? Who are you leading? Becoming a leader for today.”
Matt Ryan
Name: Matt Ryan
Current School: James Sheahan Catholic High School
Previous Position: Assistant Principal - Domremy College
First Year as a Principal: 2025
My big picture for my current school is: To retain the current welcoming nature and have students realise their academic potential
The Joy of becoming a Principal is: Building relationships with a local community to support students, families and staff. This is a privilege and a joy.
Favourite Book: I enjoy a fast-paced action book to relax - Matthew Reilly’s collection is good for this.
Favourite Food: Indian
Interests / Hobbies: Getting involved in, and watching, my own children in their various sports, fitness, Brumbies and Canberra Raiders, visiting family and friends, travel
My Favourite Well-Being Strategy: A long walk
Advice for an Aspiring Leader: Listen and take on board feedback from people who are good mentors. Being able to
Favourite Leadership Quote: Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other. (John F Kennedy)
What Title would you give to your TED Talk or Book: The power of connections.