Western Australia’s Attorney General John Quigley has announced the appointment of Jacqueline McGowan-Jones to the office of Commissioner for Children and Young People. McGowan-Jones takes over from Mr Colin Pettit, who was appointed to the role in 2015. The new commissioner is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Thirrili Ltd, an indigenous led and controlled organisation delivering critical supports and services to families and communities following a loss to suicide or other fatal traumatic incident. She holds an Executive Masters of Public Administration from Curtin University. She will be the first Indigenous Australian to be appointed to the role. “Ms McGowan-Jones brings a wealth of relevant experience to the office of Commissioner and I welcome her to the role.” Quigley said, announcing the appointment earlier this week. “Prior to her current role with Thirrili Ltd, Ms McGowan-Jones held a number of senior positions including with the National Disability Insurance Agency, the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services and the Western Australian Departments of Education and Indigenous Affairs. “Through her participation on a number of boards and committees Ms McGowan-Jones has also contributed to important bodies of work with a focus in the Aboriginal health and education sectors. She has previously contributed to the Office of the Commissioner for Children and Young People through membership of the Youth Justice Reference Group.
