“I wanted to combine those passions of the work that I do and where I want to live and how I want to live my personal life.”

For community services career leader Penny Hood, moving to the Shoalhaven was not a step away from ambition. It was a decision that brought her work, values and lifestyle into stronger alignment.

After a career spanning government policy, child protection, out-of-home care, executive leadership and the not-for-profit sector, Penny moved from Sydney to Sanctuary Point to take on the role of CEO at CareSouth. It was a move into a regional community, but not a move into smaller work.

If anything, it brought her closer to the kind of leadership she has spent her career building: values-driven, people-focused and connected to the communities her organisation serves.

A Career Built Around Human Services

Penny’s work has always been grounded in human services. Long before she became a CEO, she carried a strong sense of social justice, shaped by family values, community, education and early moments where she saw vulnerability and unfairness up close.

“I think I’ve always had this sense of social justice,” she says. “Keeping your eye out for those that are vulnerable or are having challenges.”

That instinct eventually became a career.

Penny studied law and arts at the University of Wollongong, but quickly realised that corporate law was not where she belonged. The work she wanted was not about status or bright lights. It needed to have human impact.

Her first professional step came through a placement with what was then the Department of Local Government, working as a policy officer on the Septic Safe program. It was not the career path she had originally imagined, but it opened a door.

“I just kind of fell into policy by mistake,” she says.

From there, Penny moved through the NSW public service, including work in transport, home and community care, housing and child protection. She found herself drawn to the human side of policy, especially where systems affected vulnerable people, families and communities.

“I think my heart was in human services,” she says.

From Policy to Senior Leadership

Penny spent around 15 years in government, moving through strategic policy, program design, reform and senior leadership. Her work crossed homelessness, domestic violence, mental health, unaccompanied humanitarian minors, early intervention, child protection and out-of-home care.

One of her most intense roles was running the Secretary’s office, where the work was constant and the pressure high.

“You’re on 24/7,” she says.

It was demanding, but it taught her how systems work, how decisions are made and how leadership matters when the stakes are high.

After years in government, Penny stepped into the not-for-profit sector with Barnardos. It was a major shift. Instead of working as a public servant inside government, she was helping lead an organisation delivering services directly.

That move broadened her skill set. She learned more about financial sustainability, organisational strategy, technology, learning and development, support services and the realities of running a funded service provider.

For Penny, each move has been about learning.

“I looked at all of those opportunities as what can I learn from this?” she says. “How can I broaden my skill set with a view to how does this contribute back to the organisation and the communities we serve?”

Community Services Career Leadership with Purpose

Penny describes her leadership style as open, inclusive and values driven. She believes strong organisations are built when people feel respected, safe, supported and able to perform at their best.

“My job is to create those right conditions for the people to do their best and be their best,” she says.

She has learned from great leaders, but also from poor leadership. The lessons from toxic workplace cultures have stayed with her, especially the damage caused by poor behaviour, poor communication, inconsistent decisions and lack of respect.

For Penny, leadership is not about ego. It is about responsibility.

“I have no tolerance for behaviours that diminish, exclude or disrespect others,” she says.

That matters in a community services career, where the work can be complex, emotional and demanding. Burnout is real. The pressure is real. But Penny believes culture can either make that pressure heavier or help people carry it together.

Her leadership approach is closely tied to purpose. In human services, people are not dealing with abstract systems. They are working with children, young people, families and communities whose lives are directly affected by the quality of support they receive.

Leading CareSouth in the Shoalhaven

When the opportunity came to lead CareSouth, Penny wanted to be part of the community she was serving. She moved from the city to Sanctuary Point just before starting the role, drawn by the chance to combine meaningful work with a more regional way of living.

“I was really keen to experience something more regional than even Wollongong was,” she says.

The move was not something she feared. It was something she was excited about.

“It was a no-brainer for me,” she says.

CareSouth’s work with children, young people, families and communities gives Penny’s role depth, purpose and challenge. The organisation’s work is connected to real people, real needs and real outcomes across the region.

For Penny, the role is not a smaller version of leadership. It draws on decades of experience across government, policy, reform, service delivery, organisational change and executive leadership.

It is also work with real consequence.

“As long as I’m adding value and making a difference, that’s really satisfying and important to me,” she says.

Finding Lifestyle in Sanctuary Point

Penny had grown up in Wollongong and knew the South Coast, but living in the Shoalhaven gave her something different. Sanctuary Point gave her space, nature, community and a sense of calm that she could feel immediately.

She found a place to rent backing onto a golf course, with kangaroos nearby and night skies that felt completely different from the city.

“You look up at the night sky and see those glorious stars,” she says.

That lifestyle shift has become part of what makes the move feel right. Nature is close. The beach is close. Hiking, waterholes, whale watching and quiet evening moments are not distant weekend plans. They are part of daily life.

“Down here they’re at your doorstep,” she says.

For someone who loves the outdoors, the move has given Penny access to the life she wanted outside work while continuing to do work that stretches and challenges her.

That is the point often missed when people talk about regional careers. The assumption is that moving regionally means giving something up. Penny’s story challenges that.

Regional Leadership Without Compromise

Penny’s move to the Shoalhaven has not been about slowing down. It has been about bringing her professional and personal values together in one place.

Her role at CareSouth is complex, strategic and deeply connected to community. It asks her to lead with clarity, support people through demanding work and keep purpose at the centre of organisational decisions.

That sense of contribution is central to why regional leadership matters. In a place like the Shoalhaven, leaders are not removed from the communities their organisations support. The work feels close. The impact feels visible. The connection between service, place and people is harder to ignore.

For skilled professionals considering a move, Penny’s story offers a clear message. Regional Australia is not the end of serious career growth. It can be the place where that growth becomes more meaningful.

The Shoalhaven gave Penny a new lifestyle, but CareSouth gave her a leadership opportunity with depth, purpose and challenge.

She did not have to choose between career and community.

She found both.

For more regional career context, explore the South Coast careers page, the Shoalhaven careers page and the Nowra careers page. For external information, visit the CareSouth official website, the CareSouth about page and the Shoalhaven City Council Visit the Shoalhaven page.