“I’ve loved my time with Tomorrow Today,” Ms Koop said.
“It is an extraordinary organisation achieving incredible outcomes, particularly in the early childhood development and education space.
“But it’s time for me to focus on other things, in particular, spending more time with my family.
The timing feels right to hand over to someone who can lead Tomorrow Today through the next phase.”
Ms Koop said working with the Board and Tomorrow Today team had been a pleasure.
“Tomorrow Today has been around long enough to see the difference its work makes in the Benalla community, how lives can change for the better,” she said.
A recent highlight for Ms Koop was discovering that a past Connect9 mentee wanted to become a mentor.
“Five years after doing the program, she remembered how the program impacted her wellbeing and sense of belonging and wanted to give another young person the same opportunity,” she said.
Tomorrow Today is considered a leader in the field of place-based community work, and during the past four years, Ms Koop has presented at national conferences and met with Government Ministers and Departments to share the story of what’s happening in Benalla.
“People are really interested in what we’re achieving here, and that’s gratifying,” she said.
“But it’s even more meaningful to hear a mum or dad say they feel more confident about parenting since coming to our PEEP program or hearing a volunteer describe the progress they’re making reading with a littlie at school or seeing a young person who has faced heaps of challenges in life become the first in their family to finish school and get a job they love.”
Ms Koop said one of her favourite parts of each workday is chatting with co-workers over lunch.
“We have lunch together every day, and we all care about each other, and we’re passionate about the work we do.”
Tomorrow Today is currently recruiting for a new Executive Officer.
For more information about the organisation and role, visit www.tomorrowtoday.com.au or call Tomorrow Today’s Chair Louise Pearce on 0459 810 057.