With more than twenty million dollars worth of capital projects planned for the next five years and a long-term plan to grow the infrastructure across SCEA’s nine metropolitan campuses over the next decade, the decision to create the Head of Capital Projects has now allowed Mr John Loreck to join SCEA and demonstrate his considerable expertise as an architect and project manager in this new phase of sustainable growth for our schools and the SCEA Head Office.
John comes to us with almost 40 years of experience in a wide range of building types, focusing in recent years on Education, Aged Care and Retirement Living projects. But what is it that drew John to work in a Christian organisation?
Tell us about your early years of life…
Mum and Dad left Czechoslovakia before the communists seized power in 1948.
They came to Australia in 1950.
I was born in 1960, and I am the third of four children. I grew up in Doubleview and then Wembley Downs.
Years as a school student…
My own education was in the Catholic education system.
Holy Rosary Primary School, Doubleview for my Primary years, then Marist Brothers Churchlands for secondary school.
This school changed its name to Newman College (after John Newman, the English saint).
Working life…
After attending Curtin University (or WAIT as it was all those years ago) to study architecture, I began work as an architectural graduate and, a few years later, registered as an architect.
I’ve worked at many architectural firms over my almost four decades in the profession, including work that involves much of what project management entails. When the COVID lockdowns began, architecture work slowed, and then last year, I switched to project management in the Department of Communities.
I believe that my architectural and project management experience will be of benefit to SCEA and all our key stakeholders.
A critical moment in my life…
Being a father, especially to adult children, can be very challenging, especially when they make decisions that are not Christian.
Those moments are an ongoing opportunity to abandon myself to the will of God, to rely on the promise of Romans 8:28, and to thank the Father for all things.
Those moments are also an opportunity to let all my children know I love them, speaking the truth with respect and loving them as unconditionally as I am capable of.
What do you know about SCEA, and what do you intend to do in your first year there?
I did not know anything about SCEA until the possibility of working for them came up!
In the first year, I hope to be familiar with all the schools and key stakeholders, get a good understanding of their challenges and aspirations and then start to translate some of those aspirations into projects.
Working with SCEA staff at the Head Office and in the Senior Leadership Team…
In the short term, I will do what Nick Wood (Chief Operating Officer) asks me to do!
Basically, I will be providing advice and contributing strategy to the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), in particular, helping to set targets and then implementing tasks to achieve those targets so that SCEA’s schools will have the facilities they need in accordance with the established and agreed timeframes.
When you’re not at work, what are your passions in life?
I like surfing and bushwalking, and I have recently gone back to skateboarding after a 50-year hiatus – a bit clunky, though!
We look forward to welcoming John to the SCEA team on 16 September 2024 (Term 3 – Week 10).
