From politicians to sportspeople, scholars to businesspeople, activists to pacifists, Logan has achievers from all walks of life who are making a difference to our lives and the way we live them.

While we can’t acknowledge all the wonderful people in our community, we have chosen the top 30 who have subscribed to Theodore Roosevelt’s aphorism that far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.

There is no denying these people are influential and have worked hard to secure a better future for our community.

The Albert & Logan News, with the help of some judges, has compiled a list of Logan’s 30 most influential people — The Logan Power 30.

We’ll reveal five people every day until the top spot is announced on Monday, November 26.

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30. COREY AND MARGAUX PARKER

One of the state’s most influential sporting players, Corey Parker, lives in Logan with wife Margaux Parker with their four children, two daughters, Memphis and River and two sons Jagger and Wylei.

The 36-year-old rugby league great captained the Brisbane Broncos in the National Rugby League and was a Queensland State of Origin and Australia international representative.

But his love of Logan has kept him grounded here and he has spent time and effort with youngsters in the game, encouraging them to do their best.

Parker is now part of the Fox Sports NRL commentary team.

Margaux, 33, is also influential and has been one of the hosts on Triple M’s drivetime radio show The Rush Hour and Dead Set Legends on Saturday mornings.

The pair celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary on November 29.

29. ROD SHAW

Logan’s Rod Shaw has played a major role in bringing the voice of ratepayers to the fore.

Mr Shaw was seminal in setting up the city’s first ratepayer association in 2017.

He said there had been an overwhelming response to the group from members of the public.

“I’m not sure why Logan has never had such an association but the city was only formed in 1981 and the 2008 amalgamation is relatively new,” he said.

“Until now, there has been complacency because there were people in council who had been there for a long time and had proven themselves as honest but now many of those long-serving people have left.

“I have had lots of people ring in wanting to join because they are fed up with the waste of ratepayers’ money — in particular overseas trips they believe are unnecessary.”

28. SHANNON FENTIMAN

When it comes to women’s issues and forcing change in the community to protect families, Waterford MP Shannon Fentiman has played a role.

Elected in 2015, she served her first term as Minister for Communities, Women and Youth, Minister for Child Safety and Minister for Multicultural Affairs in the Palaszczuk Ministry.

Before being elected, she worked as a solicitor for Hall Payne Lawyers.

She was also an industrial advocate for the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union and a judge’s associate in the Supreme Court of Queensland to Justice Atkinson.

But it has been her extra roles on community organisations that has helped shape Logan as a community.

She is a board member of the Logan Women’s Health and Wellbeing Centre and secretary of the Centre Against Sexual Violence in Logan.

She also took on the role of duty solicitor at the Beenleigh Neighbourhood Centre.

She holds a Bachelor of Laws (First class honours) from Queensland University of Technology and Master of Laws at Melbourne University.

27. SUZ CORBETT

Husband-and-wife team Suz and Stan Corbett have stood up for all residents whose homes are along a designated freight train line which passes through some of Logan’s southern suburbs.

It takes guts to stand up and have your say but Ms Corbett said the train line was a matter of importance.

She was born in Newcastle and has lived and worked on Groote Eylandt for six years, travelled with work to Weipa, McArthur River, Bing Bong, Townsville and Mt Isa.

She worked in the shipping and export industry for years before retiring as a shipping superintendent.

Along with her work on the Community Consultative Committee for the Inland Rail and her group Inland Rail ActionGroup, she now enjoys retirement at home in Forestdale with her husband and is looking forward to taking time out with family.

The couple are now planning trips away in Australia and abroad.

They have two wonderful children and four grand children.

26. JEFF DOEDENS

Jeff Doedens has been a Patient Transport Officer for 16 years.

He is happily married with two sons and a daughter.

Mr Doedens is passionate about helping people and on top of being an ambulance member, volunteers with Logan’s SES.

He was involved in the manufacturing industry for over 20 years and worked with First Aid within the manufacturing industry. After wanting a more hands-on approach to helping people, he made the transition of his career to a non-urgent officer.

He said it’s nice to be there for his patients, not only medically, but as someone to talk to if needed.

He holds a Certificate III in Health Science and through completing an additional Module, has gained a qualification in patient transportation.