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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10. GAIL KER

Nationally lauded and award-winning activist Gail Ker is the CEO of Access Community Services in Logan Central.

There she leads over 300 staff in pursuit of a vision to create social, cultural and economic opportunities that transform the lives of migrants, refugees and Australian-born clients.

Under her leadership, Access has grown from a one room youth employment service in Logan into one of Australia’s leading organisations for refugees and migrants.

Inspired by her parents’ community mindfulness. Ms Ker ran a women’s mentoring program for Logan Job Care in the 1980s, before joining Access in 1992.

Ms Ker’s standing has been recognised with numerous honours including the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for her work in Multiculturalism in Queensland and the 2017 Australian Migration and Settlement Award — Winner of the Empowering Women Award.

9. CATH BARTOLO

The way social services are delivered in Logan, to a large extent, has been shaped by the quietly-spoken Cath Bartolo, chief executive of YFS Ltd.

YFS is a not-for-profit organisation that delivers a range of services to the people of Logan and beyond.

Ms Bartolo has worked in Logan for 25 years as a teacher, a disability co-ordinator and for the past 12 years as YFS chief.

She has been a member of the QCOSS board for eight years and is a member of the Logan City of Choice Leadership Team.

For the past two years, she has chaired the Logan Local Advisory Group for Better Futures, Local Solutions.

The organisation caters for people who are disadvantaged, vulnerable or need assistance to meet the challenges of our complex society.

YFS services include: housing; domestic and family violence; children, family and relationships; disability; money management; legal; mental health; young people; community education and information referral and assessment.

8. LINDA O’BRIEN

The respect for data helped Linda O’Brien find her true standing in the community as the head of Griffith University’s Logan Campus.

She was appointed Pro Vice Chancellor in September 2017.

She found her role while following her love of data and building on a background of holding executive information and technology roles.

She is committed to promoting education in the region, strengthening community partnerships to advance research and translate research into practice.

Her keen aim is to position Griffith Logan as an effective catalyst in the creation of an innovative and resilient region.

She is passionate about the value of information as the foundation for learning, research and innovation and is engaged in international and national initiatives aimed at leveraging innovative information technologies to make data, in all its forms.

Ms O’Brien has published and presented, both nationally and internationally and is on the board of ORCID, a non-profit organisation helping create a world in which all who participate in research, scholarship and innovation are linked.

Ms O’Brien is a member of the Queensland Public Records Review Committee and the Australian Urban Research Information Network Steering Committee.

7. TONY SHARP

Tony Sharp is a social entrepreneur turning e-trash into e-treasure.

His innovation, Substation33 at Kingston, recycles electronic waste, resulting in only 8 per cent going into landfill – with steel, plastic, copper and electronics components resold and repurposed for new uses.

Mr Sharp established a specialist team to develop products from recycled materials; such as electric bikes powered by recycled laptop batteries, and flood warning signs which won an Engineers Australia award for innovation.

Substation33 has provided more than 150 first-time jobs and vital skills to unemployed members of the community.

Mr Sharp is keen to encourage other entrepreneurs and runs two hackathons each year; one for social start-ups and the other for Engineers Without Borders.

He also offers an incubator space for young engineers to work on their ideas for free.

He has solved an environmental problem and provided meaningful work and skills for the Logan community.

Generous, positive and incredibly hardworking, Mr Sharp is selfless in his commitment to his community.

6. ELIJAH BUOL

Since arriving as an unaccompanied minor from South Sudan in 2002, Elijah Buol, this year’s Queensland Australian of the Year Local Hero has made Australia home.

And although life has not been easy for Mr Buol, a softly-spoken criminologist and father of four, the 33-year-old is a walking success story.

His advocacy work was instrumental in helping remove children under 18 from adult prisons in Queensland.

“It is a great honour to be able to be recognised for the service in a state and country that has given me hope,” he said.

“I arrived in 2002 with nothing but only a bag of hope and aspiration to change my life as a 16-year-old.

“I am very proud to be Australian and call Australia my home — a home which has given me an opportunity to realised my potential, aspirations and hope rooted in principles of a fair-go if you dare to dream.”

He said this year’s award was testament to Australia being a fair country and hoped it would inspire members of minority groups who had worked to prove their “Australianness”.

He also said it was his hope that his four children would have a sense of belonging and would not be judged by the colour of their skin or cultural affiliation but by their actions as Australians.

The former refugee spends much of his time helping young and disadvantaged community members integrate into Australian society.

And there is nobody better qualified to be Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland director.

His long list of qualifications, including a Master of Law, Master of Justice in Intelligence and a Bachelor of Human Services, is impressive.