Aside from a brief stint within the health department, and also as an academic, the bulk of her 25-year career has been spent working for benevolent organisations.

Ms Kent said she was drawn to that particular field of work after her first job as a rural school dental therapist took her to various low-socioeconomic locations from Bushy Park to Strathgordon.

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"Living in those communities, you see a lot of disadvantage, which in many cases is intergenerational," she said.

It was those experiences that led the way for Ms Kent to eventually work at organisations such as the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Tasmania, as well as the Royal Hobart Hospital Research Foundation, both of which she served as the chief executive.

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She has also held several board positions at community-orientated organisations including the Tasmanian Community Fund, Primary Health Tasmania, and the Legal Profession Board of Tasmania.

"My focus with all of those is what more can we collectively do to better support our community," she said.

The Hobart resident said when she saw the role of St Vincent de Paul Society's chief executive advertised in a local newspaper in early March she was immediately interested.

"Through my work with the TCF, I began to deeply understand the work Vinnies does to support those who are vulnerable or are at risk of becoming vulnerable," she said.

"These are people who through various contextual circumstances find themselves homeless, or in need of additional support."

By late May, she was notified her application was successful.

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Ms Kent is now set to replace former chief executive officer Lara Alexander in late August. Ms Alexander was elected as Bass Liberal MHA in February this year.

In her new role, Ms Kent will be responsible for leading the transformational development and delivery of the Society's long-term strategy of service to the community, as well as ensuring the sustainability of the organisation's charitable programs.

She said she planned to do the former by focusing her attention on the housing and homelessness crisis affecting much of the state, as well as most of the country.

"Vinnie's has been around in our community for over 100 years, it's very well known, and extremely well supported, but over that period of time there have been peaks and troughs in the degree of community need, and today we're definitely in one of those peaks," she said.

Ms Kent said the organisation's volunteer base had always been one of its strengths, about 1,500 of which are based in Tasmania.

While she said that number was "outstanding", she urged more members to get involved, particularly after COVID.

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"I know the numbers haven't really diminished, but it's so important to keep regenerating the next wave of support," she said.

"Never has the need been greater, and never has the support from volunteers to continue that work been more necessary."

Despite painting what she referred to as a "bleak picture", Ms Kent said the organisation's various Tasmanian projects indicated there was "so much positivity to be excited about" in Tasmania and Australia.

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