Our people

Mary Leaker

General Manager

Mary Leaker commenced as General Manager of Embolden in July 2023 and is a Board member of WESNET, the national peak body for specialist women’s domestic and family violence services. With a background in social work and social policy, Mary has diverse experience across delivery and management of non-government services and strategic policy and projects for government. She has a longstanding commitment to social justice, gender equality and women’s safety and wellbeing, and has published peer-reviewed research on gendered violence against street-based sex workers in Adelaide.

Between 2018 and 2021, she led a whole-of-government project to improve how SA public sector agencies prevent, identify and respond to violence against women, in partnership with Our Watch and White Ribbon Australia. Over 2022-23, she undertook a Churchill Fellowship in the UK to gain insights into how coercive control laws are operating on the ground and emerging impacts for victim-survivors. She is a mother of three teenagers, keen hiker, grammar nerd and lover of obscure alt-country.

Bindy Taylor

Engagement and Operations Officer – Part time

Bindy joined Embolden on a part-time basis in February 2024, having previously worked in community engagement, communications, event management and various leadership roles in the not-for-profit sector.

She is excited to be part of Embolden at such a critical time and is passionate about people living fulfilling lives that are free from violence. Bindy holds qualifications in leadership, communications, disabilities, community engagement and is an internationally accredited life coach.

Elsa Reuter

Senior Policy Officer – Part-time

Elsa Reuter joined Embolden in July 2024, having previously worked as a project officer across several State Government agencies.

She is passionate about inclusion and equitable access to effective and appropriate services for all South Australians. Elsa holds qualifications in science, history, and teaching.

Maria Hagias

Co-Chair

Maria Hagias has been Co-Chair of Embolden’s Board since 2020. She is currently the CEO of Women’s Safety Services SA , where she works with the community to change attitudes and eliminate violence against women. With a dedicated career in the domestic and family violence sector since 1993, Maria has been a strong advocate for policy reform to address gender-based violence. She has served on several advisory bodies, including as Deputy Chair of the Premier’s Council for Women and the National Plan Advisory Group, which guides the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032.

Maria’s efforts have resulted in the implementation in SA of responsive service models that enhance the safety of women and children while holding men accountable for their violence. 

Susie Smith

Co-Chair

Susie has been Co-Chair of Embolden’s Board since 2015, guiding the organisation from a grassroots network to a recognised peak body. Susie is a passionate advocate for victim-survivors and their children in regional and remote areas, ensuring a strong focus on the unique strengths and challenges of regional communities and services.

With over 18 years’ experience in the domestic and family violence sector, Susie has represented the sector on numerous state and national committees that have shaped policy and reforms. She is currently the Regional Manager of Southern Country Domestic Violence Service for Centacare Catholic Community Services, delivering specialist services to the Limestone Coast, Riverland, Murray Mallee and Whyalla regions.

Louise Kelly

Deputy Chair

Louise Kelly is the Deputy Chair of Embolden’s Board and Deputy CEO at OARS Community Transitions (OARS). With over 14 years of dedicated experience at OARS, Louise’s work focuses on the criminal justice system and its intersections with domestic and family violence. Her qualifications in justice and society, criminology, mediation and an MBA equip her to lead and develop in the criminal justice space, enhancing the lives of individuals in contact with the criminal justice system and their families.

In 2016, Louise was awarded a Churchill Fellowship, allowing her to travel internationally to research best practices in supported reintegration and rehabilitation. She currently serves as the Secretary of the SA Churchill Fellow Association.

Sarah Cooper

Board member

Sarah Cooper brings to Embolden’s Board significant expertise in gendered violence and complex trauma. With a strong focus on sexual violence over her career, Sarah has worked across Western Australia and South Australia and holds qualifications in social work, communications and family mediation.

Sarah currently serves as Director of Health and Recovery Trauma Safety Services (HaRTSS) within the Women’s and Children’s Health Network, where she oversees services that support individuals affected by trauma and violence: Yarrow Place Rape and Sexual Assault Service, Cedar Health Service and Metropolitan Youth Health. Sarah is also a board member of the National Association of Services Against Sexual Violence (NASASV).

David Tully

Board member

David has worked in the fields of domestic violence and child sexual abuse for over 30 years, both as a practitioner and service manager. He has extensive experience working with children and young people who have been subjected to abuse and violence, as well as facilitating men’s behaviour change programs. His expertise spans counselling, men’s group work, primary prevention programs, child-specific counselling, community development, group program design, training development and delivery, conference presentations and policy development.

David is currently the Practice Manager for Family Violence and Program Manager of Reset2Respect (a state-funded Men’s Behaviour Change program) at Relationships Australia SA. In this role, he leads organisational approaches to addressing violence through service delivery, inter-agency collaboration, training, supervision and skill development.

He has also contributed to national research and policy, serving on the research advisory panel for the Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault (AIFS) and as a peer assessor for ANROWS (Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety) in the area of perpetrator research.