Meet the Board
Freja Leonard
Freja has worked as an organic greengrocer, environmental manager for The Body Shop Australia, Ethical Business Manager for Jasper Coffee, and has coordinated national conferences, festivals and Parliamentary events hosting international Members of Parliament, dignitaries and Traditional Owners.
In over 13 years’ working in political offices at the state and federal level Freja held senior roles from complex constituent advocacy with government agencies and departments to policy advice.
She has a strong history of negotiating with diverse stakeholders and across party lines to deliver caseload solutions and lasting policy outcomes.
Key wins include the successful environmental campaign to ban retail plastic shopping bags and the fracking moratorium in Victoria.
She is currently studying Justice and working in the not-for-profit sector to deliver national clean energy transition programs.
Louise Dorrat
Louise has worked in the early years profession for over 35 years in a variety of roles including extensive experience in managing early years’ services in Local Government and the not for profit sector. She has a Master of Education, a Bachelor of Teaching, and a Diploma of Social Sciences. Louise teaches at a number of universities and is contracted by organisations such as Federal and State Governments to deliver keynotes, workshops and webinars across the country advocating for social justice for children and families.
Louise has been on a number of boards and school councils including Chairperson at Westgarth Primary school, Thornbury Women’s Neighbourhood House, Fitzroy High School Education Committee and Treasurer at Annie Dennis Early Learning Centre.
Louise feels privileged to be part of the important work of BSA.
MEd, BTeach, Dip SSc
Claire Tennent
Claire Tennent is a policy professional, a strong advocate for gender equity and human rights and a mother of one. With an interest in machinery of government, Claire began her career working for the Ministry of Health in Wellington, before taking up various policy positions in the Victorian public service.
Passionate about protecting the rights and dignity of vulnerable populations, Claire’s roles have included working with the Director of Mental Health (NZ) to support the safeguarding of the rights of people receiving mental health care, developing policy to protect the rights of Victorians to access appropriate health care, implementing recommendations arising from the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence and responding to the recommendations of the federal Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
Claire has a BA (Honours) in political studies and a BSc Biomedical Science from the University of Auckland. Her honours thesis involved a comparative gender analysis in superannuation policy.
Sam Wu
Sam is a fellow member of CPA Australia and a Registered Tax Agent and ASIC Agent. He is the founder of Oliluca Accountants & Advisors. Sam graduated from the University of Tasmania with a bachelor’s degree in Business and a Master's degree in Professional Accounting. He has been providing accounting, taxation and advisory services to small-to-medium businesses since 2009.
Shannon Bourke
Shannon Bourke is a Garawa woman, mother of one, foster carer and early childhood teacher who has been working in education for 14 years.
Shannon became interested in body safety while at university and has been able to build on that knowledge while working as a teacher, supporting young children to speak up for their own needs.
She currently works at the Australian Education Union where she supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educators to get active within their union. Shannon is passionate about education spaces where all First Nations people can thrive.
Deanne Carson
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29 Sydney Rd,
Coburg, VIC
Australia 3058