Sonia is an Aboriginal woman from Adelaide, South Australia.
Her ancestral lines were broken through the forced removal of her great-grandmother from the Far West Coast of South back in the early 1900s. Sadly, her Nana and Mother were also removed and they too spent their formative years cycling through institutions and foster care placements.
Sonia’s career spans 26 years in the South Australian Public Sector, 16 of those were in Aboriginal health where she provided leadership in Aboriginal Health Workforce Development. During this time Sonia established the SA Aboriginal Health Scholarship Program and partnered with Rotary Australia to establish the Australian Rotary Health Scholarship Program which is now a national program. Sonia is currently the Director of Aboriginal Services in AnglicareSA.
Prior to joining AnglicareSA, she was the Director of Community Engagement in the former Social Inclusion Unit, Department of the Premier and Cabinet and had carriage of the Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Reference. During that role, she was instrumental in establishing the Spirit Festival, South Australia’s annual Aboriginal Cultural Festival and provided high level strategic advice on economic disadvantage, homelessness, school retention, mental health and serious repeat offending.
Sonia has served on many boards and committees and is currently a Board Member of the Don Dunstan Foundation, the South Australian Aboriginal Advisory Council and is Chair of Anglicare Australia’s National Reconciliation Network. She holds an Advanced Diploma in Community Services Management.
Sonia’s career spans 26 years in the South Australian Public Sector, 16 of those were in Aboriginal health where she provided leadership in Aboriginal Health Workforce Development. During this time Sonia established the SA Aboriginal Health Scholarship Program and partnered with Rotary Australia to establish the Australian Rotary Health Scholarship Program which is now a national program. Sonia is currently the Director of Aboriginal Services in AnglicareSA.
Prior to joining AnglicareSA, she was the Director of Community Engagement in the former Social Inclusion Unit, Department of the Premier and Cabinet and had carriage of the Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Reference. During that role, she was instrumental in establishing the Spirit Festival, South Australia’s annual Aboriginal Cultural Festival and provided high level strategic advice on economic disadvantage, homelessness, school retention, mental health and serious repeat offending.
Sonia has served on many boards and committees and is currently a Board Member of the Don Dunstan Foundation, the South Australian Aboriginal Advisory Council and is Chair of Anglicare Australia’s National Reconciliation Network. She holds an Advanced Diploma in Community Services Management.
