Leonie is proud of her traditional connections to the Djaku-nde people of North Burnett, Juru people in Bowen North Queensland and the Nuigi people of Mulgumpin (Moreton Island) with bloodline traces back to Tanna, Santo and Lifu Island's in Vanuatu. With over 30 years of experience in social work, Leonie is a nationally recognised leader in cultural safety, Indigenous engagement and community development. Leonie has extensive experience in across child protection, mental health and teritary education sectors. Her professional expereist encompasses policy development, legislative reform, and practice frameworks, with a strong emphasis on co-design, cultural mentoring and workforce development. She has lectured in Indigenous Health, Social Work, Mental Health and contributed to the development of culturally safe, student-centred curricula. Renowned for her authentic faciliation style, she empowers individuals and organisations to embed cultural safety and drive systemic change across government, non-government, and academic contexts.
