MARABISDA Inc. DIRECTORS
Samantha Bliss
Director / Chairperson MARABISDA Inc.
Detective Senior Sergeant Sam Bliss (Ramsamy) is a proud Torres Strait Islander woman. Sam has been employed with the Queensland Police Service for 23 years, committed to serving within the regions of South Brisbane, Cairns, Toowoomba and currently Mackay. Sam specialises in Child Protection and is currently the head officer of the Mackay Child Protection & Investigation Unit.
Being a police officer, Sam thrives on being active within the community. This involvement is varied and includes youth welfare programs, mentoring, sporting participation, child protection issues, family engagement/involvement and education programs. Through these programs Sam has witnessed the behaviour and aptitude of participants change. This has ultimately lead to a positive change in young persons’ lives with a reconnection to their culture and family.
Sam is an alumni member of the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre, Canberra and currently holds the Chairperson role for the Board of Directors with the Mackay PCYC and MARABISDA Inc. She is also a Director on the Mackay Cutters Board and a representative of the Mercy Catholic College Board.
Adrienne Barnett
Director / Manager MARABISDA Inc & Piccaninny Foster & Kinship Care Service
Adrienne’s Aboriginal cultural heritage has always been a strong part of her identity and she has worked in many different roles in community since arriving in Mackay 25 years ago. She was CEO of the Mackay & District Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service, has coordinated the Mackay CDEP satellite, and was a senior project officer at the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships for nearly 10 years.
Adrienne wants to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people and their families be proud of their culture and heritage whilst addressing social justice issues in the areas of child protection, education, law and justice.
Adam Doull
Director / Board Member MARABISDA Inc
Adam Doull is the Manager at Statewide Laser Pty Ltd. He is a Mackay local and has a wealth of experience to share from a Boilermaker trade, Cert IV in Workplace Assessor, Workplace Health and Safety and a Diploma of Business. Adam is also a director at ATSICHS and a committee member of Northern Suburbs Rugby League.
Dr Shannon Springer
Director / Board Member MARABISDA Inc
Shannon is an Associate Professor and the Discipline lead for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health at Bond University on the Gold Coast. Shannon is of both Australian South Sea Islander and Aboriginal decent. He is a General Practitioner and has a fellowship with the Royal Australian Colleges of General Practitioners. Shannon has worked in the AMS in Mackay and any other AMS’s throughout Queensland. He also is a practice owner. Shannon was a local of Mackay and remains connected to Mackay by being a Director for Marabisda Inc. and the important service and community support it offers.
Aice Sambo
Director / Board Member MARABISDA Inc
Aice has served with the MARABISDA Inc. Board since 2010. He has been involved with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community events and organisations for the past 20 years, including the coaching and governance roles at the Northern Suburbs Rugby League Club. Aice is recognised in the community as a man who is strong in Mer (Murray Island) Torres Strait culture. He has been active in performing and teaching cultural dance, stories and music in the Mackay community. Aice works in the Mackay Hinterland’s Mining Industry, and lives in Mackay.
Stacey Kreyts (Budby)
Director / Manager Recognised Entity & Indigenous Family Wellbeing Service
Stacey has Aboriginal and Australian South Sea Islander heritage. She is a Barada Barna woman who was born and raised in Mackay. Stacey is employed as the Recognised Entity and Indigenous Family Wellbeing Service Manager. Her current work is focused with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection and Family Wellbeing.
Stacey has a passion for Aboriginal Cultural Heritage work and protection. She has previously worked in Aboriginal Cultural Heritage from 2007-2016 on behalf of the Barada Barna people. Stacey has strong experience in negotiating, implementing Cultural Heritage Management Plans (CHMP), Exploration Agreements, Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUA), presenting Cultural Heritage awareness training and commercial agreements. She has a vast background working with government, coal mining, infrastructure and gas companies in relation to Native Title and Cultural Heritage matters. Stacey has worked with Department of Child Safety undertaking various roles including administration, community funding and alternative care. She holds a Bachelor of Business (Management) degree and is a qualified Justice of the Peace
MARABISDA Inc. EMPLOYEES
Alima Smit
Senior Child Protection Advisor
Alima is currently employed as our Senior Child Protection Advisor and has been in the position for the past 7 years. She identifies as a Torres Strait Islander through her father who was born on Badu Island and has a heritage of Malay and Southsea Islander from her mother. Alima has worked in government and non-government organisations particularly with indigenous families for the past 30 years and likes making a difference in the community one step at a time.
Tarita Baggow
Child Protection Advisor
Tarita Baggow (nee Doolah) has a Torres Strait/Aboriginal/South Sea Islander background. Her father was born on Darnley Island (Erub) with both his parents from Murray Island (Mer). Tarita’s mother was born in Port Douglas with her grandmother from the Kuku Yalanji clan in the Mossmon/Daintree area and her grandfather was a Kanaka man from the Solomon Islands. Her mother’s maiden name was ‘Solomon’. Tarita began her involvement in child protection when she started as a youth worker in 2005 that developed into a senior Youth Worker-Residential Coordinator in 2007. She has been with the Recognised Entity since December 2010.
Frances Seden
Administration Officer
Frances commenced working with MARABISDA Inc. in August 2016. She previously worked for the Recognised Entity (RE) and was employed by Townsville Aboriginal & Islander Community Health Service (TAIHS) for 6 years, within the Mackay office. Her experience includes working for Central Queensland Aboriginal Land Council, Regional Arts Development Funds Program (with Mackay Regional Council) and with the Queensland Police Service.
Frances was born on Thursday Island and grew up in Mackay as a Torres Strait Islander. She is a strong supporter for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Rights and Recognition of their cultural beliefs, values and their connections to the land and sea.
Sonetta Fewquandie
Indigenous Family Wellbeing Service Worker
Sonetta is a Torres Strait Islander descendent with her family from Hammond Island in the Torres Straits. She has worked within the Indigenous community of Mackay for over 25 years in various roles. Sonetta has a background in child health with the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service, the Mackay Youth Justice Service Centre, Mackay Aboriginal and Islander Justice Alternative Group (MAIJAG) and Family Support for TAIHS. Currently she volunteers her time and represents some local Indigenous boards such as the Mackay Coloured Co-operative Society, MDAIMA/My 105.9 FM and Aboriginal &Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service.
Marcella Anson
Indigenous Family Wellbeing Service Worker
Marcella Anson has worked in child protection and foster care for over eight years. Prior to MARABISDA Inc. her experience was with the Family Support Service from Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service for over 3 years.
Namarca Corowa
Indigenous Family Wellbeing Service Worker (Male Support Worker)
Namarca was born and raised in Mackay. He comes from a large family and is very passionate about the Mackay community. He and his wife have also been foster carers for almost 3 years. Namarca is a local professional recording musician and has worked on many different projects in Mackay and has released 3 music albums. He has been involved as a committee member on the Mackay Regional Arts Development Fund board. Namarca is an avid bow hunter and whenever the opportunity arises to hunt feral pigs or deer, he is not far behind. He has worked in many different industries including Electrical Construction, Sugar Mill Loco’s and sugar sheds, Railway systems, Music, Employment and training, Youth Justice, Music Tutoring, Hydraulics and currently also works as a local Christian minister. Currently, his role at MARABISDA Inc. is about engaging our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males in our community who need that support and assistance in getting to where they need to be, to be effective leaders and contributors to their families and the wider community.
Donna Rose
Foster & Kinship Care Support Worker
Donna’s background as a Torres Strait Islander is through her father who was born on St Pauls Missionary – Moa Island – Thursday Island/Fijian. Her mother is of Southsea Islander heritage and born in Mackay. Donna has worked in education for over 20 years and non-government organisations for 8 years. She works to support and promote the well-being of our Indigenous children and their families. She actively volunteers her spare time at community activities and events
Tina Taylor
Foster & Kinship Care Support Worker
Tina has worked in many local government departments through education, youth justice and child safety and community organisations such as Murriwatch. Tina is of Torres Strait Islander descendant, Badu (Ahwangs) and Boigu (Barba) descendant.
Clarissa Kohler
Administration and Compliance Officer
Clarissa was born and raised in Mackay. She has over 20 years’ experience in administration and various community roles. Clarissa has a background in local government departments and community organisations. She is family orientated and is kept busy raising her three children.