Key People

Executive Director

Samantha Page MMan (Community), BA (Psych) & MAICD.  Sam directs the operational work of FRSA, leading the dedicated staff team based in Canberra.  Skilled in consultation, policy analysis and representation, Sam participates in various national forums and activities on behalf of FRSA Members. Prior to joining FRSA Sam held senior roles across the public, private and community sectors, with a consistent emphasis on supporting quality in human service delivery. 

Board of Directors

Tony O'Hare, Chairperson, M (Psych) MAICD, AF AIM. Tony is the Managing Director of Community Services Australia which operates family relationship services across QLD and NSW. In addition to experience gained as a practicing psychologist for more than a decade, Tony brings expertise in governance and the management of both community and corporate agencies. He holds a number of directorships and positions on government and sector advisory or reference groups at both state and national level.

Tony Pietropiccolo, Vice Chairperson, BA (Soc. Sc.); Dip. Psych. Tony is the Director of Centrecare which provides a large range of social services to the West Australian community both in Perth and in remote areas of the State.  He has been involved in community activities and the social service sector in both paid and voluntary positions for nearly 30 years.  Over this time, Tony has participated in numerous committees and commissions at both state and national level.  

Susan Holmes, Vice Chairperson, B Comm and Dip Soc Studs, FAICD. Sue is the CEO of Relationships Australia Tasmania, where she has worked to ensure that the services are developed on best practice principles. As a Fellow of  the Institute of Company Directors, Sue also brings extensive experience in Corporate Governance roles and recognises the impact of good planning and relationships on organisational effectiveness. At a policy level she has contributed to service development through various roles including the Family Law Pathways Committee and the Family Law Council.

Jo Cavanagh MMmt (BI) BSW, AFAIM.  Jo is the Chief Executive of Family Life in Melbourne. Building on the community and volunteer foundations of the agency, Jo has led a program of change to promote community involvement for preventing child abuse and family violence, assisting vulnerable young people and strengthening families and communities. In 1990, Jo was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to undertake a child abuse prevention study in North America. She has also held leadership positions on regional, state and national advisory bodies.

Jennifer Hannan BSW (Hons) Cert Fam. Therapy, AAIM, MAASW.  Jennie is the Executive General Manager - Services for Anglicare WA overseeing all of their programs including their highly successful contact orders program, Mums and Dads Forever.  Building on more than 25 years experience as a social worker and family therapist, Jennie has a passion for issues related to children which has led her interest in terms of separation issues for children and their treatment in the family court system.

Mary Mertin-Ryan MAAPD (current), BA (Policy), GAICD. Mary is currently Senior Manager, Relationships with Crisis Support Services. Prior to taking up her current role Mary was the National Director of Relationships Australia where she played a significant role in the review and expansion to the Family Relationships Services Program. Drawing on her past experience at senior level within Australian 
Government Departments Mary has an in-depth understanding of the processes concerned with legislative reform, policy development and program administration.    

Luke Rumbold BSW, MSW, PhD, FAIM.  Luke is the CEO of Upper Murray Family Care in the regional centre of Wodonga (Victoria). Luke’s professional background is in Social Work  and his professional membership includes being a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management. Prior to becoming CEO, Luke’s work involved general casework, family counselling, foster care, residential care program supervisor, family support supervisor and community development. His practitioner experience has all been in a rural/regional context.

Judi Geggie, BA, M Ed Studs. is currently the Director of the Family Action Centre (FAC) at the University of Newcastle. The FAC represents a unique model of university-community engagement whereby innovative service delivery to families and communities provides a platform from which research, and teaching and learning initiatives are developed. During her 22 years at the FAC Judi has thus been at the forefront of the FAC’s innovative work with families living permanently on caravan parks, families in need of social support, boys, men and fatherhood, and Indigenous families.

 
Eugenia Tsoulis is the Executive Director of the Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia (MRCSA), the peak settlement agency responsible for the delivery of state-wide on-arrival humanitarian settlement services through the Commonwealth Integrated Humanitarian Settlement Strategy, and for General Settlement Services. Eugenia sits on a number of Commonwealth and State boards and committees.  She was awarded the Order of Australia in 1994 for services to multiculturalism and the ZONTA award for Woman Achiever of the Year 2006.

Contact FRSA if you would like more information on the FRSA Board or staff team.