Meet The Principal
Dr Marie Leech
Dr Marie Leech began her in her role as Principal, Sancta Sophia College in January 2008.
Dr Leech has a PhD in Social Policy from the University of Sydney and a Masters of Science and Society from the University of New South Wales. Her business achievements were recognised as a NSW Finalist in the 2005 Telstra Business Women’s Awards.
Marie was appointed to the Federal Government’s Stronger Families and Communities Strategy Partnership, was a member of the Board of Directors of the Australian Institute of Family Studies; and served on the Boards of Families Australia and City West Housing; and on a number of Committees, including Working Groups of the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY). Voluntary work has included the development of strategies to provide access to education for disadvantaged girls and women, especially Aboriginal women.
Previous roles include the position of General Manager, Community Services, at Mission Australia, and Senior Policy Advisor at Uniya, the Jesuit office for social justice research. Prior to her career in social policy and research, Dr Leech taught senior chemistry and biology at Kincoppal Rose Bay and was an educator at TAFE and university levels.
DR MARIE D LEECH
Address 8 Missenden Rd, Camperdown NSW 2050
Mobile +61 418 679 626
Email principal@sancta.usyd.edu.au
EMPLOYMENT SUMMARY
2008 – Present Principal
SANCTA SOPHIA COLLEGE
2001 – 2007 General Manager, Community Services
Director, Research and Social Policy
Member of Strategic Management Team
MISSION AUSTRALIA
1999 – 2001 National Manager, Research and Social Policy
MISSION AUSTRALIA
1997 – 1999 Senior Policy Officer
UNIYA JESUIT SOCIAL JUSTICE CENTRE
1989 – 1997 Ph D Scholar and Research Assistant
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
1980 – 1986 Lecturer/Teacher Maths, Physics, Chemistry
EAST SYDNEY COLLEGE OF TAFE
KINCOPPAL-ROSE BAY SCHOOL
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
Doctor of Philosophy (Social Policy)
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Bachelor of Social Work (Hons Class 1)
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Master of Science and Society
UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES
Higher Diploma in Education
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND
Bachelor of Science
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND
RECOGNITION
2008Invited to attend the 2020 Summit, contributing to the ‘Strengthening Communities, Supporting Families and Social Inclusion’ discussion stream
PRIZES AND AWARDS
1995 Katherine Ogilvie Memorial Award
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
1993 Commendation
WOMEN AND POLITICS PRIZE
1992 – 1996 Australian Postgraduate Award
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
1990 Laura Bogue Luffman Award
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
1971 University Scholarship
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND
BOARDS AND COMMITTEES
2005 – Present Member of Board of Directors/Advisory Board
AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF FAMILY STUDIES
2004 – Present Member of Board of Directors
FAMILIES AUSTRALIA
2004 – Present Member of Board of Directors
CITY WEST AFFORDABLE HOUSING
2006 – Present Chair, Advisory Board
CENTRE FOR RESEARCH ON SOCIAL INCLUSION MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY
2006 – Present Chair, Advisory Board
KEY CENTRE FOR ETHICS, LAW, JUSTICE AND GOVERNANCE, GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY
2004 – 2007 Member of Board
STRONGER FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY STRATEGY PARTNERSHIP
2004 – 2006 Member of Stakeholder Reference Group
AUSTRALIAN EARLY DEVELOPMENT INDEX (AEDI)
2002 – 2007 Member of Board
YOUTH STRATEGY AND ADVOCACY GROUP (YSAG)
BUSINESS AWARDS
2006 NSW Finalist, Community and Government Award
TELSTRA BUSINESS WOMEN’S AWARDS
2005 Individual Achievement Award Finalist
THE LANSDOWNE CLUB ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
COMMUNITY AND VOLUNTARY WORK
1996 – Present Councillor and Publicity Officer
AISLING (IRISH-AUSTRALIAN) SOCIETY
1996 – 2000 Branch President, National Vice-President
AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION OF GRADUATE WOMEN
1986 – 1989 Secretary/Treasurer, Eastern Suburbs Branch
NSW PLAYGROUP ASSOCIATION
1993 – 1996 Member of Strategic Planning Committee
ST FRANCIS PARISH PADDINGTON
MEMBERSHIPS AND HOBBIES
* Wagner Society of NSW
* Union, Universities and Schools Club
* Book Club
* Mensa
* Art Gallery of New South Wales Society
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Managing Editor, Mission Australia:
(2006) National Survey of Young Australians 2006: Key and emerging issues
(2006) Rural and Regional Australia: change, challenge and capacity
(2005) Mental Health: A critical contemporary issue
Editor, Mission Australia:
(2005) When gambling hurts
(2002) Local, National and Global Directions in Community Capacity Building
(2001) Unemployment in Australia.
(2001) Youth Suicide
Author (Various Publishers)
(1999) ‘For lease, to let, for rent’: Uniya Housing Series
(1998) Bullying: Sowing the seeds for Violence and Intimidation.
(1997) The Brave New Labour Market
(1996) Intimacy: Who needs it?
Co-Author
(1997) With Tony Vinson, Eve Lester: ‘The number of Boat People; Fact and Perception’
(1998) With The Developmental Crime Prevention Consortium, led by Professor Ross Homel, ‘Pathways to Prevention: Developmental and Early Intervention Approaches to Crime Prevention’.
(1998) With Bettina Cass: ‘Work for the Dole’.
