Mary

CEO & Director

Mary Awata serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Director of BoraCare, where she is the visionary leader driving the organisation’s mission. Her unwavering belief that every individual, regardless of age, culture, race, gender, ability, or socio-economic status, deserves the opportunity to realise their full potential underpins the foundation of BoraCare. Mary is a passionate advocate for marginalised communities and is committed to promoting equitable access to essential services.

With over 25 years of experience across the corporate and human services sectors, Mary is a recognised expert in intercultural issues, specialising in cultural capability training. She delivers tailored training programs to government agencies, non-government organisations (NGOs), and corporate entities both within South Australia and interstate.

Mary holds a Master’s degree in Disability Policy and Practice, a Postgraduate Diploma in Research Design, and a Bachelor of Social Work from Flinders University and the University of South Australia, respectively. She actively contributes to governance and policy development through her involvement on several boards across South Australia. Notably, she was recently appointed by the Minister for Education to the Child Death and Serious Injury Review Committee, representing culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and disability communities.

Her academic contributions include collaborative research with Flinders University, such as the project “Engaging Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities in the NDIS.” She also authored a thesis titled “Facilitators to Successful Service Engagement of People with Disabilities from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds.”

Prior to establishing BoraCare, Mary held senior roles within major NGOs in the community services sector. She continues to drive systemic change with external organisations through her work as a consultant, championing inclusive practices and social equity.