Leadership
SASY is moving in leaps and bounds thanks to our engaged and diverse Board and Senior Leadership Team.
The SASY Board
SASY's Board of Directors are responsible for the governance of the school and monitor performance, offer industry knowledge, ensure compliance and provide the school with strategic direction.
Rob Snowdon
Chair
Rob is an experienced chair, director and leader, who has developed his leadership, management and governance skills and experience in a wide range of industries.
He has spent nearly 40 years in senior management and leadership roles and has been involved with or on boards for over 20 years. Rob has vast experience in both not-for-profit and for-profit organisations and has been heavily involved with various charities for many years.
Rob is currently a Director of The Quadriplegic & Paraplegic Association of SA, a Director of Port Adelaide Football Club, Chair of Power Community Limited and is the past Chair of both the Country Fire Service Foundation and the Astera Group. He is the Principal of Rob Snowdon Advisory, which provides advice to various organisations and individuals.
David Martin
Deputy Chair
David Martin, Consultant at (and former Managing Partner of) Finlaysons Lawyers, specialises in property and development law, aged care and retirement villages. His experience extends to both very large and small operators, and to both ‘for profit’ and ‘not for profit’ operators. David has played a key role in landmark projects across South Australia and nationally. In addition to his legal expertise, David possesses wide general commercial knowledge and expertise, and a deep understanding of governance, risk and compliance.
David is currently the Chairman of the Board of Southern Cross Care (SA, NT & Vic) Inc (SCC), the largest aged care provider in South Australia, and has been a valued member of that Board for over 10 years. He is also a member of several of the SCC Board’s Subcommittees.
Lloyd Doddridge
Treasurer
Lloyd is the CFO and COO of Red Cross Australia with a broad range of transformative commercial skills acquired with global brands such as Penfolds, Lindemans, Rheem, and General Motors. More recently he has worked in strategic financial roles in the Fin-tech and Mar-tech space with both start up and global scale organisations such as Dentsu Aegis.
Consistently in his career Lloyd has worked with talented people, who have great ideas but need assistance translating them into the next level of financial and operational success.
Helen Platell
Director
Helen is passionate about enabling individuals and organisations to achieve. She has worked in a cross-section of professions, as a lawyer and in real estate investment, educator and educational leader. She has accumulated thirty years' experience in education, as a teacher, a teacher trainer and as a leader in independent schools, including internationally.
In education and in life, she values creative learning with personal, collaborative opportunities to develop oneself and others. She believes that in the right environment, anyone can rise to overcome challenges to prosper and learn. She enjoys working with others to build an organisation - through forming a vision to master planning, to practical application and strategic steps towards success. She has valuable experience in leading organisations towards realising their vision in action, in a practical and collaborative way.
Maria La Pietra
Director
Maria established Specialised Assistance School in Adelaide in 2016 in partnership with Nic Pellegrini and Rosie Stavrou to assist disengaged youth in realising their true potential.
She is highly regarded and well networked in her field, as recognised through her relationships and industry memberships. Maria has a Masters and is currently undertaking a PhD on education and mental health. She aims to bring improvement through practical, theoretical and collaborative knowledge, developing evidence-based strategies and recommendations for educators and others in learning environments supporting young people with trauma.
Dr. Joseph Magliaro (AM)
Director
Joseph has practiced in clinical and organisational psychology for thirty-five years, with a specific interest in anxiety, trauma, and mood disorders, in addition to individual coaching and team development, with a specific interest in psychological evaluation and health care recruitment.
Since 1992 he has provided psychological services to SA Ambulance Service. He is a member of the Australian Psychological Society, with AHPRA endorsement in clinical & organisational psychology. Joseph is also Fellow of the College of Clinical Psychologists and the College of Organisational Psychologists.
In 2006 he completed a PhD and in 2011 was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to mental health in the community and emergency services.
Sean Kelly
Director
Sean has extensive experience at Board and Senior Executive levels in Commonwealth and State Governments and the Private Sector, predominantly in the energy industry. His expertise includes business and financial strategy, governance and risk, customer service, people and culture, business transformation and regulation.
Sean considers access to education, whether that be trade, vocational or academic as fundamental to an individual's wellbeing and life opportunities.
Carolyn Grantskalns
Director
Carolyn Granstkalns has joined the Board of Directors at Specialised Assistance School for Youth (SASY) in 2024. Carolyn has extensive experience in the education sector and has had a significant impact on the industry during her time as an educator, Principal, leader and Board Member of multiple organisations. She is currently the Presiding Member of the Teacher Registration Board of SA, a Trustee of the History Trust of SA, Chair of Suneden Specialist School Board, a Council member of the St Peter’s Cathedral Council, a Fellow of the Australian College of Educational Leaders and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. SASY is privileged and proud to have a prolific leader and expert join the Board.