Jacqui Gilmour
Founder & Director, Hope for Children (Australia)

Jacqui has many years experience living and working in Africa, including involvement in relief efforts during the 80's Ethiopian famine. She worked directly with Yewoinshet Masresha and Hope for Children in Addis Ababa in early 2003. She established Hope for Children in Australia, initially on her own in 2002, by setting up Child Sponsorship and Donations programs. Jacqui speaks to numerous community, school and business groups to raise the awareness of the plight of the Ethiopian AIDS orphans. She has also been instrumental in fostering relationships with government, educational and medical institutions to implement joint initiatives for the benefit of the children in Ethiopia. Previously a director of both Hope for Children Ethiopia and Hope for Children USA, she has three adopted Ethiopians in a family of 7 children and resides in Perth, Western Australia.

Patria Jafferies
Co-founder and Director Dome Coffees Australia
Director Dome Coffees Asia
2000 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year

Patria is a business entrepreneur and brand strategist. She was instrumental in the development of the Matilda Bay Brewing Company and Dome Coffees Australia. Patria also been involved in Australia's Reserve Bank's Small Business Finance Advisory Panel, Arts WA's Capital Venture Board and the Youth Focus Foundation. She is currently working with the Centre for Cancer & Leukemia at the Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre as well as running a private consultancy business. Patria is a director of Cullen Wines and she was recently appointed as Chairman of the Small Business Development Corporation. She is a resident of Perth, Western Australia.

Girma Aberra
Ethiopia Country Representative

Tsedale Kinfu
Sponsorship Coordinator

Tsega Damtew
Financial Manager

Meron Gebrehiwot
Let's Talk About Sex Program

Yared Wolde
The School of St Yared

Carol A. Rhees
President and Director
JD (University of Virginia)
BA Government (Cornell University)

Ms Rhees practiced law with Steptoe & Johnson LLP in Washington, DC, for more than twenty years and for many of those years headed the firm's estate planning department. She has extensive experience in tax planning for individuals and charitable organizations. Since leaving the practice of law, she has taught US and World History at the Maret School in Washington where she has designed and taught a service learning curriculum focused on domestic and global hunger, with particular emphasis on Ethiopia. She volunteered at Hope for Children Ethiopia in summer 2005 and 2006, including running the summer 2006 ESL program, and will be working there again this summer.

Ruthann Bates
Treasurer and Director
MA Chemistry (Columbia University)
BA Chemistry (Regis College)

Ms Bates has been Vice President of Government Healthcare Solutions for Lockheed Martin (LM) Corporation, Bethesda, Maryland, since 2006 when LM acquired her previous company, Aspen Systems Corporation, where she had been Vice President of Health Programs for 20 years. She has extensive experience in business management, financial systems, forecasting, profit and loss, and other relevant areas. In addition, her health programs background includes more than 20 years experience in directing contracts for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health in HIV/AIDS research, clinical trials, and communications. She and her family have travelled to Ethiopia, and she has been involved with Hope for Children since 2005.

Bonnie Harkness
Secretary and Director
JD (University of Mississippi)
BA Psychology (University of Mississippi)

After working as a bank trust officer and on Capitol Hill, Ms Harkness has stayed home to raise her three children. She has worked extensively as a volunteer, raising funds and organizing events for various organizations. In summer 2006, she volunteered at Hope for Children Ethiopia.

Freda Temple
Director
MLS (University of Michigan)
BA English (New York University)

Ms Temple has over 25 years of professional experience in the fields of health education, information management and communication. As a senior manager for Aspen Systems Corporation, an information management company serving government and commercial clients, she managed large, multi-faceted AIDS and cancer education programs for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization. Currently an independent consultant providing information management and editorial services, she also serves as the volunteer coordinator for the Capital Breast Care Center (Washington, DC) and leads English conversation classes for non-native speakers of English at Montgomery College (Rockville, Maryland).

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