BOARD, PATRONS & AMBASSADORS
Dignity is a human right
Australian Board
Tony Clark
Founder, CEO & Chairman
Tony has twice been nominated Australian of the Year and was honoured as an Australia Day Local Hero by the City of Knox in 2012. He holds a Bachelors in Computing & Information Systems from Monash University in Melbourne - and before founding the charity, was a successful IT entrepreneur with a host of ASX and global brand clients. He has an incredible heart to help those in need. Past Board Member of the Apple Programmers and Developers Association.
Jenny Hamdorf
Vice Chair & Treasurer
30 years experience in Education as a practitioner and administrator. Her various roles included Principal, Deputy Principal, Classroom Teacher plus Welfare and Special Needs Coordinator. She is especially interested in facilitating the integration of students with disabilities into regular classrooms and has worked closely with teachers and children to achieve these goals. Jenny is also active with her local church.
Eric Kwong
Secretary
Eric is an Engineer – he is passionate about homeless and brings valuable analytical & logistics skills to Backpack Bed for Homeless.
Advisory Board
Frank Ganis
Banking & Finance Expert
Frank Ganis spent 17 years as an Executive Director at Macquarie Group and has over 38 years of domestic and international experience in Banking and Finance.
Frank has an extensive and deep knowledge of financial services and is recognised as a pioneer and influential industry leader in Australia. Frank was instrumental in the transformation of the Australian mortgage industry through co-founding and establishing Macquarie Group’s Mortgages and Securitisation business.
Since retirement in 2017 from full time executive work, Frank has remained active in financial services through a Non-Executive Directorship with Yellow Brick Road (ASX: YBR) and various advisory roles including consulting with and lobbying government on important financial services initiatives.
Celebrity Ambassadors
Lady Julia Morris
With nearly twenty years experience performing to crowds all over the world, Julia Morris is one of Australia’s most successful and polished comedy exports. A multi-talented stand-up, host and actress, who has shared the stage with such comedy royalty as Richard Pryor, Jason Alexander, Whoopi Goldberg, Jerry Lewis and Robin Williams. Julia has been a regular face on Australian and UK television for many years and has performed stand-up throughout most of the world, including major international Festivals. Since moving back to Australia at the end of 2011, Julia won Australia’s first series of Celebrity Apprentice and is currently staring in the drama series for the Nine Network entitled, House Husbands.
Dr Jonathon Welch, AM
Jonathon has been working and supporting people who have experienced homelessness over the past decade by creating programs like the Choir of Hard Knocks, to help bring confidence and self esteem through and singing. Everyone who sleeps rough deserves to be treated with dignity, and this short term crisis solution provides comfort and warmth to those in the most desperate of times. I’m honoured to be able to support this brilliant initiative along with the Choir of Hope and Inspiration members. I’m sure many of the Choir of Hard Knocks members who have spent time on the streets, would agree if they had a Backpack Bed to keep them warm and give them some form of shelter from the cold, their experience would have been very different.
Proven Patrons
Prof. Steve Keen
Economist
Steve is an Australian economist and author, Head of School of Economics, History and Politics at Kingston University, London. He warned in 2005 that high levels of private debt would cause a serious economic crisis. In 2010 he received the Revere Award from the Real World Economics Review for being the economist who most cogently warned of the coming crisis. Prior to becoming an academic, Steve worked in the media, computing, and overseas aid. His global debt analysis website Steve Keens Debtwatch has 60,000+ subscribers. In 2010 he walked from Australia’s Parliament House to Mount Kosciousko raising money for Backpack Bed for Homeless.
"The economic crisis that has hit the rest of the world hasn’t entirely passed Australia by. If it hits here, we’ll see an increase in homelessness and the direct action undertaken by Backpack Bed for Homeless will be even more important than it is now.” - Prof. Steve Keen
Dr Brandon Gien
Design Expert
Dr. Gien is the CEO of Good Design Australia, an international design promotion organisation that operates Australia’s Good Design Awards program, one of the oldest and most respected design awards in the world. He is also the President of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID), the first Australian to hold this position in the organisation’s 55 year history. ICSID is the world organisation for Industrial Design. It is a non-profit organisation that protects and promotes the interests Industrial Design and has members in over 50 countries, representing the interests of some 200,000 designers worldwide.
Prior to founding Good Design Australia, Dr. Gien was General Manager of Design Strategy and Head of Corporate Services at Standards Australia, recognised by the Government as Australia’s peak standards body.
Dr Gien is a Fellow of the Design Institute of Australia (DIA), Professional member of the Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA), Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), Advisory Board of the Design Research Institute of RMIT University, Design Ambassador to Japan (advocacy role by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion ).
Mick Donaldson
ex-Special Air Services
The majority of Mick's distinguished military career was spent in command and leadership roles which include SAS Patrol Commander and Team Leader. He saw operational service in a number of theatres during his time with the SAS and was awarded commendations for leadership in combat and gallantry.
Mick continues to serve in Special Operations Command in a reserve capacity and holds a Bachelor of Science, post graduate studies in counter-terrorism and is currently undertaking an MBA.
Mick has also provided security for corporates and advised CNN, Fox News, Al Jazeera and the ABC on security, life safety and risk management in hostile and post conflict environments - personally leading several country evacuations in the Middle East.
Mick is an avid outdoor enthusiast and adventurer who regularly participates in, organises and runs ultra-marathons and endurance events. A co-founder and Chief Adventure Officer of TAG International and is a voluntary COO for the charity Wandering Warriors.
Nicole Hewitt Donaldson
Nicole is co-founder and Chief Exploration Officer of TAG International. She also consults with leaders and business owners assisting them to develop a masterful mindset and maximise their potential.
She was the first female soldier in a British Army Infantry Battalion and the first female Officer Cadet assigned to the British Army Infantry Corps, going on to serve with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.
Nicole holds a Bachelor of Education and loves helping people to achieve their best.
USA Board
Backpack Bed for Homeless Inc. is a 501(c)3 charity in the USA
(independent of the Australian charity).
Tony Clark
Founder & President
Tony has twice been nominated Australian of the Year and was honoured as an Australia Day Local Hero by the City of Knox in 2012. He holds a Bachelors in Computing & Information Systems from Monash University in Melbourne - and before founding the charity, was a successful IT entrepreneur with a host of ASX and global brand clients. He has an incredible heart to help those in need. Past Board Member of the Apple Programmers and Developers Association.
Steve Lindstrom
Secretary & Treasurer
Strategist and Innovator for organizations using his extensive skills and experience in developing new innovative strategies, product development, development of management teams to drive outcomes and organizing companies to achieve operational excellence. Knowledgeable of all aspects of Healthcare Reform opportunities and regulations. In depth experience in chronic disease risk management, well-being improvement, physical activity and transitions in care.
Worked extensively with payers, physician groups, healthcare systems and not for profit organizations. Facilitated innovative development of go to market business plans for start ups, mid-size private and divisions of public companies in several industries.
Specialties: Innovation, Brand Development, Tactical Marketing, Strategic Marketing, Services Marketing, Non-Profit Marketing, Business Model Development, Strategic Growth, Idea Generation, Social Innovation, Shared Value Strategy, Healthcare Innovation, Operational Excellence, Strategy Development, Well-Being Improvement Strategies.
Sarah Schuberth
Board Member
Sarah received her B.A. Psychology degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and law degree from Southern Illinois University School of Law.
In her first year of law school, Sarah was selected by the Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation to serve as a Law Clerk for Sandy Gordon, head of the Consumer Protection Task Force in Southern Illinois. In her work there, Sarah helped draft comments to the U.S. Consumer Protection Association to change current consumer protection laws, drafted legal documents, and assisted clients with foreclosures, bankruptcies, and consumer fraud.
Sarah served as President of SIU School of Law’s Intellectual Property Law Society where she received a specialization certificate in Intellectual Property.
Sarah does volunteer work to help the homeless with Project Nashville. She has also volunteered with MusicCares (Grammy Foundation), the Volunteer Lawyers for the Public Arts (Arts & Business Counsel of Greater Nashville) and with the Americana Music Association Festival in 2015.
Ambassadors
Sophia Hughes
Miss Delaware's Teen 2023
Miss Sophia Hughes is a 17 year old with a platform to help the homeless people of Delaware - she has a heart dedicated to giving back.
As Miss Delaware’s Teen, Sophia is increasing awareness of youth homelessness. For her, it's about empowering youth without a voice, ensuring they know they're not defined by their circumstances.
Sophia's journey goes beyond the crown; it's about a cause close to her, the M.A.C (Make a Change) platform, where she passionately advocates for Homelessness.
Why is this cause so significant for Sophia? Let's rewind to her elementary school days, where she faced the challenges of youth homelessness amid the storms of non-permanent housing and bullying. Her personal struggles with bullying and homelessness have only fuelled her desire to be a voice for young people facing similar battles in the community.
Jim Labriola
I played the character Bennie on the hit TV show Home Improvement with Tim Allen. I have been a guest star on many sitcoms such as Love and War, Monty with Henry Winkler and in several movies including the mega hit Santa Clause. A headline act for clubs, casinos across the US and international cruise ships. But the most important thing in my life is to help people less fortunate than myself. Nothing will make you feel more special than helping the needy. It’s not what you say in life – it’s what you do. To be part of the Backpack Bed and watch lives saved in front of me, speaks for itself. I am honoured and blessed to be part of the Backpack Bed team.
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