Board of Directors

To help us along in our mission of helping to free children from poverty and exploitation we have a dynamic, dedicated and experienced board of directors. Through their expertise they provide legal and financial oversight to all of Free The Children's projects and activities.

A MILESTONE YEAR

Letter from Eva and Michelle

It is hard to imagine a year in Free The Children’s history that could surpass this past one.

The dynamic young team that leads the organization delivered some impressive results in 2007. It is time for us to pause as we reflect on the past year and celebrate our major achievements. Perhaps the greatest tribute to our mission this year was the construction of our 500th school! Together these schools give tens of thousands of children a chance at a better and brighter future. Indeed, this is something to celebrate.

This year we also celebrated the gathering of thousands of high school students for our first annual National Me to We Day. We were also pleased to launch a wonderful new joint project with Oprah’s Angel Network called the O Ambassadors program.

But in the past twelve months, we have also experienced challenges, most significantly in Kenya where we maintain a large base of operation. In this time of political instability, the importance of our work became even more significant. We believe that education is the only long-term solution to ensure this kind of violence never happens again.

The Board of Directors is committed to fostering the shameless idealism that abounds at Free The Children. Time has tested and proven our organization’s ability to turn ideas conceived with passion and inspired by profound need into sustainable projects and events that pay profound dividends.

We are pleased to report the successes of 2007 to our friends, supporters and donors who have continued to encourage and urge us forward in our work.

Sincerely,

Eva Haller Chair, Board of Directors USA

Michelle Douglas Chair, Board of Directors Canada

Canadian Board of Directors:

Michelle Douglas – Department of Justice Canada
President of the Canadian Board

Adrian Horwood – Senior Vice President (Communications and Marketing), National Bank Financial

Charlotte Empey – Associate Dean, School of Performing Arts, Humber College

Chris Besse – Vice President, Market Development, Thomson Nelson

Craig Kielburger – Free The Children Founder and Chair

David Sersta – VP Conferences & Tradeshows, ideacCity09, Zoomer Media & The 50Plus Group

Ed Gillis – Legislative Assistant, Canadian House of Commons

Gregory Harmandayan – CFO, Huntech Consultants

Dr. John Gaither – Secondary School Principal (retired)

Jordana Weiss – Student

Kathy Sarafian – President and General Manager, Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) Canada

Lara Steinhouse – Student

Mary Eileen Donovan – (Retired) Superintendent of Education, Toronto Catholic District School Board

Stephanie Kay – Student

American Board of Directors:

Eva Haller – Philanthropist
President of the American Board of Directors

Amy Eldon Turteltaub – Author and Film Producer

Beverly Cooper Neufeld – Former Director, The White House Project

Craig Heimark – Strategic Consultant

Craig Kielburger – Free The Children Founder

David Cohen – Vice President, Counterpart International Inc

Dick Simon – CEO, RCI Inc.

Ernan Roman – CEO and President of Ernan Roman Direct Marketing

Hal Schwartz – Fine Arts Photographer, Graphic Designer

Jessica Mayberry – Youth Representative

Juliet Bryan-Brown – Youth Representative, Student

Prof. Jonathan White – Assistant Professor of Sociology and Political Economy, Bridgewater State College

Josh Cohen – Investment Broker

Libby Heimark – Former Director, The Options Institute

Mary Lewis – Assistant to Dr. Jane Goodall and Vice-President of Outreach, Jane Goodall Institute

Megan Singh – Student, Youth Representative

Monica Yunus – Soprano, The Metropolitan Opera and co-Director, Sing For Hope

Neil Taylor – VP Marketing, Investors Group

Richard Prins – Student, Author and Youth Representative

Virginia Benderley – Author and Philanthropist

Advisory Board of Directors:

Connie Steensma – Chair Emerita, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

Izabel Lam – Designer & Artist

Janice Schoening – VP Editorial, McGraw-Hill Ryerson

Lekha Singh – Photographer, Artist & Author

Leonard Merrill Kurz – Director & Film Producer, Chairman, Forest Creatures Entertainment

Marisa Antonello – Principal Graphic Artist, Turnstyle Imaging

Patricia Gagic – International Artist

Paula Perlis – International Human Activist

Reed Cowan – Founder, Wesley Smiles Coalition
Anchor, Fox 7 Miami Florida

Dr. Yoel Haller – Physician