KTF - Board of Directors

Patrick Lindsay - Chairman

Author and documentary maker, Patrick has been a passionate advocate of the story of Kokoda since he first visited the village in 1983 and first walked the Track in 1992. He wrote the best-selling book The Spirit of Kokoda ... Then & Now in 2002. It was an exploration of the Kokoda spirit. He has since written the best sellers: The Spirit of The Digger; Back From The Dead; The Essence of Kokoda; The Spirit of Gallipoli; the It’s Never Too Late series; Cosgrove, Portrait of a Leader; Heart of Champion; and Fromelles. His latest book, Kokoda Spirit, was released in late 2009. His next book, The Coast Watchers, will be published in September 2010. Earlier, he wrote and produced two documentaries on the Kokoda story – Kokoda, The Bloody Track in 1991 and Kokoda, The Last Parade in 1999, along with numerous stories for network television in Australia. Patrick has been chairman of the Foundation since July 2006.

Dr Genevieve Nelson - Executive Director

Genevieve’s psychological background led her to complete her PhD on education in developing countries and the psychological influences of student achievement for students in PNG. During this time she lived in and visited many communities in the catchment area of the Kokoda Track. Genevieve was appointed the Executive Director of the Foundation in January 2009. She is also a registered psychologist with the NSW Psychologists Board and has worked for organisations including the University of Western Sydney (where she holds an adjunct research fellowship) and The Benevolent Society. She is passionate about the people of Papua New Guinea and creating opportunities for those who live along the Kokoda Track and has walked the Track 10 times.

Yahoo Serious - Director

A founding director of the Kokoda Track Foundation, Yahoo has trekked the Track many times, is a friend of local villagers and of many Aussie veterans of the New Guinea campaign. Yahoo Serious was the first Australian to write, direct, produce and star in a major motion picture and has earned an international reputation as one of Australia’s most original and successful independent filmmakers. In 1989 he was the cover of Time magazine. He studied at the National Art School, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters at Newcastle University for his contribution to cinema arts and received the Celebrated Filmmaker Award from Harvard University for his acclaimed worldwide hit Young Einstein.
Yahoo has produced double platinum music albums and created award-winning documentaries. He wrote, directed, produced and starred in the international movies Young Einstein, Reckless Kelly and Mr Accident. An advocate for an Australian Republic, Yahoo designed the all-Australian flag. Dedicated to celebrating the Australian tribe, he finds no story more profound or compelling than the men who save Australia. Serious Productions is currently producing Yahoo’s 4th and most ambitious movie. The sweeping World War 2 epic opens with The Fall of Singapore and the Thai-Burma Death Railway then dramatically journeys the Kokoda Track in an epic adventure of mateship, heartbreak and triumph. Yahoo is passionate to repay Australia’s nearest neighbours, the wonderful people of Papua New Guinea for their help to our young country in its darkest hour.

Peter Robert Thomas - Director

Peter Thomas is a company director and business adviser based in Sydney.
He is a principal in TFG International Pty Limited, a boutique consulting and advisory firm, with clients in both the private and public sectors. 

Peter has a number of board roles including Innovation Australia where he is also the chairman of the Tax Concessions Committee. He is chairman of the Finance and Investment committee of Indigenous Business Australia, a Commonwealth Government entity which invests in projects which assist indigenous communities and provides finance to enable Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders to acquire their own homes. He is also chair of the audit and risk committee of the Australian Solar Institute. He is also on the boards of the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation, the SAMI Group, and the Albert Music Group, a long established privately owned company operating in the music publishing industry. He also serves on the board of the Bluearth Institute and the CatholicCare Foundation.

He walked the Kokoda Track in 2002.

David Frecker - Director

David Frecker is ranked as a "leading individual" by Chambers Global (2007).
David practises as a corporate and commercial lawyer specialising in mining, oil and gas, resources and energy law.
He has worked extensively in Papua New Guinea and is one of the leaders of Blake Dawson Waldron’s PNG practice, servicing clients both in Australia and in PNG. David currently acts for major petroleum and mining companies, advising on the development and financing of resources, energy and infrastructure projects. From his past experience of working within and for government, he has a good understanding of governmental instrumentalities and agencies and well-honed legislative drafting skills. David is a member of AMPLA (the Resources and Energy Law Association) and of the Resources, Energy and Environmental Law Committee of the Law Council of Australia.

Dr Stephen Wearing - Director

Dr. Stephen Wearing is an Associate Professor at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS).
He has taught as Visiting Fellow at a number of Universities in his 25 year career at UTS, including Wageningen University, Netherlands (12 years); Newcastle University Australia (10 years) and Macquarie University, Australia (7 years). Dr Wearing has received awards from Industry and Government for his work in the Leisure and Tourism fields (2007 Frank Steward Award for his major contributions to the Parks and Leisure industry, 1992 from the Costa Rican Government for services to youth, conservation and community). He has been awarded an Australian Teaching and Learning Council Teaching Award (2008) and the UTS Excellence in Teaching Award (2000). At both the World Leisure and Tourism International Centre of Excellence (WICE) and Australian Conservation Training Institute (ACTI) he was given special mention for his teaching. He has served as Chair and Advisor to the Board of Youth Challenge Australia (YCA) (17 years) and Board Member of the Kokoda Track Foundation Board (3 years). Dr Wearing has also served on a number of steering committees for the Sustainable Tourism CRC, WICE and the International Union for Conservation Nature (IUCN) Australasian Chapter. He is a Fellow and Life Member of Parks and Leisure Australasia, and has been editor of the Parks and Leisure Australasia Journal for 10 years. 
He has authored 10 books in the field of leisure and tourism, over 50 refereed papers and a wide range of industry based articles.

Graeme Carroll - Director

Graeme Carroll has been Chief Executive Officer of the RSL & Services Clubs Association, an industry body representing the interests of RSL and services clubs in NSW, for the past eight years.  A major corporate social responsibility project of the Association is the Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge through which clubs sponsor young people on life changing treks retracing the footsteps of our diggers. The Association also oversees Operation CARE which provides soldiers wounded in overseas conflicts and repatriated back to Australia with a short holiday with their families before returning to active service.
After starting out a career in journalism Graeme has gained over 20 years experience in media relations, including a stint as a Ministerial Press Secretary and has an extensive background in development of industry codes of practice and compliance; event organization, music copyright and industry associations.  He joined the Association from Commercial Radio Australia, the peak national industry body for commercial radio operators, where he was responsible for Corporate & Regulatory Affairs. Graeme has a comprehensive understanding of the objectives and management of industry associations with nine years experience gained in the commercial radio industry, and prior to that three years in the national meat industry association where he was primarily focused on government relations and public affairs activities.

Bernie Egan - Director and Honorary Treasurer

Bernie was appointed Honorary Treasurer in September 2006 and director in 2009.
Bernie developed his passionate interest in PNG and the Track when he walked it with one of his sons in 2006 in memory of his late father-in-law.
He spent 35 years with the Reserve Bank of Australia followed by 5 years with the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.
Since 2008 he has consulted to Ernst and Young and undertaken a number of missions with the International Monetary Fund.
He is currently an advisor to Promontory Financial Group.

Content © The Kokoda Track Foundation 2009   |   Email : gen.nelson@kokodatrackfoundation.org for more information