Friends of Russian Orphans - Supporting Yaroslavl's children

A nonprofit organization for the support of Russian orphans

Directors and advisors

Without the generosity, dedication and commitment from our volunteer board members and advisors, Friends of Russian Orphans would not be able to achieve its mission to help the children of Yaroslavl. We're proud to introduce the FRO volunteer organization to you here.

You can read summaries of the FRO Board of Directors' recent meetings here.

Board of Directors

Samuel Harding, President: Graduate of the Defense Language Institute (Russian), Yale University (BA, Russian Studies), and Indiana University, (MA, Slavic Languages and Literatures). Retired teacher of Russian language, counselor, housemaster, and administrator at The Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, NJ. Frequent traveler to Russia and the former Soviet Union as a student, professional tour guide, consultant, and volunteer. Sam serves on boards of several other nonprofit organizations.

Betsey Harding, Secretary/Treasurer: Retired New Jersey State Community Service Officer, city and regional planner, housing specialist, active community volunteer. Currently, Betsey serves on numerous boards of nonprofit organizations.

	Edward Rowland, Vice President: The Director of Emerging Markets for Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, Ed has worked abroad for many years for major international corporations dealing in food production and marketing. Fluent in Russian, he has spent a great deal of time in Russia negotiating major business ventures and is well aware of the tough realities of making things happen in that country.
	Artemis Joukowsky: After a brilliant thirty-year career as a senior executive of the American International Group, Art is now Chancellor Emeritus and Ambassador of Brown University where he works tirelessly in multiple capacities. His special commitment to philanthropy and community service is demonstrated by his membership in a range of civic, educational, and service organizations. Art's Russian heritage and his fluency in the language make his position on our Board all the more appropriate.
	Andrew Spicer: Andy received his PhD in the field of management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and is presently a professor at the University of South Carolina, Moore School of Business, Sonoco International Business Department. His research focuses on processes of economic reform in post-communist countries, examining the way in which western models of management transfer to post-communist markets and organizations. He has directed the University of California's Education Abroad Program in Russia for the last four years, living half a year in Moscow and half a year in California. He is happy to bring his expertise on US-Russian management interaction to Friends of Russian Orphans.
	Daniel Batten: Dan holds degrees in international relations and English from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, and is currently a technical writer for MYOB US, Inc., and a freelance web designer in Portland, OR. He is an active participant in social causes at home and is a frequent international traveler. Dan first traveled to Russia in 2002 as part of the same Cross-Cultural Solutions program that also introduced Sam and Betsey Harding to Yaroslavl. He designed and maintains the FRO website and is excited about the popularity and positive results generated from the site.
	Jonathan Sparrow: Jonathan is one of two FRO directors actually living in Russia. Jonathan has over 14 years of experience in the Russian and European markets, holding a number of senior-level positions in the area of business development. He has worked with PepsiCo, Millicom, Deutsche Telecom and Accenture, and is currently serving as general director of Nokia Networks Business in Russia.
	Tim Doyle: A teacher of history and Russian language at The Lawrenceville School since 1975, Tim received his M.A. in Russian Studies from Yale University and attended the Russian School of Norwich University and the Russian Language Institute at Bryn Mawr College. He has visited many areas of Russia and the former USSR thirteen times, most often as a group leader with students, and is a longtime member and treasurer of the executive committee of the Mid-Atlantic Slavic Studies Conference. At Lawrenceville he has worked with adolescents as housemaster and advisor, and served as the Dean of Students from 1999 to 2004 overseeing activities, counseling, and discipline.
	Marcus Montenecourt: Marcus began his study of Russian at The Lawrenceville School. He has lived in Russia for nearly 10 years, working in the transportation field. More recently, he founded and served as President of Transolution LLC, a successful firm in Moscow and Washington, D.C. that serves as expediter and intermediary between American and Russian businesses and governmental organizations.

Advisors to Friends of Russian Orphans

Mary Kate Barnes: Director of Development at The Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, NJ. Mary Kate's love of children and expertise in fundraising make her a valuable member of our organization.

Victoria Bursak: A Russian businesswoman living with her husband in the Crimea, Victoria is a graduate of Simferopol State University of Foreign Languages and speaks impeccable English. A former business partner of the late Lawson Hill (a former FRO Board member), she helped FRO through its earliest efforts to make programs work in Russia.

Farnaz Hamadani: With advanced degrees in both Law and psychology, Farnaz has worked in the pharmaceutical industry and as a program coordinator for the International Center at California State Polytechnic University. She has traveled extensively throughout the world, living in Moscow for several years.

Olga Koryakovtseva: Director of the Yaroslavl Regional Youth Informational Center providing support to young children, adolescents and young families in need. Olga has done consulting work for FRO in public relations and program and contract development.

Tom Roberts: A highly respected local CPA in the firm Leone, McDonnell & Roberts in North Conway, New Hampshire, with experience in nonprofit organizations and a strong interest in orphans and, in particular, in Friends of Russian Orphans.

Jerry Saliman: An international business and transactional attorney with extensive in-house and law firm experience. Fluent in French and Russian, Jerry has represented numerous major US companies in many international transactions. From 1991 to 1994 he was regional counsel in Moscow for the Coca-Cola Export Corporation.

Nadjezhda Savelieva: Director of Cross-Cultural Solutions' volunteer program in Yaroslavl. Nadia is fluent in English. She works with the city's orphanages on a daily basis and has valuable experience working with the Yaroslavl city administration.