A lot’s been happening at the AKF office lately. We have said good-bye to Jane Mathers, who served the Foundation for over 17 years and welcomed new people. Yes! The AKF has had a make-over. It has a new face and a new team, even so the spirit remains the same.

Before we say hello to all the new staff, we would like to re-introduce you to Jane. She was the tech brain at the AKF and also managed the online store and Save the Koala Shop.

Here is what CEO Deborah Tabart OAM had to say about Jane. “After many years of loyal service Jane has decided to move to a new stage of her life. Many of our day to day practices are a result of her commonsense and pragmatic approach to life. I remember very well when Jane said we needed a website and I asked her why. Jane went ahead and built our original site. Many of you who will miss her found us through that incredible portal.”

Now let’s roll out the red carpet for Menno, Matthew, Kate, Jasmin, Laure and Sherilyn– six vibrant young people with a host of new ideas and a variety of new world skills. Welcome aboard team!

Menno from the Netherlands is the project manager. He oversees the team and all the projects here at the AKF. He also keeps an eye on the rest of us and ensures we meet our deadlines. Matthew from Australia is the graphic designer. Matthew always has fresh, creative ideas up his sleeve. The Facebook caricatures and the beautiful ads you see in the newspapers, that’s him.

Next in line we have the newest members of the public relations team- Kate from Australia and Jasmin from Germany. Kate’s professional style is beyond compare.  One word that describes Jasmin is persistent. She won’t give up or give in.

We also have a number of dedicated volunteers including Sherilyn- who is here to learn about our processes and soak in as much information as possible. There is also, Laure, our lovely PR intern who has come all the way from France to work for us and with us. Way to go Laure. Merci beaucoup!

Australia, Netherlands, Germany and France – that’s four countries advocating for the koalas. We are the League of Nations here and the AKF is borderless indeed.

So, with a new team, new dreams and new supporters; how could we not revitalise the office space too? We tidied up the entire place and brought some comfy, second hand furniture in. The place is looking spick and span and still has plenty of character with stuffed koalas dotted all over.

We have to admit there’s a cool ambience about now with the wooden floors, colourful walls and million-dollar smiles. Tell you what, if you are in Brisbane, drop by the office and say hello to the fantastic six.

                                                                                                                                                                     Clockwise from the top: Menno, Laure, Sherilyn, Matthew, Kate and Jasmin