ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

HELPING HOOPS AGM 2020

Members are invited to vote on the incoming committee.

Date: Tuesday November 24, 2020
Time: 7:00pm
Online: Please email secretary@helpinghoops.com.au for online meeting access details.

COMMITTEE NOMINATIONS

OFFICE BEARING POSITIONS

NIMA SOBHANI – PRESIDENT (ONLY NOMINEE)

Nima Sobhani has over 15 years of experience working at the global nexus of education,  community development, and public policy, as well as expertise at different levels of basketball  operations, from grassroots to high performance programs.

He is currently a Senior Policy and Project Officer for the Department of Education and  Training, Victoria, as part of a branch working on implementing key school reforms through  school improvement and social equity initiatives to support students at risk of finishing school  without the required literacy and numeracy skills for future success.

He holds a PhD in International Education Policy and Leadership, with a focus on the  postcolonial politics of development and the internationalisation of education. Nima also has  extensive experience at a community and program implementation level—as an educator  across primary, secondary and tertiary environments; as a volunteer and coach for Helping  Hoops; and as a coach for Basketball Victoria and the South Sudanese Australian National  Basketball Association.

Nima is a highly-effective verbal and written communicator who values the building of  authentic relationships as a conduit to a truly collaborative approach. He feels strongly about  ensuring a diverse range of views and experiences are represented at all levels of an  organisation, to better reflect and cater to the needs of the community. He is a passionate  advocate of sport for development, and believes that basketball can help build strong and  unified communities, create opportunities for mentorship and meaningful connection, and  serve as a catalyst for life-long education.

He would be honoured to serve on the committee of Helping Hoops as President for the 2020- 2021 year and thanks you in advance for your support.

ERIN WALLACE– VICE PRESIDENT (ONLY NOMINEE)

As GM of Max Events, Erin brings over 14 years experience in delivering major events across multiple sporting codes and clubs. Erin has worked on some of the biggest global sporting events both in Australia and abroad including International Basketball tours, International Football tours, Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games.

A passionate supporter of basketball Erin has played for over 25 years, holds a club coaching accreditation and plays 3 times a week at Nunawading Basketball. Erin has been involved as a volunteer at the Helping Hoops Richmond program since the beginning of 2017 and as a General Committee Member since 2019.

Erin holds a Bachelor of Business in Sport & Leisure Management and an Executive Education from Melbourne Business School.

In applying for the position of Vice President of Helping Hoops Erin sees her value being the combination of the passion she has for the sport coupled with her strong business acumen gained through her experience in major sporting events.

JON TRAYNOR – TREASURER (ONLY NOMINEE)

Jon Traynor is a 15 year accountant/CPA specialising in servicing businesses in the small and medium enterprise space. He is the managing director of The Field Group, an accounting firm in Melbourne’s outer east which services businesses and non for profits with their compliance services with a strong focus on cloud computing. He sits on a number of advice boards and has a passion for helping business owners grow.

Jon is a lifelong basketball enthusiast who has participated in the charity shoot-out for the past 2 years and wants to assist in growing the Helping Hoops program to more communities.

NEIL GRAY – SECRETARY(ONLY NOMINEE)

Neil’s experience in the sports industry is diverse – with his work spanning across Bowls, Cricket and AFL.

His current role as Sport Operation Officers at APS Sport includes leading the Child Protection, OH and S requirements and COVID-19 Return to Sport Responses.

Alongside his achievements at Bowls, Neil is a High Performance Cricket Coach in both Male and Female Grade cricket.

Outside of these official roles, Neil has a young family and enjoys spending time with them.

Neil would be entering his third year on the committee and second year as Secretary. He is a 4 time Shootout participant and loves contributing his experience and time to make Helping Hoops go from strength to strength!

ORDINARY COMMITTEE MEMBER NOMINATIONS

DAVID KOOPMANS

I’ve been on the committee of Helping Hoops for the past 8 years, 7 of those as the President. We’ve come a long way since the early days when Adam McKay first created this amazing vehicle for positive change in the life of kids and young people facing barriers and with the support of the growing community around us, there’s so much more to do. I look forward to putting my energy into helping the team make the best decisions and help create an environment where all can grow. Over the years, I’ve collaborated with the Helping Hoops team, sponsors, donors, fundraisers, fans and my colleagues on the committee to bring a growing number of programs to the community and improve the stability and performance of the organisation. I want to ensure Helping Hoops reaches its potential while looking after all stakeholders, as well as complying with all the relevant laws and regulations to protect the young people we serve and the integrity of the organisation.

I hope to continue to do so in the coming year, as a regular member of the committee.

KRISTEN PENNY

Kristen brings over 16 years in partnerships and marketing in both the tourism, events, sports and music industries. She has worked on major Melbourne events such as the Australian Open, Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, ICC Soccer Championship, ICC World Cup Cricket and the many Boomers events held in Melbourne. Kristen has previously sat on the boards of Arts Mildura and Mildura Country Music Festival, both extremely successful regional event organisations.

Kristen is currently the Partnerships Manager at Netball Victoria and the Melbourne Vixens, overseeing partners such as Puma, RACV, Woolworths, Nissan, Bupa, Deakin University, just to name a few.

Kristen has been involved as an active volunteer at the Fitzroy program of Helping Hoops for over 7 years, and as a Committee member for 5 years.

SANDRA TAY

Sandra has been involved with Helping Hoops since 2013 – as a volunteer, then as the Operations Manager and most recently as a Committee member. In her various roles, Sandra has supported Helping Hoops’ growth and, in turn, Helping Hoops has been instrumental in her personal development. At a personal level, Sandra is most proud of her work growing and strengthening our community of volunteers and developing the 24 Hour Charity Shootout into a flagship community and fundraising event. But the most rewarding part for Sandra is watching children and young people develop their skills and confidence, seeing firsthand the positive impact that Helping Hoops has on participants’ lives.

Sandra has experience in the community sector and youth advocacy, having worked with Helping Hopos, YMCA Victoria and the Victorian State Government’s Office for Youth. She is currently the Senior Youth Development Practitioner with the drum Youth Services (drummond street services), working with young people aged 8-21 on the Collingwood, Fitzroy and Richmond public housing estates. She brings with her an intimate knowledge of community sector, youth engagement and best practice as well as strong sector and community connections.

BRADLEY DAVIDSON

The primary focus of my work in collaboration with the HH team has been around establishing and building new corporate relationships with organisations and individuals that demonstrate an alignment with HH culture, ethos and values.

On my end, I’m proud of the quality and variety of relationships being built over the period to date that I know will benefit the impact HH is making in communities across Melbourne. I have personally established in excess of 35 new relationships for HH. Opportunities that progress closer to actually committing to support HH financially typically go through a client onboarding process in which a presentation is delivered, corporate sponsorship pack is provided and worked through. Furthermore, feedback from Teuila and Clinton to me directly is that so much of the time consuming work it takes to qualify leads that are offering tangible support is all being taken care of by me, opening up more time for Teuila and Clinton to focus on other important things.

COVID unfortunately has impacted Corporate partnerships in a big way, however the positive is that I have been able to build even more new relationships and 2021 looks very promising.I look to bring my in excess of 10 years B2B Sales Management experience, along with a wide and deep network to the HH Committee and be part of leading the organisation into the future.

SOLOMON DECH

I am a diligent and dedicated individual who would like to nominate to join the Helping Hoops committee for the year ahead. I was born and raised in Ethiopia, and at the age of 12, fled war-torn Ethiopia to seek a better life in Australia. I have been fortunate enough to seize the opportunities that have come my way since.

I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Business (Marketing), along with a sport agent licence as well as a real estate licence. I currently work as a Lending Specialist at National Australia Bank, and often find time to give back to the community in my other duties as a Basketball Trainer, a Sports Agent and a Youth Mentor. In the past two years I have served as a South Sudanese Youth Officer (for the South Sudanese Community Australia Victoria) a role that involves planning events, liaising with the youth, running events and preparing relevant reports.

Within the community, I have also volunteered for various community and cultural based organisations, such as the Longhorns and Rhinos basketball clubs, serving as a coach, mentor, and adviser. I am a proud co-founder of the Kuany Kuany Foundation; an organisation that focuses on running free elite basketball camps for individuals aged 8-18 from low socio-economic backgrounds. I have also recently co-founded My Brother’s Keeper; a mental health group aimed at supporting open  dialogue and encouragement of African men and youth.

Through my combined experiences within the professional, social and community sector, I believe I  bring a range of skills and experiences that would make me a valuable asset to the Helping Hoops  Committee. I am highly effective in written and verbal communication, and have proven to be an effective and empathetic listener. I am passionate about equality and community development and  often speaks at forums and schools.