Meet our team

Our boards

“After experiencing first-hand the terrible plight of some of the world’s most at risk children, I felt compelled to make a difference”. – Founder, Geoff Hucker

Geoff Hucker

Founder

In 2007, Geoff’s professional career as an international pilot dovetailed into his vocational calling – founding and directing Beyond The Orphanage (BTO).

After taking a chance trip to Ethiopia, and experiencing first-hand the extreme hardships facing the country’s orphaned children, Geoff felt emotionally compelled to create change.

Under Geoff’s leadership over the past decade BTO has taken over 1,000 children off the street, and provided them with the support and skills necessary to become independent young adults. His continuing commitment and dedication to the growth of BTO is reflected by the expansion of the program to Nepal in 2015.

SallyAnn Hunting

Chairperson of the Board, Australia

SallyAnn Hunting is an experienced management consultant who has worked with a wide range of organisations in the government, non-government and business sectors in Europe, Asia and Australia.

A regular visitor to the Himalaya, SallyAnn has provided strategy, operational and governance advice to a range of not for profits in the region. She is particularly passionate about creating collaborative partnerships which build the capacity and capability of organisations to be resilient so they can continue to deliver their vital on-ground work.

Dr Raymond Kirk

Chairperson of the Board, USA

Dr. Kirk is president of RS Kirk and Associates, consultants in human services management, research, program evaluation, and training, focusing on evidence-based practice in human services.

Formerly a Professor of Social Work at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, he has held teaching, professional and administrative positions in academe and in government.

His present work involves evaluations of human service delivery systems and consultation with national resource centers in the Children’s Bureau and the Administration for Community Living.

Kate Fewings

Director, Australia and USA

Kate has more than 25 years’ experience as a lawyer and currently works as in-house legal counsel for one of the world’s largest financial services companies.

Outside of volunteering her time to various charitable institutions, she has participated in a number of not for profit projects including school renovation in Nepal, the establishment of a global travel company intended to return money to local communities and housing/building projects for women and girls in crisis across Asia.

Peter Banki

Director, Australia and USA

Peter is a lawyer and mediator specialising in intellectual property and entertainment and media law. He is an experienced disputes advisor and has represented clients at all levels of Australian Courts and Tribunals. He was a founding partner of the law firm Banki Haddock Fiora and is a consultant to the firm.

Peter has been chairman of the Australian Copyright Council and NSW Entertainment Industry Interim Council and a member of the board of Copyright Agency Limited. He has also been a member of committees advising the Australian government on copyright and communications law. He is a member of various Australian professional bodies in the field of intellectual property.

Alexandra Loftus

Director, Australia

Alex’s mission is to help important movements increase their impact with effective and creative content and engagement campaigns. She thrives when helping causes and communities tackle complex social and environmental issues through creative communication and storytelling strategies.

Alex currently leads communications and engagement for the redevelopment of the Sydney Children’s Hospital at Randwick. Previously, she’s worked at The Bravery – one of Australia’s most prominent businesses within the purpose-communications sector.

Dr Natalie Conner

Director, USA

Natalie graduated from Charlotte Country Day School and went on to receive her BA in English Literature from UNC Chapel Hill. She was awarded her Master’s degree from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration, and her Ph.D. from UNC Chapel Hill’s School of Social Work.

In addition to being a researcher, Natalie also holds her clinical license, having worked as a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist with adolescents for nearly 20 years.

Natalie has volunteered with BTO since 2008.

Yasenia Pascual-Buendia

Director, USA

Yasenia has a degree in Science majoring in Non-profit Leadership and Management. She has worked in donor management and with a food bank coordinating with partners and community groups. Yasenia has been on a Board for the LGBTQIA+ community and is a long-term volunteer for a children’s program in Arizona.

She is passionate about working with disadvantaged youth and believes it is important to be part of the solution when it comes to children’s rights and development.

David Rust-Smith

Director, USA

David’s passion is ensuring every child has the opportunity to live a happy and healthy life. David initially volunteered with BTO in 2011, developing a fundraising videogame based on art from kids around the world, including those in BTO’s programs.

Since then David spent time as a Senior Engineer at Google working on mental health research. He currently leads technology standards at Thorn, a non-profit that works to defend children from sexual abuse.

Our Team

Amy Horrocks

Chief Executive Officer, Australia and USA

Dr Bobbie Legg

Director of Child Wellbeing and Trauma

Dr. Bobbie Legg, PhD, LCSW, or Dr. Bobbie as she is fondly known to the children, is a specialist in trauma treatment. Dr. Bobbie has been BTO’s Clinical Director and has traveled regularly to South Asia and Africa to deliver psychological treatment and trauma counselling for our partners since 2017.

Dr. Bobbie serves as a teaching faculty associate in the Graduate School of Social Work at Arizona State University and is a Certified Diplomate through the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. Dr. Bobbie’s career has included living and working with indigenous communities and working with youth in foster care and families facing homelessness and adverse circumstances.

After finishing his education, he returned to his hometown of Birgunj to work on making quality education accessible to the underprivileged children in his community. In the past years, he has worked on several community projects with local NGOs. At BTO, he leads the Empower project to provide digital literacy to the children in our Nepal chapter. He is also a school principal at a local science high school.

Anete Cook

Program Manager

Anete is an international development professional with extensive experience in advocacy and project management. Whilst living and working in various European countries, Kazakhstan and India, she transitioned from a career in international relations and diplomacy to one focused on international development and public health, and has never looked back.

She believes that individual-centred care and long-term commitment is crucial, not just for a child’s immediate well-being, but more importantly for developing self-esteem and self-reliance in the future. Anete feels fortunate to work with such a dedicated team and partner organisations, able to make a visible difference in children’s lives. She currently lives in Sydney, with her husband and young son.

Hannah Smith

Communications Manager

Hannah has over 10 years’ experience in the Communications sector, with a Bachelor of Communications majoring in Writing and Public Relations.

Hannah’s time spent with disadvantaged families in remote parts of Cambodia provide her with invaluable insights into compassion, belonging and the wonderment of the human spirit.

She is grateful to be working alongside the BTO team and community to help better the lives of vulnerable children in Nepal and Kenya.