Directors, Members and Helpers

The Directors and Board Members are:

Janet Williams (President)

Janet moved here from Massachusetts in 1987 and owns and manages a small apartment complex in the Playa Chiquita area where she also lives. She has been employed by the Coconut Palms Resort for 14 years as office manager of the marketing department.  Janet, as one of our founding members, has been involved with the Sosúa Kids program since its inception.  Before becoming President, she was Treasurer of the Association and has been responsible for the keeping the books, printing and depositing school uniform and supplies vouchers as well as multi-tasking along with the other members of the Association.

Barb Andersen (Vice-President)

Barb and her husband have owned property in Sosua for many years and moved here to live several years ago.  Barb is one our founding members, having been involved with Sosua Kids since its inception as an informal group of volunteers in 2000.  For several years she and her husband owned the Britannia Bar in Sosua, where their support for Sosua Kids, soliciting funds from tourists and local residents alike, made them probably the best-known faces of the Association. Over the years they have been much involved in the annual process of distributing the vouchers for uniforms and supplies to the children we support.  Barb became Vice-President in 2009 when Sosua Kids was formally established as a non-profit association and she returned to this role in January 2011 after a short break.

Jenni Paulger (Treasurer)

Jenni was the founding Secretary of Sosua Kids when it was formally established as a non-profit association in 2009 but gave up this responsibility in order to concentrate in assisting with fund-raising activities. In January 2011 she was appointed Treasurer, a role she combines with coordinating fund-raising.

She is a retired member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and before retirement worked for professional accountancy firms, for a large UK university and for one of the profession's regulatory bodies.  Since retiring she has only carried out pro bonowork for charities and similar organisations.

When younger she spent some of her free time working in Night Shelters for the homeless and at Soup Kitchens.  She was a volunteer with the Samaritans for a number of years and with her husband fostered over 50 children in a two year period in the 1980s. 

John Bosworth (Secretary and Website Editor)

John, who is the husband of Sosua Kids Treasurer Jenni Paulger, worked for 25 years in the academic administration of a large UK university.  During this period he acted as secretary to a range of university boards and committees including the university senate, drafting regulations and policy proposals, ensuring that accurate records were maintained and that decisions taken were carried out.  He headed a unit responsible for teaching quality audit arrangements.

John joined the Sosua Kids Board when the non-profit association was formally established in 2009; he became secretary in 2010.

He claims to have no previous experience to qualify him for his other role as web site editor but says that he enjoys the challenge.

Linden Andersen

Linden is married to Vice-President Barb Andersen and, like her, was a founding member of Sosua Kids and is one of its best known faces.  Although no longer running the Britannia Bar, he can now regularly be found working at Donovan's Reef Bar and Grill. He became a member of the Sosua Kids Board when it was set up in 2009.  He provides practical help to the association whenever possible and can give information and advice to visitors.

Dave Auffret

Dave was born in Jersey, Channel Islands and has worked as an aircraft engineer for around 40 years, about half of this time overseas. He lives in Sosúa with his family, Carmen, Margarita, Roberto and Alan. He is Station Engineer (Manager) for Thomson Airways Engineering and handles maintenance in the Dominican Republic at Puerto Plata, Samaná and La Romana airports.  He is well-known around town and, although his work now regularly takes him away from Sosua, he provides practical assistance to the association whenever he can.  He joined the Board of Sosua Kids when it was established in 2009.

Thomas Behl

Thomas was born in Berlin, emigrated to Canada and now lives, with his wife Maureen, in Calgary, Alberta.  They have been involved in raising funds for Sosua Kids since 2001 and were among the first people appointed  by the Board as "Patrons" of Sosua Kids early in 2011.  Since then they have purchased property in Sosua and try to avoid the bitterly cold winters in Canada.

A Family Counselor and Registered Social Worker, Thomas is the Executive Director of Harvest Child and Family Services in Calgary.  He also consults and works with families for the Boys and Girls Club of Aidrie and is an active board member for the Airdrie, Crossfield and Area Youth Justice Committee.  Past experience includes Chair of The Social Work Advisory Committee at Mount Royal University, Director of "Friends of The Magi" Christmas hamper program and Chair of the official board for a large Calgary church.  Thomas joined the Board of Sosua Kids in November 2011.

Sosua Kids Board members meeting in early 2010.  On this occasion they were joined by two of our founders who are no longer actively involved on a day-to-day basis, Michelle Bennett (standing) and Harry Pryce (far right). Missing from the photo are John Bosworth (who took the photo) and Jenni Paulger.

In addition to our Board members, Sosua Kids has an informal network of Helpers.  These are mainly local residents or regular visitors who make themselves available as and when they can to help us, for example with fund-raising events or with the practical work involved in distributing vouchers and school supplies to children.  Our Chief Fundraiser is Maggie Blackman, who co-ordinates arrangements for  major fundraising events in Sosua.