Aliyya Shelley
Aliyya Shelley is as comfortable teaching a class on life skills to a group of teenagers in rural Latin America as at her desk in Corte Madera, California. It is this ease, coupled with her passion for leveling the playing field in education that drives her work with the PaperSeed Foundation. Aliyya manages all day-to-day operations of the foundation, overseeing the administration and fundraising, while seeking out and managing projects.
Aliyya has over ten years of experience in the fields of education, international development and gender equality. Before taking over the helm of PaperSeed, she worked with underserved public schools in California, in gender-based violence prevention, education and response at the University of California, and taught middle school as a Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Guatemala. A dual-national of the United States and the United Kingdom, she holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Peace and Conflict Studies (concentration in conflict resolution), from the University of California, Berkeley, and is currently undertaking graduate level study.
“I believe that changing the world starts with empowering individuals to change their own lives. My hope is to support children and young people dreaming big and reaching their goals, in a world where real opportunity is accessible and goes on to multiply exponentially.”
Thomas Hedberg
Thomas Hedberg has more than 30 years of experience in pulp and paper marketing. He is currently Deputy Chairman of the CellMark Group Board of Directors and has been on the Board of Directors since he co-founded the company in 1984. He is responsible for acquisitions and strategy. He is currently Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Bjork.Eklund Group AB, and has previously served on the Boards of Atlantica AB, Crossroads AB, Basic Chemicals Solution LLC, and Hills Golf Club AB. Thomas holds a degree in economics and finance from the University of Gothenburg.
“Common goals and tasks unify people. PaperSeed is to me an effort to unite employees and business partners in a common goal to improve the conditions for children. What better common task can you have!”
Michel Robert
In 1979 Michel Robert created Yucca Farm (later Sobelco Plants), an ornamental plant nursery in Honduras dedicated to growing and exporting ornamental plants from Central America into the US and Europe; it was during this period that he first became aware of the needs of rural populations in Central America. He then became President of BMA Paper, Inc., a supplier of Paper & industrial parts to the paper industry in the Caribbean basin. BMA was acquired by the CellMark Group in 1995 where he continued as Executive Vice President of the Latin America Paper Division until 2011. PaperSeed was created by Michel and his wife in 2000 with their first project in El Mezquital in Guatemala.
“I believe PaperSeed should be the catalyst to motive local business partners in joining us in the education of children in each country where we work. Childhood is the greatest moment of our life, a short but magical time. We must prepare children for the future as well as providing them with numerous opportunities for love, joy and laughter.”
Mitra Farr
Mitra Farr has been with CellMark for 9 years as the VP of Finance and Operations. Prior to joining CellMark, she held finance leadership positions at companies such as Sovran Bank, FritoLay International, and Levi Strauss. She has sponsored several projects through the Levi’s Foundation that focused on serving children of single mothers who lived in shelters.
“I am very excited to serve on the Board of PaperSeed as it is a wonderful opportunity to make a fundamental impact in the future of underprivileged children. I am planning to actively participate in PaperSeed projects in all and any ways that I can.”
Kelly Ng
Kelly Ng is the Finance Director of CPA Singapore and fellow member of ACCA; she has worked in forestry companies overseeing finance and administration for the last 17 years and holds globally recognized professional accounting qualifications in ACCA. Kelly feels that providing education to underprivileged children in underdeveloped and developing countries is an invaluable gift to their future.
“I felt very honored to be invited to be a voice on the board of PaperSeed, it enables me to be part of the solution for Asian children.”
Joseph Hoffman
Joe Hoffman has been involved in the forest products business since joining Fraser Papers in Stamford, CT in 1989. In 1992 he went to work for Perkins Goodwin in New York City and then joined CellMark when Perkins Goodwin was acquired in 1999. In 2008 he became the head of the CellMark Paper Division. He holds a degree in business from Boston College and lives in Norwalk, Ct with his wife Donna and daughter Katelyn Sara.
“I was very fortunate to be raised in a strong family with tremendous resources and opportunities available to me. There are so many children that have so much less and I believe it is our inherent responsibility to give back. Not only give back , but create, fund and develop real opportunities for the less fortunate. We do business in these parts of the world and its imperative we make every effort to help all those that we can.”