Australia’s Ambassador to the US Mr Arthur Sinodinos has become The Fred Hollows Foundation’s inaugural patron in America.
Sinodinos, AO, will collaborate with the foundation’s US office to raise awareness and support its aim to end avoidable blindness worldwide.
“I’m proud to be The Fred Hollows Foundation’s very first patron in America and to support them in the United States as another sign of our strong bilateral ties,” he said.
“The foundation is an iconic charity and wonderful example of Australian innovation, with a growing presence in the US. With a vision of a world where no one is needlessly blind or vision impaired, the foundation is tackling the world’s largest unaddressed health issues – poor vision – with large-scale, transformative interventions designed to restore sight to millions.”
Sinodinos assumed his posting in Washington in February this year after serving as Australia’s Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science and as a Senator for New South Wales from 2011 to 2019.
During his parliamentary career, he held other key roles in and outside cabinet, including Cabinet Secretary and Assistant Treasurer. He was also the senior economic adviser to Prime Minister John Howard in 1996 and appointed as his chief of staff in 1997, a position he held for nine years.
Fred Hollows CEO Mr Ian Wishart said the not-for-profit was “privileged” to have Sinodinos on board.
“There is powerful alignment between what we seek to do: forge bonds of altruism and hope, that Australia and the US can bring to the rest of the world,” he said.
“The commitment of the late Professor Fred Hollows to finding practical, cheap and scalable solutions for ending avoidable blindness has helped restore sight to more than 2.5 million people since the foundation’s inception in 1992. We’re proud that Ambassador Sinodinos backs this vision.”
Fred Hollows head of North America Ms Elena Pak said the organisation has an increasing presence in the US.
“The foundation has an impressive footprint globally, and yet it is a newcomer in the US,” Pak said.
“America has long been a global leader in philanthropy and social impact and together we aim to close an eyecare gap for the world’s most marginalised communities, including women and girls.
“Ambassador Sinodinos’ endorsement as our patron is a huge encouragement for our work and we are honoured to have his support.”
