Bernard Jonson – nominated for the church council
My name is Bernard Jonson and I am from Stockholm. I moved to Melbourne, Australia in 1984.
My connection to and contact with the Swedish Church has varied over the years but has become more important over the past 15 years and especially the last four years. I visit the church quite often as I really appreciate the environment and fellowship, as well as all the activities the church offers. The presence of the Swedish Church is very important.
I help with activities at the church when I can, and if elected to the church council I see it as another way to help and contribute.
I am an engineer and currently work as a network engineer.
My experience of community work includes being a committee member in an amateur theatre group and a housing association (Owners Corporation), and currently as a committee member in an Owners Corporation.
Mikael Friberg – nominated for the church council
My name is Mikael Friberg and I am from Gothenburg, Sweden. I arrived in Australia in January 1996 as one of the first seven Swedes to attend Blue Mountains Hotel Management School in Leura, NSW. That same year I completed a six-month internship and worked at the Grand Hyatt here in Melbourne, which led to me moving here after graduating in 1998.
But my family’s connection to Melbourne and the Swedish Church goes further back, to the 1950s, when my late father arrived here on a Swedish cargo ship and liked Melbourne so much that he decided to stay, eventually spending six years in Australia. He used to tell many stories about his visits to the Swedish Church and how he played football for the church against other Swedish crews visiting the city.
The church was also where he met and became friends with a woman named Laura, an Australian with a strong interest in Sweden and Swedish culture. When it was time for my father to return to Sweden, Laura asked if she could come with him, and she did. She lived for a time with my grandparents and later fell in love with and married my father’s brother. Laura still lives in Gothenburg and has three daughters.
My own connection to the Swedish Church is also strong. My children were baptised there, and it has been a central part of our Swedish connection over the years, through countless Midsummer celebrations, Christmas bazaars, and the children’s Swedish school. These days I spend most Saturdays there while the children attend Swedish school at Toorak Primary School.
What I would bring to the church council is over 35 years of experience in the entertainment and hospitality industries, having worked for some of the largest operators in both Gothenburg and Melbourne.
Markus Nybom – nominated for the church council
My name is Markus Nybom. I am a Swedish-speaking Finn with a background in both Finland and Sweden, and I moved to Australia in 2015. I live in Melbourne with my partner Leili and my two sons, Andreas and Oscar, who were both born in Stockholm. Many of you have probably seen me at church or in school contexts.
I hold a master’s degree in economics and have also studied winemaking in Spain for a year. Most of my career has been in the wine industry and retail, but I also spent six years at ASKO Appliances, where I was responsible for business with property developers and construction companies in Australia. Today I work with implementing artificial intelligence at Endeavour Drinks Group in Melbourne.
I have previous experience in community work from my student years and have also served as treasurer in my owner’s corporation in Årsta.
I am not personally religious, but the Swedish Church in Melbourne still holds a natural place in my family’s life. It has been part of our lives since the children were young and is an important link to my own upbringing. The church in Toorak is, in my view, a gathering place – somewhere people can feel at home, maintain a connection to Sweden, and practise their faith in a familiar environment.
For a period, I chose to focus on family and work and was therefore not active in community associations. However, when the question of the church’s future in Toorak arose, I felt I wanted to contribute if I could. I am therefore standing for the church council and would contribute my experience in negotiation, project analysis and strategy.
Eleonore Snell – member of the board
My name is Eleonore Snell and I have lived in Melbourne since 2008. I am married to an Australian and have two grown-up children, both of whom attended Swedish school throughout their upbringing.
The Swedish Church has always meant a great deal to our whole family, with its traditions and the network it creates for Swedes abroad. I would very much like to help and contribute now that I have more time.
I have a degree in business and have a broad background in finance, marketing and business development. I currently work at RED Fire Engineers. In my spare time, I play a lot of football.
Kristina Karlsson – member of the board
I am an organisational and workplace relations practitioner with legal training, experienced in advising within complex public sector environments. I am a former member of NIODA's Board of Governance contributing to strategic oversight and governance.
I would like to stand as a board member to support the ongoing life of the Church and its community, which is important for many Swedes and their families in Australia.
My connection to the Swedish Church in Melbourne is longstanding and intergenerational, beginning with my father's migration to Melbourne from Sweden in 1958 and continuing through my parents' marriage, my own marriage and my christening there.
I appreciate the important role the Church plays in the lives of many Swedes and their families in Australia, sustaining faith, identity, culture, and belonging.
As a member of Swedish Church Australia Ltd, I would bring considered and constructive involvement, supporting the Church's mission and community life.
Karin Munro – member of the board
My name is Karin Munro and I have lived in Melbourne since 2007, when I moved here with my husband from England.
I started attending the Swedish Church’s women’s evenings in 2009, where I met my best friend. Later, we brought our children to Thursday lunches followed by singing and play sessions.
When my daughter started Swedish school, I spent Saturdays at the church with the other mothers. In recent years, I have helped with sandwiches at the Christmas bazaar and now also help at Midsummer and other events when needed.
A bit about myself: I am a mechanical engineer and work with design drawings in the dairy industry, which I have done for nearly 20 years. In my free time I enjoy reading, sewing quilts, spending time in nature and watching a good film. My family consists of my husband and daughter.
