Christine Baingana

CEO, Urwego Bank (Rwanda)

Christine joined HOPE in 2010 to work with HOPE’s savings group programs, going on to serve as Africa regional director of savings group programs and providing business development leadership to various HOPE departments. In 2017, Christine stepped into the role of CEO for Urwego Bank, HOPE’s microfinance institution in Kigali, Rwanda. She holds a master’s in public administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government; a bachelor’s of business administration from Newport University, U.K.; and a diploma as an associate of business executives from Cavendish College, London. Christine’s professional background includes over 20 years of experience in financial services, corporate management, and development work.

While working in Kigali, Rwanda, from 1995 to 2009, Christine held the following positions: program manager at Tulane International LLC; managing director of the privatized national printing company (INR); director of banking operations at the Bank of Commerce, Development, and Industry; and senior manager for the Credit Card Department, where she launched the first electronic payment service in the country. Christine has four children: Keza, Rama, Muco, and Wera.

Christophe Bimenyimana

Country Director, HOPE Burundi

Christophe Bimenyimana is the country director of HOPE Burundi, having previously served as the spiritual integration manager and operations manager at Turame Community Finance. Since 2008, he has helped tp pastor his local church and share his knowledge of microfinance with many congregations. Christophe is passionate about serving underserved communities. Even from a young age he supported many farmers in his village to form associations and get appropriate support from development actors. Christophe holds a degree in economics from Universite Sagesse d’Afrique and a diploma in biblical studies from the Institut Biblique Enseignemoi. He and his wife, Jeannette, are the proud parents of five daughters: Samuella, Christella, Lucky Laurette, Josette, and Daniella.

Peter Brinkerhoff

Regional Director of Eastern Europe Microfinance Institutions

​Since starting with HOPE in 2004, Peter has served in a number of roles, bringing to each position a deep love of the Lord, strong analytical skills, and extensive field perspective. Peter served 4.5 years in the Democratic Republic of Congo; provided technical assistance in the Republic of Congo and Haiti; and led the listening, monitoring, and evaluation team. He also provided invaluable financial analysis and due diligence in 2016 when HOPE became majority shareholder of Urwego Bank and Turame Community Finance, our longstanding microfinance partners in Rwanda and Burundi, respectively. In his current role, Peter oversees HOPE-network microfinance institution programs and partners in Eastern Europe. He has an MBA from the University of North Carolina and currently lives in Durham, NC.

Claire Brosius

Director of Strategic Initiatives

Claire Brosius serves as the director of strategic initiatives at HOPE International. In this role she serves as “air traffic controller” for senior leadership discussions and decision-making and leads strategy development. Her experience since joining HOPE in 2014 includes facilitating organization-wide strategic planning, crafting crisis communication, administering internal assessments, designing trainings, contributing to change management processes, and strengthening governance systems. In addition to her work at HOPE, Claire is a writer and has been published in Christianity Today alongside Chris Horst.

Claire holds a degree in philosophy from Wheaton College in Illinois. She is an avid Star Wars fan and lives with her husband, Tim, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Ruth Callanta

President, Center for Community Transformation (Philippines)

Even as a young woman, Ruth Callanta was deeply concerned about helping those in poverty. This spurred her to move from being a student volunteer in the 1960s to being an activist, program implementer, educator, and consultant on poverty alleviation to international agencies in the 1980s.

After realizing the emptiness of development work not anchored in Jesus Christ, Ruth founded the Center for Community Transformation in 1992, a nongovernmental organization that ministered to entrepreneurs in poverty through microfinance. CCT has since evolved into a group of ministries that also serves homeless families, children and youth, orphans, indigenous people, factory workers, and informal service workers through integrated services undergirded by a strong spiritual development program.

Ruth graduated with distinction with a master’s degree in management from the Asian Institute of Management. Her work and passion for the spiritual, social, and economic transformation of impoverished Filipino families have been recognized by governmental, academic, and business circles. Ruth is the recipient of numerous awards and wrote Poverty: The Philippine Scenario published in the Philippines in 1988 and translated into Japanese a year later.

She and her husband, Ed, have two sons and six grandchildren.

Jesse Casler

Chief Operating Officer

Jesse has been with HOPE since 2004. He has a B.A. from Eastern Nazarene College and both an M.A. and an MBA from Boston University. The field of microfinance falls at the intersection of these degrees, combining Jesse’s heart for developing countries and his business expertise. Prior to and during his graduate work, Jesse gained experience in international banking at State Street Corporation’s international headquarters in Massachusetts and later at a subsidiary of Advent Software. He has traveled extensively throughout Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America working in the finance, accounting, operations, and administration teams while at HOPE. He has served as a church board member and treasurer and is deeply committed to HOPE’s Christian mission. Jesse and his wife, Krista, live in Lancaster, PA, with their two children.

Dabbs Cavin

HOPE Board Member; Former CFO, Mountaire Corporation

A long-term friend of HOPE, Dabbs brings significant experience in banking, finance, education, and international service to his role on HOPE’s board. From 2013 to 2018, Dabbs served as the chief financial officer of Mountaire Corporation, a large, vertically integrated poultry company, and he continues to serve on Mountaire’s board of directors. Dabbs has also been active in commercial banking in a variety of senior executive and board positions for over 20 years. In 2006 and 2007, Dabbs and his wife, Mary, moved their family to Rwanda, where he served as CEO of Urwego Bank. While living in Kigali, the Cavins also helped establish Kigali International Community School, Rwanda’s first English-language international school. Dabbs and Mary were founding members of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Little Rock, AR, in 1998, the first Anglican church in the U.S. to receive oversight from an African bishop, Bishop John Rucyahana. They have two grown children and live in Little Rock.

Micah Crist

Senior Director of Microfinance

After graduating with an international business degree from Messiah University, Micah Crist joined the HOPE team as a finance and accounting assistant, before transitioning to a data analyst role. He was promoted to the roles of technical advisor, senior microfinance specialist, Africa assistant regional director, and managing director of HOPE Congo. Moving from Congo back to Lancaster in 2018, he now serves as HOPE’s senior director of microfinance.

Peter Greer

President & CEO

Peter Greer is the president and CEO of HOPE International, a global Christ-centered economic development organization serving throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.

Prior to joining HOPE, Peter worked internationally as a microfinance adviser in Cambodia and Zimbabwe and as managing director for Urwego Bank in Rwanda. He received a B.S. in international business from Messiah University and an MPP in political and economic development from Harvard’s Kennedy School.

Peter’s favorite part of his job is spending time with the entrepreneurs HOPE serves—whether harvesting coffee with farmers in Rwanda, dancing alongside savings groups in Haiti, or visiting the greenhouses of entrepreneurs in Ukraine.

As an advocate for the Church’s role in missions and alleviating extreme poverty, Peter has co-authored over 10 books, including Mission Drift (selected as a 2015 Book Award Winner from Christianity Today), Rooting for Rivals (selected as a 2019 Leadership Resource of the Year in Outreach magazine), The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good (selected as one of the top 40 books on poverty by WORLD Magazine), Created to Flourish (which his mom reviewed with five stars and a smiley face emoji), The Gift of Disillusionment, and Lead with Prayer.

More important than his role at HOPE is his role as husband to Laurel and dad to Keith, Liliana, Myles, and London. While his sports loyalties remain in New England, Peter and his family live in Lancaster, PA.

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Corinne Han-Danforth

Regional Director of Asia Microfinance Institutions

​Corinne’s extensive experience spans Fortune 100 companies, medium-sized enterprises, and nonprofits, including regional roles with both American Express and Standard Chartered Bank. She joined HOPE in 2019 and currently oversees HOPE-network microfinance programs and partners in the Asia region. Prior to joining HOPE, Corinne worked with PEER Servants, supporting Invest Credit, HOPE’s partner in Moldova, on its digital journey. She is based in Boston, MA.

Becky Svendsen Harbaugh

Director of Marketing

Becky Svendsen Harbaugh first joined HOPE as an intern in 2007 after graduating from Grove City College, where she studied psychology and Christian thought. She rejoined the team a few months later as a grant writer on the development team. Her tenure has included leading teams responsible for grant management, donor communication, brand management, and promotions. In 2020, she assumed the role of director of marketing.

Becky is passionate about sharing the stories of men and women overcoming poverty, isolation, and hopelessness. She has traveled extensively to meet and learn from those HOPE serves and embraced opportunities to welcome global neighbors closer to home as a volunteer aiding refugees in the resettlement process. Becky also actively volunteers with her church and serves on the board of Lititz Christian School, where she helps equip the local church to show Christ’s love to the world around them. Becky and her husband, Luke, live in Lancaster, PA.

Alisa Hoober

HOPE Board Member; Partner, Generations of Hope LLC

Alisa has known of HOPE International since its founding and participated in her first HOPE Trip when she was in third grade. Since then, Alisa has visited multiple HOPE programs around the world and served on staff for 10 years—first on the administration team, then as a recruiter, and most recently as manager of the human resources team. Alisa holds an undergraduate degree in organizational communications from Cedarville University and also serves on the board of Tomorrow Clubs International. Alisa embodies serving with excellence and brings deep knowledge of the history and mission of HOPE. She and her husband, Clark, have three daughters.

Lesly Jules

Savings Group Regional Director

Lesly Jules is the regional director of HOPE’s savings group programs in Haiti and West Africa and has 25 years of experience in community and economic development. With a master’s degree in entrepreneurship and a Ph.D. in leadership and mastery of change, Lesly is also the principal author of three management books; the latest is a handbook for church management. In his previous role as country director for HOPE Haiti, Lesly was instrumental in securing legal registration, leading the strategic plan process, strengthening human resource and finance processes, and helping build capacity in the local staff, volunteer church facilitators, and field coordinators. He and his wife, Kerline, are proud parents of their son, Oliver.

Francis Kaitano

Country Director, HOPE Zimbabwe

​In his role as country director, Francis has big dreams for the savings group program in Zimbabwe: “I see the Church being able to deliver effectively in a holistic sense. I see previously unreached communities getting to know Christ through this ministry. I see previously economically marginalized groups becoming more and more productive.” Francis brings to HOPE over 18 years of practical experience in the development sector, having previously served as program officer with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Harare, Zimbabwe; project coordinator, programs manager, and executive associate with World Vision International Zimbabwe; and programs director with World Vision International Sierra Leone. He holds a bachelor’s degree in rural and urban planning from the University of Zimbabwe and an MBA in leadership development from Eastern University in the U.S. Francis and his wife, Esther, have two sons and live in Harare.

Chilobe Kalambo, CPA

HOPE Board Member; President and Managing Director, Kalambo Consulting

Chilobe Kalambo is the president and managing director of Kalambo Consulting, a full-service accounting, tax, finance, and consulting firm that services clients across a number of industries. Prior to founding Kalambo Consulting, Chilobe worked in industry, consulting, and a Big Four accounting firm, gaining experience in finance and information technology. Chilobe has lived and worked in various countries in Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa.

Chilobe was born and raised in Zambia but moved to the United States, where he earned a B.S. in accounting from Messiah University and an MBA in finance from Eastern University. A certified public accountant (CPA) and certified information systems auditor (CISA), Chilobe also holds a master’s in biblical studies and theology from Dallas Theological Seminary.

Chilobe and his wife, Megan, are the proud parents of Caleb, Eliana, Naomi, and Levi. They live in Houston, TX, where Chilobe both practices public accounting and serves as a teaching pastor. He also serves on the boards of Ten Thousand Villages, No Borders Houston, and the Global Initiative for Better Health.

Will Kendall

Director of Savings Group Program Development

Will Kendall joined HOPE in 2013 after working with the Chalmers Center in West Africa launching church-centered savings group programs. Currently he supports an amazing group of leaders on the savings group (SG) program development team who oversee our growing SG Multiply partnership program, SG agriculture portfolio, and our work on program design, innovation, and training. Will has spent much of the last 9+ years at HOPE directly supporting our field programs and partners around the world and loves working alongside such a dedicated team.

Andriy Kopyl

Managing Director, HOPE Ukraine

Andriy has been serving at HOPE since March 2010. Prior to his time on the Ukraine team, he served as a lawyer at his father’s firm. Andriy has earned four university degrees in law, management, marketing, and EU finances. He is also pursuing a master’s degree in marketing. He is passionate about the work of HOPE and loves to see how the Lord uses the team in Ukraine to change the lives of clients and their families. He lives with his wife and their son, Markiian Thor, and enjoys sharing his love of American football with his family.

Douglas Kulaisi

Country Director, HOPE Malawi

Douglas Kulaisi holds a Master of Arts in rural social development from Reading University, an MBA in organizational leadership from Eastern University, and a bachelor’s degree in social science from the University of Malawi. He joined the HOPE Malawi team when the savings group program started in July 2013. Prior to this position, Douglas worked with Catholic Relief Services Malawi, World Vision Swaziland, and World Vision Malawi. A native of Malawi, Douglas brings strong expertise and leadership to the HOPE Malawi team as they work to provide those in underserved areas with access to the Gospel and financial services.

Jieun Lee

Director of Savings Group Partnership

Jieun Lee serves as a Director of Savings Group Partnership at HOPE International. In her role, she leads a team of global consultants who support missionally-aligned partners to integrate and launch savings groups. In addition to 12 years of experience in international ministry, Jieun has an M.Ed in international education policy and management from Vanderbilt, a ThM and an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary. She, her husband, Paul, and her son, Ezra, live in Lancaster, PA.

Cathi Linch, CPA, CGMA

HOPE Board Member; Executive Vice President, MidFirst Bank

​Cathi serves at MidFirst Bank as executive vice president and director of mortgage operations. Prior to this role, she served as chief financial officer for Life.Church, a multi-site church and creator of the YouVersion Bible app. It was in this role that Cathi first connected with HOPE while helping to direct the church’s global mission initiatives. Prior to joining Life.Church, Cathi worked as a senior manager with KPMG’s assurance and advisory services practice. She also serves as a member of the City of Edmond Community Agency Review Commission. Cathi and her husband, Brian, have three children.

Anna Makundi

Country Director, HOPE Tanzania

Anna joined HOPE International in August 2022. She brings rich local and international experience in programming and teaching. She has managed projects under World Vision Tanzania, the East African Community, the Africa Center of Excellence in Teaching and Agriculture, and the African Union Commission. As a regional trainer in public policy and project management at MS Training Center for Development Cooperation, Anna delivered short courses to various development practitioners in the East, West, and Horn of Africa regions. Anna also worked for the Tanzanian Ministry of Agriculture as a researcher for 10 years.

Anna has a training background in Agriculture from Sokoine University-Tanzania and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Victoria University of Wellington-New Zealand. She also attended various development short courses in various institutions in Europe and Tanzania. Anna has a great passion for sustainable agriculture, nature conservation, and women and youth economic empowerment. Anna and her husband, Hans George Makundi, live in Arusha together with their three sons.

Gideon Maniragaba

Africa Associate Regional Director

Gideon Maniragaba has served with HOPE since 2014, initially as director of operations at HOPE Congo, where he helped lead the program through significant growth and quality improvements. From 2016 to 2023, Gideon served as managing director at Turame Community Finance, and now serves as Africa associate regional director, providing leadership to HOPE’s regional microfinance institutions. Previously, Gideon was the business growth and development manager at Equity Bank Uganda Limited for nearly three years before serving as operations manager with Five Talents Uganda, a Christ-centered economic development organization. Gideon holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Kyambogo University and an MBA in finance and financial management from Makere University, Kampala. He lives in Bujumbura, Burundi, with his wife, Rebecca, and their three children: Laban, Linda, and Liam.

Josh Meyer

Senior Director of Savings Group Programs

Josh joined HOPE in June 2013 after completing his graduate studies from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Before his time with HOPE, he received a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; worked for seven years at Capital One Financial; and served for three years in San Jose, Costa Rica, at a Christian bilingual high school. In his time at HOPE, he has served in a variety of positions on the savings group team, including regional director for Asia and Latin America, director of savings group operations, and his current role as senior director of savings group programs. Josh and his wife, Christy, have three children—Elizabeth, Sam, and Kate—and reside in Lancaster, PA.

Vlad Mihut

General Manager, ROMCOM (Romania)

Vlad Mihut has been working with ROMCOM since 2003. He is currently responsible for the strategic management of the ROMCOM group, which includes ROMCOM SA (microfinance), ROMCOM INVEST (consulting), and ROMCOM Training (training). Vlad is successfully working to continue to leverage the existing loan fund of ROMCOM SA by attracting additional financing and increasing the number of people ROMCOM serves. He is also responsible for the strategic development of the ROMCOM network. Prior to his work with ROMCOM, Vlad worked with Evanston Capital Advisors in Bucharest, Romania. Vlad received a degree in business management from Emanuel University in Oradea, Romania.

Becky Miller

Senior Director of Technology

Becky Holton brings a wealth of experience to her role at HOPE. Starting in 2008, Becky worked for Self-Help, a national community development financial institution that promotes equal opportunity for all. In her time at Self-Help, Becky served in many roles: special assistant to the CEO, executive vice president of NC retail and financial services, and chief of staff.

Since coming to HOPE in 2016, Becky has been instrumental in launching management information systems for HOPE’s field programs. Becky has also played a key role in piloting small-and-medium-enterprise lending in Ukraine and Rwanda, in addition to leading HOPE’s technical assistance and global IT teams.

Becky has a bachelor’s in sociology from Covenant College and a master’s in city and regional planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is currently based in Durham, NC.

Judah Mooney

President, Diaconía (Paraguay)

As president of Diaconía, HOPE’s microfinance partner in Paraguay, Judah Mooney demonstrates a strong resolve to abide in God’s presence and a commitment to alleviating poverty through sustainable development. Since founding Diaconía in 2011, he has been responsible for building a team of trained staff, fundraising, marketing, forming vital international partnerships, developing the board of directors, and providing executive management to microfinance and holistic training programs. Prior to this role, he served at Fundación Jesús Responde al Mundo de Hoy, where he was responsible for overseeing all the foundation’s Transforming Paraguay Together projects. Judah and his wife, Mary, have three children and live in Asunción, Paraguay.

Roger Morgan

Regional Director of Africa Microfinance Institutions

Roger joined HOPE in September 2005 and serves as HOPE’s regional director for microfinance institutions in Africa. Roger holds a degree in medical microbiology from Westminster Medical School in London, where he also completed his post-graduate studies. Roger worked at Becton Dickinson, a medical device and diagnostics manufacturer, for over 20 years as a vice president in marketing, supply chain, and IT roles. He attended the international executive program of INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France. As VP and GM with the Global Healthcare Exchange (GHX), he successfully led the health care industry’s initiative in Europe to establish an internet trading exchange for medical products. After switching to development, Roger completed the Microenterprise Development Institute at Southern New Hampshire University and IMA International’s Institute for Development Studies. Roger gained a diploma in company direction with the U.K. Institute of Directors and puts this to use frequently with HOPE’s country boards. Roger is a member of St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Brussels, Belgium, where he lives with his wife, Karen. His three sons live in London, England. ​

Deena Morgan

HOPE Board Member; Former Energy Executive; Independent Consultant

Deena’s career has included executive-level positions in a variety of key areas for over two decades: quantitative structuring, sales and sales strategy, product structuring and development, marketing, predictive analytics, renewable energy risk management, corporate strategy, and mergers and acquisitions. An advocate for employee engagement and culture, Deena has held officer positions at four of the largest energy companies in North America, including NRG Energy, Engie, NextEra Energy, and Edison International. In the last two years, Deena led global partnerships for a bio-safety technology firm, R-Zero, leading them to Series C funding. She is transitioning out of the corporate world to do consulting and spend more time on eternal living.

Deena grew up in Houston and overcame childhood cancer to later attend Texas A&M University, where she earned a degree in applied mathematics on a fully funded academic scholarship. Wanting to give back to organizations that helped her achieve her professional success and overcome her health challenges, Deena has endowed her own scholarship through the Cy Fair Educational Foundation and is a top fundraiser and advocate for various childhood cancer research organizations. She found out about HOPE in 2017 and wanted to expand her charitable involvement to an organization that is Kingdom focused. Her desire to enable women to execute their entrepreneurial dreams and provide them with the message of Jesus aligned perfectly with HOPE’s mission.

Outside of Jesus, the two loves of her life are her boys, Preston and Nathan, who are in their college years. Deena is deeply involved in discipleship at Cy Life Church.

Brian Mtambo

Country Director, HOPE Zambia

As Zambia country director, Brian is responsible for leading HOPE’s savings group program in partnership with local churches in Zambia. Prior to joining HOPE, Brian served as a program adviser for the National AIDS Council in the Lusaka district of Zambia. Brian holds a B.A. in theology and an MBA from Africa Nazarene University. Brian has a passion to see the Church impact Zambia for the Gospel. Brian and his wife, Precious, live in Lusaka with their three children: Paul, Seth, and Tirzah.

Melody Murray

HOPE Board Member; Partner for Global Community, Praxis

​A serial entrepreneur since childhood, Mel is the mother of two boys and married to David, her business partner and fellow entrepreneur. She holds an undergraduate degree in intercultural studies from John Brown University and is completing her MBA.

Mel’s early exposure to diverse cultures fueled a drive to create redemptive ventures. After a decade of market experience with Procter & Gamble and Walmart, Mel turned toward Asia, where she has founded multiple ventures, employing hundreds among marginalized communities.

In 2010, the Murrays moved to the Himalayas, where Mel launched JOYN, a textile company creating holistic employment for marginalized people who wouldn’t otherwise have work. In 2017, the Murrays moved to the border of Myanmar and Thailand to expand their model, continuing to create holistic jobs for disadvantaged communities vulnerable to trafficking.

Mel also co-founded and leads JoyCorps, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs who are reviving traditional art forms and bringing dignified employment.

Erisa Mutabazi

Regional Director of Africa Savings Group Programs

With his strong academic credentials, extensive experience in economic development, and pastoral heart, Reverend Erisa Mutabazi brings a unique perspective to his work with the savings group program team. Before joining HOPE in January 2012, he worked as a program manager with World Vision, providing overall strategic planning and supervision and participating in the program design of savings and internal lending communities (SILC). Prior to that, he was a field operations manager with World Relief. Erisa has two master’s degrees—an M.A. in theology and leadership and an MBA in project management—and holds a doctorate in transformational leadership. A native of Rwanda, Erisa is passionate about helping families in poverty through HOPE’s savings group program.

Rev. Isaie Ndayizeye

HOPE Board Member, Senior Pastor and Overseer of the Pentecostal Church of Rwanda

Reverend Isaie Ndayizeye is no stranger to HOPE—he first served as a field coordinator for the savings group ministry in Rwanda before growing into leadership as co-country director of HOPE Rwanda Savings Group Program alongside Diane Uwamahoro. His commitment to Christ and gift of discernment are evident to all who work with him. Rev. Isaie currently serves as the Senior Pastor and Overseer of the Pentecostal Church of Rwanda (ADEPR), a savings group ministry partner of HOPE and has joined the HOPE International Board of Directors. He has depth of understanding in both the context of the local church and in HOPE’s mission, methodology, and motivation — both important to his role as Board member and guardian of our Christ-centered mission.

Erika Quaile

Vice President of Advancement

As vice president of advancement, Erika has the privilege of witnessing radical generosity—both in HOPE supporters and in the families served by the HOPE network. A graduate of Georgetown University, Erika joined HOPE in 2010 as executive assistant to Peter Greer. Within two years, she moved into the role of regional representative in Durham, NC, a new region for HOPE, where she grew the number of donors from under 100 to over 700. Later, she was promoted to senior director of development, and she now serves as vice president of advancement. Erika and her husband, Sam, have two daughters, Maggie and Emmie, and live in Durham, where they love to host friends and family, work out together, and explore new restaurants popping up as their city grows.

Ghenadie Russu

Executive Director, Invest Credit (Moldova)

Ghenadie has been the executive director of Invest Credit since January 2005. He acquired his diploma of license from the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova and his MBA from Grenoble Graduate School of Business. He has since been involved in numerous microfinance and other economic development initiatives.

Jeff Rutt

Founder & Board Chair, HOPE International; Founder & CEO, Keystone Custom Homes

Jeff Rutt is the founder of HOPE International and currently serves as the chairman of the board of directors. Jeff worked as a dairy farmer for almost a decade before becoming the founder and president of Keystone Custom Homes in 1992. Jeff has been named the winner of the Builder of the Year Award by BUILDER magazine three times and is the first homebuilder in the country to do so. Jeff founded HOPE International in 1997 and has acted as chairman of the board since then. His vision for international ministry, specifically economic development, is centered on the Gospel. Jeff believes HOPE’s work empowers families in poverty and restores dignity around the world. In 2008, Jeff was awarded the Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Lifetime Achievement Award for his philanthropic contributions. He and his wife, Sue, have three married children (Alisa, Ben, and Leah) and seven grandchildren.

Josh Ruyle

HOPE Board Member; CEO, Image Pointe & Dignity Apparel

Together with his wife, Beth, Josh serves as owner/operator of a second-generation family business based in Iowa with a mission to create dignified, life-changing jobs. Josh served on staff at HOPE International for over a decade, where he led microfinance operations in Asia and Eastern Europe, facilitated HOPE’s push to serve small-and-medium-enterprises (SMEs), and helped relaunch HOPE Global Investments (HGI)—HOPE’s impact investment offering. Josh is fluent in Mandarin and holds an M.A. in international development and economics from Johns Hopkins University. He and Beth have three boys—Hudson Taylor, John Elliot, and Enoch Adoniram. Josh sees his role on the board of HOPE as an amazing opportunity to live out his family’s calling—to advance the Kingdom of God through entrepreneurship and the marketplace.

Ricot St. Paulin

Country Director, HOPE Haiti

Ricot St Paulin joined HOPE International as Haiti’s country director in 2022, having previously served with Compassion International in Haiti for 17 years in various capacities, all the way up to the position of senior manager of program support. He brings a wealth of knowledge, management expertise and cross-cultural experience to the Haiti team, the church partners, and the SG network.

Ricot holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Regent University in Virginia. He is a Christian dedicated to the cause of the kingdom of God as demonstrated through his commitment to his local church and other Christ-centered ministries that aim at showing the love of Christ to the underserved. He is married to Rachelle, and they are blessed with a three-year-old daughter.

Diane Uwamahoro

Country Director, HOPE Rwanda

With Diane’s combination of technical, communication, and leadership skills, she has been a core member of the HOPE Rwanda team since joining in 2013, helping build quality and operational processes and streamlining performance management and growth. Her previous experience includes roles at CARE International and World Vision. Diane has a bachelor’s degree in geography from the National University of Rwanda and a master’s from Xiamen University in China. She is married to Thadee, and they have three daughters: Lauren, Laura, and Dora.

Juan Pablo Vivar

Regional Director of Latin America/Caribbean Microfinance Institutions

Juan Pablo joined the HOPE team in 2021, bringing over 10 years of experience partnering with financial institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean, most recently as senior digital transformation consultant with Amarante Consulting. With his background in project management, digital financial services, capacity building, technical assistance, and relationship building, Juan Pablo brings a wealth of expertise to his role serving HOPE’s existing and future microfinance partners in this region. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing from the University of the Ozarks and an MBA from Leicester Castle Business School at De Montfort University. Originally from Guatemala, Juan Pablo currently resides in Mexico City with his family.

Rachel Spier Weaver

Director of Human Resources

Rachel Spier Weaver joined HOPE in 2010 after 10 years as a career counselor in higher education. She began her tenure at HOPE as the human resources manager and served as a recruiter and business partner before being promoted to her current role as director of human resources. Rachel has had a front row seat to HOPE’s growth from about 50 staff members in 2010 to a global team of over 700. She has supported the growth of HOPE’s human resource systems and processes while maintaining a culture of individual connection and care in response to an increasingly complex workplace. Rachel is passionate about providing remarkable care to the team, from pre-employment through post-employment. Her sweet spot is offering the space and resources for organizational leaders to think strategically about growing and thriving teams.

Rachel is a co-author of the children’s book series “Called and Courageous Girls” which tell the stories of women of God who led in extraordinary ways. She lives with her husband, Shane, and their two children, Norah and Jack.

Dan Williams

Vice President of Integrated Strategy

Dan joined HOPE in 2011, bringing a passion for working with the global Church to bring about holistic transformation. He studied international business at the University of South Carolina and, after graduating, served for 2.5 years as a missionary in Niger with Assemblies of God World Missions. Dan has served in a variety of roles at HOPE, first working with HOPE’s partner Esperanza International in northern Haiti then returning to the U.S. to serve as a microenterprise technical advisor. With his extensive field experience, Dan has played a significant role in bringing the Church and the voices of those we serve into discussions about program design. He lives with his wife, Ashley, and their daughters, Maelyn, Ruby, and Cedar, in Durham, NC, where they are active members of Christ Central Church.

Missy Williams

Co-Founder and Executive Director, Seed Effect (Uganda)

Missy and her husband, David, co-founded Seed Effect in 2009 in partnership with the local church after a mission trip to South Sudan. Missy serves as Seed Effect’s Executive Director, managing a team of eight in the US and supporting a team of over 90 full-time and another 150 part-time staff in Uganda. In 2017, after war in South Sudan forced a transition to northern Uganda they pioneered a savings program for refugees that has grown to serve over 65,000 people in over 2,100 Christ-centered savings and loan groups. Seed Effect now oversees the region’s largest network of savings and loan groups.

Missy and David have two children, are actively involved in Watermark Community Church, and serve on the board of their children’s school, Classical School of Dallas. As a mom of two girls and an entrepreneur herself, Missy connects deeply with the hard-working moms of South Sudan and Uganda and loves being able to bring Jesus and economic empowerment to them through Seed Effect.

Lance Wood

HOPE Board Member; Area Director (Orange County, CA), National Christian Foundation

Lance comes to us with over 30 years of business and leadership experience. He is a CPA and was a tax partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, serving both families and companies globally. He is now on several boards and is also the OC area director for NCF. He supports people in their generosity, including structuring tax-efficient giving strategies that maximize generosity and honor donor intent. He is married and has five children: three biological and two adopted from Ethiopia. Lance recently co-authored a book about helping kids called $4.83, the cost to impact the life of a child for a year… maybe forever. As a passionate HOPE supporter, Lance is the chair of HOPE’s local advisory board and serves as the co-emcee and live auctioneer at the annual HOPE Southern California fundraising event.

Joanne Youn

HOPE Board Member; Former EVP and General Counsel, TrustBridge Global

With over 22 years of experience as an international lawyer, Joanne has lived and served in several countries around the world, providing litigation, business, and tax counsel to corporations, including faith-based organizations, public charities, and private foundations. Most recently, Joanne served as the inaugural executive vice president and general counsel of TrustBridge Global Foundation. Before that, she was a managing partner at a premier U.S. tax boutique and foreign counsel liaison for business development activities in Asia.

A graduate of Harvard University and Yale Law School, Joanne has a particular interest in the political economy of developing countries. Although she has traveled extensively, home is where the heart is, with her husband Tom and their three “pastor’s kids”, inside the beltway, just outside of Washington, D.C. She is an author and a speaker formally trained in multiple world languages, with a passion for collaboration in the resourcing of generosity and the releasing of joy among diverse demographics both within the U.S. and abroad.