Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Leading the Team
Our skilled and multi-disciplinary Board of Directors are passionate about providing hope and healing for children and families caught in the cycle of poverty and disability. The vision and direction they give to Hope and Healing International is clear and compelling.
Brenda Ben
Board Chair
Brenda is a Chartered Professional Accountant and has spent the majority of her career in the insurance sector in a variety of capacities. She is currently VP, CRM and Business Solutions at a major Canadian insurer. Brenda has a passion for service and has been a member of the Hope and Healing International Board since 2014. She has also served on several other charity and non-profit boards. Brenda and her husband Michael spend time in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo where they support a Congolese-run orphanage, school, and health clinic. They live in Waterloo and have two adult daughters.
Don Gerke
Harry Reinders
Harry is a Partner and General Manager of RM Construction, providing rehabilitation and restoration of streams, rivers and lake shores. Harry has served on church and school boards and is a founding board member of CANIECA (Canadian International Erosion Control Association), a faith-based environmental organization. Harry has always had a heart for the hurting and those left behind. He and his wife live near Guelph, Ontario and have 5 adult children, and 3 beautiful grandchildren.
Lorna Dueck
Lorna Dueck owns Lorna Dueck Creative and is a long-time supporter of Hope and Healing International. She has over 30 years of experience in radio and TV. For 16 years she was a commentary writer for The Globe and Mail writing on faith and public life. She founded Context TV and recently retired as the CEO of Crossroads Christian Communications and YES TV. She holds several academic degrees and honorary doctorates and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for Community Service. Lorna has travelled several times with Hope and Healing to see their life-transforming work first hand and brought those stories into the media. Lorna and her husband have two adult children.
Robert E. Evans
Robert (Bob) E. Evans has a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He has four decades of experience in finance, investments and accounting, primarily as an expert witness in regulatory proceedings. Bob is Board Secretary and serves on the Finance and Audit Committees. He is also a Director and Secretary of Nia Technologies Inc. and Chairman of Rundle College Education Foundation. Bob’s favourite chapter in the Bible is Matthew 6 – he often finds himself inspired by its profound message. He and his late wife Kate have a son, Jack, who works in Toronto in the same downtown office building where Bob began his career over 40 years ago.
Tigabu Gebremedhin Kassa
Tigabu Gebremedhin Kassa is one of the leading experts in community based rehabilitation in Africa. With a Master’s degree in Public Health and another in Special Needs Education, he has focused his research and life’s work on mothers of children with disabilities and children with disabilities. For over 25 years, Tigabu has worked in the non-profit sector as a project officer, country director, regional program manager and deputy regional director. Tigabu is constantly looking for ways to make a difference in the lives of those who have been affected by disabilities. Tigabu and his wife live in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Together they have five children.
Wayne Feasby
Wayne Feasby is a 25-year member of Williamson Automotive in Uxbridge, working as the General Manager of the Leasing Division and most recently as Operations Manager. He has served with a number of organizations in a volunteer capacity, including The Rick Hansen Foundation, Whitchurch-Stouffville Mobility Transit, Whitchurch-Stouffville Accessibility Advisory Committee, and the Whitchurch-Stouffville Downtown Development Committee. Wayne is a graduate of Yale University and has a BSc in Administrative Science.
