Orphan Helpers Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors

Dick Abel

Dick and his wife Ann have been married for over 50 years and live in Poquoson, VA. Dick & Ann are members of Liberty Baptist Church in Hampton, VA. They have four children, nineteen grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.

Dick is a retired Air Force Brigadier General and jet pilot. He is an internationally known speaker on family values, military affairs and moral leadership. Currently, he is President of Leadership is ALL about People, an interactive seminar for individuals who desire to impact the lives of others. Dick is also ambassador at large and executive director emeritus of Military Ministry.

During his 30-year military career, he led an Air Force aerobatic team, was an assistant football coach at the U.S. Air Force Academy, and escorted home five flights of returning POWs from Vietnam. After retiring from the Air Force, he served as president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Lawrence Beamer

Lawrence is the Founder and President of Powhatan Enterprises, a real estate development company. He and Brenda work together in Beamer Construction Corporation. For over 37 years, the Beamer’s have continued to offer a business philosophy of providing quality housing in this area.

Lawrence is a member of the Peninsula Housing and Builders Association, Williamsburg Community Builders Association and the Peninsula Home Owners Warranty Council. He has served on the Board of Regents at Regent University and the Board of Directors for Williamsburg Landing.

Lawrence and Brenda are active members of Williamsburg Community Chapel and have been loyal supporters of Orphan Helpers for several years. The Beamers reside in Williamsburg, VA.

John Dawson

John has 20 years of experience in non-profit management. He worked for the US Department of Justice, and then co-founded a Christian missionary organization, Romanian Christian Enterprises, with Orphan Helpers’ Executive Director, Richard Yeargain. For ten years, John served as a Vice-President of Prison Fellowship Ministries, in Reston, VA. He served simultaneously as Chief of Staff to the Chairman and founder, former counsel to President Nixon, Chuck Colson.

John is a retired Naval Reserve officer and is formerly the CEO of Dominion Christian School, a private academy of 135 students in Oakton, Virginia. He joined Tradewinds Consulting Inc. as the managing partner in October 2003.

John has traveled to El Salvador and Honduras with Orphan Helpers in 2004 and 2005. John and his wife Susan reside in Herndon, VA and have three children.

Bobby Farino

Bobby founded American Golf Classics in 1974. For the past 30 years, he has utilized this business as a ministry tool to reach professional golfers with the gospel. Bobby and Kandy have served as Elders in their church as well as youth pastors and singles ministry leaders.

Bobby has shared the gospel in more than 30 countries in 6 continents. Bobby and Kandy have traveled and served together on many mission trips ministering to people in jails, hospitals, juvenile detention centers and orphanages. Bobby is an active member of Gideons International and has devoted much of his time to Orphan Helpers as a mission team member and fundraising committee member.

Bobby and Kandy have been married 31 years and have four children. They attend Williamsburg Community Chapel and reside in Williamsburg, VA.

Al Fisher

Al has been the Owner and Partner of Valpak of Southern Virginia since 1983. Al also enjoys his participation as a partner in a venture called Nicaragua Endeavors in San Juan del Sur Niza, Nicaragua.

Through the generosity of Al and Valpak, Orphan Helpers receives free advertising space on a regular basis, generating a lot of local interest for volunteer opportunities, financial donations, donated goods and mission trips.

Al and Vicki have been married for 22 years. They reside in Virginia Beach and have one daughter. They attend All Saints Episcopal Church.

Greg and Libby Garrett

Greg and Libby Garrett founded Orphan Helpers in 2000. Greg has spent countless hours raising money for Orphan Helpers and has traveled to Central America nearly 35 times.

In 2005, Greg was selected as a winner of the Good Neighbor Award presented by the National Association of Realtors for his work and devotion to Orphan Helpers. Libby earned a BS in Education and Reading Certification from East Carolina University. She has taught in the public school system as well as three local private schools for over 18 years. Libby has served on the Hampton Christian School Board and local civic organizations like the Junior League of Hampton Roads.

Greg and Libby have been married for 30 years and have four children. They are members of Liberty Baptist Church and reside in Yorktown, VA.

Jose and Diana Gonzalez

Jose is president of Semilla, an organization dedicated to the transformation of the Latin culture by the Word of God. He has taught at Regent University and has served on several boards, including StoneBridge School, Growth Dynamics International, and The Providence Foundation. Together he and Diana present marriage seminars in both Spanish and English.

Diana was a high school Master Teacher of language and literature, and has since become a Christian life coach and coach trainer. She leads women retreats, mentors women leaders and speaks on coaching children and teens.

Jose and Diana Gonzalez reside in North Suffolk, VA. They are the proud parents of four adult children and doting grandparents to five grandchildren (and counting!). They attend James River Community Church in Suffolk, where Jose serves as an elder and Diana teaches Sunday School.

Steve and Ginny Hawks

Steve and Ginny have been married for 15 years and have four children and seven grandchildren. They reside in Newport News, VA with their two dogs. Both Steve and Ginny have served as foster parents.

Steve is Deputy Director of Human Services for the City of Newport News. He has been involved in the Human Services/Social Services environment for 35+ years. Steve has served as interim youth minister and on various church committees. Currently he serves as a Deacon and teaches a young married couples Sunday school class at First Baptist Church Newport News.

Ginny is Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President and partner with S.L. Nusbaum Realty Company. She also serves on the Child & Family Services of Tidewater Board of Directors. She served as Treasurer of the Harbor Club in Norfolk, Virginia and was treasurer of the recent Hampton Roads Franklin Graham Crusade. Ginny serves on the personnel committee and the Development planning committee for First Baptist Church Newport News.

Bill Kessler

Bill and Judi reside in Madison, Wisconsin. They are blessed to be actively involved with their adult children and 3 super grandchildren. They are partners in Century 21 Affiliated and active members in Midvale Community Lutheran (ELCA) church. Bill has been on his church council for a decade. Judi spearheads the CROP walk, YWCA single mother shelter projects and many other social action activities in the church and community.

Bill and Judi have been close friends with Greg and Libby Garrett for decades (he did the Bible reading at their wedding). Because of that, they were early supporters of Orphan Helpers. Bill was on the second-ever Orphan Helpers trip, and on 12 subsequent trips, roaming Latin America with Greg in search of new opportunities. Bill joined the Board of Orphan Helpers in October 2008.

Tom Manthei

Tom has been President of Manthei Incorporated since 1979. From humble beginnings in the early 1940’s, Manthei, Inc. has become one of the leaders in the veneer industry. Today, with over 175 employees, Manthei, Inc. is owned and operated by the second and third generations of the Manthei family.

Tom and Teri are active members of Stutsmansville Chapel in Harbor Springs, Michigan. Through the efforts of Tom, Teri and their family, their church lovingly “adopted” the four centers in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. For two years, this church has supported these orphanages and juvenile detention centers financially, emotionally, and spiritually by funding the monthly operating budgets and sending mission teams to work with the children and assist the staff members. Tom and Teri reside in the town of Petoskey, Michigan.

Roger McLellon

Roger McLellon and his wife, Debbie, built their first speculative house just after getting married in 1984. That home sold quickly and launched a business, Marque Homes by C. R. McLellon Builder, that has allowed them to build hundreds of custom homes across the Peninsula.

As active members of the community and Bethel Baptist Church, Roger and Debbie have been involved with many projects throughout the years. Some of Roger’s contributions include the Poquoson Kids Island project, Youth Focus Gathering of Men Board of Directors, Back River Youth Sports, Habitat for Humanity, the YMCA and the Virginia Fellowship Core Group. Roger and Debbie have long been strong supporters of Orphan Helpers. They have three children and currently reside in Poquoson, Virginia.

Tony Panettiere

Tony and Nancy reside in Chesapeake, Virginia with their 3 daughters. Nancy is a busy mother, wife and homemaker. She is also a contributing author to an online Women’s Christian newsletter. She previously served on a church board in Carlisle Pennsylvania and chaired a committee with the Aglow Women’s Ministry.

Tony is a retired U.S. Navy Captain with 25 years of service. He is currently employed by Riverside Regional Medical Center as a Neurologist and Sleep Medicine specialist. He is also a Fellow with the Medical Society of Virginia, working with 18 other Virginia physicians to improve the health care of the citizens of the Commonwealth through legislative work and the development of innovative ways to deliver better healthcare.

The Panettieres attend church at New Life at Providence. They joined the Board of Orphan Helpers in October 2008.

Terilyn Goins and David Phillips

David Phillips is a retired Brigadier General from the Air National Guard. After retiring in 2002 with 31 years of service, he and his wife, Terilyn, founded G&P Enterprise, a company providing motivational and inspirational contemporary music, communication and business management consulting. David also currently serves as Board President for The International Community Foundation.

Terilyn Goins holds a Doctorate in Communication Studies and specializes in relational communication. She has served as professor and chair at Christopher Newport University and pursues motivational speaking, training, and music recording. She has recorded five CDs and is also a published author.

David and Terilyn have been married for 19 years and reside in Yorktown, VA. They have four children, two girls and two boys.

Christian and Erica Pinkston

Christian is President and Founder of Pinkston Group, a public relations firm focusing on influencing policy makers, thought leaders and potential markets through the media. Christian served for over 5 years as Executive Director and Communications Director at one of Washington D.C.’s most respected and influential political institutions and served on the staffs of a California Congressman and a U.S. Senator from Maine. He has been involved with Orphan Helpers since 2004, taking 4 mission trips.

Erica organized a women’s mission trip through Orphan Helpers to El Salvador in 2004. Through that and many other experiences, Erica has a passion for missions and serving God’s children all over the world. She is a stay-at-home mother, homeschooling her oldest daughter. Christian and Erica reside in Annandale, VA and have four children.

Ralph Torrech

Ralph was born in New York City. He served with the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War and later pursued shipbuilding studies at various universities. He graduated from Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Corporation’s apprentice program.

Ralph has a long career as a ship building and repair executive and is a retired corporate officer of Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Corporation. Ralph is the founder and retired President and CEO of Tecnico Corporation. He also serves on the Board for the Cancer Care Foundation of Tidewater and is an active member of First Baptist Church of Norfolk.

Ralph is presently supporting an Orphan Helpers’ halfway home for girls in Tegucigalpa. Ralph and his wife Patsy reside in Virginia Beach, VA and have three children and six grandchildren. All members of the family are involved in the support of Orphan Helpers.