Board of Directors
Bill Merry
Bill serves as our Chairman of the Board and has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2000. He is a graduate of Tennessee Tech University with a Bachelors degree in Marketing. He and his wife, Julia, have two children, Kensley and Connor. An active member of Crieve Hall church of Christ, he is currently serving as a deacon and is on the missions committee. Bill has traveled to Cuba, Mexico, and the Ivory Coast on mission and relief trips.
Eric Bearly
Eric and Carrie Bearly have been faithful Healing Hands International supporters for many years. Their children Nolan (7), Elena (5) and Rhett (3) are also heavily involved in fundraising for building wells through their neighborhood lemonade stand along with a family campaign on their website.
Since graduating from Pepperdine University in 2000, Eric has worked for Bobit Business Media where he currently serves as Chief Digital Officer. He was involved in marketing, event management and sales for the past 18 years before moving into his current role aimed at advancing digital growth company-wide. Eric and Carrie both grew up in southern California and moved to Colorado around six years ago. Eric serves as Deacon of the Connections ministry at his church, facilitating deeper relationships and involvement in members of the church family.
Bruce Beck
Bruce A Beck is a Shareholder in the LBMC tax practice. He has over thirty years of diversified experience including individual/tax planning, manufacturing, construction, healthcare, printing and publishing. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a Personal Financial Specialist. Bruce's previous experience includes practicing with the Nashville office of a National accounting firm from 1984-1995. He is a graduate of Lipscomb University. He is active in his community and continues to support many professional and civic organizations. He previously served on the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross-Nashville Chapter. A native of Lexington, Kentucky, Bruce resides in Brentwood and his wife and two children and are members at Brentwood Hills Church of Christ.
Rita Cochrane
Rita worked part-time as the front desk receptionist for HHI from 2016 – 2018 and has served on our Women of Hope Conference planning and steering committee for three years. She attended David Lipscomb from first grade through college. She received her degree in Education and taught middle school for 25 years. Following this career, Rita began working as the Director of Women’s Ministry at the Church of Christ in Green Hills, which she still currently works.
Rita is married to Michael Cochrane, who serves as an elder in the church, and is mother to three adult children, grandmother to six rambunctious boys, and has been “American Mom” to four international students. In addition to Rita’s duties in Women’s Ministry, Rita speaks and teaches Bible classes.
Kay McDowell
Kay received her B.S. in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations from Freed Hardeman University and has established herself as an accomplished PR professional and consultant. Kay has worked has a Foundation Relations Manager for Ducks Unlimited, Inc served as Public Relations Manager for the WONDERS: The Memphis International Cultural Series, and was an independent public relations consultant for twelve year. Since 2011 Kay has worked on the leadership team of Mitchell Communications Group both as a Senior Strategist and she currently leads the Community and Consumer Packaged Goods teams.
Kay is married to Scott McDowell and they have three adult sons. Scott is the newly appointed president of Lubbock Christian University. Kay loves the work of HHI and understands the relationship between our work and the local church having lived in Nashville for more than 20 years before moving to Texas in 2019.
Fortune Mhlanga
Fortune is a graduate of Harding University where he received his B.S. in Computer Science and then went on to get his M.S and PhD at The New Jersey Institute of Technology. Fortune was born and raised in Zimbabwe and after completing his education served as the Director of the Science & Industrial Research Development Centre in Harare, Zimbabwe from 1998 – 2002; and as Chair of the Computer Science Department at the University of Zimbabwe from 1994 – 1997. Over the past 18 years Fortune has taught and led departments of Computing and Technology at Faulkner University, Abilene Christian University, and for the past 9 years established and led the College of Computing & Technology at Lipscomb University. In August of 2020, Fortune began serving as Executive Director for the Data Science Institute at Meharry Medical College.
Fortune and his wife Flora have two sons, Carl and Craig who attend Lipscomb University and Pepperdine University. Fortune and Flora have a passion for serving others and are members of the Otter Creek church of Christ in Brentwood, TN.
Burt Nowers
Burt has been involved with Healing Hands International since 2005 when he began serving on our Board of Directors, serving as both Board Treasurer and Chairman of the Audit Committee. He served as the President from 2012-2016. A graduate of Lipscomb University, Burt is a CPA and one of the founders of AIM Healthcare Services in Franklin where he spent 14 years as Chief Financial Officer. He and his wife Lisa have been married for more than 30 years and they have three grown children. Burt serves as an elder of the church and is also on the Board of Directors for the Central European Christian Education Foundation.
Dr. Doug Peters
Dr. Doug Peters joined our Board of Directors in the summer of 2012. He is the Minister at Grace Crossing Church in Conroe, Texas. Doug received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Bible and Ministry from Abilene Christian University. He completed the ACU Doctor of Ministry degree in 2006. He has served on ACU's Alumni Advisory Board as the past President and was the past Chair of the Visiting Committee for the ACU Department of Bible Missions and Ministry. Doug and his wife Sheryl have been married for almost 30 years and they have two daughters, Alani and Lauren.
Barry Pickering
Barry was born and raised in North Nashville, and graduated from Tennessee Tech with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (1978). In 2011, he retired as a Senior Project Engineer after 33 years combined service with Colgate Palmolive and Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. Barry and his wife, Camille, live in Cross Plains, Tenn. and are members at Greenwood Park Church of Christ in Bowling Green, Ky. They have three sons and four grandchildren.
Camille has been active in packing MAGI boxes for the past 25 years. She made her first mission trip to Honduras in 2009 and encouraged Barry to join the next one in 2010. Since then, they have both made multiple trips to Honduras and Haiti with HHI and Mission Lazarus. Since 2008, Barry and Camille have been active with the ministry to Nashville's homeless community at Green Street Church of Christ. Barry enjoys woodworking as a pasttime and made the HHI logo in our newly refurbished lobby area.
Dr. Lon Raby
Dr. Lon and Rebecca Raby have been loyal donors and supporters of Healing Hands International for more than 15 years. As an active volunteer, Lon makes medical mission trips annually and more frequently when possible. In addition to work in Belize, he has worked closely with Mission Lazarus since 2007 and made trips to Baja Missions since 2015.
Lon is a Nashville native and a graduate of Lipscomb University and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (M.D.). He has been a practicing dermatologist for 22 years and is a partner at Dermatology Associates in Huntsville, Alabama. Lon and his wife Rebecca, who is also a physician, attend the Mayfair Church of Christ where they have also been active as children and youth teachers over the years. Lon has also served as Deacon for the youth and missions. The Rabys have three adult children, Caitlin, Samantha and Franklin.
Dr. Randy Steger
Randy is a retired professor of business administration at Lipscomb University where he was a member of the faculty since 1983. He has more than 30 years of experience in the business world. He is the Founder of Healing Hands International and served as its President for more than 20 years. He currently serves on our Board and is on the Board of Directors for several other organizations. His family includes his wife Chris who is a Medical Doctor and his three children, Brandy (foster daughter), Daniel and Lydia.
Jeff Whitehorn
A graduate of Lipscomb University in 1980, Jeff went on to receive his CPA and worked for two years before heading to the University of Alabama to earn his MBA in 1988 with an emphasis in strategic planning. After graduation Jeff embarked on a 29-year career in healthcare administration, 25 of those years serving as a hospital CEO with Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). After serving as a hospital Chief Executive Officer for 25 years, Jeff took early retirement in 2017. Jeff coaches executives, directors, managers, and early/mid-careerists. Jeff has served on various board in the healthcare community and other not-for-profits around Nashville.
Jeff and his wife Jennifer have had a longstanding passion for the work of HHI. Jeff and Jennifer are active members at Brentwood Hills church of Christ where Jeff served as an elder. They have two adult daughters, Ashleigh and Emily.
Our Staff
Art Woods
Art began serving as President in November 2016. A graduate of Harding University, Art began his professional life as a corporate buyer for Dillards Department Stores using his marketing and accounting education. For the past 28 years, Art has worked with Christian ministries and schools to grow their programs and connect passionate donors to things that truly make an eternal impact. Prior to Healing Hands International, Art was part of the leadership team for AGAPE, Lipscomb Academy, and worked as a grassroots fundraiser at Harding University. Art and his wife, Kim, are parents to three adult sons, three daughters by marriage, and love spending time with their three grandsons.
Chris Gingles
Chris became the Vice President of Healing Hands International in 2009. Currently, he is our Chief Financial Officer, serving as a volunteer. From 1991 to 1993, he was the first Transportation Coordinator. Chris, a Certified Public Accountant, previously was the CFO for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and also retired from the U.S. Army after a 33 year career. Chris served as an elder at his congregation for 17 years and has been married to Anne for more than 50 years. They have two children and two grandchildren.
Jana Owen
Jana Owen has worked with Healing Hands International since 2013 and currently serves as a VP of Operations supporting the Women of Hope ministry, MAGI project and the data and administrative support team. She started with HHI in 2009 as a volunteer leading worship at the Women of Hope conference. She fell in love with the mission and the rest is history! In her free time, Jana loves to sing, go on adventures, hang out with kids, and serve and build up others. Jana's husband Kevin is a preaching minister and they are blessed with three handsome young men, Chase, Reid and Trey.
Joseph Smith
Joseph began working for Healing Hands International in 1999. He is a graduate of Lipscomb University and volunteered at HHI during college. As our Vice President of Operations, he coordinates our international shipping of cargo to mission points, Potable Water Projects and our response to international disasters. He and his wife Ruth have one daughter.
Alisa Van Dyke
Alisa served as Marketing Director for HHI from 2006-2013. She rejoined the Healing Hands team in 2017 after taking off a few years to stay at home with her children. She graduated from Freed-Hardeman University in 2006 with a degree in marketing and has more than 15 years of non-profit marketing experience. She is passionate about women and children's ministries and loves to share the ministry of HHI. She and her husband, JJ, live in Lebanon, TN with their two children.
Angela Bell
Angela graduated from Lipscomb University with a degree in Elementary Education and received a Master's Degree from MTSU in Curriculum and Instruction. She has a passion for teaching children and enjoyed teaching kindergarten and first grade for many years. She is also passionate about helping and empowering others, which is why she feels so blessed to be a part of the work and mission of HHI. Angela and her husband Derek live in Nashville with their two children.
Grace Boucher
Grace joined the HHI team in 2022. She graduated from Lipscomb University in 2021 with a degree in Social Work and again in 2022 with an MBA. During the MBA program, Grace interned with HHI in the marketing department. Now, she serves as the Donor and Community Coordinator for Women of Hope planning the Women of Hope Weekend, running the Women of Hope Store, and engaging with the community. Grace is a Nashville local and loves live music, spending time with family and friends, and all things watersports.
Linda Brock
Linda joined the HHI team in August 2022. After graduating from Lipscomb with a business management degree in 1982, she worked in the publishing industry for many years. She has also worked in financial administration. She has four daughters and ten beautiful grandchildren! Linda is so happy to be a member of the HHI family.
Carl Burkybile
Carl became Healing Hands International's Director of Agriculture in December 2011. He is working to expand the network of people and financial supporters interested in teaching hungry people how to increase their food production and preservation. Carl has 32 years of experience as a high school agriculture and shop teacher. He has served as vocational director and co-authored two agricultural mechanics textbooks. In addition to several mission trips within the U.S., he has helped build a children's home in Honduras and served the last 20 years as the Director of HHI's sister organization, Caring for Kenya. Carl serves as an elder of his congregation and has been married to Ruth Ann for 50 years. They have three children and five grandchildren.
Taryn Foster
Taryn joined the Healing Hands International team in 2019. She is a 2019 graduate of Harding University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in advertising. A Little Rock, Ark. native, Taryn has served on mission trips to the Dominican Republic and Haiti and wants to be a part of demonstrating the love of Christ across the world. She is passionate about music, travel, exercise, Italian food and being with those she loves.
Chris Gannon
Chris started working for Healing Hands International in 2017. He manages our warehouse and is in charge of international shipping. In addition to his warehouse responsibilities, he shoots and produces videos for HHI. He is licensed as a pilot, forklift certified, and a Nashville Predators hockey fan. He and his wife Emily, along with their 2 boys live in Lebanon, TN.
Cristen Harper
Cristen joined the HHI team in 2021. She graduated from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville in 2016 with a degree in Communication Studies. She enjoys running, being outdoors, and spending time with friends and family. Cristen and her husband, Dylan, live in Franklin, TN with their son.
Mark Jent
Mark joined the HHI family in April 2020. He has a B.S. in business management and an M.B.A. with a concentration in nonprofit management from Lipscomb University. He spent 14 years working with Lipscomb Missions mobilizing students to serve globally through short-term missions. Most recently he grew mission programs for faith-based schools through his company 2x2 Global, as well as connecting people who love sports with another venture, Simply A Fan. He enjoys hiking and chasing waterfalls with his family, reading baseball history and is an avid Dodgers fan. He and his wife Beth live in Nashville with their three kids.
Sean Judge
A graduate of Harding University, Sean has been working at HHI since 2007. He is passionate about connecting churches and individuals with ministry opportunities. Sean and his wife Kristin live in Nashville, TN with their two children.
Gillian Kelley
Gillian joined the Healing Hands team in 2019. She coordinated the Walk4Water event in Tuscaloosa while attending the University of Alabama and obtaining degrees in public relations and law. Gillian and her husband, Jaron, live in Gurley, Ala., where Jaron is a physical therapist and Gillian is also a practicing attorney. She loves Red Sox baseball, bluegrass music, and worshipping with the Lord's church around the world.
Jessica Markwood
Jessica Markwood joined the HHI team in 2020. She's a Nashville native who graduated from Harding University in 2016 after studying Bible and Global Economic Development. She spent the next two years supporting agriculture initiatives and launching a small business with marginalized groups in northern Mozambique while getting an MA in Intercultural Studies. She's passionate about drinking coffee, sharing meals, and finding abundant life in unexpected places.
Nancy Markwood
Nancy joined the Healing Hands team in 2019. She is a graduate of Tennessee Technological University with a degree in Marketing and Business Management. Nancy has a passion for service and brings her energy and enthusiasm for God's work to her work supporting our staff, donors and volunteers. She is also very involved with the Inner City Ministry in Nashville. Nancy lives with her husband Mike in Old Hickory. They have a daughter who is also on the HHI Team!
James Rucker
James Rucker is our Water Project Coordinator in Haiti. Along with his wife Abigail and their one-year son, Micaiah Adventure, James has already been very fruitful in the area serving from the HHI field base in Titanyen. Originally from Paso Robles, Ca., James is a Harding University graduate with degrees in vocational ministry and electronic media production. He has managed HUT, Harding’s 100-acre missions training campus, and has served in children’s ministries as a camp director. In 2016, James and Abigail moved to Gonaives, Haiti to serve as development missionaries. He has also been on video mission trips to Haiti and Kenya, creating local Christian educational films, as well as documenting well sites for GWAM (Ghana West Africa Missions).
Scott Saunders
Scott began his work as a Development Officer with Healing Hands International in 2011. Following a 7 year career in the insurance industry, he began his work in 1985 as a Development Officer with Lipscomb University. He became a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM in 1990 and utilizes this knowledge to help donors with their estate and charitable planning. Scott has been married to his wife Susan since 1978 and they have three children and six grandchildren.
Colton Scott
Colton Scott began working in Community Relations for Healing Hands International in 2017. He has a Bachelors Degree in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of North Alabama (UNA), and an MBA with a concentration in Finance. Colton and his wife, Chelsea, have two children.
Dr. Ebenezer Udofia
Ebenezer began working with Healing Hands International in 2008 and served as our Agricultural Representative to Africa. Ebenezer's love for the Lord and his willingness to serve in this capacity was apparent from the beginning and in 2009 he was named the Director of African Agriculture. He currently travels throughout Africa conducting Food Sustainability Workshops where he trains community leaders in techniques for sustainable food production and preservation skills. Ebenezer and his wonderful wife Regina have one daughter and one son.