Board Alumni »
The Board of Directors is responsible for the governance of ECHO, including establishing its mission and policies, approving its budget and annual goals, and overseeing its operation to assure its financial health and the fulfillment of its mission. Directors are elected for a three-year term and may serve two successive terms before rotating off the Board for at least one year. All Board members are committed to ECHO’s Statement of Faith, and all members serve on a voluntary, unpaid basis supporting the ministry of ECHO through their time and resources.
Past Board Chair
Gerald R. Miller, Ph.D.
Gerald Miller is Professor Emeritus and Retired Associate Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences at the University of Minnesota. He earned a B.S. Degree in Agricultural Education and an M.S. Degree in Agronomy from the University of Illinois. His Ph.D. was earned in Crop Science at Michigan State University. At the University of Minnesota and Purdue University, Dr. Miller served as Extension Agronomist for twenty years. He was the Associate Dean for Extension Education Programs in Agriculture for eighteen years. His responsibilities included administering an international student work-study program that annually involved about three hundred students from sixty countries. For the last fifteen years, Dr. Miller has worked with Shepherd’s Foundation and his church on agricultural mission projects in Ukraine. He currently is collaborating with Heifer Project International on an agricultural development project with an orphanage in Ukraine. For three years he led Sowing Hope, Inc. in developing an agricultural training center with a mission in Oaxaca, Mexico. He is an active member of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN.
"ECHO provides a wonderful privilege to be actively involved with dedicated Christians in demonstrating our love for God and love for our neighbors, especially those who are hungry and poor. ECHO is creating opportunities for many people by providing appropriate science and technology to improve their nutrition and health."
Board Chair
John Mulder
John Mulder has exhibited his commitment to ECHO through donations of his time and financial resources. John has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Davenport University and over 30 years of experience in the technical/research sector of the automotive industry. John retired from GENTEX Corporation in 2002 where he had worked 15 years as Vice-President of Marketing. He has served on the GENTEX Board of Directors since 1991 . He has also served on the Board of Trustees for Davenport University, the Regional Board of Southeast Michigan for Boy Scouts of America and is an active member of the Reformed Church of America.
"I am extremely proud to be part of ECHO. I find ECHO’s purpose to be unique to other charitable organizations. It is an organization of wonderful, committed people dedicated to making a difference in the world."
Vice-Chair
Theodore J. "Jim" Goering, Ph.D.
Dr. Goering brings some 37 years of international agricultural development experience to ECHO, following his professional work at the University of California, Berkeley, the US Peace Corps, the US Government/DC, Harvard University, the World Bank and World Vision. Jim holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics. He and his wife, Shirley, lived and worked abroad for 17 years, included residencies in Colombia, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Malaysia and China.
“I have great personal and professional satisfaction in serving on the ECHO Board because of its mission of helping the world’s disadvantaged by increasing their food production through good science."
Treasurer
Gayle Bundschu
Gayle Bundschu is the CFO/Controller and a part-owner, together with her husband and another partner, of Bundschu Kraft, Inc., a real estate, construction and land development company active in Southwest Florida for over 35 years. She has a B.S. Degree in Public Relations from the University of Florida and a B.S. Degree in Accounting from the University of South Florida. Gayle is an active member of her Presbyterian church in Fort Myers, and has served as a Sunday School teacher, a Stephen Minister and as a part of the Stephen Ministry leadership team.
"I first heard of ECHO in my church and there I have come to know many of its volunteers, interns and staff members. I have seen in them a sacrificial commitment and deep desire to help others in an unusually effective ministry. It is an honor and privilege for me to be associated with the people and the mission of ECHO.”
Secretary
Gerri Westlund
Gerri Westlund served on the ECHO board from 2001-2008, and for five years she served as Board Secretary. She has a Bachelors of Arts in Elementary Education from Macalester College and a Masters in Special Education from St. Thomas University, both in St. Paul, Minnesota. She was a teacher and church choir director for 24 years, and was a member and soloist with the Valley Chamber Chorale of St. Paul, Minnesota. She has served as the Program Director for the annual Minnesota U.N. Rally and as Program Planner for the International Relations Program of the St. Paul Branch of the American Association of University Women. Gerri currently serves on the Mission and Justice Committee of the Peace River Presbytery, sings with the Southwest Florida Symphony Chorus of Fort Myers, Florida, and the Faith Presbyterian Church Choir of Cape Coral, Florida. She also volunteers at ECHO.
Assistant Secretary Jimiro Feliciano, D.Min.
Dr. Jimiro Feliciano serves as the Senior Pastor of the Rosa De Saron Church, a large Assembly of God church in Fort Myers, FL and he serves as the Executive Treasurer of the Southeastern Hispanic District of the Assembly of God. He has earned a Doctorate in Theology and Pastoral Ministry from Latin University of Theology. He is active in community Faith-based programs. He is also known internationally as an inspiring speaker. He has a local/international television program boadcast by the Christian Television Network. Pastor Feliciano brings to ECHO an international perspective, extensive experience in ecclesiastic team management and cultural diversity.
"It's a great joy to serve as one of the Board members and witness God's blessing through ECHO."
Board Members
Wendy Andrew
Wendy is a Manager of Horticulture at Walt Disney World. She has a Master’s of Agronomy from the University of Florida with a focus on weed sciences and forages. She had the opportunity to attend the first Echo Asia conference in 2007.
“The impact that Echo has on the lives of people around the world is exciting and humbling to me.”
William (Bill) D. Hutchison, Ph.D.
Bill Hutchison is a Professor and Extension Entomologist with the Dept. of Entomology, University of Minnesota. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1984), M.S. from Mississippi State University, and B.S. from the University of Arizona. Since coming to Minnesota, he developed a regional Vegetable Research and Outreach program for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) methods that rely on less insecticide use, and minimize economic risk to growers. He created the VegEdge web site to rapidly deliver IPM information to crop consultants. Bill recently served as President of the Plant-Insect Ecosystems Section of the Entomological Soc. of America, and serves as an Editor for the journal, Crop Protection. He has visited with scientists in Kenya, South Africa and Columbia, about priorities for IPM research on maize and vegetable crops, and is part of the Harvest Choice program at the UofM. With two children transitioning to college life, Bill and his wife Margo are anticipating opportunities for more international work. Bill and Margo are members of North Heights Lutheran Church, where they support the “ECHO Demo Garden” and ECHO Ambassador activities.
“Ever since my agricultural missions experience in Honduras (1980), I have had a strong desire to deliver long-term solutions to hunger and poverty in developing countries. With ECHO, I see unique ways to meet the challenge. We spent part of our 25th wedding anniversary touring the ECHO Farm in 2009—well worth it! I am excited about serving on the board, and learning more about the connections ECHO has established with community development professionals worldwide.”
Grace Ju Miller
David Kearns, M.D., J.D.
David Kearns is a retired pathologist with subspecialty certification in dermatopathology (skin biopsies). David has served as President of the Georgia Association of Pathologists and is on the board of the George Faile Foundation which supports the Baptist Medical Centre of Nalerigu, Ghana. He is also a principal supporter of the Bombay Leprosy Project of Bombay (Mumbai), India where he lived for two years as a child. David, his wife Jennifer and son Patrick live in the country outside Rome, Georgia. Together they are hay farmers and run a small cow-calf operation. David attends First Baptist Church of Rome, Georgia where he is a substitute Sunday School teacher.
"I believe that the only sustainable way to help the poor is to help them help themselves. ECHO shares that approach in its unique ministry to those working to improve the food supply for the poor."
Wilbert Merzilus
Wilbert Merzilus is the founder and Executive Director of Living Hope Mission in Haiti, which provides support and assistance to local churches and church leaders, including agriculture, medical services, education and water projects. He is a native of Haiti, and he has attended Eastern University and Temple University. Wilbert has previously worked with Mission Aviation Fellowship and has assisted projects in conjunction with Mennonite Central Committee and Heifer Project. His wife Meg, is from Ohio, and they work together in ministry with Haitian people. They have two children: Katie and Christian.
Brenda Tate
Brenda Tate is a community volunteer in SW Florida serving as a Student Advocate and Fund Raiser for the Take Stock in Children Scholorship Program: Founding Member and Chair of the SW Florida Community Foundation's Women's Legacy Fund; Board Member of Global Partners for Development (East Africa); Member of ECHO's Community Garden Advisory Committee; Gulfshore Life 2009 Philanthropist of the Year - Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser. Previously she served as Georgia Department of Transportation's Enhancement Activity (TEA) Advisory Panel Chair and Founding Member. She was the Trust for Public Land's Coordinator for the Ocmulgee Heritage Greenway in Macon, GA and other community based land conservation initiatives in Georgia.
“I'm honored to support ECHO's mission of providing resources and skills to reduce hunger and improve the lives of the poor. With our time, talent, treasure or touch, we can make great strides to reduce hunger and enhance nutrition. Witnessing ECHO's impact around the world convinces me of the power of a hand up to sustain lasting change.”
Ronald Tschetter
Tom Thorburn, Ph.D.
Tom Thorburn is retired and has served in the private, public and non-profit sectors. He has taught high school, managed a corporate farm, served for eighteen years with Michigan State University and the University of Minnesota in Extension program and administrative roles. Most recently, he served with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and The Ford Family Foundation in their grant programs focused both domestically and internationally. Tom has served as a volunteer on numerous boards including: Philanthropy Northwest and Michigan Partners, has taught Sunday school, has been a 4-H leader and served on volunteer missions.
“It is a blessing to be a part of ECHO solving hunger and nutritional issues by making practical sustainable food production information available to those working with the less fortunate in many other countries.”
David W. Unander, Ph.D.
Dave Unander received a Ph.D. in Plant Breeding from Univ. of Minnesota, worked in research for Univ. of Puerto Rico and Fox Chase Cancer Center (Philadelphia), and now teaches Biology at Eastern University. He has served on ECHO's Board 1987 to 1995 and 2006-2011, and also on other Christian mission boards. Dave is professor of record for “Tropical Agriculture and Missions,” taught at ECHO through the AuSable Institute.
"I've been involved with ECHO since I was a graduate student in Plant Breeding in the early 1980s and have watched it grow from a tiny beginning to an organization well-known for quality information, training and seeds among both agricultural scientists and Christian missionaries around the world. One of the greatest privileges of my life has been to serve on ECHO's Board, and, like most fellow Board members, when possible to volunteer on-site as well."
