Board Members

To date, three of our six board members have made the trip to Kenya.  Thom Seagren has visited Kenya a total of three times, Dean Miller once and Tim Foley once.  These trips have all happened since 2005.

Board Members

Thom Seagren -  Thom has had the privilege of making the trip to Kenya three times since 2005.  These fact finding trips have been exceptionally helpful in determining CWH ministry objectives as well as gaining practical information.  Thom is married to Shari and they have four children.  Thom is the owner of a small business, which is an advertising firm that assists Christian colleges with their recruitment efforts.

Vern Downs -  Vern is the father of four children and is married to LauraJean.  He is very involved in church (Christian & Missionary Alliance) where he has served as an elder and high school age Sunday School teacher.  Vern is a printer by profession and he and his wife LauraJean have four children - all girls.

Dr. Jesse Dodd -  Jesse is a retired physician and holds an MD and a PhD. Specifically, Jesse was trained as an anesthesiologist.  He is married to Ann and they have 4 children.  Jesse’s medical expertise and his attention to detail are tremendous assets as he serves in the role of CWH secretary.

Tim Foley – In December 2006, Tim made the trip to Eldoret, Kenya where he and Thom were able to gather some critical information for Children With Hope.  Tim is married to Diann and they have two children.  Tim works for the Bureau of Land Management in Grand Junction, CO.  His area of expertise is fire fighting and he has traveled extensively, assisting and teaching fire fighting in other cities and states in the U.S.

Shari Seagren – As one of the founders of CWH, Shari has a deep compassion for orphans.  She is married to Thom and they live in Grand Junction, CO with their four children.  Shari has been a hair stylist for many years and she works from a small salon in her home.  She also helps to homeschool their daughter.

Dean Miller – Dean has been to Eldoret, Kenya as well as a host of other countries.  He has participated in numerous mission trips and has been involved in another orphanage construction project in the country of Zambia.  He has a wealth of experience in missions.  Dean is single and is a Cardiac ICU Nurse.  He has gained an outstanding reputation at the local hospital, which allows him to take time off for missions work.

American Administrators

One of the critical ingredients to Children With Hope is to have an American administrator/family on site in Eldoret, Kenya.  The need for this position has been highly recommended and can be particularly helpful in terms of financial accountability, stewardship and relaying the needs and development of the Children’s Home back to the board in the U.S.  We have been blessed by a couple named Horace and Phyllis Leister from Idaho, who have been called to orphan ministry and who have agreed to join Children With Hope in Eldoret, Kenya.  The Leister’s have three children that will move to Kenya with them, however their parenting experience goes well beyond these three children.  They have three biological children and have adopted five children.  They also have been foster parents to over 150 children!  Their calling to Africa and orphan ministry is a natural step for them in their life’s work in caring for children.   It’s the privilege of Children With Hope to assist the Leister’s with the call they have received from the Lord for orphan ministry in Africa. Horace’s background in construction is also an exceptional asset to CWH.

For up-to-date information and pictures, please visit the blog of our administrators, Horace and Phyllis Leister. Click here