After college, Greg joined the family business, learning much about the food industry and managing tremendous growth over the next couple of decades, going from a small regional produce distributor with sales of $15 million per year to a U.S. top 50 multi-state supply chain food distribution company with sales close to $200 million annually. In January 2000, Yancey’s Food Service became a third-generation owned company with Greg taking over from his father. In 2009, his two children joined the family business. In 2012, Yancey’s sold to Food Services of America, providing the opportunity to partner with the sixth largest food distribution company in the United States. Today, Greg is married to Ellen and has two grown children, Drew and Gwen, along with a son-in-law, Danny, and daughter-in-law, Anna. He also has six beautiful and perfect grandkids! Greg enjoys traveling to developing countries on short term mission trips, skiing, golfing and biking with his family, reading and spending time in the mountains. Greg joined the Arise Rwanda Board in 2012 and became Chairman in 2015. He also serves on several Boards including The Alpha Center, Nexus International, Empty Tomb Ministries and Opportunity International.

– CPA/Partner, Dowsett, Fogg & Doler, PC

– Council of Trustees, Our House of Portland (AIDS Facility)

– Former Board of Directors, Tucker Maxon School (Oral School of the Deaf)

– Former Treasurer Presbytery of the Cascades

– Former Governor appointed Oregon State Lottery Commissioner (Audit Chair)

Janet Roberts is a founding board member of Arise Rwanda and serves as the Board Secretary. Professionally, Janet was an educator teaching elementary school and also working as an instructional coach and staff developer. In a second career, Janet was an accounting administrator and an HR administrator. Volunteering in community and church organizations has always been a life priority. As a retiree, Janet continues to be involved with several organizations. She and her husband love to travel and continue to be passionate about expanding God’s mission in Rwanda.

Steve is a founding board member of Arise Rwanda Ministries and served as the organization’s first chair from 2011 to 2014.  He first met John Gasangwa in 2007 on a trip to Rwanda with Betsy King’s Golf Fore Africa.  At the time John was working for World Vision and, even at age 25, articulated his passion for serving the poor in Rwanda.

Professionally, Steve has owned several different companies.  In 1991, he acquired Echo Data Services, a third-party fulfillment company.  He retired in 2019 and sold the company to a private equity company.

Steve has served in leadership and board positions with many community, non-profit, church, and educational organizations.  He is currently Trustee Emeritus of Lebanon Valley College, his alma mater.  He is also an advisor to A Miracle For Sure, a non-profit dedicated to serving formerly incarcerated people.

Steve and his wife, Janet are avid golfers and travelers,  and parents of three children and one granddaughter.  Both have been blessed with many opportunities to serve others.

For the past 15 years David Knibbe has served in various executive leadership positions in the social-sector with organizations such as World Vision, Evergreen Commons, and Opportunity International. Prior to that he was an Executive Vice President of Herman Miller. David has lived with the guiding principle that God’s call on our lives, wherever one is serving him, is to shine his light in the darkness of a broken world; to act justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly. David and his wife Sharon are blessed with 4 adult children, three sons-in-law, and eight grandchildren.

Since retiring from her business career in Corporate Communications, Heidi Morgan has led a life of following Jesus in humanitarian service. She was a Regional Director for World Vision; leading many donor trips to SubSaharan Africa. She co-founded Equal World Coffee which was one of the first distributors of Rwandan specialty coffee. She was involved in the founding of Arise Ministries, and has been a board member since its inception. Heidi has led many teams on life changing trips to see the inspirational work among the extreme poor in Rural Boneza, Rwanda. Currently she is an Associate with The International Foundation. Heidi avails herself in a number of ways with both domestic and international outreach. Heidi is also a Colson Institute Fellow. She has been married for 41 years to Bob, and they are active members of their church community. They adopted John Gasangwa as a son and into their family. Heidi and Bob live in Southern Utah. She is an outdoor hiking enthusiast, loves animals and the global beauty of all God’s creation. She has hiked thousands of miles in the mountains and summited 17 of the Rocky Mountain Fourteeners.

– Logistics Manager-International Committee Of Red Cross Geneva

– Tours and Visits Africa Region-Compassion International Africa

– Regional Manager Church and Donor Engagement-Compassion USA

– Marketing Manager – 4Corners

Jennifer went to Biola University where sharing the love of Christ to the world was a focus. She married into a missionary family and enjoyed hearing the many experiences of living in Africa. She taught at Christian schools for 10 years. In 2010, Paul, Jennifer and three sons moved from Loveland, Colorado to Kigali, Rwanda for 2 years. They worked at a school in a poor area of the city, helping with a child sponsorship program and teaching English. After witnessing John’s passion for Jesus and the love he has for the Rwandan people, Jennifer and Paul were excited to join the board of Arise Rwanda.

Paul’s parents are missionaries with Cru and spent many years in Africa. Paul went to high school in Kenya where his family met a Rwandan family and stayed in touch. Paul worked in construction in California and Colorado, and in 2010 moved with the family to Rwanda planning to help with construction of a church, but instead he became the headmaster of primary school that was transitioning from French to English. Before moving, they met a Colorado State University student from Rwanda named John. The Woods were blessed by his friendship when he moved back to Rwanda as he taught them about his country. After seeing the beginning of John’s work in Boneza, the love he has for the people and witnessing the start of Arise Rwanda Ministries, Paul and Jennifer joined the board. Paul currently works for a custom home builder in Colorado. He enjoys traveling to Rwanda and sharing the experience with teams from local churches.

Larry J. Rybka JD, CFP® is the CEO of the Valmark Financial group. Larry joined the company started by his father 60 years ago after obtaining a degree in Finance from the University of Akron and a Law Degree from Wake Forest University. Valmark works through 120 independently branded financial advisory firms in 31 states and manages over 6.5 billion dollars of client assets and 63 billion dollars of life insurance protection. Under Larry’s leadership the company has grown to almost 200 million in gross revenue. Larry has had more than a dozen industry leading articles published professional journals, published 2 books and is a frequent speaker at industry meetings. He has been quoted in Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Forbes, and Advisor Today. He has served on several industry board including AALU, The Million Dollar Roundtable Foundation, the CFP board of Standards and the University of Akron Foundation Board. He also served on 2 Christian School boards when his children attended. In 2021 he was named to the National Estate Planning Councils Hall of Fame. He is a recipient of Lincoln Nationals American Award for his lifetime contribution to the industry. He was named Finance Executive of the year by the University of Akron. Larry and his wife Wendy of 33 years are members at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Hudson, Ohio. Their oldest Laura is a coach at Grove City College, Caroline is a mom and teacher, Lance is attending Law school at UNC Chapel Hill and William is studying Finance at Grove City College. Larry is a board member of Arise Rwanda. In 5 trips to the country, he brought 2 dozen Valmark business collogues with him and 3 of his 4 children. The 4th Laura plans to accompany him in 2023 and Lance is planning his 4th trip back in May of 2023. The Valmark Global Gift Fund has partnered with Valmark firms to help fund buildings at Kivu Hills Academy and the Kivu Hills Medical Center.

Pastor Bob is the founder and president of Empty Tomb Ministries in Windsor, Colorado. Bob was a Senior Pastor in Kalamazoo, Michigan for a number of years before moving to Colorado 20 years ago. He now heads up Empty Tomb on a full-time basis and has served on the board of Arise Rwanda Ministries for the last few years. It is a real honor for Bob to serve on the Arise board and to be a part of helping the pastors of Boneza through leadership training and outreach. Bob and his wife Laura have been married for 48 years and have 2 children and 5 grandchildren.

Kevin served on the ARM board previously from 2012 to 2018 and has returned to continue working with the great team at KHA. He currently works as a Sr. Culture Science Engineer for the Gapingvoid Culture Design Group. Prior to his consulting work he spent 20 year in education as a teacher, administrator, school founder and thought leader for national education non-profits. He is a native of Colorado living in Michigan with his 3 children and wife, Lynelle.

Founder of ARM, John is a graduate of Université National du Rwanda with a degree in Economics and Business Management. Following graduation from college, John worked in microfinance programs with World Vision, Opportunities International, and KIVA. In 2011, John completed his MBA in Global Social Sustainable Enterprise (MBA-GSSE) at Colorado State University. John has taught as a visiting professor at the University of Kigali and taught Entrepreneurship and Principles of Microfinance at the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology.

Liz currently works for Hope Haven Rwanda as the Director of the school. Liz grew up in an orphanage home in Uganda after the war. As a professional journalist, she has become an advocate for women’s rights in Rwanda and has great passion to help the needy children. Liz also has experience working as a marketing manager for the Microfinance Institutions in Rwanda. She has worked on Television Rwanda as a news reporter and taught Communications at a university in Eastern province.

My name is Dr. Simon Rock Nyagasanza, I am the Head of Arise Rwanda Medical Missions in Rwanda.

I am a specialist in Oral and Maxillofacial surgery from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, in Tanzania, with more surgical skills in head and neck reconstruction from ASAN medical center in Seoul, South Korea. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Medicine and surgery from the National University of Rwanda, am much interested in facial reconstruction and dealing with facial esthetics. I work in two biggest hospitals in Kigali. Both in King Fiscal and Kanombe Military Hospital.

I have been officially working with Arise Rwanda Ministries for the previous two years where I have been responsible for the coordination of all medical missions in the ministry and also a local board member of Arise Rwanda. Arise Rwanda opened my eyes and to pay attention to the need of medical need of this community of 26,000 that doesn’t have a hospital or a medical Doctor! The medical need in Boneza is enormous! Please come and serve with us! For any information about me or Arise Rwanda Ministries, please contact me on: [email protected]

Ebenezer is the founder of White Dove Girls School in Rwanda and a serial entrepreneur in clean water businesses in Rwanda.