Leadership

Successfully stewarding a multi-national organization with an extraordinary vision requires leaders committed to excellence, innovation and servant leadership. OM is blessed with a dedicated team of executives and board members who exhibit these qualities as they draw upon a wealth of professional experience from the nonprofit, for-profit and missions sectors.

USA Board
Board Leaders2
DeeDee Wilson
Board Chair
Board Leaders3
Harvey Thiessen
Board Leaders4
Jim Owens
Secretary/Treasurer
Board Leaders5
Litia Jones
Board Leaders6
Dr. Ray Charles
Board Leaders7
Rick Hicks
Vice Chair
Board Leaders
Andrew Scott
CEO
Global Board
Albert Teh
Albert Teh
Andrea Vogt
Andrea Vogt
Bert Van De Haar
Bert Van de Haar
Calisto Odede
Calisto Odede
Jon Seeley
Jon Seeley
Julyan Lidstone
Julyan Lidstone
Board Secretary
Kelvin Samwata
Kelvin Samwata
Lawrence Tong
Lawrence Tong
International Director
Mary Lederleitner
Mary Lederleitner
Chairman
Paul Hynam
Paul Hynam
Shura Facanha
Shura Facanha
Goh Wei Leong
Wei-Leong Goh
Vice Chairman
Zenet Maramara
Zenaida Maramara
Executive Profiles
Andrew 2019 Color
Andrew Scott
President and CEO
Andrew Scott first joined OM ministry ship MV Doulos at age 19. A native of Northern Ireland, he studied at Belfast Bible College and served as an associate pastor for two years. Andrew and his young family later returned to the Doulos, where he directed care and development for the international crew. In 2002, Andrew launched a new recruiting initiative at OM USA and became President/CEO in 2010. Andrew authored the highly acclaimed book Scatter and is a popular speaker.
Brian 2021 Color
Brian Miller
Vice President of Development
Brian Miller provides leadership to a team of major gift officers who develop relationships with churches, individuals and businesses throughout the United States. These partnerships support the work of Operation Mobilization in over 115 countries. He is a graduate of Wheaton College and holds a Master's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He lived in Jordan with his family and led OM’s Syrian refugee relief work during the height of the Civil War.
Chris 2019 Color
Chris Fedelem
Senior Vice President
Chris Fedelem leads OM’s Inspiring Engagement initiative, caring for the marketing, accounting and facilities teams in addition to the organization’s cross-departmental alternative revenue efforts. His previous experience in the for-profit sector includes the resort, real estate, hospitality and luxury segments. A University of Florida MBA and Flagler College alumnus, Chris regularly serves with various community organizations as a leader, board member and volunteer.
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Chris Williams
Vice President of People and Culture
Chris Williams leads People and Culture, overseeing Personnel and People Care. A U.S. Navy Veteran, Chris has worked in the private, government and non-profit sectors. A graduate of the Chapman University System, he holds a MPA, MAHR and Graduate Certificate in Organizational Leadership. In Chris’ free time, he enjoys serving local ministries, working out and eating “good food”. If you’re in town, he’ll make you a great cup of coffee.
Danielle McGowan
Danielle McGowan
Lead Culture Strategist
Danielle leads Culture initiatives at OM USA, including employee engagement and learning & development, to shape an environment where the OM team can thrive. She joined OM in 2017 with over a decade of experience in higher education and executive administration. She holds a B.A. in Humanities & Writing and a Certificate of Intercultural Studies from Fuller Seminary. Danielle lives in London, England, where she co-leads a forum for entrepreneurs at her church and reads any book on design thinking or British early modern history.
Jeff King
Jeff King
Vice President of Mobilization
Jeff champions the vision and development of a team highly motivated to see Jesus followers working and thriving across the least-reached areas of the world. Originally from Kentucky, Jeff has lived in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana and the United Kingdom. He has spent the last 20+ years working on teams and projects for global organizations, African governments, churches, technology and large-scale construction. Jeff met his wife in Sierra Leone, is a Civil Engineering graduate and was a college tennis player.
Joelle Ailes
Joelle Ailes
Strategy Realization Lead
Joelle has served with OM since 2012, initially participating on a team in London for 7 months, then moving to the Balkans where she lived and served for nearly 3 years. In 2015, Joelle returned to the US and has served at OM USA in the areas of mobilization, personnel and strategy. Joelle holds a Master of Management: Nonprofit Organizations degree from Biola University and is passionate about increasing organizational effectiveness toward our mission.
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John Cerniglia, CFRE
Senior Vice President
John Cerniglia leads OM’s worldwide Global Generosity team. John has served in global missions leadership roles for 30 years. His ministry has spanned 40 countries helping national leaders expand domestic philanthropy and improve sustainability. He is a CFRE, an alumnus of Houghton College and Adjunct Faculty for the Indiana University Lilly School of Philanthropy. John loves helping philanthropists realize their vision for Kingdom impact and find joy in their generosity.
Matt 2019 Color
Matt Benson, EdD
Senior Vice President
Matt Benson serves on the Leadership Team overseeing the People and Culture initiatives of the organization. The bulk of Matt’s professional career has been in higher education as a faculty member and Vice President at a prominent regional Christian university. With degrees from Piedmont College, Dallas Theological Seminary and Biola University, Matt continues to teach in graduate programs in MBA and Theology.
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Todd Shinabarger
Chief Information Officer
Todd Shinabarger has nearly 40 years of senior information technology management experience in various industries - including manufacturing, automotive, construction, retail, fashion and non-profit - where he led numerous multi-million dollar IT capital projects. After more than 3 decades in the corporate environment, Todd “retired” in 2015, assuming the CIO role at OM USA. Since joining, he’s helped to transform and modernize the IT ecosystem, replacing nearly every IT application and process.
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Tracy Prewitt
Chief Financial Officer
Tracy leads OM USA’s Financial Services team. She has two decades of experience in finance, accounting and management. A Lemoyne-Owen College and University of Phoenix alumni, Tracy has a B.B.A and M.B.A. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, The Links, Incorporated-MS Roses, the American Payroll Association, the American Institute of CPAs and the American Institute of Professionals. Entrepreneurial, Tracy’s analytical skills attribute to her success in the financial arena.

Founders

George Verwer

United States | United Kingdom

George Verwer was born in New Jersey, USA, in 1938. When he was 14 years old, a woman named Dorothea Clapp gave him a copy of the Gospel of John. Mrs. Clapp prayed for 18 years for the students at George’s school to become passionate Jesus followers and take His message to the ends of the earth. Three years later, George attended a Billy Graham rally in New York City, where he made a personal commitment to Christ. His entire life was changed.

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George Verwer

Dale Rhoton

United States

Dale Rhoton, co-founder of Operation Mobilisation (OM), was born in 1938 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. It was through the influence of the Christian and Missionary Alliance pastor that Dale came to faith in Jesus Christ.

Dale attended Maryville College in Tennessee where he met fellow student George Verwer. After two years, the two transferred colleges, Dale to Wheaton, about 50 kilometres west of Chicago, and George to Moody, in the centre of the city. At Wheaton, Dale completed his bachelor’s degree and an M.A. in New Testament.

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Dale Rhoton Photo

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