LEADERSHIP

Omar Hernández – Finance and Operations Coordinator

Based in Honduras

omar@asj-us.org

Omar works with our directors, managing finances and administrative functions for our organization. He joined the ASJ-US team in 2021 after spending two years teaching English at Abundant Life Christian School in Gracias, Lempira. Omar was raised in the small town of La Union in the mountains of Lempira, Honduras, where he grew up learning English as a second language. He went abroad for his Bachelor’s degree, studying Business Administration and Accounting at Nyack College in New York. Omar believes that his country can build a progressive future if we all strive to be intentional, just, and loving in the job we have been entrusted with. In his free time, Omar loves spending quality time with family and friends, as well as traveling and adventuring to new places.

Elizabeth Hickel – Events Coordinator

Based in Michigan

elizabeth@asj-us.org

Elizabeth maintains ASJ-US's website and advertising, develops communications and social media, and assists with fundraising event logistics. She was born and raised in Honduras, where she studied Dentistry at the National University of Honduras. In 2019, she moved to the United States and pursued a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with a focus on project management at Cornerstone University. Since finishing her master’s, she has worked in the non-profit sector. Elizabeth is passionate about serving others and loves traveling, the outdoors, and spending time with friends and family.

Kyle Meyaard-Schaap – Executive Director

Based in Michigan

kyle@asj-us.org

Kyle leads our ASJ-US team and gets to connect people from around the world to ASJ’s groundbreaking work for justice. Kyle brings to ASJ-US over a decade of experience in faith-rooted advocacy, education, and mobilization toward justice, especially environmental and climate justice. He is a Yale Public Voices Fellow on the Climate Crisis, and his advocacy work has been featured in national and international news outlets such as PBS, NPR, CNN, NBC News, New York Times, Reuters, and U.S. News and World Report. His book, Following Jesus in a Warming World: A Christian Call to Climate Action, was published by InterVarsity Press in February 2023. Kyle holds an undergraduate degree in religious studies from Calvin University (B.A. '12), a Master of Divinity degree from Western Theological Seminary (M.Div. '16), and is ordained in the Reformed Church in America (RCA). Kyle, his wife, and their two young sons live in Grand Rapids and can often be found cooking, reading, and exploring the natural beauty of Michigan.

Angela Montes – Eventos Colibri Manager

Based in Honduras

eventoscolibrihn@gmail.com

I joined ASJ-HN in 2018. I was born and raised in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras and completed my higher education at the Technological University of Honduras (UTH), obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Business Management and, later, a Master in Commercial Management and Marketing. It is an honor to be part of ASJ-US, an organization committed to protecting the most vulnerable and promoting a more just society in my beloved country. My favorite hobbies are spending time with my family, my pet, friends, and now I also really enjoy traveling.

Sara Pineda – Communications Coordinator

Based in Honduras

sara@asj-us.org

Sara is responsible for developing comprehensive communications strategies to connect with our ASJ constituents in the US and worldwide. Sara graduated from Wheaton College with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies focused on writing, sociology, and psychology. She has worked in various fields, including publishing, mental health, education, and research. Sara is passionate about the power of storytelling to bring about individual and systemic change. She was born and raised in Honduras, and she believes that sharing the stories of her people is crucial to the pursuit of justice in her country. Sara and her spouse are currently based in Tegucigalpa and have made it their personal mission to find the best baleadas spot in town. 

Based in Michigan

alison@asj-us.org

Alison leads our programs in the U.S., connecting North American supporters to ASJ’s work in Honduras and helping them learn how to do justice in their own contexts. After spending a semester abroad in Honduras, Alison wanted to be a part of building a brighter future in Honduras, and she has worked with ASJ since 2012. Alison received her B.A. in Spanish and Recreational Therapy from Calvin University and her Master’s in Business Administration from Central Michigan University. Alison is also an artist, focused on drawing and painting, and she believes that art is a platform to challenge everyday thinking and effect change. She and her husband manage Blue House Home Inspections in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Dr. Mark Veenstra, MD - President

Dr. Mark Veenstra retired in 2014 after 27 years as an orthopedic surgeon, though he continues to perform surgery several months per year with medical brigades to Honduras. Dr. Veenstra studied at Calvin University before earning his MD from Wayne State University School of Medicine. He and his wife live in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and they regularly travel to Gracias, Honduras to work in a medical clinic they founded together with the Luke Society.

Erica Boonstra – Vice President

Erica Boonstra is strategist, design thinker, and nonprofit advisor, passionate about spurring innovation and impact in the nonprofit sector. She currently works on the Nonprofit Success team at Salesforce, one of the largest and most innovative software companies in the world, after spending 15+ years working in international nonprofits, mostly recently at International Justice Mission. She has an Masters in Nonprofit Management from American University. Erica, her partner (Jonathan), and her two kids (Asher and Gideon) live in Grand Rapids, MI.

Chelsea Lernihan – Treasurer

Chelsea Lernihan serves as the Executive Director for the MIGMIR fund, which supports Christ-centered ministries that meet the spiritual and physical needs of individuals in under-resourced communities in Chicago, East Africa, Central America, and Southeast Asia. Chelsea received her MBA from the University of Southern Indiana, and she is passionate about promoting faith, justice, and empowerment. Chelsea and her husband Tom live in Carmel, Indiana with their four kids.

Luis Flores – Secretary

Luis grew up in a small town in Guatemala and just before entering high school he immigrated to Grand Rapids, Michigan with his family. In 2013, Luis obtained a Bachelor’s degree in business from Calvin University and currently serves as a Sales Development Manager with Service Express. Luis and his wife have actively supported ASJ since 2012, and they are also passionate about serving youth and families involved in the foster care system. Luis knows firsthand the prevalence of injustice in Central America, and he has remained deeply connected and committed to serving the Central American people in any way possible.

Miriam Andrade Cuevas is a Corporate Communications Manager, Corewell Health. A first-generation immigrant from Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Miriam Andrade Cuevas brings more than 17 years of experience in healthcare and 7 years in leadership—specializing in language access, inclusive and community communications.  At Corewell Health, Michigan’s largest healthcare system, she leads enterprise-wide efforts, ensuring messages are clear, culturally relevant, and accessible to over 60,000 team members and diverse communities across Michigan. Miriam is a two-time Grand Rapids Business Journal “40 Under 40” honoree and serves on the Governor-appointed Board of Interpreters for the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Cornerstone University and is currently pursuing her MS in Management, Strategy & Leadership at Michigan State University’s Eli Broad College of Business.

 Michelle De Bie 

Michelle began her career in the social work field working with teenagers, and was asked to "help out" in Human Resources while the organization was growing. Thirty-five years later she retired from that career. She brings to the board her experience in human resources management within the nonprofit sector, where she has been guided by a deep commitment to supporting people and strengthening organizations. She now shares her expertise by offering free HR consulting to small nonprofit organizations, helping them to grow and thrive.

Stephen DeHaan, JD

Steve DeHaan has more than 30 years of experience as a lawyer focusing on personal injury cases. He has a Master’s degree in physiology from the University of Wisconsin, and has done research into cardiovascular physiology. Mr. DeHaan attended law school at Valparaiso University School of Law in Indiana. He graduated with honors in 1983 and became a member of the State Bar of Michigan that same year.

Ken Heffner

I have had a strong interest in justice concerns all my adult life. Early on, I was involved with Bread for the World and then Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ). I have been involved with ASJ since its beginning and have delighted to see its growth and flourishing over the years. I have served on the board for Communities Organizing for Racial Equity (CORE) for 5 years.

My vocation has been focused on renewal in popular culture. I am retired from Calvin University, where I served for 26 years as Director of Student Activities, curating a season of concerts and film, including discussions with

the artists and education about pop culture. I also directed the Festival of Faith and Music for 14 years. I had an 8-year run as a reporter for the National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate in Pittsburgh, where I covered the arts and politics. It was so long ago that I edited tape with a wax pencil and a razor blade. Another long-term interest has been creation care, especially solar energy. We have installed solar panels on our own homes and are working to get solar energy to low-income communities and non-profits. I am married to Gail, and we have three children and four grandchildren who bring great joy.

Russ Jacobs, JD

Russ Jacobs leads the global Intellectual Property practice at Starbucks Coffee Company.  Mr. Jacobs returned to Starbucks following three years as the first General Counsel for the National CASA/GAL Association for Children, the leading organization in the US promoting volunteer best-interest advocacy for children who have experienced abuse or neglect. He started his legal practice at the New York office of Hughes Hubbard & Reed before moving to Seattle and working at Focal Law PLLC.  While earning a bachelor's degree with a double major in Spanish and the History of Art from the University of Michigan he participated in an internship at the national art museum in Costa Rica.  He received his J.D. from Columbia University, studying abroad at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina. He also earned a Certificate in Spanish Community Interpreting from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

Dr. Scott Johnson

Scott Johnson began his career in the 1990s working for the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (now World Renew) in the Philippines and Grand Rapids. He joined the board of ASJ-US in 2006, after finishing his Ph.D. in Strategic Management at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Johnson currently teaches Strategy and Business Ethics at Iowa State University in the Ivy College of Business.

James Nealon

Jim Nealon has more than 30 years of experience in international affairs. His work in the U.S. Foreign Service has taken him to Spain, Hungary, the Philippines, and other countries around the world. Ambassador Nealon has served in public affairs, strategic communications, and human rights, including as the Civilian Deputy to the Commander of U.S. Southern Command. From 2014 to 2017, Nealon served as the U.S. Ambassador to Honduras, where he led U.S. diplomacy, and connected with civil society organizations such as ASJ to promote U.S. interests in reducing crime and violence in the country.

Michael Pineda

Michael is a Honduran-American organizational administrator and active musician that is committed to building bridges and creating opportunities for the Honduran community. He was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and moved to Honduras in 2012 where he completed his high school studies in Tegucigalpa. Michael received his bachelor's degree in business from Hope College in 2021, where he first connected with ASJ. He interned for a summer in Honduras with ASJ in 2019 on the Marketing team, and from that point on, continued to be deeply inspired and guided by the impactful work of the organization. He currently serves as the Rental Program Coordinator for Lyon & Healy Harps in Chicago, IL, and is committed to being a resource and developing strong relationships for ASJ anywhere he goes.

Thomas Turner

Thomas Turner is a nonprofit operations and analytics professional who specializes in scaling the operational and data science needs of fundraising organizations. He currently works as the leader of Revenue Operations & Analytics at charity: water, an organization providing clean, safe water to over 19 million people and counting. He previously led similar teams at Bread for the World and International Justice Mission. He is also an adjunct lecturer in the Cairn University School of Business, teaching courses such as Advanced Data Analytics and Predictive Analytics. Thomas lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his spouse and two kids.

Laura Hofman-Watrous