The Board

Thomas Bennett (chairman of the board) is a successful banker in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Together with his wife Sue, they recently started First Oklahom Bank. Previously they pioneered  Oklahoma National Bank in 1999 and sold it in 2007. Tom is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and has his MBA from Harvard. He and Sue have been very involved in promoting business in Oklahoma for many years.

In the summer of 2000, Tom took his first trip to Russia, primarily to accompany Sue and be certain that she was OK! That began a great love for orphans, especially the older ones, and the country of Russia. Over the years Tom has taken their whole family and continues to have outreach opportunities to many of the young people they met.

Tom and Sue have three sons, who reside in Tulsa. They are also the proud grandparents of four grandchildren.

Allen Schwab (Treasurer of the Board) - and his wife Penny Stewart first traveled to Russia in May 2009.While Penny conducted an srt symposium, Allen accompanied other Orphan’s Tree Vision Team members visiting the various facilities throughout the Vladimir Region. In addition, he traveled to St Pete witht he symposium participants and the Vision Team, witnessing firsthand the Hands and Feet of Christ that Orphan’s Tree represents tot he young adults without earthly parents. He and Penny were hooked.

A native Nebraskan, Allen is a ’69 NU grad with an MA from UNC. He is a retired airline pilot, a published author and editor, a transportation safety consultant, and an Air Force veteran.

Together with his wife, Allen and his only child Andrew and lone grandchild Cameron are affectionately known as “Penny and the Schwab Boys.’ Allen and Penny, longtime residents of the Pikes Peak Region, are members of Covenant Presbyterian Church. Allen is an ordained Elder – PC USA.

Meredith Smith (Secretary of the board) lives in the Portland, OR area and works out of Seattle for an advertising agency. She is an account manager and her list of clients include the Standard Insurance Company, Hyatt, and Carnival Cruise Line. Meredith’s first of three trips to Russia was as a 14 year old to visit her Dad who was staying in Russia for two months. Since that time she has worked at a camp in Vladimir and visited orphanages in Kostroma, Ivanovo and Vladimir. She and her husband are members of St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Washougal, WA.

Sue Awes and her husband Mel have been to Russia three times. Their first trip was in the dead of winter in 2004, a program and vision trip to the orphanages in Ivanovo. The purpose of the next two trips was to sponsor and facilitate Life Skills Conferences for orphanage graduate girls (ages 16 – 21) in the regions of Ivanovo, Kostromo and Vladimir. These events also included professional workshops for Ministry Center staff members.

Sue and Mel have been married for 49 years and have 5 children, now grown with families of their own. Native Minnesotans, Mel and Sue returned to their home state after 20 years of adventures in many other states. For over 30 years, Sue was a stay-at-home mom and then began what has become a fulfilling career as a Senior Director with Southern Living at Home, working with thousands of women across the U.S.

Sue is a member of St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Edina, MN and is also a presenter of Walk Thru the Bible Seminars. Sue loves to read and paint and spend time at their cabin on the North Shore of Lake Superior.

Dan Duffy resides in Fombell, PA which is less than an hour from Pittsburgh. Dan’s career was primarily in his family’s business where he managed the Sales Department.  For the past seven years he has been involved in real estate and farming.  Dan and his wife Anita have four children, Danelle, Erica, Brad and Sonya.  Sonya was adopted from a Russian orphanage – so Russian blood runs in the Duffy family!

Over the past six years Dan has visited Russia eight times. He is especially involved and passionate with the Vladimir Dacha Project. Dan and his family attend Concord United Methodist Church in Beaver Falls, PA.

David Fish is married to Terri and together they have two adult children, Sarah and Andrew. David and Terri live in Monument, CO and attend Covenant Presbyterian Church. He holds a BSEE degree from California Polytechnic State University. David has held a number of marketing and engineering positions within the telecommunications test industry for Hewlett-Packard and Fluke Networks.

Dave went to Russia in 2005 with his daughter where they visited orphanages and worked at a camp.

Andrew Jett has lived in Virginia Beach most of his life. He graduated from James Madison University with a Management Degree in 1981. Over the next 23 yrs Andrew was involved in a family business, moving from the field/production facilities/sales world to the Corporate Office in 1986. He presently works in the rehab/resell of distressed properties.

Andrew and his wife Ellen, a nurse, have four children ranging in ages from 10 to 21 years old. He has been to Russia nine times since 2001 with Wave Church, starting with the Fominky Orphanage and more recently the Lakinsk Family Center. Andrew’s hobbies include most sports, baseball, camping, and BMW motorcycles

Josh Peterson – is the construction manager at SaddleTree & Symphony Homes, a custom and semi-custom home builder in Colorado Springs, CO. While his day-to-day employment requires overseeing contractual agreements and working with local government officials, his passion lies in the spiritual development of Russian orphans. Josh has traveled to Russia twice and enjoys putting his practical knowledge of home construction, maintenance and improvement to work for orphanages and orphanage graduates.

Josh first went to Russia in 1996 to participate in a camp for orphans in Vladimir. He returned in 2000 to work at another camp in Kostroma. He is married to Rebecca Steiner Peterson, and they have four children. They are members of The Gathering in Colorado Springs.

Jeff Stoddard is the owner of Stoddard Designs, a branding and marketing company specializing in assisting non-profits. Some of his clients have included Promise Keepers, Compassion, Focus on the Family, Bibles for the World, Children’s HopeChest and Orphan’s Tree.

Jeff has traveled to Russia three times and not only worked with kids (a true gift!) but assisted in video production and taking professional photographs.

Jeff has two grown children. His son, is an accomplished pianist and recording artist. His daughter is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado.  Jeff resides in Colorado Springs.