Mom Stories

Jeffrey Asher, MBA, Secretary

Denver, CO
Banker

Jeff retired from banking in 2015 after over 20 years with FirstBank Holding Company in Lakewood, CO. As a Senior Vice President, he led the compliance department, overseeing such areas as leadership, staff development, compliance training and program management, regulatory exam management and board of directors reporting. His previous experience includes consumer and commercial lending, bank operations, real estate appraisal review, and regulation analysis. He has been a conference planner and speaker for the American Bankers Association conference in various roles since 2010. Jeff also served on the 2014-15 board of Mental Health America of Colorado. Jeff earned his MBA at University of Nebraska and is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School in Seattle, WA.

Somer Chevrier

Chicago, IL
MOPS Leader/Educator

Somer Chevrier is a MOPS leader who has established multiple MOPS groups in her community, and now oversees several groups, resourcing their coordinators. Bringing creativity to MOPS groups through the pandemic, she developed a MOPS After Party Podcast for these groups that expands the MOPS meeting discussion in meaningful ways. Somer is an equipper, and has been instrumental in helping the women around her develop their own leadership skills. A piano teacher and elementary school teacher, she has taught multiple subjects and written teaching tools including a Bible curriculum for this age group. She and her husband Ryan have four school-aged children.

Kase Vunileva, M.Div, M.A.

Los Angeles, CA
Educator, Development Strategist

Toakase “Kase” Vunileva, M.Div; M.A. is Senior Manager ACE Academy Leadership for the Bainum Family Foundation, directing the training of educational leaders across the country. Awarded Principal of the Year for Leadership in Adventist Education in North America in 2018, she is an educational leader passionate about strategically working with individuals, groups and organizations. In various roles she has created Leadership Institutes, managed budgets to reduce debt while increasing funding, adjusted learned environments to increase both enrollment and average test scores, and collaborated with educational leaders on the topics of diversity, equity and inclusion in schools. With 15 years of experience in education administration and another 9 years in direct pastoral work, she brings tremendous experience in helping not-for-profit organizations meet their funding, marketing and growth goals. Kase and her husband live in Los Angeles, CA.

Julie Adams

Denver, CO
Ministry Leader/Educator

Julie Adams, M. Ed, has a master’s degree in elementary education and taught in the Denver area for twelve years before leaving to raise her children. Julie has served in leadership roles for church small groups, social committees, and other non-profit organizations. She is the creator and founder of the Prayer and Praise mobile app, enabling users to record and share prayers and praises, receive prayer reminders, and reflect on daily verses. She and her husband, Jim, enjoy spending time with their two adult children, golfing, and traveling. Julie was involved in MOPS when her children were young, and she is passionate about the work God is doing through this organization.

Diane Pauls

Denver, CO
MOPS Mentor/Ministry Leader

Diane Pauls began her long relationship with MOPS as a MOPS mom and leader when her children were young. After a move to Toronto, Canada, she helped establish a MOPS group in her area and also served on the MOPS board of directors from 1999 to 2005. Currently as a MOPS mentor mom, she encourages the next generation of moms and continues to be an advocate for MOPS at the local level. Diane has served in multiple additional leadership roles for her Denver church during the intervening years. An educator by training, she loves to teach, shepherd and assist in leadership development. She and her husband Brian have 3 adult children and one grandson, and enjoy recreational activities in the great outdoors.

Mandy Arioto

Mandy is the President and CEO of MOPS International and is widely known for her unique takes on parenting, relationships, spiritual and cultural issues. Through MOPS, which influences millions of moms through thousands of groups internationally, Mandy serves as the voice of one of the most influential parenting organizations in the U.S. and around the world.

Janella Thaxton

Janella loves Jesus, her family and Prince. She is a gatherer of people in her personal and professional life. This radiates as she manages the highly impactful annual MOPS mothering event, MOMcon. Janella and her husband of 28 years, Rickey, are reveling in the joy of being empty nesters after successfully raising three children. In her spare time, Janella serves on a few boards and is a barista at her church where she also sings. During the pandemic, she discovered an amazing talent of playing the drums. She lives in Colorado, where you will most likely find her exploring the countryside with her husband on their Gold Wing motorcycle.

Leeana Tankersley

Leeana is the author of six books, including Begin Again, Always We Begin Again, and the forthcoming Hope Anyway. She is the Managing Editor for The MOPS Magazine. Leeana and her three kids (ages 12, 12, and 9) live in Central Virginia. www.leeanatankersley.com

Matt Marrs

Matt comes from the south with a background in church planting, music, and video production. Prior to joining MOPS, Matt traveled across the country filming for brands such as Snapchat, Billboard, and Spotify. His wife, Kristin, and daughter, Emerie, moved to Colorado to join in the mission of MOPS in 2017. Matt and Kristin welcomed their second child, James, into the world in 2021.

Deborah Porter

Alexandria, VA
Mentoring Coach for Moms

Deborah Porter has served many groups and churches as a volunteer & leader since her days as a MOPS mom in the mid-1990s. From the leadership team that created the African American Alumni Mentoring Program at Virginia Commonwealth University to multiple roles in her children’s public schools and teaching Bible studies, Deborah has encouraged those she encounters. Most recently she has been a contributing author, speaker and blogger for CollegiateParent, Washington Parent, WTVR-Richmond, Good Morning Washington, and others. Deborah is the owner of Moms Mentoring Circle where she provides coaching and mentoring for moms at every stage of motherhood. She and her husband, Clif, serve on the pastoral leadership team at their church in Washington D. C.

Janella Thaxton

Janella loves Jesus, her family and Prince. She is a gatherer of people in her personal and professional life. This radiates as she manages the highly impactful annual MOPS mothering event, MOMcon. Janella and her husband of 28 years, Rickey, are reveling in the joy of being empty nesters after successfully raising three children. In her spare time, Janella serves on a few boards and is a barista at her church where she also sings. During the pandemic, she discovered an amazing talent of playing the drums. She lives in Colorado, where you will most likely find her exploring the countryside with her husband on their Gold Wing motorcycle.

Mandy Arioto

Mandy is the President and CEO of MOPS International and is widely known for her unique takes on parenting, relationships, spiritual and cultural issues. Through MOPS, which influences millions of moms through thousands of groups internationally, Mandy serves as the voice of one of the most influential parenting organizations in the U.S. and around the world.

Khloe Haney

Khloe is the Social Media Manager at MOPS. She is a journalist and former news reporter with a public health background and has done extensive research on domestic human sex trafficking. She and her husband, Adam, have a 2-year-old son and an infant daughter. While living in Colorado, she spends her free time hiking, with family in the area, and cleaning the constant tornado of toys and food on the ground left by her children. Khloe is an enrolled member of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska.

Leeana Tankersley

Leeana is the author of six books, including Begin Again, Always We Begin Again, and the forthcoming Hope Anyway. She is the Managing Editor for The MOPS Magazine. Leeana and her three kids (ages 12, 12, and 9) live in Central Virginia. www.leeanatankersley.com

Matt Marrs

Matt comes from the south with a background in church planting, music, and video production. Prior to joining MOPS, Matt traveled across the country filming for brands such as Snapchat, Billboard, and Spotify. His wife, Kristin, and daughter, Emerie, moved to Colorado to join in the mission of MOPS in 2017. Matt and Kristin welcomed their second child, James, into the world in 2021.

Employment Benefits

For employees who work 30 hours per week or more, MOPS offers medical, dental and vision insurance for you and your dependents, along with a FSA (flexible spending account). MOPS covers the cost of short-term disability insurance for all employees who work 24 hours per week or more, and has a generous retirement plan for all employees who work 20 hours per week or more. We are a family friendly organization who strongly encourages a work/life balance and generously offers every employee three weeks of PTO (paid time off), in addition to 12 holidays throughout the year. We encourage your faith journey by praying together as a staff weekly, and offer one paid Spiritual Retreat Day a year.

We Are…

We Are …

Jesus Followers: We are compelled by the movement of Jesus Christ and invite others to explore their own faith journey toward him. John 14:6
Kingdom Enthusiasts: We believe in God’s redemptive work in the world which encourages us to be playful in spirit, generous at heart and faith-filled in confession. Matthew 6:33
Advocates: We are passionate proponents for the value of motherhood and the influence of women. Proverbs 31:8-9
Expansive: Every mom has a place with us. We uphold a boldness of inclusion because we know there is room for a vast collage of women who thirst for Jesus. Revelation 22:17
Known by What We Are For: We look to Jesus’ footsteps for how to walk through the world, which allows us to be radically gracious in expression and association. Matthew 22:36-40
Multilingual: We lead communication of a timeless message to a culture of many voices, dialects and backgrounds. 1 Corinthians 9:22
Sisterhood Cultivators: We build circles of women who love each other like family, because we believe in the transformative potential of relationships and mentoring. Hebrews 10:25

John Shunk, J.D.

Denver, CO
Attorney

John is an equity partner at Messner Reeves LLP in Denver, having practiced law in Colorado since 1992. His focus of practice is in the full spectrum of labor and employment issues, focusing on compliance and claims prevention. He has broad experience in a variety of compliance, risk avoidance, and adversarial matters, including strategic policy and process development, investigations and audits, commercial litigation, and commercial transactions. Prior to his civilian law experience at another Denver-area law firm, John served several years in the elite group of Circuit Defense Counsel in the United States Air Force, where he earned the Air Force Commendation Medal with Two Oak Leaf Clusters. John has served on the board of directors for Goodwill Industries of Denver, and the vestry board of his home church in Golden, Colorado. John earned his Juris Doctorate at the University of Nebraska.

Pamela Christian, Ph.D.

Los Angeles, CA
Educator

Pamela Christian currently serves as the Director of the E3 Initiative at the Los Angeles County Metro Transportation Authority. Prior to this role, she spent more than a dozen years in higher education, at Biola University as Vice Provost and at Azusa Pacific University, as a Professor and Chair of Educational Leadership and then as Associate Provost. Her professional portfolio includes experiences overseeing Academic Service Learning, Study Abroad, Diversity Planning and Assessment, the McNair Scholars Program, and Residence Life. She participated in the Harvard Institute in Management and Leadership, and as a fellow with the American Council of Education. Dr. Christian’s ministry work includes overseeing the Christian Education Department at the Centre at Highland, Church of God, and providing leadership for several small groups within her home. She led student mission teams and taught courses in Ghana and South Africa.

Kimberly Laydon, Secretary

Denver, CO
MOPS Mom/Philanthropist

As Associate Director of the Lewan Family Foundation, Kimberly has a heart for philanthropy and helping her family to wisely steward their funds. Kim led one of the largest MOPS groups in the nation, serves on the Parent Connection team at Cherry Hills Christian School, and serves as a Board member of Denver Cru Campus Ministry. Kimberly is a strong advocate for mothers and can speak to current parenting culture.

Nichole Tautz, Vice Chair

Denver, CO
Public Relations/Philanthropist

A former MOPS leader, Nichole Tautz, is the co-owner of Tecra Tools, Inc., in Denver, Colorado, and has worked alongside her husband for over twenty-five years. She has also been a Bible Study leader, event planner and deeply involved in philanthropic events in her community including; Denver LYFT, MOPS International, JDRF, Project Cure and Mile High Academy, serving four years on the school board and leading development projects. Nichole has served as an administrator and clinic trainer for international, medical missions and is currently serving on the prayer ministry at her church, Newday Christian. A passionate connector, she has traveled to twenty-three countries and encourages organizations that each person has something to offer the Kingdom of God.

Yvette Santana

Women’s Discipleship Coordinator

Yvette Santana has served the Lord and the church since her youth. Her passions are education and equipping women to ensure that all have an equal opportunity to fulfill their dreams and live up to their God-given potential. She holds a Masters degree in Educational Psychology and a Bachelor degree in Sociology. She served as a Guidance Counselor in a K-12 urban school setting, working specifically with at-risk youth. She has served in ministry together with her husband for over 29 years as Evangelists, Youth and Education directors, Evangelism Directors, and Lead Pastors, where they oversaw the rebranding- revitalization of two congregations. Currently, she serves as Women’s Discipleship Coordinator for the Church of God SW Region as well as Chief Women’s Ministries Coordinator for the NHCLC.

Cathy Roberts, M.Ed, NCC, ACC

Colorado Springs, CO
Women’s Ministries/Global Learning

Cathy Roberts is a coach, counselor, trainer and encourager. She spent time in the corporate world leading a global training organization and is currently a leadership coach. She has been involved in women’s ministry leadership for many years and often speaks for women’s retreats and events. She directed Women’s Ministries and Equipping Ministries at Tri-Lakes Chapel in Monument, CO for 13 years, overseeing the MOPS groups there. She is a faculty associate for the masters in counseling program at Regis University. She and her husband, Rick, work with Member Care at Greater Europe Mission. Cathy has spent extended time out of the country serving in hands-on mission experiences, teaching, equipping and encouraging missionaries. She has done coaching, counseling and staff development for both non-profit and secular organizations around the world and has a heart for equipping global women.

Ed Ollie, JR, M.PA

Chicago, IL
Pastor

Currently the campus pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel-The Cathedral in downtown, Chicago, Ed has been the pastor for a variety of church and para-church groups over his career and is a passionate advocate for multi-cultural evangelism. He was the Associate Regional Director for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA for 14 years as well as chaplain for the Miami Hurricanes football team, and in those roles a frequent speaker to thousands of young adults and parents from all nationalities and backgrounds. In 2006, Ed was accepted into the National Urban Fellows Program, obtaining a Masters of Public Administration, with honors, and working in county government in Seattle, Washington, simultaneously with his ministry work. While in Seattle, he was a speechwriter, helped shaped policy, and participated in numerous civic activities. Following his masters degree, he was named Director of Development and Alumni Relations at University of Michigan. Returning to church leadership in 2011, Ed served as the Director of Discipleship and Leadership Development at NorthRidge Church in Plymouth, Michigan, for 2 years before accepting the role of Senior Associate Pastor of Hermitage Hills Baptist Church in Nashville in 2013.

Keith McVaney

Denver, CO
Urban Outreach

Keith is the Education Director for Save Our Youth of Denver, CO, which advocates for teens in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. He has been supporting at risk youth in the Denver metro area, educationally, spiritually, and emotionally for the past 12 years. He is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Denver Dream Center. God’s calling for Keith’s life is to help direct those in need to the resources and support available.

Jeanne McMains, J.D.

Atlanta, GA
National Christian Foundation

Jeanne is Vice President of Gift Planning for The National Christian Foundation, providing legal expertise for high-net-worth individuals who want to direct their charitable giving through NCF. Jeanne has practiced law for over 20 years, working closely with a variety of non-profit organizations and philanthropy at many levels.

Yvette Maher

Colorado Springs, CO
Women’s Ministries

Yvette Maher is the Chief Development Officer for DreamCenters of Colorado Springs. Prior positions include Executive Pastor at New Life Church overseeing Children’s, Community, & Women’s Ministries, and Sr. Communications Specialist at Focus on the Family. In her 21 years there, Yvette authored many articles for Focus on the Family magazines and appeared frequently on the daily broadcast, Weekend Magazine and as host for the live weekly webcast Your Family Live! She is an author and frequent speaker at women’s conferences and retreats around the globe. Her many years on church and ministry staffs give Yvette valuable insight and a heightened sensitivity to the many challenges people face in today’s society. Yvette loves encouraging people to value their God-given design and to impact their homes, communities and the world for Christ.

Makiko Harrison, Ph.D.

McLean, VA
Economist

Makiko served as a Senior Economist at the World Bank from 2001-07, leaving that position when her daughters were born. She has held MOPS leadership positions at McLean Presbyterian Church and hosts/leads Bible studies and prayer groups. She has volunteered or served as a board member at the Romanian Christian Enterprises, International Justice Mission, the Cornerstone Schools of Washington DC, Sakura Academy (a Japanese preschool) the Langley School in McLean Virginia, and Supporting Child Caregivers, a nonprofit that trains infant- caregivers in developing countries. Makiko is also passionate about the Gospel movement in Tokyo where her family lives, and supports Redeemer City to City initiatives there.

Greg Bowlin, Treasurer

Aurora, CO
Business Strategist

Greg is the owner of Strategia Global, a firm devoted to assisting businesses formulate and implement winning strategies and business plans and serves as chief strategist and international business consultant for Real World Solutions, a cultural competency skills training organization. He was formerly an executive of The Boeing Company, having served as senior vice president and chief strategy officer for Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen, an aviation information company. Greg spent more than 25 years in international business and has a unique ability and passion for working with diverse nationalities and cultures. He is also the board treasurer for the Center for Teaching International Relations, a non-profit dedicated to inspiring tomorrow’s global leaders by providing specific global education to middle and high school students.

Catherine Penshorn, M.Ed., Chair

San Antonio, TX
Women’s Ministries

Cathy has been a lay leader in women’s and children’s ministries for over 30 years. She has held many roles within MOPS, including local coordinator, speaker, mentor mom, author and MomCon presenter. She facilitated the development of the original version of Bible Basics 101 for MOPS in 2002 and the update in 2014. Her writing and event management experience from her career in public relations and her training in education administration provides a foundation for her ongoing participation in various community leadership roles.

Sherri Crandall, Vice President of Global Ministries and Leadership Experience

Sherri Crandall is the Vice President of Global Ministries and Leadership Experience. Prior to being on staff with MOPS, she was the Director of Women’s Ministry at Mission Hills Church in Denver, Colorado for 10 years. She has also been a MOPS volunteer for the past 23 years.

Sherri is also a blogger and speaker for women’s events across the country and internationally, encouraging women to live life to the fullest. She loves to garden, read historical fiction, play tennis and most of all hang out with her family and friends, especially in the Rocky Mountains.

Sherri lives in Highlands Ranch, Colorado with her husband, Rusty, their four kids and two dogs.

Organizational Commitments

100% Commitment Culture: We keep our commitments and work with integrity.
Problem Solvers: If we see a problem, we bring a solution.
Prayerful: We commit our work to God and believe in the power of prayer.
Urgency and Excellence: We remember what is at stake, acknowledge that the details matter, and are never co-conspirators in mediocrity.
Show up Prepared and Ready to Participate: We acknowledge that maximum value= maximum participation. Therefore we show up on time to meetings, refrain from side conversations and embrace working hard and playing hard. We also show up to MOPS groups so we have firsthand knowledge of how our work is utilized.
Own Our Work: We take responsibility for our work and don’t make excuses.
Faith Over Fear: We choose uncharted territory in order to talk about Jesus to people who might not otherwise hear. This requires risk taking, boldness and operating from abundance rather than scarcity.
Communicate With Expectation: We don’t gossip. We believe hard conversations make us better. We believe in one another and our first instinct is assuming the best.
We Have Fun and Don’t Take Ourselves too Seriously.
Live in Tension: We hold space to live in between and bounce back quickly when we make mistakes individually or organizationally.
Collaborative Learners: We are curious learners who help each other accomplish things that we didn’t know were possible. We are more committed to curiosity than being right.

Deidre Hamilton

Deidre Hamilton, Director of Development

Deidre Hamilton is the Director of Development and is passionate about stewarding donor generosity to enrich and empower moms around the world. She has worked in nonprofit programming and development over the past 10 years and holds a master’s degree from the University of Denver in Philanthropic Leadership and Nonprofit Management and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Montana.

Outside of work, Deidre’s perfect day involves running on a trail, drinking a latte with her husband, and playing hide-and-seek with her son.

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Amena Brown

As a poet, speaker, journalist, and event host, Amena Brown’s words excite, ignite and inspire. Whether in front of audiences as intimate as 50 or as sprawling as 20,000, she has something to say that matters. Amena’s debut book release, Breaking Old Rhythms: Answering the Call of a Creative God, explores how experiences such as deejaying, learning to dance, having a broken heart, and practicing the rules of improv can teach us about our life’s rhythm and how we can better tune our ears and lives to the rhythm of God. As a part of a generation that is searching for the real and the genuine in an age of constant carbon copy, this nonconformist lends her voice to finding inspiration, truth, and purpose and encourages those she encounters to do the same.

Latest from the blog...

The Journey of Motherhood

With Love

Identity

Mom Stories

Jeffrey Asher, MBA, Secretary

Somer Chevrier

Kase Vunileva, M.Div, M.A.

Julie Adams

Diane Pauls

Mandy Arioto

Janella Thaxton

Leeana Tankersley

Matt Marrs

Deborah Porter

Janella Thaxton

Mandy Arioto

Khloe Haney

Leeana Tankersley

Matt Marrs

Employment Benefits

We Are …

John Shunk, J.D.

Pamela Christian, Ph.D.

Kimberly Laydon, Secretary

Nichole Tautz, Vice Chair

Yvette Santana

Cathy Roberts, M.Ed, NCC, ACC

Ed Ollie, JR, M.PA

Keith McVaney

Jeanne McMains, J.D.

Yvette Maher

Makiko Harrison, Ph.D.

Greg Bowlin, Treasurer

Catherine Penshorn, M.Ed., Chair

Sherri Crandall, Vice President of Global Ministries and Leadership Experience

Organizational Commitments

Deidre Hamilton, Director of Development

Amena Brown