MEET OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dignity:Liberia is 100% led and governed by unpaid volunteers.
We're pretty proud of that -- and grateful! We'd like to introduce you to some of the fantastic people who offer their time, talents, creativity, and leadership to serving on the Dignity:Liberia Board of Directors. We're really glad to know these folks and we bet you will be, too.
Kathi Park-Gutierrez
Founder, President, & Executive Director
Although she lives in Kansas City, Kathi tells just about everyone that her heart lives in Liberia, West Africa. The child of missionaries, Kathi lived in Liberia until just after high school. Her passion for the people of Liberia is contagious, and she has become a fearless advocate for her African home.
Kathi’s experiences as a wife, mother, church leader, community volunteer, and business woman have demonstrated her gifts of matching people with opportunities, and motivating others toward creative action. These skills have been fundamental to the formation and ongoing direction of Dignity:Liberia as a relationship-based ministry organized to support and resource Liberians serving at the local level.
Kathi founded Dignity:Liberia in 2009 when her personal journey of experiencing a fistula reconnected her to the needs of Liberian women suffering from the same condition. Today, Kathi serves as Executive Director and #1 champion of the Dignity:Liberia mission.
Founder, President, & Executive Director
Although she lives in Kansas City, Kathi tells just about everyone that her heart lives in Liberia, West Africa. The child of missionaries, Kathi lived in Liberia until just after high school. Her passion for the people of Liberia is contagious, and she has become a fearless advocate for her African home.
Kathi’s experiences as a wife, mother, church leader, community volunteer, and business woman have demonstrated her gifts of matching people with opportunities, and motivating others toward creative action. These skills have been fundamental to the formation and ongoing direction of Dignity:Liberia as a relationship-based ministry organized to support and resource Liberians serving at the local level.
Kathi founded Dignity:Liberia in 2009 when her personal journey of experiencing a fistula reconnected her to the needs of Liberian women suffering from the same condition. Today, Kathi serves as Executive Director and #1 champion of the Dignity:Liberia mission.
John Grechus, MD, OB-GYN
Vice-President
Dr. Grechus has made his passion for the care and well-being of women his life’s work. A graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Dr. Grechus has completed residencies in both family medicine and obstetrics-gynecology. Previously, he has served as president of Medical Arts Clinic, board member of Barnes Jewish Christian-Medical Group, founding board member of Parkland Pregnancy Resource Center, and Perinatal/OB-GYN department chairman of Parkland Health Center and Mineral Area Regional Medical Center. Currently, Dr. Grechus serves the rural area of Missouri on staff of Great Mines Health Center.
As a board certified OB-GYN, he has had the pleasure of delivering thousands of babies in the United States, and now desires to help women in Liberia receive the quality healthcare they deserve. In addition to leading as a founding member on our Board of Directors, Dr. Grechus travels to Liberia to offer his skills as a physician for women awaiting fistula treatment.
Vice-President
Dr. Grechus has made his passion for the care and well-being of women his life’s work. A graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Dr. Grechus has completed residencies in both family medicine and obstetrics-gynecology. Previously, he has served as president of Medical Arts Clinic, board member of Barnes Jewish Christian-Medical Group, founding board member of Parkland Pregnancy Resource Center, and Perinatal/OB-GYN department chairman of Parkland Health Center and Mineral Area Regional Medical Center. Currently, Dr. Grechus serves the rural area of Missouri on staff of Great Mines Health Center.
As a board certified OB-GYN, he has had the pleasure of delivering thousands of babies in the United States, and now desires to help women in Liberia receive the quality healthcare they deserve. In addition to leading as a founding member on our Board of Directors, Dr. Grechus travels to Liberia to offer his skills as a physician for women awaiting fistula treatment.
Charles Mueller, MD, FACS
Second Vice-President
As the child of missionaries, Dr. Mueller has had a life-long interest in mission work. He grew up in Liberia, but returned to the United States when it was time to complete high school and attend college. He is a 1987 graduate of the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, and in 1993 completed surgical residency at the Oregon Health and Sciences University.
Dr. Mueller has served on active duty in the United States Air Force, practiced rural healthcare in south central Missouri and now resides in Portland, OR with his wife. He is a board-certified general surgeon and certified burn surgeon practicing at The Oregon Burn Center, Legacy Emanuel Hospital.
Following mission opportunities in the Philippines and Zambia, he has come full circle, returning to Liberia to continue the work started by his parents in 1961. He is motivated to make the lives of others just a little bit better. Click here to hear Dr. Mueller in his own words.
Second Vice-President
As the child of missionaries, Dr. Mueller has had a life-long interest in mission work. He grew up in Liberia, but returned to the United States when it was time to complete high school and attend college. He is a 1987 graduate of the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, and in 1993 completed surgical residency at the Oregon Health and Sciences University.
Dr. Mueller has served on active duty in the United States Air Force, practiced rural healthcare in south central Missouri and now resides in Portland, OR with his wife. He is a board-certified general surgeon and certified burn surgeon practicing at The Oregon Burn Center, Legacy Emanuel Hospital.
Following mission opportunities in the Philippines and Zambia, he has come full circle, returning to Liberia to continue the work started by his parents in 1961. He is motivated to make the lives of others just a little bit better. Click here to hear Dr. Mueller in his own words.
Elise Reaves
Treasurer/CPA
Elise lived in Liberia from the age of 7 to 13, where her parents were Baptist missionaries. Those critical developmental years as a child in Liberia left a lifelong impression on the way she looked at life. The love of missions and Liberia have stayed with her all these years. She has passed that life of service onto her daughters. Her oldest daughter and her husband are college campus ministers in western Colorado. Her younger daughter is an oncology nurse in Texas.
Elise and her husband have served in various churches together as children’s choir teachers, leaders in mission organizations, and leaders in Bible study groups. Elise loves to tell young people about her childhood in Liberia. Her favorite stories are about snakes and monkeys!
Her favorite pastime is sharing time and having fun with her young granddaughter and all her family. She and David love to spend time traveling in their RV with family and seeing the sights all over the US.
Several years ago, Elise decided to leave corporate America and start her own public accounting practice in Texas. She focuses on helping small businesses succeed in growing while managing their accounting needs and federal and state filings. Working from home provides her a great work/life balance that is so important to her. While the numbers are important, the people are essential. Her goal with Dignity Liberia is to do everything she can to strengthen accounting processes and financials to support the mission of restoration and hope.
Treasurer/CPA
Elise lived in Liberia from the age of 7 to 13, where her parents were Baptist missionaries. Those critical developmental years as a child in Liberia left a lifelong impression on the way she looked at life. The love of missions and Liberia have stayed with her all these years. She has passed that life of service onto her daughters. Her oldest daughter and her husband are college campus ministers in western Colorado. Her younger daughter is an oncology nurse in Texas.
Elise and her husband have served in various churches together as children’s choir teachers, leaders in mission organizations, and leaders in Bible study groups. Elise loves to tell young people about her childhood in Liberia. Her favorite stories are about snakes and monkeys!
Her favorite pastime is sharing time and having fun with her young granddaughter and all her family. She and David love to spend time traveling in their RV with family and seeing the sights all over the US.
Several years ago, Elise decided to leave corporate America and start her own public accounting practice in Texas. She focuses on helping small businesses succeed in growing while managing their accounting needs and federal and state filings. Working from home provides her a great work/life balance that is so important to her. While the numbers are important, the people are essential. Her goal with Dignity Liberia is to do everything she can to strengthen accounting processes and financials to support the mission of restoration and hope.
Linda Thornsberry
Secretary
A former elementary teacher, Linda is deeply invested in promoting education as an important aspect of health and life for all people, especially the young. Her passion keeps her personally involved, whether teaching English as a Second Language, assisting in educational camps, or supporting events for medical research, civic organizations, food pantries, and a rescue mission women’s center.
As a board member, Linda brings extensive experience in a wide variety of hands-on missions, including: working at ground zero in New York after 911, helping in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina, working with Operation Christmas Child, working with English education and assisting missionaries in Peru, working with religious and medical teams through Tabitha Ministry in Guatemala, working in an orphanage in Kenya. She also has traveled to Liberia with several Dignity Advocate teams. This included 2019 and 2020 trips working with a team of seamstresses to help empower Liberian girls and women by teaching them to make feminine hygiene kits.
At home, Linda serves as Director of Women on Mission at First Baptist Church Lee’s Summit, Missouri where she serves on numerous committees.
Secretary
A former elementary teacher, Linda is deeply invested in promoting education as an important aspect of health and life for all people, especially the young. Her passion keeps her personally involved, whether teaching English as a Second Language, assisting in educational camps, or supporting events for medical research, civic organizations, food pantries, and a rescue mission women’s center.
As a board member, Linda brings extensive experience in a wide variety of hands-on missions, including: working at ground zero in New York after 911, helping in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina, working with Operation Christmas Child, working with English education and assisting missionaries in Peru, working with religious and medical teams through Tabitha Ministry in Guatemala, working in an orphanage in Kenya. She also has traveled to Liberia with several Dignity Advocate teams. This included 2019 and 2020 trips working with a team of seamstresses to help empower Liberian girls and women by teaching them to make feminine hygiene kits.
At home, Linda serves as Director of Women on Mission at First Baptist Church Lee’s Summit, Missouri where she serves on numerous committees.
Becky Mueller Huner, RN
As a very young child, in 1961, Becky journeyed to Liberia with her parents who were sent as Southern Baptist Missionaries to Ricks Institute. Their next assignment was Yekepa in Nimba county. There they lived alongside Swedish mining families and Liberians. Becky and her brother started school there. Every few years, they furloughed in Missouri, this would be their home away from home throughout being assigned to Liberia.
Becky’s mother, Agnes Mueller, was a nurse both at Ricks and in Yekepa. Her father, Bill Mueller, was a pastor and an administrator. They left Liberia when she was 14, so her childhood was primarily spent in Liberia. Although she had many fond memories of Liberia, she didn't seek a connection as an adult until Dignity Liberia started.
She traveled to Liberia with a team in 2013 and in 2016, both experiences helped her to embrace her childhood and see how she could help with the women in this country.
Her career was working as an Obstetrics Nurse. With meeting the young women in Liberia, she understood how her training could be useful in education and support.
Furthermore, she expanded her Maternal/Newborn experience with working 5 years in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Currently, she is looking to pursue her Midwife license. All of this experience will be useful in serving in Liberia.
With her knowledge of the culture in Liberia, her medical training in the specific area we are supporting, she is committed to contribute to the cause of Dignity Liberia.
As a very young child, in 1961, Becky journeyed to Liberia with her parents who were sent as Southern Baptist Missionaries to Ricks Institute. Their next assignment was Yekepa in Nimba county. There they lived alongside Swedish mining families and Liberians. Becky and her brother started school there. Every few years, they furloughed in Missouri, this would be their home away from home throughout being assigned to Liberia.
Becky’s mother, Agnes Mueller, was a nurse both at Ricks and in Yekepa. Her father, Bill Mueller, was a pastor and an administrator. They left Liberia when she was 14, so her childhood was primarily spent in Liberia. Although she had many fond memories of Liberia, she didn't seek a connection as an adult until Dignity Liberia started.
She traveled to Liberia with a team in 2013 and in 2016, both experiences helped her to embrace her childhood and see how she could help with the women in this country.
Her career was working as an Obstetrics Nurse. With meeting the young women in Liberia, she understood how her training could be useful in education and support.
Furthermore, she expanded her Maternal/Newborn experience with working 5 years in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Currently, she is looking to pursue her Midwife license. All of this experience will be useful in serving in Liberia.
With her knowledge of the culture in Liberia, her medical training in the specific area we are supporting, she is committed to contribute to the cause of Dignity Liberia.
Anne-Marie Mueller, RN
Anne-Marie has been deeply invested in helping others heal for many years. She is a graduate of the Oregon Health and Sciences University School of Nursing, and since 1980, she has worked in a variety of areas, including pediatrics, cardiology, post anesthesia care, and nursing education.
She brings her strong belief in the power of education to enable others to work in Liberia as healthcare professionals and health educators.
Anne-Marie believes that the most important outcome of mission work is empowering individuals to achieve independence. Her skills allow her to assist and promote education for Liberian women with fistula, as well as their children, caregivers, and communities. She was drawn to Liberia not only because it is the childhood home of her husband, Charles, but also because of her sincere appreciation of the Liberian people and their thirst for education.
Anne-Marie has been deeply invested in helping others heal for many years. She is a graduate of the Oregon Health and Sciences University School of Nursing, and since 1980, she has worked in a variety of areas, including pediatrics, cardiology, post anesthesia care, and nursing education.
She brings her strong belief in the power of education to enable others to work in Liberia as healthcare professionals and health educators.
Anne-Marie believes that the most important outcome of mission work is empowering individuals to achieve independence. Her skills allow her to assist and promote education for Liberian women with fistula, as well as their children, caregivers, and communities. She was drawn to Liberia not only because it is the childhood home of her husband, Charles, but also because of her sincere appreciation of the Liberian people and their thirst for education.
Kerri Ellis, ANP
Kerri is a Family Nurse Practitioner and owns a Medicare Certified Rural Health Clinic in a medically under-served, financially disadvantaged area of Oklahoma providing services to their patient population that include all aspects of family practice. Due to to the lack of services in the area, Kerri's Health Clinic also provides mental health services as covered through the Rural Health Clinic rules.
Having lived in Liberia as a child, Kerri has a great fondness for the country and its people and desires to do all she can to give back to Liberia for the many blessings it provided her as a child. In addition to her love for Liberia, Kerri's life work is dedicated to the health and well-being of the under-served in a way that uses her skills.
Kerri is a Family Nurse Practitioner and owns a Medicare Certified Rural Health Clinic in a medically under-served, financially disadvantaged area of Oklahoma providing services to their patient population that include all aspects of family practice. Due to to the lack of services in the area, Kerri's Health Clinic also provides mental health services as covered through the Rural Health Clinic rules.
Having lived in Liberia as a child, Kerri has a great fondness for the country and its people and desires to do all she can to give back to Liberia for the many blessings it provided her as a child. In addition to her love for Liberia, Kerri's life work is dedicated to the health and well-being of the under-served in a way that uses her skills.
Kathy Beth Stavinoha
Kathy Beth Stavinoha is retired from St. Edward’s University where she worked as a Research Analyst for over 21 years.
She writes Dignity: Liberia’s monthly blog. In 2018, she conducted her first fistula survivor interviews. Hearing these women tell their stories in their own words deeply touched her. More recently, she interviewed some of House of Hope and Dignity’s construction workers and members of the nearby community, as well as U.S. and Liberian volunteers. She seeks funding for Dignity:Liberia by researching foundations and writing grant proposals.
Kathy Beth graduated from high school in Monrovia, Liberia where she lived in the late 1970s. She lives in Brenham, Texas with her husband and their cat Bonnie.
Kathy Beth Stavinoha is retired from St. Edward’s University where she worked as a Research Analyst for over 21 years.
She writes Dignity: Liberia’s monthly blog. In 2018, she conducted her first fistula survivor interviews. Hearing these women tell their stories in their own words deeply touched her. More recently, she interviewed some of House of Hope and Dignity’s construction workers and members of the nearby community, as well as U.S. and Liberian volunteers. She seeks funding for Dignity:Liberia by researching foundations and writing grant proposals.
Kathy Beth graduated from high school in Monrovia, Liberia where she lived in the late 1970s. She lives in Brenham, Texas with her husband and their cat Bonnie.