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Holly Heyroth - Executive Director
Holly Heyroth Opundo has been living back and forth between Kenya and Kansas, Tanzania and Texas, with part of her heart on each continent for most of the last 20 years. In January of 2009, Holly moved to northwest Tanzania to volunteer with Grassroots and initially thought her work with Angel House would be a seven-month assignment, but God knew differently.
Holly is married to Lawrence Opundo, whom she met in Tanzania in her first year working with Angel House. Holly and Lawrence have two wild and wonderful boys, Samuel (7) and Eli (6). They resettled back to Kenya long-term at the end of 2021 to continue supporting Angel House in Tanzania and expanding the reach of Grassroots by initiating a new mission project, called Hope 27, to serve both orphans and widows in the nation of Kenya. |
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Donn Hellinger - Board President and Chairman
Donn and his wife Linda are two of the original founders of Grassroots. They are both retired teachers and continue to be active in their church. Donn remains an active environmental educator and they both enjoy travel and spending time with family. They both continue to be amazed at how God has blessed and expanded the original “limited” vision of helping children in Tanzania.
Donn, second from left, also serves on the International Board of Angel House. |
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Dee Ann Heptas - Board Vice Chair
Dee Ann Heptas serves as Secretary of the Grassroots board and has been a part of Grassroots since traveling to Angel House, Tanzania, in 2012. She is a retired United Methodist minister and also has worked with children locally through CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates.
It is a source of great joy for her to see young people she sponsored at Angel House who are now leaders in their community. Dee Ann sponsored this group of marvelous young adults as young children! |
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Jennifer Tarver - Board Treasurer
Jennifer Tarver became involved with Angel House as Treasurer in the spring of 2022. Jennifer had heard about Angel House through the Christmas letters sent by her Uncle Donn and has always wanted to support her Uncle’s mission.
Jennifer was a CPA in Colorado for a few years prior to becoming the proud mother of two boys. While raising her boys, she became a preschool teacher and then a certified teacher in Texas. Now that her children are grown, she is the Assistant Controller at a small rural hospital in East Texas. She enjoys being able to use her skills to help support God’s work through Angel House. |
Austin Ashley - Board Secretary
Austin Ashley became involved with Angel House as an Individual Volunteer in the summer of 2010. In the years following, he remained involved with various Grassroots projects before joining the Grassroots Board in 2022.
Previously working in marketing, non-profit management, and finance, Austin now works as a registered nurse. He looks forward to using his diverse skillset to build community, grow the organization, and collaborate to bring about positive change in the world.
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Tracy Owigo - Board Member
Tracy Owigo serves as a board member. She first connected with the group as an individual volunteer in December 2014 where she served in Tarime as a volunteer until March 2018.
She is also a pediatric nurse and continues to be passionate about the work happening in East Africa. Tracy and a young Angel House resident, enjoying some time together! |
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Nick Fields - Board Member
Nick Fields has served on the Grassroots Board since 2019. He was a part of a mission team that served at Angel House in August 2018 and loved the way he saw God work in the lives of the children at Angel House and in the surrounding community. He currently works at TAC Industries as an Employment Coordinator, connecting people with disabilities and other barriers to employment opportunities in their community. |