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The
Staff at
Rita Recovery |
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Angela Baker is Director of
the Rita Recovery office. Angela supervises the staff and manages
the day to day operations of the office. She represents RR at the
Southeast Texas Interfaith Organization meetings, as well as other
community meetings. Her responsibilities include budgeting,
solicitation of grant monies, and donations. Angela also completes
weekly reports to the Texas Annual Conference and quarterly reports to UMCOR. She is the coordinator for all public relations and
communications efforts. Angela is originally form Port Arthur, Texas
and attended Thomas Jefferson High School there. Angela spends a lot of
her free time with her husband, son, and two grandchildren. She has
also worked as a special events coordinator for Perfect Day Enterprises
and Division Director of the March of Dimes. Angela served as executive
director of Friends of Spindletop from December 1999 to February 2001,
coordinating the centennial celebration of the Lucas Gusher at “Spindletop.”
She is a member of the Rotary Club of Beaumont and is President-Elect
for the year 2007-2008. She is also a member of the Jefferson County
Tourism Commission. As president of the Spindletop Business and
Professional Women’s Club, Angela was named as the 1996 President of the
Year for the State of Texas. She is a 1996 graduate of Leadership
Southeast Texas and served on the advisory council for 6 years. |
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Heidi Swanson is the
Accounting Manager for Rita Recovery. She manages all of the
bookkeeping for the office, as well as the homes that we have already
worked on. She also organizes all of our home repair grants. Heidi
earned a Bachelors degree from Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky.
Heidi was born in Ft. Atkinson, Wisconsin. Heidi and her husband Drew,
who is the Student Ministries Director at Wesley United Methodist
Church, moved to Beaumont, Texas a year ago from Madison, Wisconsin.
They love the heat here - but only in the winter! Heidi has a two year
old Yorkie that she enjoys playing with. During their free time, if
that ever happens, they enjoy watching football (go Packers!!) and
NASCAR (go Matt Kenseth), and napping. |
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Nina Rios is the Family
Advocate Manager for the Port Arthur Satellite office. She works
with the families and their advocates throughout the process of
repairing their homes. She earned a Bachelors degree form Lamar
University in Port Arthur, Texas. Nina was born in Nicaragua. Nina
enjoys spending her free time with her family and friends. During her
free time, she likes to swim, fish, paint, listen to music, and dance. |
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Ward Smith is the
Construction Coordinator in charge of all construction. He is from
South Carolina and graduated with a degree in Sociology and Religion.
Ward started volunteering at age 14 with the Salkehatchie program in
South Carolina. He began coordinating volunteers, with the US-2 program
10 years later, at Henderson Settlement in Frakes, Kentucky. Since
then, Ward has ministered as Construction Coordinator and in other
capacities in Florida, Bosnia, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Louisiana,
Liberia, Cuba, and North Carolina. Ward enjoys running, sports,
reading, and spending time with family, friends, and volunteers. |
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Carol Parsley is the Family
Advocate Manager for the Beaumont Office and the Orange County Satellite Office. Together
with and through the coordination of volunteer family advocates, she
assists families in recovering from hurricane damage to their homes and
their lives. She moved to the Southeast Texas area from Houston nine
years ago. She holds an A.A.S. degree in Computer Science, a B.S. in
Sociology, and has completed Master’s work in Gerontology. Carol is
particularly proud of home schooling her two boys for three years. Her
central enjoyment is her husband and sons. She spends time flower,
herb, and vegetable gardening and enjoys cooking and making products
from what she raises or finds growing wild on their land in the country. |
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Beverly Antilley serves as
the Volunteer Coordinator and the Volunteer Host. She manages all of
the volunteer teams. She organizes all of the teams before they come to
do their volunteer service as well as greets the teams when they
arrive. Beverly graduated from Abilene High School, attended Abilene
Christian University, and graduated from the Commercial College of
Abilene. She was born in Laurium, Michigan. Beverly and her sweetheart
David of 40 years have two wonderful children, ages 37 and 32, a
daughter-in-love (married to one of their sons), and the most BEAUTIFUL
granddaughter in the world. She enjoys cooking, crochet, counted
cross-stitch, and antiquing with my sweetie. |
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Martha Kirk is the assistant
to the construction coordinator. She maintains organization and keeps
everything running smoothly for construction by communicating with the
homeowners, keeping projects undated with team assignments, and keeping
the family advocate managers updated regarding the work that has been
done on the homes. Martha was born in Kirbyville and went to school in
Vidor, Texas. Martha and her husband, Dan, have been married for 17
years (God saved her husband just for her). They have 4 sons and 9
grandchildren, with one more on the way! During Martha’s free time, she
is active in her church, and she is a secretary for both the Christian
Motorcyclist Association and the American Legion Riders. Martha and her
husband ride every chance they get. |
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Dan Kirk is Site Leader and
Assessor for Rita Recovery. He assesses the homes, prepares estimated
work to be done and works alongside the volunteer teams while repairing
the homes. Dan was born and raised in Southeast Texas, and went to
school in Vidor, Texas. He has worked in the construction field in
various manners throughout his entire life, spanning from the lumber
industry, electrical work, mechanical work, plumbing, and dealing with
individual contractors. Dan, and his wife, Martha (above), have been
married for 17 years. During Dan’s free time, he is the Director of the
American Legion Riders and participates with the Christian Motorcyclist
Association. He enjoys riding motorcycles, swimming, Loves to travel,
and participate in mission work. |
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Alan Miller is the
Construction Supervisor for the Port Arthur satellite office. While
working with Rita Recovery, he does the repair work on homes by helping
fix everything from roofing to flooring. He feels that he has the best
job in the world because he is able to work with the mission teams.
Alan was born in Seattle, Washington. Alan has been married to his
wife, Jeanne, for 26 years, and they have two children. He has been
working on mission trips for 21 years all over the United States. He
has also worked in Siberia for the last ten years. In essence, his
hobby is going on mission trips and his goal is to continue with his
mission work until he receives a call from above. |
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Susan Taranto is Site Leader
for Rita Recovery. She was born in New Jersey and graduated from
Texas A & M University. She taught kindergarten for 16 years.
God has now brought her to Beaumont, Texas! She is very thankful
for the opportunity to serve with the Rita Recovery staff, homeowners,
volunteers, and local community members. May God be glorified
through all of the collective efforts to restore homes and lives. |
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Janice Carpenter is Site
Leader for Rita Recovery. She was born in Tyler, Texas. She is the
daughter of a United Methodist Pastor. She graduated from Bellaire High
School in Houston, Texas and from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas
with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She has been married to her
husband, Bill, for 31 years and has two adult children and one is a high
school sophomore. Janice is a former church secretary and youth
director and she currently officiates volleyball and substitute
teaches. Janice is active in the United Methodist Women and she enjoys
cycling, puzzles and family time on the patio. |
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Isha Segura is a Family
Advocate in the Port Arthur Satellite office. She provides disaster
recovery services to families throughout their home repair process. Born
in Austin and reared in Beaumont, Isha earned her BS in Sociology from
Lamar University and is currently pursuing her Masters in Psychology at
University of Houston. Isha is the proud auntie of one nephew and niece,
with one on the way and a god parent. She enjoys spending time with her
family, reading, and traveling when time allows.
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Vanessa Wilson is a Family Advocate for the
Port Arthur sattelite office where she assists families in their long-term
recovery progress from Hurricane Rita. She was born and presently
resides in Beaumont, Texas. Vanessa graduated Cum Laude from Lamar
University in Beaumont with a Bachelor's of Social Work in August of
2007. In her free time, Vanessa enjoys reading, playing video games,
and spending time with her friends and husband, Steve. |
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Kristyn Carpenter is a
family advocate in the Beaumont office. Kristyn works with the
families throughout the process of repairing their homes.
Kristyn graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Interdisciplinary
Studies from the University of Houston Clear Lake. She is also
a certified teacher. Kristyn was born in Houston, Texas and
grew up in La Porte, Texas. As a newlywed, Kristyn enjoys
spending time with her husband, Chad. She cherishes time with
her family and friends. She enjoys reading, camping, and
working with children. She is also a member of the BIG HOUSE
Board of Directors.
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Calandre Michelle Carr is
responsible for designing the website and maintaining the database. She
graduated from the Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities in May
2006 and is
currently working on a major in biochemistry and a minor in business at
Lamar University. Calandre was born in Port Arthur and grew up in
Beaumont, Texas. She enjoys spending time with her eight brothers and
sisters and her family, hanging out with her friends, sewing, playing
the saxophone, competing in tennis, and scrap booking. |
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