“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
-Helen Keller
Take a moment to learn about our board of directors.
Board Members
Mrs. Myers resides in Howe, Indiana. She has been a board member since May 2019. Mrs. Myers is a retired teacher, adoptive foster parent and currently works on her family farm, Myers Triangle Farms. She received her Masters of Science in Biology from Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne and her Bachelor of Science in Education from Trine University in 1995.
Sarah lives in LaGrange, Indiana with her husband, dog, and cat. She has been a bookkeeper for 15 years, with the last 7 of those years being at Tire Star of Wolcottville, and is currently studying Business Administration at Ivy Tech. Sarah has been a foster parent since 2013. She is passionate about helping children who have been through trauma find healing.
Lorne and his wife reside in Lagrange County, Indiana. Lorne is an adoptive father and has been involved in foster and adoption care for more than 15 years. Lorne, with his family, served as director at an orphanage in Mexico for 3½ years. Since then, he has continued his involvement with the non-profit organization by serving on the board of directors for the past 12 years. Professionally, Lorne works as an Accounts Manager for multiple clients.
Ms. Keenan resides in LaGrange, Indiana. She has been a board member since January 2017, and she is currently the board secretary. Ms. Keenan is a retired teacher, and serves on the boards of several other not-for-profit organizations. She received her Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and a Master’s in Education from Huntington University.
Mr. King resides in Middlebury, Indiana. He has been a board member since July 2017, and he is currently the board vice president. Mr. King owns five successful businesses in the Shipshewana and Middlebury areas, including JoJo’s Pretzels, and is active in various community and church activities.
Mrs. McKowen resides in Wolcottville, Indiana. She has been a board member since January 2017 and was formerly the board treasurer. Mrs. McKowen is an adoptive foster parent and owner of Foltz’s Bakery. She has an Associates in Accounting from International Business College.
Jennifer joined the board in 2019 and is a resident of LaGrange County, living north of Shipshewana with her husband. They are members of Marion Christian Fellowship and are active in several areas; Jennifer serves as an Elder. She has provided a Bible study for incarcerated women at the LaGrange County Jail since 2012. Previously she worked for Circuit Court and was a Board member for LaGrange Communities Youth Center.
Ms. Merrifield resides in LaGrange, Indiana. She has been a board member since January 2018. Ms. Merrifield is Chief Financial Officer of Farmers State Bank. She received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Purdue University in 2004.
Jermy is a resident of Shipshewana, and is the owner of Schlemmer Hardware in Lagrange. He has served as a board member since 2019.
Ms. White is originally from Cleveland, Ohio where she worked twenty-six years at the Cleveland Clinic. She received her bachelor’s degree from Case Western Reserve University. She received a Scholarship from The National Health Corp. to pursue her master’s degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner at Case Western University. This brought her to LaGrange to practice at RediCare for the last twenty years. She is a member of the Philomath (the Howe Historical Society). She lives in Howe with her husband Calvin.
Mr. Phillip is from LaGrange and still currently resides in town. Kyle joined the board in 2022, and is a Therapist and Behavioral Health Service Professional at The Bowen Center, where he has been employed since 2016. Kyle received a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University – Bloomington, and his Masters of Social Work degree from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Advisory Board Members
Ms. Malone was founder of The Farm Place, Inc., and served as first president. She has owned numerous successful businesses throughout Indiana. She served as Executive Director of the Combined Community Action Committee of LaGrange County that resulted in the opening of the LaGrange Clothes & Food Basket. In 1996 she founded the Howe Community Association. She founded Ark Animal Rescue & Adoption, and later started the Ark Paws & Claws Bookstore. In 2020 she was awarded Northeast Indiana Nonprofit Woman of the Year by KPC Media Group, and in 2021 she was awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash by the State of Indiana Council of the Sagamores of the Wabash.
Mr. Weaver is Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of LaGrange, and a hospice chaplain for Parkview Home Health and Hospice. An ordained minister, he received his Bachelor of Science in psychology from Purdue, Bachelor of Arts in Natural Science from Goshen College, Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Adler in Chicago, and Master of Divinity from AMBS in Elkhart, IN. Mr. Weaver worked as an Indiana community mental health center therapist/administrator for 20 years, and is a multi-licensed mental health professional. He has been a board member since January, 2017.
Ms. Zabona-Wooster resides in Avilla, Indiana. She has been an advisory board member since 2017. Ms. Zabona-Wooster is a partner at the law firm Emerick, Diggins, & Zabona. She received her Bachelors of Applied Science in Legal Administration and Criminal Justice from Ball State University in 1990 and her Doctorate of Law from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2000.
Mr. Fry resides in LaGrange, Indiana. He has been an advisory board member since 2017. Mr. Fry is President at the accounting firm Fry, Trowbridge and Associates, P.C. He received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Indiana University in 1996.
Keith joined the board in 2019. After serving in the Air Force, he earned his AS degree in Computer Information Systems at Santa Barbara City College. Keith is the owner of Indigo Web Services and is a professional photographer. He served on the board for the LaGrange County Chamber of Commerce and as an elder at Brighton Chapel Church. He has relocated to southwest Indiana.