Star of Hope International, America is governed by a volunteer independent board of directors. Directors serve a three year term and strive to make decisions that are in the best interest of the children served around the world.
Mark J Presson
Mark Presson, 50, born Wurzburg, Germany, raised in Panama and the US. Mark has lived in Europe and Asia for the last 25 years and now is stationed in Kansas. Mark has 5 years higher education and has been with the Star of Hope family for 23 years. Mark now works in the US with Digital Advocacy, Web based fundraising tools and fundraising. Mark is married with 2 children.
Barry W Borror
Barry W Borror, 60, was born in Espanola, NM and grew up in New York and Illinois. He graduated from Moody Bible Institute in 1975. He taught aviation at Moody for three years before joining Mission Aviation Fellowhip where he served as a pilot/mechanic in Honduras, Suriname, Lesotho and Haiti.
He joined Star of Hope in 1987 and put into place Star of Hope Haiti Foundation In 1989 he moved to the USA abd took over the directorship of Star of Hope USA.
He met his wife Linda Kasselman in Costa Rica at language school and the couple have 2 boys and 3 granddaughters.
H. Dennis Carson
H. Dennis Carson, 70, was from Greenwood county Kansas, having been born in Eureka and raised in Hamilton. He graduated from Hamilton Rural High School,
Emporia State University (B.S. in education), and Pittsburg State University (M.S. in education). He taught school for fourteen years in Montezuma. Ks. and Ellinwood, Ks. He owned and operated C. and V Home Improvement in Ellinwood, Ks. for thirty five years. Having sold the business, he is recently retired. He married the love of his life (Darla McFadden) in 1966 and they recently celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. They have two married children, Damon Carson of Longmont, Co., and Shawna Mosier of Towanda, Ks. They are blessed with five grandchildren.
Kenneth W Borror
Kenneth W Borror, 85, was born and raised in Rossville, Il. After two years in the USNR, attended University of Illinois and graduated with a BSEE degree in 1950. He worked for IBM in various positions for about 38 years. After retirement, he spent time in Haiti and Sweden doing volunteer work for Star of Hope and is currently living in Ellinwood, KS. Ken is married. He and his wife, Violet, have 4 children and 5 grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren.
Erik Lennart Eriksson
Lennart Eriksson is the Founder, CEO & President of Star of Hope International, the umbrella group that all the Star of Hope organizations, worldwide, cooperate within.
Lennart is the visionary and the leader of Star of Hope International. Born in 1956, father of five children. Living in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. He's a member of a local Baptist Church. He's also an appreciated inspirational speaker and motivator.
Jennifer Schartz
Jennifer Schartz has a background in print journalism and was a reporter,photographer and managing editor for the Great Bend Tribune for 23 years. She was also the editor and creative director of "Prairie Woman Magazine," a niche publication geared
to Kansas women and their issues. In 2001 she became a journalism instructor and student publication adviser at Barton Community College for four years and taught online communications courses for EduKan for eight years. She has been on the Barton County Commission for eight years and has served as its chairman twice. Additionally, she is employed as the public information director for USD 428. She has a BA in English and a master's degree in liberal studies, both from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas. She has written a book about her experience as a college newspaper adviser as well as two children's books.
Jennifer also serves on the Prince of Peace Justice and Peace Commission and on the board of directors for the Center for Counseling and Consultation, the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce, the USD 428 Education Foundation and the Great Bend High School Panther Booster Club.
She and her husband, Shannon, have been married for 35 years and have always lived in Great Bend, Kansas, where they were both born. They have three children, Melanie Lewis, Dane and Brianna; and two grandchildren, Declan and Delaney Lewis.
Henry Conner
Henry Conner, 48, was born and raised in Houston, Texas. He received Christ at the young age of 13 and has served Him in some capacity ever since. Most of his life has been centered around the creative arts. Upon graduating from high school Henry traveled for 2 years with an evangelistic team as a part of a singing group from Florida that toured the US, the Philippines and Hong Kong. Henry is a singer/songwriter and has recorded two CD's and is now also expressing the arts through painting. He married his best friend Michell in 1994 and they have 3 children Caleb, Joy Marie & Elijah. They are still raising two teenagers and their three year old grandson named August.
In 2007 Henry and Michell and their family relocated from Austin, Texas to Great Bend, Kansas as they were called to Great Bend as pastors of Harvest Reign Fellowship.
Henry has traveled on many mission trips in his lifetime including a trip to Haiti in 2010 where he felt a strong connection to the Star of Hope mission and those involved in the work.
