About Us
For nearly 30 years, Haiti Outreach Ministries has been sharing the message of God’s goodness with the people of Haiti through evangelism, education, and medical care. Now, HOM’s thriving ministry operates on four campuses, serving with our Haitian partner, Mission Communautaire de l’Église Chrétienne des Cités (MICECC). MICECC staff lead and manage all programs, providing essential local expertise and deep cultural understanding to best address the needs of our Haitian brothers and sisters. MICECC is composed of a dedicated group of Haitian pastors, community leaders, and teachers.
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“This country being a better country can help the world become a better place.“
—Loundla Ocean, nurse and former HOM student
About HOM
We are striving to love our neighbor through being the living, breathing embodiment of Christ in our daily lives and encouraging others to do the same.
Leadership
HOM exists to support its Haitian partner, Mission Communautaire de l’Église Chrétienne des Cités (MICECC). The programs supported by HOM are led by MICECC and the Haitian people.
Staff
Bio
Gary Fulton was named Interim Executive Director on October 12, 2024. Gary, a retired Presbyterian Church pastor, most recently volunteered for HOM, primarily helping with budgets and the monthly fund transfers to Haiti. He previously served as the Executive Director from November 2018 until December 2021.
Prior to working with HOM, Gary served as the Associate Pastor for Administration and Outreach at White Memorial Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, NC, for 21 years. It is during his time at White Memorial that he became involved in supporting the work of HOM.
Gary is a graduate of the University of Virginia (BA), Duke Divinity School (MDiv.), and the UNC-Charlotte, (MBA). He and his wife, Jane, have three grown children and five grandchildren. Gary enjoys running and spending time with family, particularly watching his grandchildren’s sporting events.
Bobby Benson
Accountant
Bio
Dawn’s first mission trip to Haiti was in the summer of 2016 with her daughter Lora (then 15) and her husband Eddie. She reflects that the most memorable part of that mission trip was the sharp contrast of the beautiful smiles, infectious laughter, and joy of the children at play amid their very difficult living conditions.
Board of Directors
Carol Vassey
Board Chair
Raleigh, NC
Bio
Recently retired, Carol enjoys reading and hiking and she has completed theAppalachian Trail. Carol’s professional career spanned 43 years in various managerial law firm roles. She has been blessed with 3 children, 3 stepchildren, 10 grandchildren and 5 great-granddaughters.
Bio
Carol Anne’s first trip to Haiti was in 1998, and she has returned annually on HOM mission trips since 2010. Her husband and daughter have joined her on one trip to Haiti, and she hopes her son will accompany her on a trip at some point in the future.
Ben Mitcham, JD
Secretary
Gray, GA
Bio
Ben is a proud graduate of Mercer University, B.A. 69, J.D. 74. After twenty years as an assistant district attorney and public defender, in recent years he has transitioned into a private law practice with his daughter in Gray, Georgia. He is married to Karen, an educator and bi-vocational Pastor of the Barnesville Presbyterian Church, and they have two adult children and two pre-teen grandsons. Ben is proud that all his adult family members have joined him in ministry on location in Haiti.
John Bruns
Floyds Knobs, IN
Bio
John is a 1976 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. He earned an MS degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio (1984) and a Certificate of Christian Leadership from Louisville Bible College (2012). He is retired from the US Air Force Reserves and UPS.
John is married to Debbie, and they have five children and eight grandchildren. He is very involved in his church, leading the Galatians 6:10 ministry—a group that provides home repairs and builds handicap ramps for people in need. In addition to local projects, they recently traveled to western Kentucky to aid in tornado rebuilding.
Bio
In 1989, Leon started Cité Soleil Christian Church. What began as preaching in the most impoverished and destitute area of Port-au-Prince became Haiti Outreach Ministries. Today – thanks to Leon’s passion and with his beloved wife Jacky by his side – HOM has grown to a thriving ministry serving over 40,000 Haitians annually through education, health care, clean water access, vocational training, and spiritual care.
Bart Edwards
Mount Pleasant, SC
Bio
Bart met Pastor Leon and was introduced to HOM in 2008 at First Presbyterian Church in Morehead City, NC. After the devastating earthquake in 2010, Pastor Leon returned to Morehead City to share the stories of HOM’s faithful efforts of recovery and raise funds to support the needs of Haitians. Bart was moved to become more involved and joined in the recovery efforts by fundraising. In 2014, Bart was called to be Head of Staff at Quaker Memorial Presbyterian Church in Lynchburg, VA. In his first sermon, he shared with the congregation that he was going to Haiti and hoped others would join him. Their first trip to Haiti was in 2014. Although Bart is no longer serving at Quaker Memorial Presbyterian Church, their support, love, and enthusiasm for HOM is still going strong!
Bart is currently serving as the Associate Pastor for Missions at Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church in Mount Pleasant, SC. HOM is one of their mission partners and before COVID-19 they sent a team to Haiti in Dec of 2018. Before going to seminary, Bart spent 20 years in manufacturing and financial advisory jobs. He has been in parish ministry for 18 years and wherever he serves, HOM has had and continues to have a place in his ministry and his life through fundraising projects, gathering teams to send to Haiti or promoting scholarships and school sponsorships for the children. Bart has served on the HOM Advisory Board for the last several years. Bart counts it an abundant blessing that he has been able to travel to Haiti with his wife, Suzy and their two adult children.
Rick Giles
Jacksonville Beach, FL
Bio
In 2000, Rick was ordained as an elder at Palms Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville Beach, Florida and served as the co-chair of the outreach ministry. In 2003, he led the first Palms team trip to Haiti where they assisted in the construction of the first phase of the primary school at Terre Noire. Numerous other Palms Presbyterian trips followed with continued assistance at Terre Noire, installing a clean water system in Cite Soleil and building school desks. After the 2010 earthquake, Rick assisted in the reconstruction efforts. He typically makes two trips a year to Haiti and helps stateside with architecture, engineering, and master planning.
Rick is co-owner of Giles McIvor Inc., a general contracting company headquartered in Jacksonville, FL, constructing commercial projects throughout the Southeast. He and his wife Sally have two grown daughters and two grandsons. In 2017 Rick and Sally bought a 92-year-old second home in Montreat, NC. After completing an extensive renovation, they have enjoyed getting to know the Montreat community.
Linda Jagiela
Shamong, NJ
Bio
Linda is the Director of Outreach at First Presbyterian Church of Moorestown, NJ, where she manages and coordinates all outreach and missions. She has oversight of the annual outreach budget; is the facilitator of Deacons and Missions boards and other volunteer committees; leads international mission teams (Haiti, Uganda, Malawi, Kenya, India, Mexico, Greece, and Honduras); is primary contact for 50 global missionaries, manages large annual outreach events with 25 activities and 300 participants as well as five additional fund-raising events; and writes and designs education curriculum and newsletters centered on outreach. She is a seasoned executive and an innovative and creative team leader.
Nikita Lindsay, MD
Charlotte, NC
Bio
Dr. Lindsay has been a pediatrician for twenty years and is currently in private practice in Fort Mill, SC. She lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband and two teenaged children and attends the CN Jenkins Presbyterian Church. She loves photography and travel and recognizes that her faith in God is what affords her the opportunity to continue to help others.
Chris Northup
Ex-Officio
Cary, NC
Bio
Chris has been involved with HOM since 2000 and originally joined the HOM Board in 2012. He served as President from 2013 to 2019 and now serves as an ex-officio member. His past Board responsibilities have included interacting with other organizations working with HOM in Haiti, overseeing long-term volunteers, construction project management, and other special projects. He also serves on the board for The Haiti Connection in Raleigh NC, which facilitates the sharing of information and resources among non-profit organizations, religious groups, and individuals working in Haiti.
Chris is a member and Elder at First Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, NC. At both First Presbyterian and his previous church, White Memorial Presbyterian Church, Chris has been heavily involved in Haiti related ministries since 2000. He has led many trips to Haiti with projects including medical clinics, construction, and installation of computers in schools.
Esmé Teel
Pittsburgh, PA
Bio
Esmé has visited Haiti numerous times over the past 10 years as part of a medical team based out of Signal Mountain, TN and each time leaves a part of her heart there and takes part of Haiti with her, all bound up in the love of Christ.
Having recently relocated to Pittsburgh, PA to accept a call as an Associate Pastor of Congregational Care at Memorial Park Church, her heart to care for God’s people wherever God calls her still is at the forefront of her ministry and she recognizes that time and distance are only obstacles if we lose sight of God’s far-reaching, depth-defying steadfast love.
Esmé is a huge animal lover, and she and her wonderfully supportive husband Barry have two little dogs that bring a bit of adventure. Together they enjoy the outdoors as much as they do staying in. Esmé also has two adult sons on almost opposite sides of the US that share her heart for animals and desire to spread kindness.
Maddie Wilkins
Dallas, TX
Bio
Maddie lives in Dallas with her husband, Jeremy, and their young daughter, Margo. Maddie serves as an ordained Elder at Highland Park Presbyterian Church and attends Peak Street Church, a church plant which Maddie and Jeremy helped launch within the Highland Park Presbyterian family of churches. A former elementary teacher and librarian of 10 years, Maddie currently teaches Pilates and volunteers at her daughter’s school. Maddie looks forward to future trips to Haiti and is honored to continue serving the ministry in various capacities.
MICECC / Haitian Leadership
Troy Sanon
Executive Director
Bio
Troy grew up both in Haiti and the United States. He was raised by parents who were very devoted to business and ministry development in Haiti. His father, Pastor Hermann Sanon, was the first preacher who created a business cooperative in his church in Haiti. Troy spent most of his life promoting Haitian diaspora’s investment in Haiti. For over a decade, his mentor Jack Wall promoted the cooperative business model in Haiti. Together they created 35 cooperative businesses. Troy brings to MICECC 30 years of experience; he says, “I feel like I have spent my whole life preparing for this ministry job.”
His qualifications encompass significant experience in business planning and investment as well as a variety of skills necessary to promote sustainable development and social business, including public private partnership, strategic planning, and capacity building. Troy also has experience in proposal development, microfinance, entrepreneurship training, financial sector development, project design and management, marketing, and monitoring & evaluation.
Troy holds a doctorate in business administration with a concentration in strategic management and policy. Over the years, he worked for various businesses and non-profit corporations in the US, promoting investments in the Haitian, black, and Latino communities.
Jacqueline Dorleans
Superintendent of Schools
Bio
Jacky was born in Cap-Haitian, a city on the Northern coast of Haiti. She completed all of her schooling, from kindergarten to university, at the very best schools that Haiti could offer. She fluently speaks French, Creole, and English.
Her educational background is diverse. She attended medical school for four years at University Henry Christophe in Cap-Haitian and then studied psychology at Faculte d’Ethnologie in Port-au-Prince. She furthered her education in school management at the University of Science of Education as well as studied advanced English at the Haitian-American Institute and computer science at the French Institute, all in Port-au-Prince. She was awarded a Certificate of Honor & Merit from the Leadership Training Institute for her many contributions as interpreter, translator, and student .
As school superintendent, Jacky is responsible for overseeing students at the three primary schools and at the secondary school. She supervises over 110 teachers, the secretary, nurse, and librarians.
When she was asked in 2008 what her hope was for the HOM schools in the next ten years, she answered, “I hope and pray that our schools will keep their reputations as the best schools in the community for their standards of excellence.” Through perseverance, discipline, hard work, and prayers, the HOM schools have indeed maintained their reputation and are regarded as amongst the best schools anywhere in Haiti. Jacky thanks God and HOM sponsors/supporters for all these accomplishments. She prays that we may continue to bring glory to our Lord by dedicating ourselves more fully and together educate more Haitian children who are the hope for a better future in Haiti.
Suzie Plaisir, MD
Medical Director
Advisory Board
Mike Baker | Moorestown, NJ
Steve Engle | HOM Board Liaison | Moorestown, NJ
Tom Lawson | Winston-Salem, NC
Bill McLees | Macon, GA
Rick Raines | Mechanicsville, GA
David Rainey, MD | Winston-Salem, NC
Rick Wesley | Winston-Salem, NC
Haiti Action Committee
Nadege Gay Haney – Lynchburg, VA
Byambison Pierre – Durham, NC
Karlie Sudlow – Foster, KY
Jordan Wesley – Charlotte, NC
William White – Raleigh, NC
Our History
Haiti Outreach Ministries’ beginning can be traced back to a chance meeting between two students at Cincinnati Christian University in the mid-1980’s: Leon Dorleans from Haiti and Walker Gaulding from Virginia.
A God-incidence between these two young men led to a friendship, which in turn led to another God-incidence that began the ministry you see today.
About the same time, Walker’s home church, Fairmount Christian Church in Mechanicsville, Virginia, contacted him to see if he had suggestions about potential mission trips. Walker immediately thought of Leon and had the church contact him.
In August of 1989, the very first team went to Cité Soleil. Twenty-one members from Fairmount, along with Walker, built a crude “pole-barn” type structure with a tin roof that became the church building. Walker was honored to preach to these people who were hungry for the Word.
The team members shed tears over what they saw. It was so far beyond their comprehension that people could be living like that in this century, but they felt God was in this place. In the Haitian people, the team saw resiliency, as well as a love and trust in God. They were truly thankful for what they had. The team was deeply touched and quickly realized that there was so much more to do.
Leon shared with the team his perspective on the impact the lack of education in his country has had over many decades. He shared his dream of wanting to start a school along with the church. In discussing the possibility, the idea of a sponsorship program was born, and team member Pat Smith offered to find sponsors.
This was the organizational foundation of Haiti Outreach Ministries (HOM) and the beginning of a great partnership. In 1990, HOM was incorporated with David Armistead as President. Pat Smith, Jo Ann Miles, and Pastor Leon were HOM’s founding Board Members.
David provided 16 years of volunteer service as HOM President through 2006 and is now President Emeritus. Bill Glass succeeded David as president and served through the challenging years after the earthquake until July 2013. Chris Northup assumed this role in mid-2013 until October 2019. Wick Smith currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors. In 2018, in response to the growth of the ministry and increased organizational complexity, HOM hired Gary Fulton as its first Executive Director.
Since its humble beginnings in that Cité Soleil street, HOM and MICECC have grown to minister in four communities around Port-au-Prince: Cité Soleil, Terre Noire, Repatriote, and Baryè Fè. Although improvements in overall Haitian living have been minimal, we have been blessed to be the hands and feet of Christ for many in the Port-au-Prince area. We are immensely grateful for the countless volunteers over the years who have not only gone to Haiti but those here who have prayed, donated their time and money, and volunteered in so many ways.