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CHC Board of Directors Biographical Overview
Robert Bethel: Bob has a Master’s Degree in Education from SIU Carbondale and a B.S. in Industrial Education. Bob has been an ordained Deacon in the Southern Baptist church for the past thirty years and has held positions on numerous boards & committees. He has been a member of the Board of Directors for the CHC for the past 11 years.
Lenora Bethel: Lenora is a homemaker and mother of three sons and four grandchildren. She has over 30 years of volunteer experience – local hospitals in hospice work, Scouts, and five years at Operation Blessing food pantry in Wood River, IL. In the past, she has ran a daycare from her home and worked in the local schools and at H&R Block. She has held her position as Board Member of the CHC for 11 years and currently serves as the Clothing Services Director.
Mary Kay Bonness: Mary Kay is one of the newest members of our Board. Mary Kay was the Program Coordinator for the Quincy Area Network Against Domestic Abuse (QuANADA) in Quincy, IL. She left that position in 1987 to volunteer in a mission in Southern Kentucky. Following her mission experience, she moved to St. Louis, MO to complete a master’s degree in Social Work from Saint Louis University (SLU). She graduated from SLU in 1993. While going to school, she was the Editorial Assistant for Theology Digest, a publication for the Theology Department at SLU. After graduation, she accepted the position of Volunteer Coordinator at the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office.
Since 1999, Ms. Bonness has been serving as the Executive Director of the Good Samaritan House in Granite City, IL. The Good Samaritan House provides temporary housing for women and children who are experiencing a period of homelessness. She is an active member of the Madison County Continuum of Care serving as co-chair of the Emergency Shelter Committee.
Gene Cardwell: Gene is a long-time resident of the River Bend area and has helped to oversee the construction of two area churches. Gene has been associated with the Hope Center Ministries for six years, initially serving the ministry as the construction superintendent for the Children’s Hope Center. Gene has served as a member of the Board of the Meadowbrook Water District and has many years of experience in building and equipment maintenance. Gene currently serves as the Maintenance Services Director for the Hope Center.
Dorothy Cloninger: Dorothy has been a part of the Community Hope Center’s Ministry Staff and an active member of the Board of Directors for nearly five years. She is a retired minister’s wife who has had over 50 years of experience in ministering to the needs of others. She is the mother of three children, two of which are in active ministry. She currently serves as the Food Services Director and as a Minister when needed.
Lyn Cloninger: Lyn has been associated with the Community Hope Center for over 4 years; initially helping to finish construction of the Children’s Hope Center. He is a retired Systems Manager from Southwestern Bell and has worked in ministry in the River Bend Area and overseas for the past 30 years. He has three years of Bible College and a B.S. degree in Organizational Leadership. He has worked in volunteer ministries for over 30 years and currently serves as the Executive Director for the Community Hope Center, Inc.
Lesta Lamb: Lesta is a graduate of Greenfield High School and attended Lewis and Clark Community College and graduated from Belleville Area College. She worked for many years in the floral industry and later as a respiratory therapist at Anderson Hospital in Maryville, Illinois.
When in the Greenfield area, Lesta was a member of Greenfield First Baptist Church where she served as a Sunday School Teacher, Vacation Bible School Director, and member of the Board of Deacons for many years.
Lesta has been with the Community Hope Center for six years working primarily in client services and as co-chair of our annual toy giveaway. Lesta is currently serving as the Client Services Director for the CHC.
Ed Mercer: Ed is a graduate from Zion Bible Institute, class of 1981. Upon graduation he began working with troubled teens in the local high school. Ed has several years of experience in retail and restaurant management in addition to twenty years of experience in direct sales to residential and small businesses customers. Ed still enjoys working one on one with teens in the local detention home in addition to his responsibilities as Vice-President of the Community Hope Center.
Julie Pigg: Rev. Julie Durkin-Pigg is an ordained minister with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) who is currently serving St. John's United Church of Christ in the Moro-Midway area. She is a Kansas City, MO native and has served churches in Missouri, Kansas, California, and Illinois.
Pastor Julie (as she prefers to be called) has been a member of the Bethalto Area Ministerial Alliance since 2000 and has served as president since 2002. She enjoys working with other churches and in our community.
Before entering the called ministry, Pastor Julie taught music, theater, and speech for 25 years in the Kansas City area. Her love for music continues in the form of gospel singing with the LITTLE COUNTRY CHURCH SINGERS from St. John's who sing for the worship service and for other outside events upon request.
Tonya Russell: Tonya Russell is a homemaker and mother of three sons. She has been a volunteer in many different local organizations and is currently Secretary/Treasurer of the Board of Directors for the Community Hope Center and Secretary of the Bethalto Lions Club. Her job experiences include being a manager for the local McDonalds for six years, Mercantile Bank Teller, and teacher of preschoolers. She has held her position as Financial Secretary of the CHC for 12 years.
Berry Snyder: Berry is another of the newest members to the Board of Directors. Berry is an Ordained Minister with the Church of God (Cleveland, TN) and since 1997 has served in various ministerial capacities in the Bethalto Church of God. The son of a minister, Berry has been involved in helping others most all of his life. Berry has a desire to assist others in receiving basic life skills that will help make them self-sufficient. Berry is currently serving as the Director of Educational Services for the Community Hope Center.
The B.O.D. exclusively directs activities at or about the Community Hope
Center and the new Women's Hope Center.
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