EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS of Fundación Amor y Esperanza

Pancho and Pitty are blessed to be parents of Daniel, Mateo, and María Victoria. They seek to transform communities through a high quality, Christ centered education in Quito, Ecuador. Their lives are devoted to God’s Kingdom and they firmly believe they are here on earth with a heavenly purpose. Francisco Zola has high experience as a businessman, he has master degrees in projects and education, and is a Commercial Engineer as well.

Clemencia has a degree in International Languages applied to International Exchanges as well as a degree of Associate in Executive Bilingual Secretarial Science.

SECRETARY of the BOARD of DIRECTORS

Susan Justice is a wife and mother of four as well as a practicing pediatric physical therapist in the west Georgia area. She is passionate about the Lord and about His love for children of all abilities and from all walks of life. Susan joined the board of Love and Hope Foundation after experiencing the transformation of lives through the work in Carmen Bajo at Amor y Esperanza. She counts it a great privilege to join in their mission of transforming both lives and communities for Christ.

Susan is married to Kyle Justice who teaches math and computer science at Whitefield Academy in Mableton, Georgia. Their children Daniel, Zachary, and Zoe have each graduated from Whitefield where they served on the Ecuador mission team. Susan and Kyle's youngest son, Drew, continues to attend Whitefield. In her off time, Susan enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, and doing anything active outdoors. She is passionate about seeing each child achieve his or her full potential and have fun doing so!

PRESIDENT of the BOARD of DIRECTORS

Lee Martin is a strategy and business development leader at Cox Communications. He was first introduced to Amor y Esperanza in his former role as an elementary school teacher at Whitefield Academy. He and his wife chaperoned a mission trip to Ecuador in 2008, and they have been involved in the mission of Amor y Esperanza ever since. He is passionate about supporting and helping the school grow so that it can reach more children for Christ.

Lee is married to Lauren, and together they have 3 energetic children: Henry, Elise and Reese.

TREASURER of the BOARD of DIRECTORS

Jennifer is a full-time mom, a part-time bookkeeper, and a passionate follower of Jesus. She was first introduced to Amor y Esperanza through Whitefield Academy, where her children attend school. She is excited to be on the Board of Love and Hope Foundation and hopes to help continue the mission of Amor y Esperanza here in the US by making more people aware of the needs in Ecuador and the call of the Lord that Pancho and Pitty have so faithfully followed. She believes that Jesus has called all of us to live out his Acts 1:8 mission by being a representative of God's kingdom here on earth, and her desire is that she can be a servant that God uses to spread His message of hope to those in Quito.

Jennifer has been married to her husband, Danny, for 19 years and they have two children, Jordan and Lila. She loves traveling to new places with her family, walking, reading and cooking! She and her family made their first trip to Ecuador in the summer of 2023.

BOARD MEMBER

Candace is a Spanish teacher who originally learned about AyE during her time at Whitefield Academy. After chaperoning the summer mission trip to Quito in 2018, she vividly recalls the impact of the Zola family ministry on herself and many other students and families. She is excited to be a part of the strengthening and expansion of AyE's mission, and feels privileged for this opportunity to serve a cause that is preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in a way that brings salvation to individuals and ultimately transformation to families and communities. Candace is originally from North Carolina, is a mother to three and enjoys reading, traveling, and writing Bible study materials to encourage others in the faith.

BOARD MEMBER

Bob Fugate is the father of Whitfield graduates, both of whom experienced serving with Amor y Esperanza as a student and one as a trip leader while in college. With years of leadership on the finance side of the telecom industry, Bob currently serves as CFO of Connectivity Wireless. He and his wife live in Atlanta.

BOARD MEMBER

Clayton is an Internal Audit consultant with BDO in Atlanta, Georgia. He first learned about Amor y Esperanza through his son, Parker, who participated in several Ecuador Mission Trips with Whitefield Academy. Motivated by his son’s experiences, Clayton and his wife, Teresa, are dedicated to helping the school expand its reach and impact more children for Christ. He considers it a privilege to transform lives and communities through a Christ-centered education, aligning with the missions of Amor y Esperanza and the Love and Hope Foundation.

BOARD MEMBER

Rebekah Kern is an attorney with a background in financial services, but for the past 16 years she has had the privilege of being a full-time mom and avid volunteer. She and her husband, Chris, have two children, Caroline and Jonathan. The family was introduced to Amor y Esperanza through Whitefield Academy where they have both a current student and a graduate. Over the years, she has seen and heard about the dramatic and lasting impact that a trip to Ecuador and service at Amor y Esperanza had had on students and chaperones. She believes in the importance and eternal impact of a Christ-centered education, which aligns perfectly with the mission of Amor y Esperanza and Love and Hope Foundation.

Rebekah hopes that her skills will be an asset to the board and help bolster Amor y Esperanza and its reach within the community. She is expectant that the Lord will do great things through the teachers and students there which will ripple out and reach countless others. Rebekah enjoys spending time outdoors. She loves animals, especially her dog Scarlett, and she loves to read, travel, take photos and write.

BOARD MEMBER

Chris LeCraw, Sr. served his country for 20 years as a US Air Force pilot and retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Shortly after retirement, he answered God’s call to serve at Whitefield Academy as the Dean of Student Life and Middle School Principal. He left Whitefield after the 2007 school year to pursue his love of aviation with Delta Air Lines. He retired as an active line pilot in 2020 and is now a flight instructor for Delta.

Chris became involved with Amor y Esperanza indirectly, when his wife and two of his sons joined several Whitefield missions teams to Quito. He later travelled with her several times to visit the school and became close friends with the Zola family. Chris loves the mission and vision of AyE; scripture tells us to “love the Lord your God with all you heart all your soul and all your mind,” and this is the essence of the Christ-centered nature of education at AyE.

Chris is married to Jan, a retired math teacher at Whitefield, and they have three sons and five grandchildren. They homeschooled their sons through Middle School, and all three graduated from Whitefield. Chris and Jan enjoy hiking, biking and playing golf together.

BOARD MEMBER

Dave serves as youth pastor at Trinity Anglican Church in Atlanta Georgia. He is married to the lovely and gracious Virginia and has four energetic children: Hannah, James, Harper, and Molly. He was introduced to AyE while a teacher at Whitefield Academy, also in Atlanta, and have led three trips with students since 2015. He loves the locally focused mission of Amor y Esperanza, seeking the peace and prosperity of the people of Carmen Bajo. He has also been deeply blessed by the graciousness and welcoming spirit of the school, led by the Zola family, in inviting outsiders to participate in their work. In his experience, the mission teams are equally if not more blessed by a visit than the school they come to serve. It is this mix of local mission and generous hospitality that he finds so compelling. He desires to see more supporters brought in to the AyE family and for this vision to flourish and multiply!

BOARD MEMBER

Dr. David A. Wells and his wife Lois live in the mountains of Ecuador, near the village of Nono, just a few miles from Quito. David and Lois have been involved in and committed to the work and ministry of Amor y Esperanza for many years, believing strongly in the misión and purpose of the Foundation!

David devotes his time to consulting for school owners, boards, and executive leaders in international and national schools throughout Latin America, and beyond. His experience in educational and organizational leadership spans nearly forty years, and includes serving as the head of schools in Puerto Rico, New York, and Ecuador, as well as management of a not-for-profit social services agency and a real estate group.

David has experience in school improvement projects as a consultant and through accreditation agencies; serves as an adjunct professor of graduate education; serves on foundation and school boards; and presents workshops and seminars on school ownership, governance, and leadership in varied settings, internationally and nationally. David served as an Executive Consultant and Vice President for the Global Division of PAIDEIA, Inc. for several years, and is recognized as an Associated Consultant with Council of Independent Schools and a Field Consultant with AdvancED.