Our Staff & Board

Our Staff

Jennifer Myles

Jennifer Myles, Registered Nurse
President

Jennifer, Beacon of Hope President since 2007. Jennifer served in the United States Navy from 1989-2010 as a Nurse Corps Officer. Her nursing career also includes working as a nurse for the Veteran Administration in Houston, Texas. Jennifer’s involvement in the Non-Profit Organization is the result of working with her late mother (Ester DeBlaw Washington) founder of the Beacon of Hope School. The Beacon of Hope Project has afforded Jennifer an opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of the Kenyan community.
Mary Chatman Beacon of Hope

Mary Dunn Chatman, BSN, RN retired
Secretary

Mary is the secretary and provides administrative support to the Beacon of Hope Ministries. She worked 31 of her 45 years in healthcare caring for our Veterans at the Michael E. DeBakey Veteran Administrative Medical Center, Houston, Texas. Since going on her first Medical Mission trip to Kenya, Africa in 2010, Mary has participated in seven Medical-Dental mission trips to Kenya. Mary developed a strong sense of devotion for the Kenyan people. This experience gave her a deep appreciation of how the Beacon of Hope Ministries seek to improve the quality of life for the Maasai children and their community. Mary enjoys spending time with her family, reading and traveling.

Our Board

Hannah Neely

Hannah Neely
Board Member

Hannah Neely has joined the Beacon of Hope team as an independent consultant. Her skills in Marketing and communications make for a great addition to the team. Hannah has been traveling to Africa since the age of 17 where she initially visited Lilongwe, Malawi to build a school in a rural village. Hannah is an Africa enthusiast that was born and raised in Chicago, IL. She graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale with a bachelors in Speech Communication w/ Specialization in Persuasion in 2017. She currently lives in Chicago and curates group trips back to the Motherland through our personal business Coast to Coast Club. You can find Hannah on any social media outlet @internationalhannah.
Reverend Wardell Brown

Reverend Wardell Brown
Board Member

Reverend Brown was raised by his maternal grandmother in a Christian home where it was taught that Jesus Christ was Lord and the head of his grandmother’s life; this was his foundation. Attending Sunday worship service and Sunday school were mandates in the household and to this day, in his house this also holds true.

Upon the death of his grandmother, Brown and his siblings were separated and placed in foster homes until adulthood. Despite the latter part of his upbringing, the foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ was laid. The trials and tribulations of life weighed him down from time to time, but he knew the Lord was keeping me for His purpose. He saw the birth of his 6 beautiful children, was blessed with 13 grandchildren & had a successful career as an electrician; yet he was not walking in MY PURPOSE as ordained by the Lord.

After relocating to Houston, Texas in 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina, Reverend Brown settled in the Houston area and united with Hopewell Temple MBC. January 2012, he was licensed and ordained to preach the Gospel. This was one of the happiest days of his life, as he was finally walking out the PURPOSE of my Life as ordained by the Lord. This assignment gives him hope and he is ever so proudly proclaiming the Word of the Lord.

In recent years, the Lord has called him to ministry abroad on mission trips to Haiti, Port Au Prince, Maasai Mara, Kenya & other African territories, just to name a few and he is ever so pleased to be used in His service of spreading the Gospel.