IRC Board of Directors
IRC’s Board of Directors are all volunteers who are personally involved in providing aid to the organization. They form a team with a diverse background, including careers in the medical, ministerial, legal and construction professions. The one thing they all have in common is a deep desire to relieve poverty and suffering in some of Central America’s poorest communities. The primary function of the Board of Directors is to make sure the vision and mission of IRC is being fulfilled to the best of its ability. IRC does not have any employees, allowing 100% of all donations given to be used directly for its projects.
Don Cole
President
Don is a retired officer in the U.S. Air Force and has lived in several locations both in the United States and abroad.. He and his wife Edna now reside in Millport, AL. Don and Edna have been making trips to Honduras since 2007. They both have a deep desire to serve the poor and ensure that their plight is not forgotten. Aside from holding several positions in community leadership, Don also serves as a Visiting Professor of Political Science at Lipscomb University.
Gayle Davidson (ARNP-C/Family Practice/ PhD)
Gayle serves as IRC’s Vice President as well as the Medical Missions Director. She was a first responder for Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti earthquake, floods in Guyana as well as Ebola in Africa. Gayle founded Clinica de Esperanza in Santa Ana, Honduras in 2007, overseeing the clinic’s day-to-day operations and working in village clinics. Originally from Melbourne, FL, Gayle has a deep passion for caring for hurting people in communities affected by poverty.
Mark Halbert
Treasurer
Mark, a Colorado native, now lives in Tupelo, MS with his wife Julie and their three sons. He is an attorney and partner with Phelps Dunbar LLP. Mark’s passion is helping to create meaningful relationships between people in the US with people in Central America. In addition to his role as Treasurer for IRC, Mark actively leads trips to Honduras and Central America each summer.
Tim Hines
Exec. Director, International Resourcing
Tim is a Lousiana native who has a deep passion for the poor. His work as an advocate for the underprivileged extends from the US to Central America and beyond. Fluent in Spanish, Tim is a vital part of establishing and maintaining quality relationships with partners worldwide. Tim and his wife Marcia live in Covington, LA but spend a great deal of time in Honduras.
Mark Connell
Liaison to Honduras
Mark and his wife Lori have lived and worked full-time in Tegucigalpa, Honduras since 2008. Mark, originally from Ohio, is a former golf professional who felt called to serve the poor in Honduras on a full-time basis. Lori serves as President of Mi Esperanza, a ministry that empowers Honduran women both personally and economically. Mark and Lori have a son, a daughter and five grandchildren.
Greg Mock, M.D.
Board Member
Greg and his wife Ellen live in Searcy, AR where he serves as a hospitalist at the White County Medical Center. Greg is a certified nephrologist (doctor of kidney diseases) and has led numerous trips to Honduras, both for medical purposes as well as construction. Greg is originally from Butte, Montana and earned his medical degree from the University of Minnesota. He and Ellen have six children and two grandchildren.
Chase Turner
Board Member
Chase Turner lives in Monroe, LA with his wife Kristen and 4 children. After his first trip to Honduras in 2003, he has had a passion for helping the people of Central America. He is fluent in Spanish, loves construction and loves to write. He is the author of T.R.I.A.L.S. : A Journey from Anxiety to Peace which has been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, French and German. With the proceeds of the book, he founded TRIALS Global Inc, a nonprofit organization with a mission to improve mental, physical, and spiritual health for those with limited resources.
Dalton Hines
Board Member
Honduras has been a part of Dalton’s life since he was 13. He lived there for three years as a teenager, working alongside Torch teams. Dalton met his wife, Jen, on a Torch Mission trip in 2010. He returned to live their full time with his wife and three kids in 2018. Dalton and his family live at and manage Agua Viva Retreat Center. Since 2021, Dalton’s focus has been to train students at Reach One Teach One(R1T1) in vocational trades and encourage them in their spiritual walks.
Jimmy Cruz
Board Member
Jimmy is a MD trained in Cuba, originally from Danli, Honduras. He lives with his wife and son in Chouteca, Honduras. He volunteers in several brigades in the south region of Honduras after working in impoverished communities near the Nicaragua border. He has been working with the Clinica de Esperanza since 2022. He has a passion to help the elderly patients and communities with medical needs.