Dr. Andrew Griffis joined the NEED board of directors in 1998 after becoming a supporter of NEED in 1992. Andy is presently Chief Scientist at Strongwatch Corporation, a surveillance technology company that he co-founded in 2008. Andy also serves on the board of elders for Christ Community Church in Tucson, where he resides with his wife and two sons.
Dr. Alex Kulpecz is Managing EP Partner of Pulsar Energy LLP, an investment group focused on energy located in London, New York and Houston. Before that he held a succession of senior executive positions at the Royal Dutch Shell group as an Executive Committee member, primarily in the exploration and production area and latterly as Executive Director and EVP of Shell international Gas and power for Eastern /Central Europe, Russia, Africa and Latin America. Dr. Kulpecz, is based in London, New York and Houston. Alex and his wife were on the IVCF Staff in CT from 1981-85. They held leadership positions in their churches in London (International Community Church), Damascus and The Hague, Netherlands. Al Serves on our board of directors to keep us on task with vision implementation.
Joby Soisson has been married to Nancee for 37 years. They has three children and eight grand kids, He graduated from Lehigh University in 1970 with a BS in Industrial Engineering. It was during his college years that he met Gary Davis through Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. Joby now owns Trimetric Mold and Design which is a mold making company in Pennsylvania. He has been active in NEED Inc as board a director since its founding in 1985.
Kirk Nelson was born in Boston, September 4, 1967 and was immediately adopted by Donald and Linda Nelson. While a teenager in Hingham, he converted to Christianity through the ministry of South Shore Baptist Church, under the ministry of John Wood. While attending the University of Massachusetts in Amherst he found a home at The College Church and a home “Bible Study” led by the Davis Family. He transferred to Houghton College in Houghton, NY entering as a sophomore, Class of ’91. While at Houghton he met, and married, Beth. They celebrate their 20th anniversary the Summer of 2010. She is of missionary stock, three generations in Africa. They have lived in the Triangle Area of North Carolina for 17 years now. This has become their home. Kirk has started one business since moving here, and worked for two startups. He continues to work for ArcaTech Systems as the Associate Vice President of OEM Solutions. They lead a busy life there, and are deeply connected to their communities. They have four daughters. They all attend the Church of the Holy Family ECUSA in Chapel Hill NC since 1993. They are members of the Carolina Sailing Club and race Thistles. Hollow Rock Swim and Tennis Club is where they can be found many evenings and weekends. They also enjoy skiing and camping. All six of them are voracious readers and enjoy travel.
Beverly Anne Dowdy was raised in North Carolina and attended Appalachian State University as the first in her family to attend a university. She married a man she met at Ridgecrest Conference Center in the mountains of NC during her college years. They lived in Amherst, MA during the years he was studying at UMass. That’s when she met Gary Davis and became members of the Amherst Club. They kept in touch with Gary during the years after we left New England. She followed her husband to his academic job as a college professor in Oklahoma. Gary came to visit several times. Her husband taught courses abroad; and they both loved taking students to London and expanding their world. Her husband’s life was cut short. He died at fifty from a brain tumor. After his death Beverly felt a strong pull back to the East. During the time they were in Oklahoma Beverly finished a Master’s in Library Science. She was offered a job at Duke Libraries in 2008 and moved back to North Carolina, partially because her elderly parents needed her, and partially because she really wanted to come back to the East. She has been at Duke two years. She attends Church of the Holy Family in Chapel Hill and loves the liturgy. She has financially supported NEED since 1987 when we left New England for Oklahoma. Her defining factor in being a Christian is worldview. She was strongly influenced by C.S. Lewis and after her husband’s death, by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross. She fully supports Gary in his challenge to the way American Christians approach their culture. ” The gospel hasn’t changed but people and the culture are continuing to change in ways that we cannot yet fathom.”
Starr Davis
As the Wife of the president, Starr Davis has the hardest job of all. She also takes on the incredible task of being the treasurer. A job we are all so grateful for.
Clueless Christianity 