Our Agency Team of Experts

Dan Gomez

Board Member
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Our Agency Expert:

Dan Gomez

Board Member

Dan and his wife Denise adopted from Russia through Nightlight.  Dan's career is in management in the medical field.

David Littlewood

Board Member
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Our Agency Expert:

David Littlewood

Board Member

David was drawn to the pro-life work of Generations Adoptions and served on the board there before the agency merged with Nightlight.  David is the president of TNFB Your Bank for Life in Texas.

Frank Block

Board Member
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Our Agency Expert:

Frank Block

Board Member

Frank Block entered the field of adoption in the 1980's when he became the executive director of Love Basket.  The agency primarily did adoptions from India, but also had other international programs and a thriving domestic program centered in Missouri.  Frank and his wife Kitty are parents by adoption.

Jere Vandewalle

Secretary and Treasurer
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Our Agency Expert:

Jere Vandewalle

Secretary and Treasurer

Jere and his wife Robyn have six children, two sons-in-law and three grandchildren and are drawn to the biblical mission of Nightlight. Jere is Director of Operations for Christian Educators, a professional organization designed to encourage, equip, and empower Christian educators to effectively walk out their calling in their schools.

Jim Light

Chairman of the Board
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Our Agency Expert:

Jim Light

Chairman of the Board

Jim and his wife Carol adopted from Russia through Nightlight.  Jim is a CPA and the president of an architectural firm.

Kevin O'Neill

Board Member
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Our Agency Expert:

Kevin O'Neill

Board Member
Favorite Adoption Story: Kevin was one of the first Americans to adopt from Belarus. His daughter, Jilliana, now works for Nightlight!

Kevin is a real estate broker in southern California.

Michael Powers

Board Member
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Our Agency Expert:

Michael Powers

Board Member

Michael was adopted, himself, and has one adopted daughter and one adopted son, so he understands different aspects of adoption. He and his wife Beverly have a commercial furniture company.

Michele Jackson

Board Member
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Our Agency Expert:

Michele Jackson

Board Member

Michele and her husband Wayne have adopted several children domestically and internationally.  Michele is the founder of MLJ Adoptions, in Indiana. The agency had a strong program in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as many other international programs.  Michele is an attorney specializing in adoption and artificial reproductive technology.  Michele founded the Global Orphan Foundation to help children living as orphans, including a village in the DRC.

Ron Stoddart

President Emeritus
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Our Agency Expert:

Ron Stoddart

President Emeritus
Email Address: ron@stoddartlaw.com
Favorite Bible Verse: Proverbs 3:6, “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct thy paths.”
Favorite Adoption Story: In 2003 the world of intercountry adoption was much different. The government had not yet started to restrict adoption practices and the focus was on getting more kids adopted. Russia was our most active program and I traveled to St. Petersburg 3 or 4 times a year. On each trip, I would visit orphanages and meet children who were eligible for adoption, take photos and videos and try to get a feel for their personalities. I would then keep a notebook with the information on the children in my office to share with families who were ready to select a child to adopt. On local family had finished their home study and came to my office on a Friday afternoon to look at “the book”. They had no other children and wanted to adopt a little girl under the age of 2. While looking through the book, I pointed out twin boys who were about 5 years old. Although they really wanted a girl, they kept coming back to the photo of the boys. They left the office that day unsure of what they wanted to do. But by Monday morning, they called and said they couldn’t get the twin boys out of their minds. Yes, they adopted those boys and never looked back. The boys are both now in college, active in sports and great examples of how God directs our paths.
Education: Juris Doctor
Responsibilities: 

Ron received a B.S. in Business Administration and a Juris Doctor from Southwestern University.  He coordinated police recruitment for the Los Angeles Police Department and was a management consultant for KPMG before starting Omnimedical, a service and manufacturing company in the medical technology field.  He built Omnimedical into a $40 million publicly held company before changing careers to practice law.  His passion for pro-life ministry and adoption led him to focus on domestic and intercountry adoption law.   Ron subsequently became the President of Nightlight Christian Adoptions where he developed the first embryo adoption program – Snowflakes.  Although inactive, Ron remains a partner in Schmiesing Blied Stoddart & Mackey in Orange County, California.  He now practices law in Colorado, primarily in the field of Estate Planning, and consults on all forms of adoption policy and law.  He is also the founder and President of Save Adoptions, an intercountry adoption advocacy organization, and serves on the Board of Directors of Nightlight Christian Adoptions and Every Child Has A Name.

 

Ron was married to Linda for 52 years before losing her to cancer in 2016.  He married Kay Brown, a fellow widow from his church, in 2019.  Ron has 4 children and 8 grandchildren, including two children through adoption.

Sarah Sowell

Board Member
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Our Agency Expert:

Sarah Sowell

Board Member
Favorite Bible Verse: Psalm 23:4, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

Sarah and her husband adopted their daughter from Russia through Nightlight.  Sarah is in private practice as a psychologist.

Torrey Harmon

Board Member
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Our Agency Expert:

Torrey Harmon

Board Member

Torrey and his wife Susan adopted from Russia through Nightlight.  Torrey is retired from a career in computer science and engineering.

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