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MEET OUR STAFF

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Executive Director

Rev. Dwayne P. Mills

Dwayne and his wife Bethany, his sons Ethan, Evan, and Eli, and his daughter Emily. Dwayne moved back to Martin County with his family in June 2012 after serving as Associate Dean of Students at Olivet Nazarene University and Bethany was the Director of Counseling and Health Services. Dwayne has served in full-time ministry since 1995. He has served in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and now Kentucky. He says, “There is no better calling and place to be than in the center of God’s will. I am excited to serve the people of Martin County and the surrounding areas. There is no better place than living in heart of Appalachia.”

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Campus Director/Thrift Store & Food Pantry Manager

Bill Zuidema

Bill and his wife, Jana, are blessed with three children, Rachel, Johnny and Isaiah. They joined the ARO team in August of 2011. 

 

Bill is a graduate from Dordt College, Iowa. Jana is a graduate from Calvin College, Michigan. Their desire is to follow God’s leading through their work at the thrift store and their involvement with the food pantry.

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Director of Ministry Advancement & Scioto County Work & Witness Site Coordinator

Chance Cooper

ARO in partnership with the South Central Ohio Nazarene District, Cornerstone Nazarene Church (Wheelersburg, OH) will be working side by side to serve those in southern Ohio and surrounding areas. Pastor Chance Cooper serves as the Director of Ministry Advancement in Ohio (Work & Witness Director). Pastor Chance serves in full-time ministry as the Outreach and Assimilation Pastor at Cornerstone Nazarene Church. He is passionate about serving his community and tri-state area through different ministry efforts. Chance has led both work and witness and disaster relief teams across the country, while also leading small group ministry, outreach efforts,
ministry councils, and a recovery ministry at Cornerstone. Being a first-
generation Nazarene, Chance's life was radically impacted by Christ through the local church. Now, reaching people to experience the same love of Christ through the Church drives his passion and effort in ministry. He and his wonderful wife,
Shelly, love to explore God's creation through hiking, camping and as many adventures as possible.

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Development Coordinator

Salena Lehman

Salena and her husband Jacob are from Mount Vernon, Ohio. They began dating in Martin County, KY, when Jacob visited Salena during her first summer internship at ARO in the summer of 2019. After their engagement Salena returned as ARO's summer intern in 2020, and they were married that November. In May 2022, after a season of change, they responded to the gentle pressure of God's thumb on their hearts for the people of Martin County. They called Inez "home" until Fall 2023, when they decided to move back to Mount Vernon to have their first baby, Joey. Salena is still a valued part of ARO and now works remotely as the Development Coordinator.

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 Martin County Work & Witness Site Coordinator

Bob & Marilyn DeJong

Ever since Marilyn heard about ARO at the age of 12 she dreamed of being apart of ARO's work.  In 1976 she became a summer volunteer. She then moved to ARO as a full time employee. In the summer of ‘78, God, through His providence, brought Bob and Marilyn 500 miles from their West Michigan homes to meet in Inez, Kentucky at ARO’s vacation Bible school program. It was love at first sight and the rest is history! Since that first meeting, God has blessed them with 41 years of marriage, 4 children who are also married, 4 beautiful granddaughters and 1 grandson. During most of these years, God called them to spend their time living in the small town of Lake Odessa, Michigan where they raised their family, attended Harvest Community Church, and were used by God to serve in the surrounding community. They own a gravel company called Great Lakes Gravel and Sand, and smile at the thought that God has brought them from the mountains of Kentucky to literally put them in the pit (gravel pit) of Lake Odessa for 30 plus years.  God, through His divine timing and wisdom, has brought Bob and Marilyn full circle and is returning them to where they started. Th are both honored and humbled to be called back to Kentucky & ARO to serve in a larger commitment of time and energy. 

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Perry County Work & Witness Site Coordinator

Sam Stacy

Sam Stacy is ARO’s Work & Witness Coordinator for our Perry County, KY site, Sam has an Associates of Applied Science degree from Hazard Community College in Mining Technology. He recently retired from the City of Hazard serving in numerous positions from Public Safety Director, Fire Chief to finally serving as City Manager. He married his high school sweetheart, Lesa, and has two daughters Cassi Maggard and Ashley Teague along with 5 grandchildren Preston, Macyn, Parker, Colton and Peyton. 

Some of Sam’s experience includes: Past President of the Kentucky Firefighters Association, Past President of the Hazard Area Gideons. He is currently the Senior Pastor at Petrey Memorial Baptist Church and has been the Director of Chaplaincy Services at Appalachian Regional Healthcare for the past 4 years. He is a member of Kentucky Baptist Disaster Response in the chaplain’s role and has served on several boards including the Board of Directors for Heartkeep, Board of Directors of Scripture Memory Mountain Mission, and Board of Directors for Kentucky Mountain Health Alliance. He was also the moderator for Three Forks Baptist Association for 2023. 

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Administrative Assistant

Christa McNichols

Christa and her husband, Troy, live in Mount Vernon, Ohio. They have three adult children, Cody, Taylor and Caleb. Cody and his wife, Madison, made Christa and Troy, Nana and T-Pa, for the first time when they had sweet Ella. They also have a little guy on the way in March 2024. Taylor is married to Ryan and they have the cutest baby boy, Jackson. Caleb and his wife, Sydney, live in Mount Vernon and are going to have a precious baby boy in May 2024.

Christa and Troy have been in ministry together for the past 22 years as Troy is the lead pastor at New Life Church of the Nazarene in Mount Vernon, Ohio. Christa has worked in various areas at Mount Vernon Nazarene University for the past 13 years. ARO has a special place in Christa’s heart as she lived in Martin County the first 10 years of her life. She says, “I feel like I’ve had a front row seat to the many ways God is working and blessing through the ministry we call ARO. I’ve seen the Lord work in miraculous ways as my brother, Dwayne, has faithfully led this ministry, following in the footsteps of those who led before him. I am excited to see the way ARO is continuing to grow and feel blessed to be part of this ministry".

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Academic Director & Martin County Campus Assistant

Heather Perry

Heather is from Bailey, North Carolina and graduated in 2023 from Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois. While at Olivet, she majored in Business Administration with a concentration in Philanthropy/Not-for-Profit and a minor in Marketing. She first discovered ARO on a mission trip in March of '23 with Olivet during Spring Break and loved it so much that she decided to come back as a summer intern the following summer after graduation. Heather became full-time in August of 2023 and took on the role as ARO's Academic Director.

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