Brian Smith- Founder/Executive Director
Brian Smith has traveled extensively in Nepal doing research on Nepal’s disabled, including having climbed Mt Everest in 2007. Brian has now spent over one year in Nepal, and traveled through 17 of Nepal's districts during his five different visits. His network of doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, social workers and pharmacists is extensive. He was certified as a WEMT/MPIC in 2008 from Remote Medical International.
In addition to Nepal, he enjoys traveling in both the United States and abroad. He has traveled to all 50 of the United States, as well as 19 countries on four different continents. Other hobbies are high altitude mountaineering, white water and sea kayaking, scuba diving, dog sledding, sport aviation, and teaching English in the former Soviet Union.
Larry Smith- Chairman of the Board
Larry Smith and his twin brother, Lloyd, were born in Los Angeles. The Smith family moved to Phoenix, Oregon when the boys were five. Larry graduated from Phoenix High School and then earned a BS in Engineering from LeTourneau College in Longview, Texas and a BS in Elementary Education from Southern Oregon College. After being hired as a fifth grade teacher in Jacksonville, Oregon, Larry earned a Masters of Elementary Education. Larry taught fifth grade in Jacksonville for 33 years, retiring in 2000. He continues to substitute teach for the Medford School District. During his summers, Larry worked as a National Park Ranger at Crater Lake National Park. He currently is the winter volunteer coordinator for the Park. (Working as a volunteer of course.)
In 1989 Larry helped found the Jacksonville Woodlands Association, dedicated to the mission of preserving the cultural and human heritage of Historic Jacksonville, Oregon. The JWA has become the most successful small-town, all volunteer, conservation organization in the state of Oregon.
Larry and his wife, Linda, have traveled to all fifty states and seventy foreign countries.
Larry and Linda have a son, Brian, and a daughter, Amber, and seven grandchildren.
David G. Lalka, Ph.D.
David has spent a substantial portion of his professional career as a college and university faculty member and administrator. For 11 years, he taught English Literature before assuming roles in administration. He has served as Vice President for Advancement at Taylor University, Fort Wayne, Asbury University, and Trevecca Nazarene University. Dr. Lalka, a magna cum laude graduate of Houghton College, holds the M.A. from Western Illinois University, and the Ph.D. with distinction from The University of South Carolina. For fifteen years, he served as Senior Consultant and Director of Executive Searches for DVA Navion, NA. Currently, he is Principal for Advancement Strategies.
Dr. Lalka’s areas of expertise include development assessmet and management; campaign planning, implementation, and direction; annual fund evaluation; major gift counsel; and executive searches. He has served a range of clients including Houghton College, Trevecca Nazarene University, Denver Seminary, Trinity Western University (BC), Columbia International University, and NewLife 91.9 (Charlotte). His experience includes as well extensive work with The Salvation Army. In addition, Dr. Lalka has worked with the Rocky Mountain Grizzle Centre, and Patient Service, Inc. His pro-bono fund-raising work includes counsel for the Rocky Mountain Affiliate of the Y-Me Breast Cancer Organization, DenverWorks, Hermitage Church of the Nazarene, and New Song Presbyterian Church (Salt Lake City).
In his leisure time, Dr. Lalka engages in fitness training and swimming to prepare for his passion—hiking and backpacking. His trekking adventures have taken him to many places in the Mountain West including extensive hiking in Utah, and Colorado as well as Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, California, and Alaska. He is an avid reader and especially enjoys legal thrillers, murder mysteries, and adventure/mountaineering writing.
Dr. Lalka's memberships include The American Alpine Club, the Association of Fund-Raising Professionals, and the Christian Leadership Alliance. He and Mrs. Lalka are members of The Donelson Fellowship where he sings with the Celebration Choir.
Senator Jason A. Atkinson
Jason A. Atkinson served in the Oregon Legislature for 14 years, from 1999 to 2013. And throughout his tenure in public service, he has built and maintained a reputation as the State’s preeminent coalition builder and strategic leader on issues ranging from the management policy of a $42 billion budget to executive and legislative branch negotiations.
Re-elected twice to the Senate, Jason won both the Republican and Democratic primaries in 2004, and in 2008, he was a top-ranked candidate for Governor. Prior to serving in the Oregon State Senate, he was a State Representative, where he championed conservation bills on water, fish policy and land-use planning.
Internationally, Jason created the first-ever sister-state relationship between a U.S. state and the Kurdistan Regional Government, and thereafter, worked for the Prime Minister of Kurdistan developing business initiatives. As a trade representative to China, Japan and Taiwan, Jason opened the way for local agriculture companies to be marketed and sold across Asia. He also negotiated with the governments of Mexico, Panama and other Central American nations on humanitarian issues, and has successfully resolved visa cases in China, Nepal, the U.K. and Russia, among other foreign countries.
Jason is a member of the inaugural class of the Aspen Institute’s Rodel Fellowship in Public Leadership, a program designed to bring together the most promising leaders from around the world. He is a founding trustee of the Crater Lake National Park Foundation and board member to numerous non-profits, including the Oregon Capitol Foundation, H.A.N.D. (Helping Assist Nepal's Disabled) and is the current Chairman of the Board for the Dove Network, a radio/TV/mobile non-profit. He is the founder and former chairman of the board for the Peter R. Marsh Foundation’s Center for Servant Leadership and former national board member of Sparrow Clubs.
Tendi Sherpa
Tendi was born in 1983 in the remote village of Khembalung Nepal. At age 13, he started his trekking and mountaineering career. Tendi is now a certified IFMGA/UIAGM Mountain Guide.
As a guide he has reached the summit of Mount Everest 10 times. Tendi has also assisted in many successful rescues in the Himalaya.
Besides being a professional climber and trekker, he is also involved in many social organizations because of his love for people. In addition to serving on the H.A.N.D. board, Tendi currently serves as Treasurer for The Nepal National Mountain Guide Association as well as Nepalko Sathi - a Swiss NGO supporting education, health and other developments in the remote villages of Nepal.
W. David Goforth, DPM, AACFAS
Dr. Goforth grew up in central Texas and completed his undergraduate studies at Texas A&M University. He graduated with honors from the Arizona School of Podiatric Medicine at Midwestern University and went on to complete three years of residency training in podiatric medicine and reconstructive surgery at Highlands/Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver, CO.
Dr. Goforth is committed to helping keep his patients healthy and active. While he specializes in all areas of foot and ankle surgery he has a particular interest in sports medicine, arthroscopic surgery, foot & ankle trauma, diabetic limb salvage, and complex reconstructive surgery.
He also has an interest in medical mission work, having participated in several ventures to Central America. Outside of medicine, he enjoys spending time with his wife and son as well as a variety of outdoor hobbies including rock climbing, kayaking, and fly fishing.