Board Members

Ruel Foundation Boards

New Zealand Board

Graeme Elvin
Graeme is a principal in a well established law firm in Tauranga, New Zealand along with his wife, Fiona. He has spent time in several developing nations participating in various humanitarian endeavours. Graeme is the current Chairman of the Chiefs Super 14 Rugby Franchise.

David Cowie
David served with the mission organisation Youth With a Mission for 36 years before pioneering the Ruel Foundation. He and his wife Linda have visited over 40 nations serving in various mission and humanitarian activities. They currently live in New Zealand .

Ray Wilson (non-executive member)
Captain Ray has been a mariner for most of his life. He served for many years as Captain on Marine Reach’s medical ships. Ray has been involved with the Ruel Foundation from the beginning representing the organisation in churches and community groups

Jesse Misa
Captain Jesse Misa is the Regional Director for Marine Reach – Pacific. He has been involved in humanitarian work for over sixteen years and currently lives in New Zealand with his wife and two children.

John Brignall
John and his wife Marion have been involved in humanitarian work for over twenty five years serving in the Middle East and the South Pacific. John has been involved with the Ruel Foundation for a number of years and currently lives in New Zealand .

Lisa Redman
Lisa is a Solicitor who graduated from university with degrees in Political Science, History and Law. She has lived and studied in Europe, North America and the South Pacific. She presently lives with her husband in Tauranga.

Michael Pole
Micheal Pole is an internationally respected photographer who has been involved with several humanitarian organisations over the year. He lives with his wife and children in Tauranga, New Zealand.

Philippine Board

Dr Murphy Marasigan
Dr Murphy Marasigan (PHP) presently practices in the city of Calapan on Mindoro Island. This highly respected doctor and businessman has been involved in caring for the poor and needy for many years providing free medical care to remote tribes and isolated communities. Dr Murphy is married to a physician and they have three children.

Pauline Curtis-Smith
Pauline Curtis-Smith (NZ) pioneered the work of the Foundation on Mindoro Island establishing a centre for children in physical and emotional stress. Serving as the nation's National Director, Pauline has established the work of the Ruel Foundation serving hundreds of children who have sought medical care over the last five years.

Jesse Misa
Jesse Misa (PHP) presently serves at the Regional Director for Marine Reach Ministries and has been involved with the Ruel Foundation since its inception. Jesse lives in New Zealand with his wife and two children, visiting the Philippines on a regular basis in support of the ministry.

David Cowie
David Cowie (NZ) founded the Foundation in the Philippines in 2000 after finding a little boy called Ruel dying in a isolated hospital in Eastern Samara. David lives in NZ with his wife Linda and continues to serve as the Executive Director for the organisation from his international office in Tauranga, NZ.

United States Board

LeRoy Sumwalt
LeRoy has pastored for over twenty years and brings considerable expertise in administratioin to the Board. LeRoy lives with his wife Betty in California and has regularly supported and visited humanitarian projects in South America and SE Asia. LeRoy is actively representing and speaking on behalf of the Foundation in the USA.

Ruddy and Cristina Ancheta
Ruddy and Cristina have served in various humanitarian endeavours over the last twenty years. They began working for the desperately poor on "smokey mountain" in the Philippines before serving with "Gleanings For the Hungry" in California. After working with the homeless in San Francisco they moved on to Pastoring a church in Newark, California.

Michael Fullaway
Mike and Diane Fullaway are owners of the Calaveras Lumber and Home Supply business in California. Their time is taken up with their business and the fifty plus employees working for them. They are also involved in their local community in which they are a major influence. As president of our Ruel Foundation, Inc. USA board, Mike brings his business knowledge and expertise to the operating structure of the Foundation.

William E. Cornell Jr, C.P.A.
The owner since 1971 of an accounting firm with offices in Santa Rosa and Angels Camp, California. He has worked for many years doing probono work with different humanitarian, church, mission and business organisations. Bill is supported in his involvement with the Ruel Foundation by his wife Donna who has recently retired as the director for 18 years of the Pregnancy Counseling Center of Sonoma County.

Ray Bingham
Ray and his wife Joan live in Santa Rosa, California, where they are both involved in their local church and the lives of the people they come in contact with daily. Ray has retired from many years with the US Navy and with his wife, Joan, has traveled together internationally, served in various mission based humanitarian projects around the world for short periods of time. Their hearts of compassion for children in need is reflected in their deep commitment to the Ruel Foundation.

David Cowie
David has served with Youth With a Mission for over 36 years and more recently was the International Director for Marine Reach, an organisation that uses medical ships to provide free dental and optical care to the poorer, more isolated island and coastal communities around the world.. He and his wife Linda have worked in 36 nations and he now serves as the Founder and CEO of the Ruel Foundation. David and Linda reside in New Zealand.

Endorsements

Former Governor of E.Samar Lieutenant General Rupert Ambil (PDF)
My wife and I are pleased to endorse the work of the "Ruel Foundation." The foundation has its roots in Eastern Samar, as Ruel is a native son of Eastern Samar. Many of the children from this region are being helped and cared for by the foundation. We look forward with anticipation to working with David and his team in the coming years.

Francis P. Caroll Archbishop of Canberra and Gouldburn.
The Ruel Foundation is simple in concept and compassionate in spirit. These qualities resonate deeply throughout the Christian Gospel. Jesus spoke simply to children and treated the poor and broken with compassion. The "Foundation" makes it possible for us to do likewise.

Fiji Trustees

Rob Daunton
Rob and his wife Lisa reside in Gisborne, New Zealand. They have a passion for helping youth and those less fortunate. A shared love for the Pacific Islands and Pacific Islanders led them to live and work in Fiji for a time. They have led several short term mission trips involving taking youth back to Fiji on building projects and encouraging the local people. Rob is a forester with a background in farming.

John Hawskworth
John has worked for many years as an Orthodontist in his own practice in Gisborne, New Zealand. Over the years he has been involved in the care and treatment of many children including those with clefts of the lip and palate, one of whom is his grandchild. Both he and his wife Lyn have been involved in a number of short term mission trips to Fiji in a dental capacity. Though now retired he maintains his passion for the children of the Fiji Islands.

Lyn Hawksworth
Lyn has worked for many years as a nurse and then in an administrative role in her husbands Orthodontic practice. Over the years she has been involved in the care and treatment of many children including those with cleft lip and palate including her own grandchild. She and her husband, John, have both been actively involved in a number of short term mission trips to Fiji in a dental capacity. Now retired they maintain their passion for the children of the Fiji Islands.

Sai Tabudrau
Emosi and Sai have lived New Zealand for the last 25 years. They share the love of God with their 5 children aged from 23 to 10 yrs of age. As fijians living in NZ, they have seen how God has blessed them with opportunities, work and good health in the country they also now call home. They have helped others in Fiji especially their families as this is their passion. Sai is a registered nurse and had joined a medical Out reach mission team to the Southern Lau Goup in Fiji. She is passionate about using her practice to help others.