OUR TEAM
John Samara
Founder & Executive Director
Desirie Parker
Operations Manager
Dr. Barbara Neumann
Director of Women’s Leadership Training
Shelli Alaniz
Women’s Leadership Next Generation Associate
Mary Ling
Financial Administrator
Jamal Zakhary
Donor Relations Coordinator
Nancy Crownover
Women’s Leadership Training Administrator
Pepper Lendennie
Operations Support
Monika Reeves
Prayer Team Lead
EXECUTIVE BOARD
John Samara
Executive Director
John Samara, born in Damascus, Syria, to an evangelical family, grew up in a Muslim-majority community and experienced firsthand what it is like to live like a believer in a world hostile against Christians. After moving to the U.S. at 16, he graduated from Mount Vernon Nazarene University and earned his Master’s degree from the University of Manchester in the U.K. In 2009, as he pursued a career in oil and gas, God called him to redirect his energies into supporting the rapidly expanding Church in the Middle East. Yearning to serve the Lord Jesus and spread hope to the war-torn Muslim world, in 2013, John founded Ananias House, eager to bring the Gospel to unreached areas of the MENA region and equip local, often persecuted, Christian communities.
David Roth
Chairman Exec. of the Board
David received his Bachelor’s degree at Baylor University and earned a graduate degree from the Darden School at the University of Virginia. Now the owner of Roth Financial, a corporate financial consulting practice, David was an organizer and director of Icon Bank of Texas before its sale in 2018.
Brandon Allen
Vice Chairman
Brandon graduated from the University of Texas School of Law after serving as Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Law Review. Upon graduating, Brandon clerked for Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and became a founding partner of Reynolds Frizzell LLP.
Silva Sherman
Board Member
After immigrating to the U.S. from the MENA region at age 18, Silva became a graduate of Malone University in Ohio. She later worked with Open Doors, directing and managing their work in the Middle East. Silva loves teaching, helping build ministry work, and leading mission trips.
Ron Thompson
Board Member
Ron graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served on nuclear submarines and naval destroyers. He is now a partner for a $13B IT and consulting organization. Ron has a passion for Muslim-background believers who are bravely enduring suffering and living on mission for Jesus Christ.
Larry Womack
Board Member
Larry is a graduate of Houston Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. In 1991, he founded Copperfield Church, where he was blessed to serve as Lead Pastor until his 2019 retirement. Prior to leading Copperfield Church, Larry served for 19 years as a Student and Associate Pastor.
Kyle Woodruff
Board Member
Kyle received an MBA from the University of Chicago, receiving his undergraduate degrees in Finance and Accounting from Texas A&M University. After graduating, Kyle joined Bain & Company and is now a Partner in Bain’s Private Equity Group based in the Houston office.