Board of Directors

Dr. Monique Levesque-Hartle
BOARD PRESIDENT | ALLEN COUNTY CHIROPRACTIC WELLNESS CENTER

Named to the board in 2018, Monique also serves as President. She is a Doctor of Chiropractic and owner of Allen County Chiropractic Wellness Center. A member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Monique has volunteered with Catholics on a Mission, Executive Women International - Fort Wayne Chapter, and Boy Scouts of America. She has always been passionate about helping the homeless. “Those who have need to help those who don't. Single homeless women are the only people in our area that have nowhere to go. I knew that by joining the board of St. Joseph Missions I would be able to be a part of making a lasting difference in the lives of these women.”

Susan Byers
VICE PRESIDENT, GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR & NOMINATING COMMITTEE CHAIR | PURDUE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE

Susan is a founding member of the board and serves as Vice President, Secretary, Governance Committee Chair, and Nominating Committee Chair. Susan, Executive Director of the Career Development Center at Purdue University Fort Wayne, has long been active in our community, serving as a tutor at Vincent Village, supporting the work of Just Neighbors Interfaith Homeless Network, and volunteering with the St. Jude Catholic Church Youth Ministry program. “I have a passion,” says Susan, “for giving others the opportunities to reach their potential and better their lives and for providing equal opportunities for women.”

Joseph Schenkel
TREASURER

For over 37 years, Joe has been a leader in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Prior to joining the St. Vincent de Paul District Council as Financial Operations Consultant, Joe served as the Associate Director of the Lincoln Financial Group from 1981-2001, and then served AVP Property and Casualty Insurance Run-off Manager for Swiss Re from 2001-2008. Joe went on to become President/CEO of the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Northeast Indiana (CCCS / FinancialHope), a non-profit community service organization committed to helping people with financial problems. A Fort Wayne native, Joe graduated from Bishop Luers High School and received his B.S. degree in Business Administration and Accounting from Indiana University.

Jennifer Bearman
FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR | BADEN GAGE & SCHROEDER

Selected a board member in 2020, Jennifer is a Tax Supervisor with Baden Gage & Schroeder. A volunteer with Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana, Jennifer is grateful to share her financial expertise to support our mission. “After hearing a few real-life stories of what these women have to do to merely survive,” says Jennifer, “I wanted to make a difference in my community and contribute to this great and necessary cause.”

Geanie Edgington
DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE CHAIR | BF GOODRICH OF MICHELIN

Geanie, named to the board in 2020, serves as Chair of the Development Committee. She is Site Communications Manager and Community Relations Manager for BFGoodrich of Michelin North America. A long-time member of Executive Women International - Fort Wayne Chapter, Geanie also served on the board and helped organize fundraisers. “Being that I grew up in Fort Wayne and have raised my family here, I felt drawn to contribute what I’ve learned in strategic planning, event planning, and development to St. Joseph Missions. The shelter is a much-needed resource for women in our area and will have an enormously positive impact on our community.”

Cynthia Hayes
BOARD MEMBER | PARKVIEW HEALTH

Named to the board in 2019, Cynthia has overcome significant hurdles in her young life, including a neurological condition at birth, bipolar disorder, depression, abuse, and homelessness. Cynthia, an Environmental Services Technician at Parkview Health, has been a strong advocate of St. Joseph Missions by personally sharing the hardships of homelessness at outreach events. “I want to help homeless women find refuge in finding a home of their own,” says Cynthia, “and inspire them to become more of who they are and help them overcome homelessness."

Anne Marie Ladenberg
BOARD MEMBER | STRE.ME / RAISE CONSULTING

Named to the Board in 2020, Anne Marie Labenberg, MSN, RN, MSM, is co-founder of STRE.ME and founder of RAISE Consulting. STRE.ME equips individuals to recognize and manage their implicit biases to promote equitable outcomes within their company/organization. A serial entrepreneur and curriculum developer, Anne Marie is a member of Mission: Motherhood and The Greater Good of Northeast Indiana, and supports the work of Greater Fort Wayne Inc. “I was stunned to learn many years ago that there was a gap in the assistance available for single women regarding shelter services. When I heard that St. Joseph Missions was going to be providing this service, I knew that I wanted to be part of a great organization tending to this gap.”

Dave MacDonald
FOUNDING BOARD PRESIDENT | G.A. MACDONALD ASSOCIATES

Dave serves as the Agency Principal of G. A. MacDonald Associates, a Fort Wayne-based family-owned and operated independent insurance agency he helped to build since 1990. In addition to providing traditional insurance products offered by most insurance agencies, Dave developed specialty life-insurance programs for underserved individuals, including adults and children with special needs (autism, Asperger’s, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Juvenile Diabetes, and HIV/AIDS). A Fort Wayne native, Dave graduated from R. Nelson Snider High School in 1985, and received his BA degree in Psychology/Behavioral Sciences from The University of Chicago in 1990.

Nathan Moore AIA
BOARD MEMBER | CME CORPORATION

Nathan, Director of Design at CME Corporation, has been a board member since 2018. He volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters and has donated design services to SCAN/Dare to Dream Youth Ranch and Somos Amigos in the Dominican Republic. “As an architect I see a safe and stable shelter as a fundamental human necessity. I wanted to see our homeless population find this stability and safety and find at St. Joseph Missions a place to heal and grow.”

Lisa L. Pacula
BOARD MEMBER | FIRST MERCHANTS BANK

Lisa L. Pacula joined the board in 2021, bringing over 18 years of nonprofit leadership experience. She is currently the Corporate Social Responsibility Officer at First Merchants Bank. Lisa was the founding Executive Director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northern IN prior to serving as the Chief Relationships Officer at YWCA. A member of the United Negro College Fund’s Fort Wayne Leadership Council, Lisa has also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, Community Harvest Food Bank, and Parkview Health. “To whom much is given, much is required. I have been very blessed and understand that a different choice or two, I may be one of the ladies we are serving. They as much as anyone else deserve dignity, respect and guidance to a life of sustainability.”

Aaron Robles
COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE CHAIR | FOUNDERS SPARK

Aaron Robles joined the Board in 2020 and serves as Chair of the Communications Committee. Founder & CEO of Founders Spark, Aaron is an entrepreneur and creative professional. A graduate of Leadership Fort Wayne, he’s served on the Indiana Arts Commission Homecoming Steering Committee, Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana Entrepreneurial Advisory Board, and was a board member of Start Fort Wayne. Named to the Top 10 People of the Year by Fort Wayne Magazine in 2019, Aaron has been a TEDxFortWayne speaker and an NPR content contributor for WBOI. “Loving and supporting those who are marginalized and in desperate need of love and support is something that is very important to me, especially when it comes to women. I saw that a lot of St. Joseph Missions’ needs were skills that I have, and I was more than happy to contribute to such a noble cause.”

Thomas F Weir, LCSW
PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE CHAIR | THE CARRIAGE HOUSE

Thomas was selected to serve on the Board in 2016. As Associate Executive Director of The Carriage House, he brings 30 years of valuable experience in the mental health rehabilitation field. He lends his expertise to the Programming Committee as its Chair. A parishioner of Saint Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Thomas serves on the Indiana University - School of Social Work Advisory Committee - Fort Wayne Cohort, and is a member of the Clubhouse International Faculty. “I've witnessed the heartbreaking stories of too many women in Fort Wayne who had nowhere to go in their housing crisis. I firmly believe this project is a response to this need and God's call to love and serve each other.”