Dr. Thomas J. Lowell, Chairman of the Board
Cary, NC
Although presently living in the United States, Dr. Lowell knows what it's like to be a field missionary. He leads TWR's board with over 35 years of experience, 14 of which were spent on Bonaire and Guam. Since transferring to TWR's International Headquarters in 1979, his responsibilities have included director of international operations and executive vice president. He became president in 1994 and served in this role until June 30, 2002. He was named Chairman of the Board following the death of Dr. E. Brandt Gustavson, who was chairman for five years. Dr. Lowell and his wife, Glenda, have three sons and one daughter.
Daniel Blakely, Secretary
St. Clair Shores, Michigan
Since the early 1980s, Mr. Blakely has served as president of Blakely Products Company, a family-owned floor covering business with six locations. Blakely received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (Business Management) in 1970 from Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC. He is a longtime member of Community Baptist Church in St. Clair Shores, and his wife, Janet, is a former overseas missionary.
Ross Campbell
Alberta, Canada
David Ross Campbell owns and operates Camaco Financial Group Inc. and works in the area of financial planning. He earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Calgary, and holds Chartered Life Underwriting (CLU) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designations. A member of Southview Alliance Church in Calgary, Campbell currently serves as vice chairman of the TWR’s Canadian Board of Directors. Mr. Ross and wife, Nancy, have five children.
Nancy Epperson
Winston-Salem, NC
Nancy Epperson has taught speech classes at Piedmont Baptist College in Winston-Salem for more than 15 years. She received a B.S. degree in speech and secondary education and an M.A. degree in interpretive speech from Bob Jones University, where she taught for two years while working on her graduate degree. Mrs. Epperson also has been active in teaching women’s Bible studies, vacation Bible school and Sunday school, as well as in speaking around the world to numerous women’s groups. She is the wife of Stuart Epperson, chairman of Salem Broadcasting Corporation.
Wade Ficken, Vice Chairman
Cary, North Carolina
Wade Ficken serves as chief operating officer and chief financial officer for Engineous Software in Cary, NC. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Samford University in Birmingham, AL. In addition, he earned a Masters of Business Administration at Vanderbilt University. A member of Cary’s Colonial Baptist Church in Cary, he and his wife, Elizabeth, have two children.
Valentine Gitoho
Nairobi, Kenya
Since 1993, Mrs. Gitoho has worked as a financial and management consultant for organizations in both Kenya and Washington, D.C. Mrs. Gitoho has participated as a board member or officer for numerous religious, civic, business, and professional organizations–including Trans World Radio-Kenya, Association of Evangelicals in Africa, Nairobi International Christian Women's Association, and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya. Mrs. Gitoho and her husband, James, have a daughter and a son.
Joachim Loh
Germany
A longtime board member with Evangeliums Rundfunk (ERF), TWR’s partner organization in Germany, Joachim Loh is chief executive officer of Joachim Loh Group, a German conglomerate which includes consumer and industrial goods manufacturing companies. An active board member of a German Bible institute, he attends a Brethren assembly and serves as a dean for worldwide missions. Mr. Loh and his wife, Ruthild, have three children.
Bert Stokes, Treasurer
Greensboro, NC
H. Bert Stokes earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Western Carolina University. He has previous board experience with the Greater Greensboro Youth for Christ and Faith in Focus. He is currently vice president of the Vance H. Havner Scholarship Fund, and elder at Friendly Hill Church PCA in Jamestown, NC. Mr. Stokes is a certified public accountant and senior partner at Davenport, Marvin, Joyce and Company, an accounting firm in Greensboro.
Dr. Avery Willis
Bella Vista, Ark.
A renowned speaker and conference leader, Dr. Willis is the executive director of International Orality Network. He serves as ambassador-at-large for the Avery T. Willis Center for Global Outreach at Oklahoma Baptist University. Willis and his wife, Shirley, served as missionaries in Indonesia for 14 years. Among the numerous books he has written, Willis co-authored On Mission with God with Henry Blackaby. He also created the well-regarded MasterLife discipleship materials while serving as president of Indonesian Baptist Theological Seminary. Additionally, Dr. Willis is a former pastor and previous senior vice president of the International Mission Board.
Willie Yang
China
Born in China but raised in Argentina, Mr. Yang graduated from Buenos Aires National University Law School in 1981. He has worked as an attorney for two different law firms and was the vice president of California National Bank. Currently, he is the chairman of Pony China Ltd., which was recently sold to Adidas. He and his wife, Clare, have a daughter and a son.