Board of Directors

Union Rescue Mission’s Board of Directors is a diverse governing board of highly qualified Christian professionals representing a wide range of experience and backgrounds. They offer governance, guidance, accountability, and support to help URM achieve our mission. The URM Board members selflessly volunteer their time, talent, and treasure to help fight homelessness in LA.

Caryn S. Ryan

Managing Member
Missionwell LLC

Board Member since 2008

Caryn Ryan joined the Board of Directors of Union Rescue Mission in November 2008. She also serves as a member of the Mission’s Finance and Audit Committee. Currently, Caryn is working as founder and a managing member of Missionwell LLC, which provides finance, accounting and treasury and other support services to non-profits. Past employment includes working as a senior financial executive at Amoco Corporation where she was involved in finance, accounting, treasury, strategic planning, reengineering, shared service and other activities. Caryn also worked at BP, as CFO of BP’s global oil trading operations. While at BP, she initiated and formalized global shared services while improving critical aspects of management information, and initiated external benchmarking as a means of taking Oil Trading to world class standards.

After leaving BP, she felt called to the Christian non-profit world, and joined World Vision International as CFO. While at World Vision, she established a global change initiative spanning financial accountability systems and governance, shared services, and strategic planning. After leaving World Vision, she founded Missionwell LLC, Caryn has an undergraduate degree in Economics from Albion College (Albion, MI) and a MBA in Finance from Northwestern University (Evanston, IL). Caryn is the mother of two wonderful children. She is a member of the board of directors of two other Christian charities and is an elder at La Canada Presbyterian Church.

David Dow

Chairman of the Board
CBS News Correspondent, Retired

Board Member since 1997

Named Chairman of the Board in January 2004, David Dow has been a member of the URM Board of Directors since 1997. Originally introduced to Union Rescue Mission as a reporter on assignment, Dow brings a unique perspective to the board as a 38-year veteran of print and broadcast journalism. Witness to many landmark events, Dow has developed a deep sensitivity for human distress.

He joined CBS News as a correspondent in1972, covering stories in more than two dozen countries on three continents, including the early stages of revolutions in Nicaragua and El Salvador and the battle for human rights in Latin America as well as the exodus of refugees from Cambodia in 1979. Dow shared in a network “Emmy” award in 1988 for a “48 Hours” program on Los Angeles street gangs and was named “Broadcast Journalist of the Year” for 1994 by the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

He is co-author of the book, “Cameras in the Courtroom: Television and the Pursuit of Justice.” Currently an adjunct lecturer at USC’s Annenberg School of Journalism, Dow shares his well-developed expertise since his retirement from CBS News in 2001. The third-generation California native is a graduate of Stanford University, an elder of Bel Air Presbyterian Church, father, and husband of Dr. Nancy Edwards, a pediatrician at the L.A. County-USC Medical Center. He is a former Trustee of Fuller Theological Seminary and is a U. S. Navy veteran who served on the carrier USS Enterprise during the Cuban missile crisis.

David Price

Board Member since 2008

David G. Price is Chairman of American Airports Corporation, an aviation real estate fixed base operation and airport management company which purchases, leases and develops aviation properties, FBO’s and general aviation airports. He was founder and Chairman of American Golf Corporation and National Golf Properties which he sold in 2003. American Golf owned/leased and operated more than 350 golf courses in the U.S., England and Australia.

David developed and chaired the Museum of Flying at Santa Monica Airport which he expects to reopen in another location at the airport in 2009. He also founded and developed Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village.

He is a graduate of USC and the UCLA School of Law, and served as an officer in the U.S. Navy, obtaining his wings as a jet fighter pilot. He is a member of the Chief Executives Organization.

David enjoys flying World War II aircraft, especially his P-51 Mustang, and has competed in the Reno Air Races. He enjoys motorcycling, sports and athletics.

He has five children and ten grandchildren and he and his wife Helen reside in Brentwood.

J. Scott Watt

President/CEO
Watt Group

Board Member since 2000

J. Scott Watt became a member of the Union Rescue Mission Board of Directors on February 28, 2000. He is currently President/CEO of the Watt Group of companies, which, with its subsidiaries, is developing five master-planned communities and building over 1,000 houses per year. This diversified real estate development and building company has overseen the development of new homes for over 1,000,000 families, eight million square feet of industrial and professional office space including Watt Plaza, a two-story, twin office complex in Century City, 50 shopping centers, three major first-class hotels and many master-planned communities in testament to a commitment to our nation’s growth.

Scott is, or has served as a Board Member for the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association, Chairman for Christian Associates, Los Angeles, and the Board of Brentwood School. He is a Founder of the Museum of Contemporary Art and a member of Pepperdine Associates, Malibu. He is an Elder of his church and a member of its Counseling Center’s Board of Advisors.

He earned his Bachelors degree at USC and Masters in Education, emphasis in Counseling, at the University of Miami.

Jeff Hudson

Board Member since 2008

Jeff Hudson, Chief Executive Officer of George Elkins Mortgage Banking Company, began his professional career in real estate finance with a Southern California based Mortgage Banking firm in 1978 and became President in 1985. During his 14 years there, and since joining George Elkins, Hudson arranged more than $10 billion in financing of property types including office, industrial, retail, apartment, hotel, mobile home park, and mini-warehouse. He structured loans throughout the country that ranged from $1 million to nearly $350 million dollars in size.

With extensive experience in his field, he joined the George Elkins Company in 1992 as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Mortgage Banking. In 1993, he was made President and in 1995 C.E.O. of the company. In 1996, he and investors purchased the mortgage banking division retaining all correspondent relationships, servicing and division employees.

Hudson graduated from University of California at Santa Barbara where he received his B.A. in 1974. He subsequently attended Woodland School of Law, where he received his Doctorate of Jurisprudence in 1978. The State of California admitted him to practice in 1978, and the following year he was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court. Also in 1979, Hudson received his certification to teach the subjects of Law, Banking, and Finance at the Community College Level.

His memberships in professional associations include the California State Bar, the California Mortgage Bankers Association, The Mortgage Bankers Association of America, Commercial Real Estate Secondary Market and Securitization Association, and the Apartment Owners Association. He is a member of the faculty the Practising Law Institute in San Francisco. He is on the Board of Directors of Kennedy Wilson International. As a member of National Real Estate Forum (NREF) Hudson has been awarded the professional designation of certified real estate financier (CRF). Hudson also holds a California Real Estate Broker’s license.

Kevin Dretzka

Private Equity Investor

Board Member since 2010

Kevin Dretzka is a private equity investor based who is active in real estate, oil and gas, renewable energy, international trade, and service company investments. Prior to becoming a private equity investor in early 2004, he was a Managing Director of Eastdil Realty (now EastdilSecured) where he was the senior partner in the Los Angeles office. Eastdil became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo in 1999.

Between 1987 and 2004 while at Eastdil, Kevin Dretzka completed $6 billion in debt and equity transactions throughout the United States. He represented Eastdil in its sale to Wells Fargo.

Prior to joining Eastdil, he was a vice president of Heron Properties, a private London-based real estate firm, where he was a project manager of properties located in New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Miami.

Kevin Dretzka received his B.B.A. and M.S. degrees from the University of Wisconsin.

Kevin Dretzka is Vice Chairman of Santa Monica/UCLA Medical Centers’ board of advisors, a director of Drake Energy Ltd., a trustee of the Catholic Education Foundation, a director of the American Youth Symphony Orchestra, and a co-founder and director of Next Step Biofuels, Inc.

Kevin Dretzka is a member of St. Mark parish in Venice and resides in Los Angeles with his wife and 2 children.

Margaret Weber, Ph.D.

Dean
Graduate School of Education and Psychology, Pepperdine University

Board Member since 2004

Margaret Weber, Ph.D. joined the Union Rescue Mission Board of Directors in 2004. As Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) at Pepperdine University since 2001, she led the school to its highest enrollment since its founding in 1982. Weber has enhanced the technology standards to a level that is equal with that of major corporations and as she continues Pepperdine’s rich tradition of Christian faith and values.

Before her position at Pepperdine, Weber garnered 24 years of experience and knowledge at Oklahoma State University’s College of Human Environmental Sciences. She joined OSU in 1977 and assumed various roles throughout her tenure, culminating in her appointment as associate dean of research and academic services. At OSU, she co-directed the college’s Faculty Scholars program, which continues to mentor new faculty and integrates instruction, research, and outreach. The joy she derives from helping others achieve and her tremendous capacity as an advocate make her instrumental in what she calls, “developing the future generation of scholars.”

Throughout her administrative terms, Weber has maintained the momentum of her formidable research career, publishing widely on multicultural leadership and diversity, the mentoring and socialization of graduate students, and the value of investment in faculty development. She has presented papers at numerous national and international conferences, and served as Chair of the Legislative Committee of the Board on Human Sciences and Vice President of the American Association of Housing Educators.

Weber’s extensive research on learning environments as well as faculty and student development has made her a befitting leader to oversee two of the most significant transformations for the Graduate School of Education and Psychology at Pepperdine: the completion of the Drescher Graduate Campus and the opening of the expansive West Los Angeles graduate headquarters, home to an ever-growing body of education and psychology masters and doctoral students. Given the dispersed geographic layout of the graduate school’s five graduate campuses and the diversity of the student body, cultivating a sense of community is a sizeable challenge, but Weber has capitalized on Pepperdine’s unique design, and has made it a high priority to lead a cohesive program with a unified mission.

The same ambition that makes Weber a successful professional leader has also infused her personal life with adventure and inspiration. In addition to her boating, parasailing, and water skiing activities, she maintained her pilot’s license, and for years flew personal aircraft. Though she no longer takes to the skies as a pilot, she continues to travel internationally, making trips to countries such as Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Thailand, and Turkey.

Margaret Weber and her husband, Dr. Joe Weber, a tenure-track professor of sociology and Director of Academic Programs at the Gerontology Institute at Cal State Fullerton, live in Malibu. Their son Travis is currently studying religion at Pepperdine University. Her older son, Daniel, is pursuing a graduate degree in fine art at Cal State Fullerton.

Pastor Edward Smith

Senior Pastor
Zoe Christian Fellowship of Whittier

Board Member since 2004

Edward A. Smith was born in Los Angeles, California. He received Jesus Christ as his personal Savior in February 1973. He spent the first eleven years of his Christian life sitting under the teaching ministry of Dr. Frederick K.C. Price, Founder/Pastor of Crenshaw Christian Center, Los Angeles, California.

Edward Smith spent seven years as an instructor of Zoe Christian Leadership Training Center and served as an Elder and Executive Board member of Zoe Christian Fellowship of Los Angeles. He started Zoe Christian Fellowship of Cerritos in 1989. In 1995, Pastor Ed and the members of Zoe moved to their present church complex in Whittier, thereby becoming Zoe Christian Fellowship of Whittier.

Pastor Ed earned a B.A. in Applied Mathematics and a M.B.A. in Marketing/Finance from UCLA. He is sought after as a speaker for conferences and seminars in the U.S., as well as abroad. He was invited to Russia in 1995 to participate in training the staff of the fourth largest bank in Russia. His speaking/ministry engagements have taken him to Japan, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, and South Africa.

Before Pastor Ed entered full-time ministry, he worked in several marketing executive positions with companies such as General Mills, Ford Motor Company, Carnation Company, and Avco Financial Services. His final corporate position was that as Vice President of Marketing for Family Savings Bank in Los Angeles, California

Pastor Ed is the founder of the Zoe School of Economic Development, an entrepreneurial course for those seeking to be successful in business, which was featured on Warner Brother’s Making It, a program devoted to highlighting the accomplishments of minority entrepreneurs.

Pastor Ed led the first South African government-sponsored trip of Black entrepreneurs to South Africa. CNN Headline News spotlighted him for his ministry involvement in South Africa.

All Nations Academy of Excellence was founded for infant care and preschool to provide a strong Christian and academic foundation for success.

Pastor Ed is the former Chairman and current Board Member of the Evangelical Christian Credit Union, the largest financier of church and ministry loans in the United States, with over $1 billion under asset management. He serves as the Board Chairman of Window International Network. Based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Window International Network is focused on bringing the Gospel to the nations within the 10/40 window. In 2004, he was elected to boards of the Christian Management Association and the Union Rescue Mission.

Pastor Ed and his wife Vanessa Smith have been married since 1975 and are blessed with four wonderful children, three sons: Joshua and wife Marsee; Eddie, Aaron, and one daughter: Naomi.

Rev. Tim Yee

Rev. Tim Yee is Pastor of Union Church of Los Angeles, a 93-year-old church in downtown L.A.’s Little Tokyo District. Tim’s dad was born and raised in downtown L.A. in his grandfather’s Chinese laundry business and also met his mother at a nearby downtown church. It seems “meant-to-be” that Tim is now the pastor of a church in downtown L.A. that is multi-ethnic, multi-generational and multi-socioeconomic. On a Sunday morning you will find young adults in their 20′s worshiping with Japanese-Americans in their 80′s. Downtown professionals mingle with the homeless from Skid Row. People of various ethnicities form a worshiping community that reflects the diversity of LA. Part of Tim’s inspiration to come back to Los Angeles was a conversation with Pastor Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church who convinced Tim that Los Angeles is one of the most important cities to begin a movement of churches bringing social, cultural and spiritual renewal.

Born and raised in Santa Barbara, it was during his high school years that Tim gave his life to the Lord at Hume Lake Christian Camps and sensed a call into full-time ministry.

Tim previously pastored at Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles where he first started attending as a student at UCLA. Through his worship leadership, bible teaching and discipling of students he saw the fellowship eventually grow into a thriving ministry of 400 university students from UCLA, USC and other surrounding colleges. He then began a new worship service in 1998 with less than 100 in attendance and within four years had over 1500. He most recently pastored at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian in Newport Beach leading the missions department where he oversaw over 100 partners in local and global missions. He has traveled to Egypt, Armenia, South Africa, Mexico City, Thailand, Malawi and the Middle East on ministry projects while also focusing on local outreaches serving the homeless, orphans and those in bondage to modern-day slavery.

Tim is a published songwriter and accomplished musician who has led worship for Brennan Manning, Joni Eareckson Tada, Tony Campolo, John Ortberg, Jack Hayford and various speakers at church services and Christian conferences.

Tim received his Masters of Divinity at Fuller Seminary where he is currently enrolled in a Doctor of Ministry program under the supervision of Alan Roxburgh and Mark Lau Branson. Prior to this Tim received his Masters of Education at UCLA and taught mathematics in a public high school.

Tim has been married to his wife, Kati, for 11 years and they have a two-year-old girl, Avery. Kati serves in the church’s children’s ministry, building committee and mentors women on the leadership team.

You can keep up with Tim at his blog, www.LApastor.com

Stanley W. Gerlach, Jr.

Board Member since 1991

Stanley W. Gerlach, Jr. joined the URM Board of Directors in October 1991. He has been an active supporter of the Mission for many years serving: as Chairman of the URM Foundation Board of Trustees, and as member of a Capital Campaign. He also served as Co-Chair of the Second Century Campaign, which led a successful effort to design, construct and fund a $15 million project to build a 5-story, 225,000 square foot facility – which is the current home of Union Rescue Mission at 545 S. San Pedro Street.

Stan is Senior Vice President of the commercial real estate firm, CB Richard Ellis (formerly Coldwell Banker). He has been with CB since 1979 as a sales and leasing specialist dealing primarily in the area of office leasing. Stan is a graduate of Pepperdine University and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

Over the years, his commitments to community and family include leading a Cub Scout den, coaching a baseball team….or two, and church membership, leadership and teaching Sunday school class.

Susan Wooley

President and co-founder of Micro/sys, Inc.

Ms. Wooley has been active in the embedded computer industry since 1977. She has led Micro/sys through multiple technology evolutions, enabling Micro/sys to keep pace with technological advancements while still supporting customers with legacy needs. Micro/sys offers a widest range of technology choices starting with the simple, low end microcontrollers through high end ARM Cortex8A and Pentium-based powerhouse processors supporting high speed 1/0 and peripheral buses. Micro/sys specializes in technology which is easy to use and is always reducing the power usage, size and heat generated during operations. She has been a presenter and author of technical articles, briefs and educational seminars at trade conferences and technical seminars.

In her personal life, she is a member of La Canada Presbyterian Church and has served as Chairperson of the Personnel Committee and as a Session Elder. She has been President of her Youth High School Group, taught Vacation Bible School, gone on family mission trips to rebuild an Indian church and served on Children’s Ministry Committees

Ms. Wooley holds a Masters in Public Administration from University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from California Polytechnic University, Pomona. She is the mother of four grown children who live in San Francisco, Lausanne Switzerland and Pasadena/Los Angeles.

W. Cedric Johnson

Founder/CEO
Quantum Digital Solutions

Board Member since 1994

W. Cedric Johnson joined the Union Rescue Mission Board of Directors on April 25, 1994. He was elected as Chairman of the Board in January 2002 and served until January 2004. Mr. Johnson is Founder and President/CEO of Quantum Digital Solutions, a high technology applied science firm specializing in the design of communications computer architectures.

He is a graduate of the Claremont Colleges where he majored in Applied Mathematics and Management Engineering, and was twice elected a student body officer. His professional employment experiences have included terms with the Los Angeles County Engineer and Rockwell International, where he worked in an Operations Research and Systems Integration Think Tank.

Mr. Johnson is active in his local and national church and has also served on numerous corporate and community related boards: The African American Center for Educational Excellence, California Consortium for Transportation Research, Claremont College Alumni Association and the National Association of Minority Businesses, to name only a few.

Will Nicklas

Will Nicklas is Corporate Manager, Procurement and Corporate Services for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS).

In this position Will oversees $5B in total indirect spend and an active supplier base of over 4,000. He leads sixty associates in the areas of strategic spend category development and sourcing, contract management, procurement services and infrastructure, accounts payable, supplier diversity and supplier information
management.

Nicklas joined Toyota in 1987 to be a part of the team that launched Lexus in the U.S. While at Lexus he held management positions in sales, market representation (franchise development) and marketing.

At Toyota, Nicklas led the Toyota Dealer Investment Group, which sought investment opportunities with new dealer candidates. He also held positions in marketing, was the special assistant to the president, and helped initiate the launch of Scion.

Nicklas sits on the Sponsors Board of Future Farmers of America (FFA) representing Toyota Motor Sales and its North American affiliates; and is a founding member of the Union Rescue Mission’s men’s professional development and mentoring program.

Nicklas is a graduate of California State University at Fullerton where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in international business with an emphasis in Japanese.

Nicklas resides in Rolling Hills Estates, California, is married and has two children currently attending university.

Paul Shoop

Senior Vice President
Attorney at Law, Shoop & Leanse

Board Member since January 2002

Paul Shoop has been a member of the Union Rescue Mission Board of Directors since January 2002. He is a Senior Vice President, Attorney at Law with Shoop & Leanse with offices in Malibu. He specializes in General Business Law, Real Estate Law and Litigation.

Paul is a graduate of Baylor University, receiving a B.A. in 1969. He graduated from the University of Texas Law School, J.D., 1972 (cum laude).

Scholastic Honors and Activities include: Associate Editor, Texas Law Review 1971-72; Counsel Award for Leadership 1972; Insurance Council Journal Scholarship 1971, First Place – Moot Court Competition.

Academic Activities include:

1976 – 1980, Associate Adjunct Professor of Law, Pepperdine University School of Law, Malibu, California
1985 – present, Lecturer, Pepperdine University School of Law
Lecturer, Continuing Legal Education, various business, litigation and real estate topics