Meet the leadership team bringing the vision for better healthcare to life in Karen State, Myanmar.
The Leadership
Team
Dan Ryan
EM & EMA Executive
Director
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Dr. Mitch Ryan
EMA Program
Director
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Caryl Ryan
EMA Administration
Director
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Dr. Sha Kler Law
T-RAD Clinic
Medical Director
Ler Doh (Kyaukkyi), Myanmar
Saw Raykaw
Rain Tree Clinic
Medical Director
Karen State, Myanmar
The Donor and Communication Team
Meet the donor and communication team keeping in touch with you to make a difference in Karen State, Myanmar.
The Founders:
LD & Sue Ryan
Earth Mission was formed to give technical people a way to do short-term missions, with an emphasis on appropriate technology, helping missionaries with technology to make their lives easier on the field. LD, as a PhD licensed engineer, began Earth Mission along with his wife, Sue, who managed the accounting and legal requirements for the non-profit organization.
LD taught mechanical engineering at John Brown University (JBU) and worked under Jim Pearson (Chair of the Engineering Division and Caryl’s father).
In 1982, EM created a building truss manufacturing business in Mexico. LD and several others designed and made fixtures to build steel trusses. Church donations of tools and other equipment to fabricate trusses were loaded into an old school bus, and volunteers drove the bus to Mexico to get the business started. A local pastor and partner took the business from this beginning, making doors and hydraulic lifts and other products.
Soon after, Scott (one of LD’s mechanical engineering students at JBU) and Scott’s brother-in-law (an anthropologist) set up a foundry making aluminum pans out of recycled aluminum. Together with a partner in the Dominican Republic, the project had long-term success.
LD and his team then continued to work on other appropriate technology projects such as solar and windmills. Some of these projects were done through his students’ senior project classes at JBU.
When his son, Dr. Mitch, and Caryl joined Earth Mission in 1993, they started the medical outreach mission which has grown over the last 25 years first in Pakistan and then in Thailand and Myanmar.
LD and Sue (left) at a gathering, LD with a colleague on an early Engineering Technology project, Dan Ryan working on an Engineering Technology project, photos of the Engineering Technology projects in Mexico
The Board
Members
Meet the board members making sure Earth Mission stays accountable to you and the Karen.
Mark Davis
President
Dennis Bergthold
Vice President
Dr. Jim Caldwell
Secretary
Stefan Siems
Treasurer
Cindy L. Frieze
Board Member
Cathy Reimer
Board Member
Dr. Amy Schochler
Board Member