Margaret has devoted most of her life to raising 7 boys and one daughter and she has 30 wonderful grandchildren. Margaret graduated cum laude from Weber State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Child Development.  She is co-author of the book, An Emotional First Aid Kit for Mothers, and has spoken at several seminars and conferences on raising children.  Margaret currently serves as a member of the International and Government Affairs Committee for her Church, the National Advisory Committee for the BYU Marriott School of Business, the President’s Leadership Council for BYU, the Board of Directors for The Tuachan Center for the Arts, and as a board member for Rising Star Outreach.

Dr. Mani Balu practiced medicine at Good Samaritan Hospital, Long Island Jewish Hospital, and Queens Hospital Center in New York. He was also a member of the board in the Dickenson Wise Medical Association, chief of the pediatric department and head of the medical staff in Big Stone Gap, Virginia for eighteen years. He is now serving as chief of Pediatrics at Uniontown Hospital in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Dr. Balu now donates a significant portion of his time every year working with the Rising Star clinic and visiting the various Leprosy colonies attending to their health needs.

Jeri graduated in 1986 with a BA in Humanities from Brigham Young University, followed by a Master’s in Communication from the University of Virginia in 1988. For many years, she has served as a volunteer in her church and in a variety of leadership positions in her community. Jeri currently lives in Johns Creek, GA with her husband Steve. She is the mother of four children.

Christine Cronquist has been involved with the work at Rising Star Outreach since our earliest days.  She has always worked as a volunteer.  Her first job for several years was to direct our Volunteer Program.  She was perfectly prepared for this job as she has been to Rising Star many, many times as a volunteer, herself.  She has also had her children volunteering at Risings Star Outreach. Two of her daughters even became our volunteer leaders.  In more recent years Christine has served as a member of the Executive Committee of our Board of Directors and is now Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Mark Cronquist is currently the Chief Financial Officer at Southern Healthcare Management in Atlanta, Georgia.

As founder of Rising Star Outreach Becky is motivated by the belief that every person deserves opportunity and a life of dignity.  Her humanitarian work has been featured in numerous national and international journals, books, and in several TV series.  She was the recipient of the John Houston Allen Humanitarian of the Year Award, and has been named as one of five “Classic Women” by Traditional Homes Magazine.  She is the subject of the PBS Documentary, Breaking the Curse. Becky Douglas and her husband, John are the parents of ten biological and adopted children.

John Douglas is Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Oversight & Advocacy Officer at TIAA, a non-profit organization that is the leading provider of financial services in the academic, research, medical, cultural and governmental fields. Prior to this position, John was with Davis Polk’s Financial Institutions Group, heading the firm’s bank and regulatory practice and also formerly served as General Counsel of the FDIC during the savings and loan crisis. Rising Star Outreach is thankful for the benefit of his legal background and experience.

Ron founded The BroadStreet Group, LLC. Which focuses on International Commerce. With partners in the United States, Sao Paulo, Brazil, and India. He has been heavily involved in charitable and volunteer work, including, Rising Star Outreach – India, Mentors International – Philippines, Honduras, Guatemala, Peru, El Salvador. He also serves on a number of Educational and Arts Boards including Hale Center Theatre, Utah State University Cain College, BYU Marriott School, UVU Presidential Advisory Board, U of U School of Music, Legacy Film Foundation, and National Advisory Board Best of State. In 2000 he was called and set apart as Assistant to the President of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and Executive Producer (Talent), responsible for securing all guest artists who perform with the Choir.

Randall is the Head of the Financial Institutions Group at Davis Polk & Wardell.  He received a B.A. from Brigham Young University in 1981 and a J.D. from the University of Virginia in 1984.  Prior to joining Davis Polk, he was a law clerk to Justice William H. Rehnquist of the U.S. Supreme Court.  Randall has also provided legal advice to Our Courts, a non-profit organization established by former U.S. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

Robin received a B.S. from Brigham Young University in 1980 from the College of Family Life.  She has taught high school and served in a variety of leadership positions in her community. Robin and her husband are co-founders of the Constitutional Sources Project.

Ron received his law degree from Berkeley in 1962 and has spent most of his professional career in development and management of various real estate projects. He has served as President of the Pacific Symphony, the Western Mobile Home Park Owners Association, the Emerald Bay Community Association, the local Stanford Alumni group, and in several leadership positions in their Church.

David Harding is a business executive in the Medical Devices and Diagnostics industry. David received a degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Southern California followed by an MBA degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Warton School. He worked as an engineer on the Space Shuttle program, at a Japanese automotive components manufacturer and later became an associate/partner at McKinsey & Company. David then joined Cytyc Corporation, where he served as the VP of Marketing and the President of the International business. David now leads the company’s Interventional Breast Solutions division.

Steele Hendershot graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in business management. He has been working in business management for over ten years and has been working with the Rising Star Outreach since 2009. He is currently the Vice President of business development for CircusTrix, a recreational facilities and services company based in Provo, UT and founded Humanitarian Doctors, a group dedicated to improving the quality of life for as many people as possible.

Claudette has a zest for life and a passion for people and for serving. She has taken her family to various places around the world and served in diverse capacities. She enjoys learning about and experiencing new cultures and getting to know different people. Together with her husband Mike, the Jones family is active in their local community and church, where Claudette has held various leadership positions. Claudette’s greatest passion is in loving and serving her six children. Within Rising Star, Claudette serves as the International Programs and Outreach Committee Chair.

Brian P. Murphy is a founder and the Managing Member of Portfolio Advisors, LLC. Portfolio Advisors specializes in delivering customized, private equity, private real estate and private credit solutions to its limited partners and clients.  Portfolio Advisors has
raised approximately $18 billion across 30 funds from over 1,000 limited partners from around the world. Brian graduated with a BA from Brigham Young University in 1986 and an MBA from Columbia University in 1988.

Senator Larry Pressler served in the US Senate for 18 years (3 terms) and was the first Vietnam veteran elected to the US Senate. While in the US Senate, he served as Chairman of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committees. He was also an active member of the Foreign Relations Committee. He was the principle author of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and of the “Pressler Amendment,” which limited foreign countries from using USA to develop nuclear weaponry. Prior to his election to the US Senate, Larry Pressler served two terms as a member of the US House of Representatives from 1975-1979. He was an announced candidate for the presidency in 1980 and drew national fame and praise for flatly turning down a bribe on tape in the ABSCAM scandal.

Keith received his B.S. degree and his Masters degree in Accountancy from the University of Utah. He worked at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce where he was a member of the U.S. Management Committee.  Keith is currently a Managing Director at Cerberus Capital Management.

Sally graduated with a B.S. in Education from Brigham Young University and received a Masters of Education from the University of Utah.  She has taught in a Gifted and Talented Program in Utah and at the Browning School in New York City.  She is a community activist, church volunteer, and a full-time mother.

Nancy B. Sorensen holds a PhD from the University of Utah in Educational Administration, as well as a masters degree from Utah State University and a bachelors degree from Brigham Young University. She has spent 17 years in the classroom and 21 years as principal of four different elementary schools. Currently Nancy is the principal of Manila Elementary School in Pleasant Grove, Utah. Nancy loves to travel and to serve, which brought her to Rising Star Outreach, which she has visited several times. Nancy is the mother of four children and the grandmother of 11.

Philip is serving as the Executive Director of Operation Kids Foundation. Prior to Operation Kids, he managed a wilderness therapy program for at-risk youth in southern Utah. He completed his bachelor’s degree at Brigham Young University and received his MPA in nonprofit management from The George Washington University in Washington, DC. He and his wife, Micaela, are the proud parents of five children.

Christopher Wilson has practiced with some of the nation’s most prestigious firms, including O’Melveny & Myers and Pillsbury Winthrop. Wilson has been advising clients on securities and transactional matters for more than 23 years, and has been involved in virtually every type and size of transaction, from small public offerings and private placements, to large public company mergers and acquisitions. Wilson represents many emerging businesses and small public companies and advises them on the diverse legal issues arising from starting, financing, growing and selling a business.

Jennifer Wilson became a member of MV Law in 2009, practicing in the areas of Estate Planning and Asset Protection. Jennifer graduated from Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School, cum laude, in 1986. She has a passion for assisting others in the protection of their most important assets, and is delighted to be of assistance to MV Law clients.

“My reason for practicing law is to help people to navigate through uncertain waters during transitional moments in their lives, such as death or a change in fortune, or in planning for those moments. It is my goal to make each client feel understood, appreciated and completely satisfied with the results he or she achieves through the assistance of our team at MV Law.”

Jennifer is a member of the Trusts & Estates and Elder Law sections of the Orange County Bar Association. She is a member of the Executive Committee of the Orange County Chapter of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society and of the international Women in Law Committee in the same law society. She is also a board member of Rising Star Outreach, a non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating the effects of leprosy in India. Outside of work and volunteer activities, she spends most of her time with her husband, five children, and nine grandchildren.