Robert L. Wade,  Chair

Bob was born and raised in Athens, GA. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.S. and M.S. in Chemistry and was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force. Bob taught chemistry at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. After completing his military obligation, he returned to graduate school at the University of Florida, where he received a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry. After receiving his degree, Bob worked for Procter & Gamble in R&D and product development. Bob and his wife Sue are members of College Hill Presbyterian Church (CHPC). He has served the church in many capacities including deacon, elder, and member of the Board of Trustees. Bob was a founding member of CHPC's Fathers Ministry. He and Sue are the parents of two children. They have five grandchildren all living in the Cincinnati area.

Scott Oppliger, Vice Chair

Dr. Scott Oppliger spent 29 years on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ, including nine years in the Campus Ministry (U. of Vermont, U. of Massachusetts and Northwestern), eighteen years with Athletes in Action, and three years with Answers for Life (a partnership between Dr. Henry Cloud and Campus Crusade for Christ).  During their first six years with Athletes in Action, Scott and his wife, Claire, were with the Pro Ministry in New York City, focusing on the Mets, Jets and Islanders (while partnering with another AIA couple who ministered to the Giants, Devils, Yankees and Nets). Scott and Claire moved to the Cincinnati area in 1990 to be on AIA's National Leadership Team.

In 2005 he joined the staff of Montgomery Community Church in Cincinnati as the Outreach and Small Groups Pastor.  Along with leading the outreach and missions ministry of MCC, he currently oversees all of the groups (for adults, anyway) at MCC, which last year numbered well over 125. These include: home groups, Sunday morning groups, mission groups, recovery groups, men's groups and women's groups. He has utilized EMI training at MCC as a way to develop lay leaders.

Scott is a graduate of the University of Nebraska and received his Masters of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.  Scott and Claire live in Blue Ash and have three adult children. By the way, his favorite Starbucks drink is a tall mocha, 2%, extra hot.
 

Robert J. Lerer, M.D., Treasurer

Bob is a pediatrician who specializes in caring for children with handicaps. He received his medical training at Johns Hopkins and Yale. He is the Commissioner of Health of Butler County in suburban Cincinnati and a professor of pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.Bob is the chairman of the board of Caring Partners International. He serves on the boards of Equipping Ministries International and InterAmerican Missions. For nearly two decades, Bob has led short-term medical missions to serve the needs of the poorest of the poor in many countries, including Cuba, India, Nicaragua, Brazil, China, and Ukraine.

Julie Thomas, Secretary

Julie Thomas is the vice president and a shareholder of Priority Dispatch, Inc.  Her expertise and responsibilities include human resources processes, strategic planning, process improvement, organizational development, and team integration.

Julie is also the president of Thomas Consulting & Investment Group, LLC.  TCIG provides consulting, business coaching and training and development to profit and non-profit organizations.  Julie is also a public speaker, teacher, and licensed social worker.

In addition to serving on the Equipping Ministries board of directors, Julie serves on the advisory board of the American Heart Association Heart Mini Marathon, the advisory board of Messenger Courier Association of the Americas, and the board of directors of Seed Corporation.

Josh Colon
Rev. Josh Colón leads a vibrant, growing Spanish-speaking congregation in a traditionally Appalachian community.  He brings a wealth of practical experience and insights about what it takes to build smaller and medium sized international churches into powerful influences in their communities and their denominations.

Judy Ellis

Judy Ellis has been involved with EMI for over fifteen years.  She has taught EMI courses nationally and in China.  Judy serves on several non-profit boards and is currently the board chairperson of the Human Resources Committee for the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati.

Judy has a B.S. in Business Management and Organizations and an M.A. in Theology.  Judy has served in several leadership positions in the local church.  She also speaks at women?s conferences.

Judy and her husband Eric are co-owners of Integrity Development Management Consulting, a diversity management and training company.  Prior to her work with Integrity, Judy managed Food and Beverage Public Relations at the Procter and Gamble Company.

Judy and Eric are the parents of four young children.

Marc Henn
Marc is a Certified Financial Planner Practitioner and is President of Harvest Financial Advisors. He is a 1990 graduate of Purdue University with a BS in Economics. Marc has been assisting family office and wealth management clients for over 17 years. He is affiliated with the College for Financial Planning (CFP certification), Financial Planning Association (FPA) and the Economics Center for Education and Research. He is also a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Arbitrator, a member of the American Numismatic Association and a former member of the National Association of Forensic Economics.

Marc has a passion for educating and planning for the next generation. Besides assisting his clients through planning, he regularly speaks with groups from elementary age through high school to educate the next generation on planning and investing. He is actively involved with his church and with his family and he also enjoys gardening and photography.

Janis Lerer
Janis Lerer, a registered nurse and licensed social worker, has been an ardent supporter of the ministries of EMI for nearly twenty years. She has been a facilitator and teacher of the EMI courses nationally and in Cuba, India and Ukraine. She has also chaired fundraising events for EMI and the American Cancer Society. She  
has served on the board of several non-profit organizations.

Prior to retirement, she was the director of medical services for Transitional Living, Inc, a community mental health rehabilitation program, which is located in suburban Cincinnati. She is an organizer and has enjoyed working in program development,  
management, and quality assurance.

She and her husband, a pediatrician, enjoy short term medical mission trips in places such as Cuba, Ukraine, China, Mexico, Russia, India, Brazil and other places. Janis and Bob have four adult children.

Steve McLemore

Steve is married to Janis McLemore.  They have two children, Danny Holian who is 25 and Abbey Holian who is 22.  Steve is a native of Dallas, Texas and studied at the United States Military Academy at West Point where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Systems Engineering with a concentration in National Security and Public Affairs.  He also has a Master of Science from the University of Southern California in Systems Management.  Steve is doing post-graduate work at Fuller Seminary in leadership.  He is an ordained deacon and elder in The Presbyterian Church (USA) and has served on numerous leader teams and committees including the Leadership Action Team as part of a Missional Action Team (MAT) review conducted by Alan Roxburgh.
 
Steve has worked as a Project Manager, Program Manager and Director in several notable companies including GE, Lockheed Martin, Xerox and Computer Associates.  He is retired from the US Army (Reserves) as a Major where he served in numerous command and staff positions and as an attack helicopter pilot.

Jeff Merling M.D.

Jeff is a family physician practicing medicine in Montgomery. He graduated from Xavier University with a degree in Finance and worked in sales for five years. He then graduated from Wright State University, School of Medicine and completed his residency at Bethesda Family Practice in Cincinnati. He is the Medical Director at the Center for Chemical Addiction and Treatment and the River City Correctional Facility in downtown Cincinnati.  He enjoys combining his interest in business with his passion for medicine and helping others.  

Jeff has seen the wonderful healing effects of the EMI life skills in his own family and in his professional medical career. Jeff lives in Cincinnati and has been married for nine years to Michele, a licensed counselor and social worker. Together they have been blessed with an infant son named Kurt and now Michele is a full-time mom.  

Jeff has been a member of the Vineyard Community Church for over ten years.  He is active in a couples small group, a men's group and enjoys his growing walk with Christ.