Board Members
Emily Harrison, MD, MPH
Executive Director
Emily is a family doctor in Pawtucket, Rhode Island where she is part of a practice which cares for Latina women and families. She is also a clinical faculty member in the Brown University Department of Family Medicine, where her special interests include obstetrics as well as medical and psychiatric illness during pregnancy. Emily helps to run both the Women’s Health Initiative and the Brown/Guachipilincito partnership.
She speaks Spanish, French, and a little Modern Greek. Outside of medicine and her work with Shoulder to Shoulder, she enjoys running, gardening, baking, sailing, working on her house, and spending time with her family, especially her husband and their yellow Labrador, Rosie.
Wayne Waite, Esq
President
Mr. Wayne Waite is committed to principle that the poor need an advocate and that poverty is urgent. He is a shareholder with the law firm Freund, Freeze and Arnold and served as the original incorporator of Shoulder to Shoulder, Inc. as well as incorporating Association Hombro a Hombro in Honduras. Both organizations are tax exempt charitable organizations with the same mission. Mr. Waite, along with Dr. Heck and Dr. Ranz, serve on Shoulder to Shoulder’s and Hombro a Hombro’s Executive Committees.
Mr. Waite has been married to Christina Waite M.D. since 1976, has two boys, Daniel and Brian and currently live in Xenia, Ohio. His law practice is based in Dayton, Ohio were he specializes in commercial litigation and the representation of medical providers.
Jeffrey E Heck, MD
Chairman Board
Dr. Heck is Professor of Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina and the Founder and Executive Director of Shoulder to Shoulder, a non-profit charitable organization that is a network of partnerships between 13 Academic Health Centers and a network of poor rural communities in Honduras, Ecuador and Tanzania.
Dr. Heck served as president of the International Health Medical Education Consortium (Now GHEC) from 1999-2001. In 2004, he received the Power to Change our World Award from the Family Medicine Education Consortium and in 2000 he was chosen as the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians Educator of the Year. In August of 2007 he received the University of Toledo, School of Medicine, Distinguished Alumni Award. Dr. Heck was the Residency Program Director of the University of Cincinnati Family Medicine Residency from 1991-1999. He founded the international health tract for the residency. He was Chairman of the Department of Family Medicine at the Mountain Area Health Education Center from 2004-2007 until he stepped down to devote more time to Shoulder to Shoulder.
Dr. Heck has been married to Cathy Heck since 1976 and has five children. They currently live in Asheville, North Carolina where Dr. Heck still works part time for the Mountain Area Health Education Center and Mission.
Richard E Buten, PhD
Director Management Systems
Dick became involved in Shoulder to Shoulder almost 5 years ago based on an invitation by Art Ranz. His early work included construction and assisting Art in various computer and communications projects. More recently, he has been working on a comprehensive Health Information System to support the execution of a contract with the Honduran government and raise the level of our execution of integrated community-based health care and the development of the Shoulder to Shoulder organization.
Dick graduated from Xavier University in Cincinnati majoring in physics. He received his MS in physics and PhD in Computer Sciences from Purdue University. He was retired from Procter & Gamble after a career of 27 years where he held various technical and managerial positions on the company's Information Technology function. He was also an Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at Xavier University. He also did consulting for a number of major companies and is involved in a family real estate development business. Hobbies include golf, tennis, photography and cave diving.
Sharon Mullen
Family Practice Residency Coordinator
Sharon has worked in an administrative position with the University of Cincinnati (UC) Family Medicine Residency for more than 29 years and with Shoulder to Shoulder since its beginnings. Her life's interest in working with Latinos found outlet in working with Shoulder to Shoulder in Honduras and lead to the founding of a Spanish-speaking work at her church in which she and her husband are involved. Sharon speaks Spanish fluently (but not perfectly) and knows Sign Language.
Sharon has been married for almost 30 years and she and her husband have two children. Their son is a computer consultant based in Fairfax, VA, and their daughter is a junior at UC who also aspires to work with Latinos (Spanish is one of her two minor degrees). Sharon’s hobbies include vegetable gardening and raising Rhode Island Reds (chickens).
Melanie Sanders and Roy Sanders, MD
Tampa, FL
Melanie was born in El Progreso, a small town on the outskirts of San Pedro Sula in Honduras. She is a Physician Assistant, graduating from St. John’s University in New York City. For the past few years she has been a full time mom to three college aged daughters, and together with her husband, Roy, has been involved with Shoulder to Shoulder. Melanie and Roy’s focus is on the development of the medical clinic in Concepcion. Melanie’s passion for this project stems from the poverty she experienced growing up in El Progreso. Another very important component of her focus is her commitment to education as she sees this as a key element in breaking the cycle of poverty. At this point in her life she would like to give back to those who are less fortunate.
Roy is a self avowed workaholic. As an orthopedic surgeon, he has many friends in the medical profession who would also like to share their expertise, but need facilities in Honduras in which to utilize their skills. Roy shares his wife’s interest in giving back to her native country. On a recent visit to Concepcion, he told the committee that ‘Honduras gave me my wife, now I want to give something back to Honduras.
Andrew Bazemore, MD, MPH
Assistant Director, The Robert Graham Center
Andrew is the Assistant Director of the Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies in Primary Care. Prior to his current position, Dr. Bazemore was an Assistant Professor at the University of Cincinnati’s Department of Family Medicine, where he completed his residency training, faculty development fellowship in International Health and directed the international health program. He has served on the board of the Global Health Education Consortium (previously IHMEC) since 1998.
He also remains engaged in global health activities as the immediate past-Chairman of the Society for Teachers of Family Medicine International Committee and as a board member of Shoulder to Shoulder International. He has worked in community development for health at various Shoulder to Shoulder sites in Honduras annually since 1997, and also has global health project experience in Bolivia, South Africa, rural Scotland, and Brazil.
Dr. Bazemore also practices and teaches at the Virginia Commonwealth University - Fairfax Family Practice Residency Program, where he co-coordinates their global health curriculum and directs a travel clinic. Additionally, he serves on the faculty of the Department of Family Medicine at Georgetown University.
Dr. Bazemore received his B.A. degree from Davidson College, his M.D. from the University of North Carolina, his M.P.H. from Harvard University, and is a Diplomate of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Susan T. Kaye, MD
Chair, Department of Family Practice
Susan became involved with Shoulder to Shoulder in 2003 when she met Dr. Jeff Heck at a professional organization on international health, the Society of Teachers in Family Medicine. Her special interest is in the development of the clinic in Concepcion and the organization itself. To date, the Josephson Foundation has supported Shoulder to Shoulder with $205,000 over a three year period.
On a personal note, Susan has two children. Her daughter, Alecia, has spent considerable time in Honduras working with Shoulder to Shoulder. Her son, Evan, is a college student and interested in continuing his studies in medical school. Susan loves to travel, and especially to Honduras!
Ricardo Irias
Ricardo’s Restaurant
Ricardo is a long time benefactor of Shoulder to Shoulder. Educated as an engineer in the US, he and his wife Janet returned to his home town and presently own and operate Ricardo's Resturant in La Ceiba, Honduras. It has been recognized as one of the finest resturants in Central America. He has been involved from the beginning, facilitating in country logistice, providing interpretors and cooks for brigades.
Ricardo has contributed to the growth of Shoulder to Shoulder in too many ways to list. He continously travels to Intibuca when the need arises to help move the project forward. He is a very accomplished dancer.
Blanca Argueta
Presidenta, Hombro a Hombro
Blanca Miriam Argueta is the President of the Hombro a Hombro Board in Santa Lucia, Intibuca. This is a non-paying position in which only the most committed of people would be interested. Blanca serves with aplomb and efficiency. Blanca is a teacher and administrator in the school system in Intibuca (the department [state]) in which the Shoulder to Shoulder Clinic is located in Santa Lucia. Her experience and skills as both a teacher and administrator, combined with her honored status within the community, make her an outstanding leader for the non-profit board of directors in Santa Lucia. She has a long-standing history with the board, having first served as the Recording Secretary before being elected as its President.
Blanca lives in, and serves, the community of Santa Lucia on many levels aside from her role as Board President. Blanca teaches Sunday School in the local evangelical church and works on projects (water for an example) that serve to better the lives and livelihoods of her fellow citizens.
Gregory A. Reinhart, Ph.D.
Vice President of Research and Nutrition
Greg Reinhart is an alumnus of The Ohio State University where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science in 1983, his Master of Science degree in Non-Ruminant Nutrition in 1985, and his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Nutritional Biochemistry in 1989. Dr. Reinhart joined Ross Laboratories’ Medical Nutrition Department in 1989 as a clinical researcher working with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, delivery of novel nutrients for hospitalized critical care patients, endurance athletes, veterinary enteral formulas and foal feeding devices.
In 1990 he accepted a position in Research and Development with The Iams Company, a leading premium pet food manufacturer, where he attained the position of Vice President of Strategic Research and Communications. After The Iams Company was acquired by Procter and Gamble in 1999, he continued in this role and later assumed additional responsibilities as Director, Technology Development for Procter and Gamble’s global Pet Care business. His research interests include fatty acid metabolism, fiber fermentation, mineral metabolism, neonatal and maternal nutrition, nutritional immunology, obesity, and the role of nutrition on cognition and well-being. Dr. Reinhart has also been actively involved in investigating the nutritional needs and exercise-induced changes in Alaskan sled dogs. He was awarded the International Sled Dog Veterinary Medical Association Tom Cooley Memorial Research Award for these efforts.
Dr. Reinhart has published over 150 scientific papers and abstracts in peer reviewed journals, is the co-editor of Recent Advances In Canine and Feline Nutrition, Volumes II and III, and an inventor on 12 United States patents. The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has recognized him with a distinguished alumni award for his contributions to the pet food industry. He is a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition and an active member in other professional scientific organizations. In 2007, Dr. Reinhart joined The Mathile Institute as Vice President of Research and Nutrition where he will leverage his training and experience in the agricultural, human medical and pet food industries to help alleviate hunger and malnutrition in children and their families.
Dr. Reinhart resides in Dayton, Ohio. His interests include hiking, reading, beekeeping, hunting, travelling and spending time with his children and family. He serves on the national advisory board for the Wright State University College of Science and Mathematics and is an adjunct professor at The Ohio State University.
Jon Langdon
Senior Program Manager at Microsoft
Jon Langdon is a Senior Program Manager at Microsoft in the Developer division where he leads a team focused on building software-diagnostic tools. Prior to working on developer tools, he was a consultant in Microsoft's services organization helping enterprises solve problems in large-scale software systems.
Jon attended the U.S. Naval Academy and the University of Cincinnati. He was introduced to Shoulder to Shoulder in 2002 after his brother, a resident in the University of Cincinnati's Family Medicine department, participated in a brigade. Since then, he has been a faithful financial contributor to the organization. Jon is a firm believer in Shoulder to Shoulder's commitment to make a lasting impact in Honduran communities and is excited to be more deeply involved as a member of the board.
He's a native of the Midwest, growing up in Cincinnati, OH, where, on occasion, he jammed with Dr. Heck's oldest son in a band. He currently lives in Seattle with his wife and three young, energetic children. Outside of work, Jon enjoys all things music, honing his grilling skills, and hiking with his family. But he spends the majority of his time solving moisture-related problems in and around the house due to the abundant Northwest drizzle.
Dwight Armstrong
Chief Executive Officer National FFA Organization
Dwight Armstrong became chief executive officer for the National FFA Organization in October 2010. Previously he held the position of chief operating officer. Armstrong brings to his position a strong background in agricultural research, education and executive management. Prior to assuming his current position, he had his own consulting business. From 2000-2008, he was group vice president and director of the Americas for Provimi, a global animal nutrition company, where he also served as president and CEO of North American Nutrition Companies, Inc., representing the U.S. brands of Akey, Vigortone, Progressive Nutrition and Sunglow.
From 1982 until joining Provimi in 2000, Armstrong was vice president and general manager of Akey, Inc., an animal nutrition and research center. From 1975-1982 he served as an associate professor of animal science at North Carolina State University.
Armstrong is a former FFA member from Kentucky and served as the 2005 chairman of the National FFA Foundation Sponsors’ Board. His background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from Murray State University. He later earned both a Master of Science and a Ph.D. in nutrition from Purdue University.
Mary Flake Flores
President and Founder of the Maria Foundation and former First Lady of Honduras
Mary has been a strong supporter of Shoulder to Shoulder since its inception. She has been tireless in her efforts to improve the health and well being of the children of Honduras.
Diane Castellanos, R.N.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
