Our Vision
The Story of 1MILLIONHOME
Our co-founder, Mike Gallagher shares his journey from adopting one child to bringing multitudes home at the 2020 More Than Ever event.
Our Founders
Mike & Mandy Gallagher

Mike Gallagher and his wife, Mandy have six beloved children. Their youngest three children were adopted, one daughter domestically and boy and girl twins from Uganda. Flowing from years of experience with adoption, with special needs, and with building strategic partnerships to help more children like those they adopted, Mike and Mandy Gallagher co-founded The Chosen & Dearly Loved Foundation in 2014. Mike volunteers full-time as Chief Executive Officer.
Mike and Mandy are majority owners of Educational Outfitters, a U.S. franchisor of school uniform retailers. He previously served as a Managing Director of Denver-based private equity firm, Gallagher Industries. Mike currently serves on the Leadership Council of the Christian Alliance For Orphans (CAFO) and the International Advisory Board of University of the Nations. He previously served as a founding Board member of Ekisa Ministries International.
Leadership Team & Technical Advisors

James & Millie Snook
Board of Directors
Here’s where a sentence or two would go to summarize the contributions of your team member and/or their skillset. I’d recommend between 25 – 30 words per short bio.

Daryl Heald
Board of Directors
Here’s where a sentence or two would go to summarize the contributions of your team member and/or their skillset. I’d recommend between 25 – 30 words per short bio.

James & Millie Snook
Board of Directors
In his two-decade career with Starbucks, James Snook served in a range of business and technology leadership roles, including most recently as vice president of emerging platforms and innovation. In this position, James played a principal role in many mergers and acquisitions that helped expand Starbucks’capabilities and leadership around the globe. Previously, Snook served as a top systems consultant to large enterprises, including US Bank, General Electric, Boeing and Microsoft. Millie is actively involved in her church, and in all aspects of her children’s lives. She and James have been long-time advocates of orphans.James, Millie and their four children live in Redmond, Washington.

Daryl Heald
Board of Directors
Daryl began his career in commercial real estate. In 1997 he joined the Maclellan Foundation executive committee and has since helped lead its global grant-making strategy. Beginning in 2000, Daryl helped launch several organizations, including Generous Giving, Giving Wisely and Global Generosity. He works with families on four continents regarding their philanthropy, and actively invests private equity into businesses with social impact. Daryl holds a BS degree in economics from Westmont College. He and his wife, Cathy, reside in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, and have nine children.

Jonathan Dowell
Director of Expansion Agape
Jonathan serves as the Director of Expansion for Agape Children’s Ministry. In this role, he is responsible for planting new Agape locations, training & consulting with outside organizations, and sharing The Agape Model with the broader community. Prior to this, Jonathan worked 10+ years in the IT industry as an engineer, IT Project Manager, and in Business Process Management.

Brandon Stiver
Director of Programs and Partnerships
Brandon has worked in the child welfare and nonprofit sectors for over ten years. Before joining 1MILLIONHOME, he led a family based care and advocacy program in Tanzania for several years. Brandon has also worked at a Tanzanian orphanage, in the Californian foster care system, at various churches and teaches on issues facing at risk children at the university level. He has his Master’s Degree in Global Development and Justice and is passionate about indigenous leadership, community mobilization and seeing global entities come together to deliver the best care for at risk children.

David Enge
Director of Strategic Engagement
David has been providing creative solutions and directing marketing campaigns for organizations for over 15 years. His career has led him to working on various relief, development and media initiatives in Cambodia, Hong Kong, Uganda, Kenya and Haiti. His work connects head knowledge to a heart response and has generated support for education, water projects and child permanency alongside multiple partners. David has his degree in communications and develops 1MILLIONHOME’s online tools, workshop materials and other products in collaboration with the Community of Practice.

Jonathan Dowell
Director of Expansion Agape

Brandon Stiver
Director of Programs and Partnerships

David Enge
Director of Strategic Engagement

Rhonda Morgan
Director of Special Projects

Rhonda Morgan
Director of Special Projects
Rhonda worked nine years for CBS Television News in Minnesota as a graphic designed/senior graphic designer. During that time she received two Emmy’s and managed the design and execution of several projects, some of which raised over $350,000 for children with autistic need. In 2019, Rhonda opted to start her own business, EverJoy Creative. She met 1MILLIONHOME at a design spring in Washington and joined the team as a contractor in October 2020. Her experience in broadcast television, paired with her strategic outlook, has helped 1MILLIONHOME catalyze new opportunities and scale solutions so more kids can get home to family safely and permanently.

Michele Schneidler
Technical Advisor on Parent and Caregiver Empowerment
Michele has led child permanence nonprofits for 10 years including over two years as 1MILLIONHOME President. A champion for families overcoming trauma and special needs, Michele co-founded Refresh, the world’s largest conference for foster and adoptive parents. Michele also has her Master’s in Business Administration and worked for 13 years in HR leadership and Executive Management at Boeing, Microsoft and Milgard.

Deborah Gray
Technical Advisor of Attachment and Trauma
Deborah advises on Child Welfare Issues of Permanency on a National and State level as well as working as a child and family therapist. Honored as the Henry Meier Practitioner in Residence at the University of WA, she has also taught in Post-graduate programs on trauma, attachment, and child welfare systems. Deborah is author of four books and the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association for Training on Attachment and Trauma in Children (ATTACh).

Michele Schneidler
Technical Advisor on Parent and Caregiver Empowerment

Deborah Gray
Technical Advisor of Attachment and Trauma

Jared Scheppmann
Technical Advisor on Children with Disability

Ruth Wacuka
Technical Advisor on Communications and Youth Engagement

Mick Pease
Technical Advisor of Social Work Practice

Dan Hope
Technical Advisor of Social Work Practice

Caitlin Lance Hope
Technical Advisor of Social Work Practice

Jared Scheppmann
Technical Advisor on Children with Disability
Jared is the Executive Director of Ekisa Ministries and advises on issues related to children with disabilities. Ekisa works to change the lives of children living with disabilities in Uganda. Their work focuses on family permanency, filling the gap of needed services, and ending stigma. Jared is passionate about seeing all children in families regardless of the barriers they have to overcome. He believes in providing holistic solutions that address the deeper, root causes of the problems that families face. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Religion and an MBA with emphasis in Leadership.

Ruth Wacuka
Technical Advisor on Communications and Youth Engagement
Ruth is a care reform advocate and international speaker known for seeking justice for children and youth without parental care. Her advocacy has initiated and influenced child protection changes in East Africa and around the world. Trained in Journalism and Mass Communications, she has experience working for both local and international organizations. Ruth formerly served as a board member with the Kenya Society of Care Leavers and is the Founding Director of Reroot Africa, an initiative tackling orphanage tourism in Africa. Ruth is passionate about faith, justice and identity.

Mick Pease
Technical Advisor of Social Work Practice
A qualified social worker with over 30 years experience, Mick has worked in child protection, fostering and adoption. The former coal miner spent a year in Brazil with his wife Brenda, volunteering in an orphanage, an experience which led him to establish SFAC in 2002. An avid Leeds United football fan he is also a family man that loves spending time with his grandchildren. He appeared in the film Lost Kites and is co-author of the book Children Belong in Families. Mick won the International Impact Legacy Award in 2019 in Leeds; a testimony of his legacy in international social work.

Dan Hope
Technical Advisor of Social Work Practice
Dan is a an award winning social worker having won Practice Educator of the Year at the National Social Work Awards in 2016 (England). As a qualified social worker and protective behaviours practitioner, Dan has over 15 years experience working in residential care, community & family support work, child protection investigations and working with children and carers in alternative care. He has also worked in court teams where he represented children in family and childcare cases. Dan has worked for SFAC since 2009 on a voluntary basis and then full time in 2017.

Caitlin Lance Hope
Technical Advisor of Social Work Practice
A chartered psychologist, trainer and protective behaviors practitioner, Caitlin has worked in Australia, India and Kenya with vulnerable children and adults. She specializes in work with those at risk of sexual exploitation. In Kenya and India Caitlin spent time working in children’s homes before her life changed when attending a SFAC event in Kolkata where she met Dan and later joined the charity. Caitlin is regularly asked to speak and train at international conferences. She is also an avid reader and gardener.