Columbus Global Village Team leads Habitat for Humanity Mission Trips: Ecuador 2008 : Team Members

Team Members

Diane Alecusan, 24, will be graduating from The Ohio State University in June for the second time, this time with her Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning. She plans on staying in Columbus and hopes to get a job with a local planning office or non-profit that will help Columbus and other cities become more sustainable for the future. This is her first Global Village trip and she is extremely excited to visit a new country, experience a new culture, and work as hard as she can to build some houses! In her spare time, she enjoys running, hiking, yoga, photography, and volunteering.
Beth Bezaire, 21, is a student at the University of Michigan and will graduate in May 2008 with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. She is Dave and Susi’s niece and after hearing about their previous Global Village trips, coupled with a rewarding Alternative Spring Break Trip to Tennessee in March 2007 where she worked with a team of U of M students to re-shingle a roof, she is thrilled to be able to join the trip to Ecuador. This will be her first international volunteer trip.
Dave Bezaire, 55, has been the house leader on eight Habitat builds in Columbus, three of which were blitz builds during the Ohio State Fair, and he has participated in Global Village missions trips to Ghana, Mexico, Guatemala, Thailand, Dominican Republic, Boliva, Ecuador, and Botswana. He has just finished his second term on the HFH-GC Board and he also helps out on the construction committee. Since retiring 6 years ago, Dave finds Habitat a great way to live his faith while playing with great toys... err…umm… tools.
Sarah Boone, 33, is a pre-K exceptional children’s teacher in North Carolina, a job which she has been told means she gets to play all day. In her spare time, she enjoys relaxing with her dog and cat as well as spending time on the NC coast kayaking, biking, swimming in the river… well… maybe just floating, as well as sitting back listening to the waves while reading a good book on the pier. She has been on previous Habitat Global Village trips to Guatemala and El Salvador and loved both of them. She speaks Spanish fairly well and after months of mainly only speaking Spanish to three and four year olds in her class, is looking forward to having some slightly more intelligent conversations in Ecuador!
Gerrin Davis, 24, is currently finishing up her MA in Mental Health Behavioral Development in Boston. Whenever she returns home to New Orleans, she helps her family with their continued work to rehab their flooded home.
Mary Hammes, 22, has been volunteering for HFH-Ecuador since January 20th. She is part of the international volunteer program that allows for long term volunteer positions in Habitat affiliates all over the world. Mary graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in May of 2007 with degrees in Spanish Literature and Psychology. She worked in the mental health field until she came to Ecuador. Mary loves climbing in the Andes and working really hard on the construction site.
Susi Havens-Bezaire, 56, began volunteering for HFH-GC in 1989 to help plan the 15th Anniversary celebration of HFHI, held in Columbus. Following that wonderful event where she met President Jimmy Carter and Milliard Fuller, she directed her volunteer efforts to fund raising for the local affiliate. She has served two terms as a Board member (7 years), filled in as Interim Executive Director for 8 months, and continued to focus on resource development. In 2004, at the request of the Executive Director of HFH-GC, she organized the first Global Village trip from Columbus, Ohio. Having seen the deplorable living conditions in developing countries and experienced the wonderful impact that Habitat has on people's lives, she continues and so far has led trips to Ghana, Mexico, Guatemala, Thailand, Dominican Republic, Boliva, Ecuador, and Botswana.
Pam Higgins, 55, lives in Columbus, OH, and recently retired from education after 30 years as a teacher and administrator. She is a member of King Avenue United Methodist Church and serves on several committees. Pam began volunteering for Habitat for Humanity in 2005 and works with the Tuesday construction crew. In addition to spending time with her family and friends, Pam enjoys many outdoor activities and especially loves cycling, sailing, hiking, skiing, and kayaking. She is an avid traveler and is excited about her first Global Village experience.
Jeremy Hilligoss, 21, a junior at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, is working on a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He volunteers with the Rose chapter of Habitat. Jeremy enjoys hiking, climbing, running, and building furniture in his free time. He is very excited for his first trip outside of the US and Canada.
Peter Hilligoss, 22, will graduate from the University of Cincinnati in 2009 with a Master of Architecture degree. He is currently on a 6-month internship in San Diego where he is working at 2 architecture firms and volunteering on various construction/design projects. He is familiar with Habitat from his volunteer work in Cincinnati and Miami, and has experience in various techniques including wood framing, masonry and straw bale construction. Taking after his father he is an Eagle Scout and an accomplished cabinet maker who enjoys working with power tools. He is happy to have the support of his family including Mother Barb, Father Mark and Brother Jeremy.
Saniya Khan, 21, is a junior at The Ohio State University. She is double majoring in Molecular Genetics and Spanish. She enjoys dancing, ceramics, hiking, running, and having a good time. In the past, Saniya has volunteered with the Habitat for Humanity Woman's Build, as well as, some other projects. She's very excited for the GV trip!
Dale Krummen, 56, strongly encouraged us to lead a team to Ecuador after enjoying his last GV experience in Mexico. He is a native of Indiana with degrees in electrical engineering from Purdue and the Ohio State University. He has been employed by American Electric Power for 28 years. Dale’s work experience includes engineering, construction and maintenance of electrical generating plants and transmission substations. He and his wife Rosa have two children, Brian and Monica.

Dale has participated in several HFH builds in the Columbus area. After graduating from college, he joined the Peace Corps and spent four years working in Ecuador in a rural electrification program. He enjoyed the Latin American culture and people while there and is looking forward to another Global Village experience in Ecuador.
George Leiman, 53, a native of Maryland, studied biology, then later earned a degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. He lived abroad 15 years and taught English in Kuwait, Syria, China, The United Arab Emirates and Oman. He now resides in Silver Spring, Maryland and works as an editorial assistant in a laboratory of the National Cancer Institute (NIH), in Bethesda. He is a member of Church of the Atonement (Associate Reformed Presbyterian) where he teaches English to a small group of immigrants on Tuesday evenings. In 2006, he participated in a volunteer group serving at an orphanage in Guatemala. He enjoys gardening, home improvement projects, and swimming. This is his first trip with Habitat. Vamos!
Alex Moore, 20, is a junior at The Ohio State University majoring in Zoology with a minor in English. Alex is an avid OSU football fan. He also enjoys writing fiction and outdoor activities such as hiking, running and ultimate Frisbee. Alex is an Eagle Scout and has volunteered with some projects for Habitat for Humanity in Columbus.
Anne Moore, 51 received her Au.D in May 2007 from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry School of Audiology. She has been enjoying a “hiatus” from her professional career as a pediatric audiologist. She has recently been elected as president elect of the Ohio Academy of Audiology. Anne is excited for the opportunity to make her first GV trip after being inspired by her husband Scott’s trips to Ghana, Mexico and Thailand
Patrick Moore, 16 is a sophomore at Scioto High School in Dublin. He is a Life Scout and runs varsity cross country and track. He enjoys backpacking, hiking and outdoor activities. Patrick has worked on some local Habitat projects in Columbus. This is his first international trip.
Scott Moore, 46, is Vice President of Transmission Operations at American Electric Power. He is a member of St. Brigid of Kildare Roman Catholic church in Dublin, Ohio where he serves as a lector. He volunteers many Saturdays with the Dublin Habitat for Humanity Partnership, and is a member of the Board of Trustees of Habitat for Humanity—Greater Columbus. He is also an Eagle Scout and serves as an Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 117 Dublin.

Scott is a native of Idaho, but he grew up in Lubbock, TX. Some of his other interests include building, jogging, backpacking and outdoor adventure. Scott is thrilled to continue his Global Village work along with his family, having already been to Ghana in 2005, Mexico in 2006, and Thailand in 2007.
Cornelia de Ruiter, Dutch but raised in Belgium, is currently graduating from IESE Business School in Barcelona. Before the MBA she used to work as a lawyer specialized in IP/trademark law for a large international law firm in Amsterdam. In September she’ll start working as a consultant in London for Bain & Company. In the meantime, she plans to travel around South/Central America to see new countries, surf, paint, visit friends, meet people and enjoy. She is fluent in Spanish, French, Italian, and English and conversational in German.
Caren Truske, 42, is a school teacher in Columbus, Ohio.
Marjorie Ward, 68, retired in 2004 from the faculty of the Ohio State University College of Education where for 26 years she coordinated the graduate program for teachers of students with visual impairments (low vision and blind). She traveled with Columbus Global Village Team missions to Ghana, Thailand, and Dominican Republic and is an active volunteer with the local Habitat for Humanity—Greater Columbus affiliate where most recently she served as Assistant House Lead on the Schultz 2007. In 2006, she visited a Presbyterian Church mission hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo with a medical mission team, and participated in an Elderhostel Service trip to Jackson, Wyoming. Marge has taught both general and special education, completed graduate work at the University of Pittsburgh, and served on the Penn State University faculty. She continues to tackle new challenges in service to humanity including chairing the Missions Team of Bethel Presbyterian Church. In her spare time she likes to bicycle and ski.