John Steel and his wife, Gail, were invited to a home reception in 2003 and have been hooked on Plant With Purpose’s impactful work ever since. John joined the board in 2013 and has been actively involved on the Executive Committee, Governance Committee, and serving in the role of both Secretary and Chair. 

John spent his career as the V.P. for Zytec Corp and Artesyn Technologies and is an alumnus of the University of Minnesota. He and Gail retired to sunny Solana Beach from Minnesota and have been actively involved at Solana Beach Presbyterian Church. They have been married for over 50 years and have two sons and five grandchildren. John enjoys riding his Harley through California’s diverse landscapes.

Kate joined the Plant With Purpose board in 2026. She currently serves as the Program Director at Matthew63 Foundation, after serving in a similar capacity at Cornerstone Trust. Kate holds a BA in Community Development, International emphasis from Covenant College, and has an extensive background in agriculture. She interned with ECHO and served as an agriculturist with the Peace Corps in Senegal. She resides with her family in Grand Rapids, MI.

Cindy joined the Plant With Purpose Board in 2019 where she serves as the External Affairs Committee Chair. She has visited Plant With Purpose’s programs in Oaxaca, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, and finds Plant With Purpose to be the most effective organization at reversing deforestation and rural poverty in a sustainable, holistic way. 

Cindy has a BSE in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan and a Masters of Liberal Arts in Sustainability from the Harvard Extension School, where she also earned certificates in Natural Resource Management and Corporate Sustainability. Her Capstone Project on U.S. Nature Based Solutions Investment won the 2021 Dean's Prize for Outstanding ALM Capstone - Sustainability Consulting. Cindy transitioned to a Sustainability / Circular Economy role in 2021 after working in technical roles across Shell for 17 years. Cindy also serves on the Board of Access Evangelical Covenant Church in Houston, TX.

Jeff Kahler is rejoining the board in 2021 after serving several terms since 2006. He also serves as CFO and Treasurer of Find us Faithful Foundation in Colorado, which has been a major donor to Plant With Purpose over the past six years. 

Jeff has degrees from the University of Colorado and University of Northern Colorado. He is founder of Genesis One Capital, LLC. Jeff lives in Castle Rock, Colorado with his wife, Elle, where they attend Castle Oaks Community Church. Jeff serves on the Audit Committee and the Internal Affairs Committee. Jeff is an avid biker and mountaineer.

Curtis Robison joined the Plant With Purpose Board in 2022. He is a Principal Consultant with Root, part of Accenture, and leads their diversity, equity, and inclusion practice. He received his undergraduate degree in Psychology, his Masters in Business Administration, and he completed one year of doctoral work in strategic leadership. Curtis resides in San Diego with his wife Angela.

Cindy Outlaw joined the board in 2003 and helped pioneer the organization's expansion into Tanzania. She was introduced to Plant With Purpose by CEO Scott Sabin, a fellow member of her church, and has been motivated by the thousands of lives now filled with hope as a result of the mission. Cindy has served the board in various positions including Board Chair, Treasurer, and on the Executive Committee.

Cindy has degrees in accounting and finance from Point Loma Nazarene University and San Diego State University. She also has a degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and practices as a grief counselor for a local hospice organization. Cindy and her husband, Ed, have two grown children, Molly and Ryan, and reside in Solana Beach where they attend the Village Community Presbyterian Church. Cindy is an avid hiker and organizes group hikes both locally and internationally. She has climbed six of the seven Summits, the highest point on each continent, and has led groups up Mt. Kilimanjaro sixteen times.

Katrina was first introduced to Plant with Purpose in 2012 and was immediately drawn to the work they were doing in Haiti. She has been on vision trips to Haiti and Tanzania and is anxious to explore the work in other countries. Katrina holds a MA degree in Christian Education from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, Mill Valley CA and was ordained to the ministry in December 1986. She currently serves as Executive Pastor with Clear Lake Presbyterian Church in Houston, TX. and joined the Plant With Purpose Board in 2024.

Matthew is the Principle Strategic Humanitarian Alliances Advisor, at Compassion Int’l. Matt first became acquainted with Plant With Purpose while in university in the 1990s. He has more than 27 years of sector experience and joined the board in 2024. In addition to his work at Compassion Int’l, Matt has served in leadership roles with several organizations as well as been a part of UN and Humanitarian sector policy and thought leadership groups. He resides with his family in Friday Harbor, WA.

Richard joined the board in 2024.  He was the founder of Wilderness Formation ministries, and led Bethany Community Church in Seattle for 28 years, and was drawn to the ministry of Plant with Purpose because of their commitment to environmental sustainability, economic empowerment, and spiritual renewal.  He lives in the mountains with his wife of 43 years, where they steward their own tiny slice of the Cascade mountains, and currently serves as a conference speaker, leadership coach, and author. 

Eric Kaiser first learned about Plant With Purpose when he met Scott Sabin at an ECHO missions conference in 2001. He has served several terms on the Board and returned most recently in 2017. He attended both SDSU and UCSD and recently retired from his role as Engineering Director at ViaSat. Eric serves as President of the Widow’s Jar - an active partner with Plant With Purpose. Eric and his wife, Wendy reside in central Illinois.

Darrell and his wife Jill are members of Solana Beach Presbyterian Church, where he first learned about us, and joined the board in 2018. His passion is supporting nonprofits like Plant With Purpose who are committed to encouraging and empowering people around the world to support themselves and their families and live with dignity. He currently serves as the Chair of the Board Governance Committee.

After 29 ½ years of service, he retired as a family practice physician. He has numerous volunteer activities including volunteering as both a participant and physician with “Come Build Hope” (house building in Mexico), being a board member and governance committee chair for Interfaith Community Services, and tutoring Hispanic children with Casa de Amistad. Darrell’s interests, besides being an active and engaged grandfather of five, include hiking, health and fitness, and being an avid birder.

Christy is the Executive Director of the Fuller Center for Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation. Prior to this, she served as President & CEO of Ideos Institute, preceded by her role as Sr VP for Global Initiatives & Strategy at the Institute for Global Engagement. She has held senior roles with Rand Corporation and is a published writer, speaker, and executive producer of the film Dialogue Lab America. Joining the Board in 2025, Christy resides in Pasadena with her husband, Anthony.