We have exciting news. We just welcomed two additions to our team in South Africa: Wayne Ferreira and Chloe de Bruin (scroll below to read more on Cloe).

Wayne was born in South Africa and grew up in Mozambique from age seven, where his parents are missionaries. He and his wife, Anke, have been married for eight years, and have two boys, Eliachim, 5, and Ezreal, 3.

Wayne will serve as ER’s Africa Region Director. He previously served as missionary staff with All Nations in Cape Town for eight years, most recently as the Director of Operations. Anke works at The Thinking Co., a strategic business and team development organization.

Wayne said he joined ER because it embodies the values and vision he has carried in his heart for the past 13 years. His personal mission aligns well with ER’s practical and gospel-centered approach to making a difference in desperate, often marginalized communities.

Wayne speaks three languages, English, Afrikaans and Portuguese. He is also a certified chef.

He has two years of experience as head chef on a 45-meter super yacht based in France, traveling and working around the Mediterranean. His hobbies include music, cooking, and bodyboarding.

“We are passionate about transformation in both a personal capacity and within the lives and the communities we get to invest in through living out our values,” Wayne said.

“I long to see Jesus worshipped by every nation, tongue, and tribe; and that through the power of the Gospel and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, we can break the cycle of poverty by restoring our identity in Jesus.”

Chloe de Bruin Joins the Fish Hoek Dream Center Team

We are pleased to welcome Chloe du Bruin to the ER Africa team as our Intermediate Phase Coordinator at the Fish Hoek Dream Center. She comes to us with six years of work experience in education.

“My dream is to impact the lives of children whose hearts and minds don’t yet know how loved and cared for they are by the Father,” she shared.

“Having grown up in the Eastern Cape with a mixed demographic, I desire to see the church and its communities represent the diverse nature of God’s heart and people.”

Chloe’s hobbies include baking, hiking, and watercolor painting.

“I grew up with a mom, dad and two older brothers. I love music and dancing. I love living near the sea and the mountains for swims and hikes to experience God in nature.”

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Meaghan Catron Joins Extreme Response as Director of Development

We are thrilled to announce ER has hired Meaghan Catron as our first Director of Development. She is originally from Roanoke, VA, and graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University where she studied chemistry.

Meaghan has a double Master’s in Nonprofit Management and Public Administration. She taught and coached at the Pace Academy and Victory Christian Center Schools. For the last five years, she has worked for The Bobby Dodd Institute in Atlanta.

During her undergraduate studies, Meaghan planned on helping people through medicine, but post-graduation, as God worked in her heart, she shifted to the non-profit sector. Meaghan’s love and passion for serving others began early. She has served on mission trips both in the United States and abroad, where she fell in love with learning about people, communities, and service.

Meaghan is passionate about helping others realize and achieve their dreams. She loves traveling, playing and watching sports, and spending time with her family and friends. In her free time, she coaches and trains in basketball and loves working with and developing the next generation.

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Brad McKenna Joins Extreme Response as President & CEO

(Feb. 1, 2021)

Our ER family is about to become stronger!

I first met Brad McKenna in 2006, when he joined a short-term work team to Malawi, Africa, and I liked him immediately. He is from the same area of Michigan where Dawn and I grew up and where our sending church is located.

Upon returning from Africa, Brad felt God calling him to serve with our partner, Kindle Orphan Outreach. He raised his own support and went to Malawi. Seeing Brad in action on the mission field, I knew there was something special about him. His passion and leadership stood out. His wife, Stephanie, saw it too. After meeting her while she was on a short-term team in Africa, they married and now have three incredible boys.

In the years that followed, we stayed connected and continued to dialogue. Brad earned a Bachelor of Science in Communications/Science from Rochester College and Master’s degree in Non-Profit Fundraising and Management from New York University. His career has included roles as Director of Development at Goods for Good, Director of Corporate Relations at Leader Dogs for the Blind and, most recently, the Corporate Citizenship Manager for North America for Bosch Group, a global Fortune 500 corporation. Brad has also served on ER’s Board of Directors.

Today, I’m pleased to announce that Brad has accepted the position of President & CEO of Extreme Response International. This is the fulfillment of several years of strategic and succession planning, as well as a Board led search and succession process. Our board of directors and leadership team are unified in our belief that Brad is God’s person to lead ER at this time in our history. Brad officially joins ER on February 1^st and is in the process of relocating to the Atlanta area.

Personally, I am elated by this development. Finding ER’s next leader has been one of my goals for several years and I believe ER is now positioned for greater impact and longevity. Brad possess the skills to shepherd and grow ER for the next generation. He brings fresh ideas, experience and zeal to our organization.

It’s important to note that ER’s vision, mission and purpose will remain the same. Brad accepted the invitation to join ER because it is in line with God’s call on his life and he is committed to ER’s values and mission.

Maybe you are wondering, “Why now?” That’s easy. First, we’ve been working on succession for several years, waiting to find the right person at the right time. Second, we’re coming off 2020 where we saw God act in incredible ways. Not only were we able to pivot to meet extreme needs, while continuing to operate our programs during the pandemic, but donors showed such generosity that we were able to fund several computer labs, expand Dream Centers, and provide food for more than 100,000 people. To top it off, donors provided the strongest year-end giving we’ve ever experienced. Now is the time to advance and move forward boldly.

Dawn and I are excited about this transition. We’ve been praying it would happen for a while. My new role, Founder and Chief Engagement Officer, will allow us to do the things we are passionate about and love to do. We’ll be traveling to meet with churches, supporters, partners and friends of ER. Dawn will continue to guide our Christmas programs, school supplies and more.

I’ll continue to serve on ER’s Board of Directors and will assist Brad in every way I can. We’ll work together to make sure the transition is seamless, relationships are strengthened and ER continues to advance the cause of Christ.

Join me in praying for Brad, Stephanie, and their boys Bennett, Levi and Joel as they complete their relocation. See below for a short bio on Brad and some additional insight from ER leadership.

Serving Together,

Jerry Carnill

P.S. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions at jcarnill@extremeresponse.org.

Get To Know Brad McKenna and His Family

Brad McKenna brings with him nearly 20 years of experience in the philanthropic sector. Most recently he was with Robert Bosch LLC and oversaw Corporate Citizenship for Bosch in North America.

Born and raised in Michigan, his passion to serve others has taken him as far as Malawi, Africa. There he worked at Kindle Orphan Outreach as a missionary with Extreme Response. He is a graduate of Rochester College in Michigan, holds a master’s in Nonprofit Management & Fundraising from New York University and a certificate in corporate citizenship from Boston College.

Brad is married and has three sons ages 9, 6 and 3. As a family they enjoy beekeeping, camping and Legos. Brad also enjoys golfing and woodworking.

Brad was once asked, “If you had a t-shirt what would it say?” He replied, “It would say, ‘Thank you.’ I am here today because of the many people that poured into me. My work is my chance to pay it forward.”

Insights from ER Leadership

“I am excited to welcome Brad McKenna to the Extreme Response family! Brad has a proven track-record of leadership and has been a friend of ER for many years. Brad brings a passion to continue the path ER has been on, and he will use his gifts and strengths to guide us in new ways that will increase our impact around the world. I am excited to see ER move into this next phase of growth.”

–  Russ Cline, Co-Founder, Director of Leadership Development and Extreme Response Board Member

“Since joining the ER leadership team a little over two years ago, strategic and succession planning have been a large part of my involvement. It is a privilege to work with a Founder and CEO whose heart is to follow God’s leading and whose desire is to position ER for increasing impact around the world for God’s glory. I am excited to welcome Brad to the team and look forward to working with him, Jerry, our Board, staff and supporters as we march confidently into the next ER chapter.”

– Doug Darr, Chief Operating Officer, Extreme Response

“On behalf of the Extreme Response Board, I would like to extend a hearty welcome to Brad McKenna and his wife, Stephanie. As a Board, we believe God has prepared them for “such a time as this” and we’re excited to see how God will use them to further His Kingdom through ER. The Board has prayed through the years that God would bring the right person to lead ER into the future and we unanimously believe that Brad is that person.”

– Don Clapham, Extreme Response Board Chairman

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