Greg Hodgson, the founder of GHI, has extensive experience in international project management. After completing a graduate degree in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University, Greg served as Vice President for Operations & Engineering at Adventist World Radio. He has managed projects in over 30 countries, and speaks several languages. Under Greg’s leadership, GHI has grown from its start in 2005 to include projects in five countries and engaged over 2,000 volunteers. 

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Dr. Watson serves as the coordinator of Women’s and Children’s programs for Global Health Initiatives. He is an OB/GYN physician and has served in many leadership and educational roles throughout his career with Centura Health such as Chief of Staff for St. Anthony Hospital and Chief Medical Officer both for Centura Health Physician Group as well as Global Health Initiatives. He continues to collaborate with health care organizations, facilities and providers within several overseas countries such as Peru, Rwanda, Nepal, and Tanzania. He fulfills his passion as he works with GHI to extend the healing ministry of Christ by strengthening existing health facilities and services in developing countries, and by nurturing the health of the people in those communities through local partnerships. Promoting practical educational competencies internationally, Dr. Watson hopes to enhance capabilities of local health care professionals as they deliver services to mothers, children and babies during times they are most vulnerable.

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Courtney’s passion for international mission work began in college when she first heard about the student missionary program at her university. This program allowed students to take a gap year to spend overseas; and while she fast-tracked her way through her degree and didn’t take a year to do missions, she was motivated to find a way to combine her love for creative storytelling and pair it with her passion for helping people in need.

With this goal in mind, she landed her first job out of college as a Communications Specialist in Southern California, working for the Global Health Institute (also called GHI) and Adventist Health International. While here she worked on creative projects, marketing pieces, and fundraising initiatives for mission hospitals in more than 40 countries and personally traveled on group trips to China, Zambia, Malawi and Bolivia. After nearly three years in this position, she relocated to Ohio to work as the Missions Coordinator for Kettering Health. This role allowed her to focus on the logistical support side of mission trips. Each year they supported 10 international trips and during her five years there, she personally went to three of their strategic interest sites: Honduras, Peru and Belize. 

Having acquired a wide variety of skills from these two roles, Courtney comes to this position with exposure to international missions from the mindset of marketing, fundraising, trip planning logistics, relationship building, co-leading trips and so much more. 

She is so excited to dive into helping raise funds and build relationships that will benefit the people and projects of GHI for years to come. 

Amanda’s detail oriented nature makes her ideal in the GHI travel coordinator role. She serves as a liaison between our volunteers and travel agency, handling the logistics involved in getting teams of volunteers to our partner sites around the world. She describes her job as, “helping good people do great things.” Born and raised in South Africa, her own international travel experience adds an element of expertise when planning multi-destination missions. She would love to help you plan a life-changing mission week that might even end with an incredible optional excursion or two!

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Babies and mothers have been Rosemary’s passion for her entire career. She has served Centura Health for over 26 years as a neonatal nurse practitioner. After realizing the alarming rate of preventable newborn deaths, she introduced the program Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) to GHI. As a volunteer, she participated in the roll-out of HBB to partners in Peru, Haiti, and Nepal. More recently, Rose supported the introduction of Helping Mothers Survive Bleeding After Birth in Peru. She now serves as Couplet Care Project Manager, supporting partners in Peru, Nepal, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Helping mothers and babies is a passion shared by health care providers and community members all over the world. There is nothing like that first moment between a mother and her newborn. If only all mothers and their babies around globe could share it.

Dr. Paula Enrietto began her career as a cancer biologist and published over 50 papers and books during her academic career at Stony Brook University. While her early work focused on understanding disease and health at a molecular level, she soon discovered a passion for understanding and advocating for health at a more personal level. A chance conversation about global health challenges deepened this passion.

Today, she applies her knowledge and skills to the work of Centura Global Health Initiatives as Coordinator of Research and Academic Affairs. She focuses on education, program development, and the application of technology solutions to global health problems. Most recently she has supported the training of medical professionals in the Ponseti method to treat club foot. She is also one of the creators of a mobile application that allows data collection in low resource areas for the Helping Babies Survive program.

Lynda Kithil presently is a full-time volunteer for Centura Health Global Health Initiatives and has been a member of the staff since 2007. Working with the director, she assists with medical supplies logistics, recruitment, team coordination and leadership as well as general administrative issues.

Her past volunteer work included administrative work at the K-10 Boulder Junior Academy and Vista Ridge Academy. She directed the Hot Lunch Program for many years and served in Vista Ridge Academy’s front office. She is the Founder/Coordinator of the East Boulder County Food-Coop, a non-profit organization.

By education and training Mrs. Kithil is a Registered Nurse, having graduated from Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. Her nursing positions included work at Swedish Hospital, Boulder Memorial Hospital, Avista Adventist Hospital, SCL Lutheran Medical Center, and in a private surgery center. Her special field of interest was surgical work in operating rooms. Her final hospital position was in Information Technology and administration. For a two year period, she was owner of ORS, a five-state sales and distribution company serving hospitals in the region.

Mrs. Kithil is a clarinet musician and performs with a clarinet trio and the Jeffco Community Band in local musical performances. She is married to Richard Kithil. They have a daughter, Lindsey Kithil. Lynda enjoys bird watching, photography, hiking, biking, travel, reading, knitting, cooking, and her family.

Maria Milagros Kneusel is a Registered Nurse with a Doctorate in Nursing and a Masters in Health Care Ethics. Maria is passionate about health care equity and about ensuring the dignified care of vulnerable and underserved populations. Maria is deeply invested in volunteerism with Latino communities in the Denver area and has also traveled abroad several times through Global Health Initiatives to serve the people of Peru. Maria is currently helping to provide support for the Salud Total program.