We are a team committed to supporting Hogares Luz Y Vida.
Vicki Gatling, Founder and President
Vicki Gatling has enjoyed a 40-year career in health care. She is a registered nurse, and 20 of those years were spent practicing as a certified registered Nurse Anesthetist. She currently works with the aging population in Assisted Living and Memory Care. She is a graduate of Union Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, the Prince George’s Hospital School of Nurse Anesthesia and George Washington University where she obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree.
Vicki currently resides in Connecticut with her husband, Fred, and is the mother of adult twins. Her heart for disabled and impoverished children has led her on many humanitarian mission trips, including accompanying nursing students to Ecuador to provide disability awareness and community health education.
Vicki's commitment to these children has resulted in not only her own but also her daughter and son’s involvement with the efforts of the Foundation. She actively encourages other young adults to come on a trip where they will visit a developing nation, witness poverty, and more importantly get an opportunity to offer compassion to these marginalized children.
Linda Johnson - Vice President
Linda Johnson is currently the Operations Director for the State of Rhode Island Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner (OHIC) and she has been in this dynamic role since 2013.
As the owner of Johnson & Associates, a health care management consulting firm, Linda has advised hospitals, health care providers and organizations to maximize productivity and assessed health care organizations for compliance with state and federal statutes/regulations, for nearly 15 years.
Prior to that, Linda spent 15 years at the Rhode Island Department of Health as the Chief of the Office of Managed Care Regulation. Her hard work and dedication to her profession have not been without recognition, as she was featured on CBS Eye on America in 1996 and in a 1997 George Anders Publication “Health Against Wealth.”
Linda has been active in community and business organizations as an advocate for improving the health and economic status of the community. She has also participated in non-profit organizations in her community, St. Luke’s Parish, and as a prior member of the Board of Directors of the Light and Life Foundation, based in Fairfield, CT. Her most recent focus is to support the Love of Orphans Foundation in an effort to continue caring for the children of the Luz Y Vida Orphanage located Bogota Colombia where Linda has had an ongoing relationship for the past 18 years.
Brenda Brush - Secretary
Brenda Brush has been an educator for over 20 years, serving as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and school administrator. Her entire career has been dedicated to providing the highest quality education possible to all students, regardless of their individual challenges. This commitment to children led her to take part in a school fundraiser where she learned about the work of Hogares Luz y Vida.
Soon after, in February of 2009, she heeded the call to travel to Bogotá. The time spent there changed her life, and the children captured her heart.
Brenda’s involvement with Love of Orphans includes not only working directly with the children, but also communicating with current and potential donors through the Foundation’s website, newsletters, and social media. She actively encourages others to become involved with the Foundation by offering their time and talents in whatever ways they can.
Brenda holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education in Spanish, as well a Master of Arts degree in Elementary Education with a specialization in Math, Science and Technology from Hofstra University. She also holds a Certificate in Educational Leadership from Sacred Heart University. She currently resides in Connecticut with her husband, Michael, and is godmother to two amazing children.
Susan Logie - Board Member
Susan Logie is very special…and makes friends everywhere she goes. To Susan, strangers are just friends who you haven’t been acquainted with yet. Over the years, Susan has introduced and connected many people to the work at Luz y Vida. She became connected to Luz y Vida in 2013 and has gone frequently to Bogota to serve the children and adults at the Hogar.
Forty-one years ago, while living in London, she met and married her husband Chris. Together they decided that they would pursue artistic expression and service, which they have encouraged in all of their 5 children. As a family, they have traveled to Africa, India, England, Indonesia, Zambia, hungry, Canada, Mexico, and Colombia bringing with them their musical and artistic abilities.
Susan has a heart for people who are struggling with addiction, health challenges, death, and grief. She and her husband Chris are currently serving in a recovery home in the Los Angeles area. She has also worked in the Los Angeles County Jail, providing artistic outlets for the inmates there. She has assisted as a hospice care visitor offering support to those who are dying, and their family.
Susan believes that everyone has something unique to offer to this world, which is at its best when everyone comes together, as a family, to help the “least of these.”
Susan lives with her husband in Whittier California. Her favorite color is green.
Fred Gatling - Advisor to the Board
Layna Gatling - Tech Support and All Around Emotional Support
Having fun with the children! Layna helps with tech, support, and overall encouragement.
Jarrett Gatling - Advocate and Story Teller
Partners
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