LISA CHEONG: Toronto, Ontario
Lisa Cheong currently works in the investment industry as a Senior Analyst in the Private Wealth Management Research Services group of National Bank Financial. She was born in Guyana, South America and migrated with her family to Canada in 1976. She became a born again Christian in the early 1990s and served overseas for 1 year with Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF) in Singapore. For the next 10 years, she continued to volunteer with OMF sitting on the OMF Home Council and organizing monthly mission meetings for young professionals.
In 1999, God opened her heart for the nation of Cambodia when she attended a prayer meeting.
After reading a book called Killing Fields, Living Fields by Don Cormack, an OMF missionary, she began to travel to Cambodia. Since 2000, she has been visiting Cambodia on an annual basis, taking short term teams and spending time encouraging missionaries. She sees herself as a "mobilizer", identifying the needs and opportunities in Cambodia and sharing the vision back here at home. In the beginning of 2006, she became the Toronto Representative for the Ratanak Foundation
Lisa's passion is to seek justice on behalf of child sex slaves by bringing awareness to the issues of child sex trafficking, advocating on behalf of child prostitutes by encouraging others to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves (Proverbs 31:8) and challenging Christians to take tangible actions by investing in the lives of these former child prostitutes. To that end, she has been recently involved in coordinating conferences in Toronto on this issue, promoting justice seminars and joining with like minded individuals from 7 different churches in Toronto to mobilize others to be a voice for the voiceless. She attends Rexdale Alliance church in Etobicoke.
STEWART AND SUSAN MCKERCHER: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Stewart McKercher, retired teacher of math and physics, taught 31 years in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Susan McKercher, retired in 1993 from a nursing background.
Upon retiring, both Susan and Stew enjoyed several years of traveling outside Canada (New Zealand, Nepal, Thailand, Mexico and Costa Rica) and within Canada (visiting children and relatives in Alberta and British Columbia). In the early 2000's they both felt that they should be doing something to help people. At this time Cambodia seemed to come to the forefront through T.V. documentaries and reading about Cambodia. In 2003, Marie Ens, a missionary in Cambodia, asked them to come to Cambodia and teach English as a second language. Away they went. They fell in love with the people and the country. At the same time they became involved with the Ratanak Foundation.
Susan and Stew are now Saskatchewan Representatives for the Ratanak Foundation. They have been to Cambodia 4 times spending a total of about 2 years there. They consider themselves fortunate at this stage in their lives to be able to work with the Ratanak Foundation for the betterment of Cambodia.
STEVE NORMAN: Ratanak UK (United Kingdom)
In April 2008, Steve Norman, a Police Officer of 24 years, chanced upon an article in a Sunday newspaper supplement about a girl sold into prostitution at the age of 13. The next day he bought the book and read it through that night into the next day. It was through this experience that God broke his heart and placed therein a deep compassion for the children of Cambodia who have no voice and endure such unimaginable suffering. The overwhelming desire to engage in this issue was impressed on him.
Following numerous fruitless searches and being advised that it was an area best avoided, Steve happened upon the Ratanak Foundation. Over the following months and the exchange of countless emails and calls, the prospect of developing the Ratanak Foundation in the UK became a reality. In May 2009 Ratanak-UK was formally born. At the time of writing, progress is being made in moving towards registering Ratanak (UK) with the UK Charities Commission and to the establishing of a support network.
Steve is a committed Christian and has been married to Karen for 22 years. They have two children aged 21 and 19 and are joyous at the arrival of their third child in February 2010. They also have a 3 year old grand-daughter. They live in rural North Yorkshire.
LAURA LUONG: Calgary, Alberta
Laura was born in Saigon, Vietnam and came to Canada when she was 7 years old.
She grew up in Edmonton, Alberta but now her home is Calgary. Laura is a professional engineer (married to another engineer), and the mother of two adorable two-year-old girls.
Laura first heard about the Ratanak Foundation in 2007 and it was through her persistent emails and enthusiasm that Brian first went to Calgary to speak to her church and others. She continues to coordinate a Ratanak Foundation prayer and reading group in Calgary for those interested in Cambodia and assists with local events and speaking engagements for Brian.
DEBBIE SHIELS: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Debbie retired from her elementary teaching career in 2008. She mainly worked with Gr. 2 and Gr. 4 children and loved to motivate, and encourage the love of learning through Science and Reading. She feels being involved with children is a gift from God. They inspire her with their amazing energy, enthusiasm, and their sense of humour. She still spends time with kids - her 2 young nieces and 1 nephew, subbing in her previous school K-8, and is anticipating time with her new grandchild to be born in early 2010.
A connection with Cambodia started when Deb was a child. The church her family attended was the home church to Cambodia Missionaries Norman and Marie Ens and the their family. She followed their work with the Cambodian people over the years. Later when Marie Ens founded Place of Rescue in Cambodia, Debbie's desire to be part of the work with the orphaned children, and to go to Cambodia grew. Through Susan and Stew's friendship, service in Cambodia and their Association with Ratanak, Debbie heard Brian speak in Saskatoon about Ratanak's many projects. She was deeply moved, when he spoke of the many children who were suffering in the brothels of Cambodia. Her prayer for the next stage of her life was that God would show her how to use her talents to serve Him. God is pointing her to Cambodia. This past year, she and several others met regularly to discuss books and information learned about Cambodian history and its people in preparation for a tour of Cambodia.
JIM AND GEORGIA JOHNSTONE: Vernon, British Columbia
Jim and Georgia moved to Vernon after 40 years of living in Calgary, Alberta. Jim is a retired high school math teacher and Georgia was a paramedic with the City of Calgary for 19 years. In 2000, they decided they wanted to serve the Lord teaching and spent the next year in Casablanca, Morocco, traveling in Africa and Europe before returning to Canada. Between them they have three children - Jim's two are married and living in Calgary - Georgia's son was killed in a motorcycle crash in 1995 - a horrible tragedy that God continues to see them through.
Georgia's first trip to Cambodia was in 2006 with a team from her home church in Calgary. They spent most of their time with Marie Ens at Place of Rescue where Jim and Georgia now sponsor a boy. There she met Stewart and Susan McKercher (Saskatchewan Representatives) and heard about the Ratanak Foundation. In January of 2007, Jim and Georgia went back to Cambodia for 3 weeks spending time at Place of Rescue and taking surgical/medical supplies up to Poipet for the hospital there. Stewart and Susan were very gracious in hosting them and touring around to many different areas. Since being home in Canada, they have decided they wanted to be involved with the Ratanak Foundation, having a passion to help the girls/women of Cambodia and spread the word to others of their plight.
MELISSA POLMAN: Office Manager
Melissa returned to Vancouver after marrying her husband Lewis (now an RCMP member) in 2007 after having worked with YWAM overseas for 2.5 years. She enjoys travelling and experiencing many countries/cultures. Her passion is for those who are in need whether here in Canada or on the other side of the world.
Working with the Ratanak Foundation has proved to be a wonderful opportunity for Melissa to engage with those who have a passion to help in Cambodia. This process facilitates Melissa's stated desire to grow deeper in her understanding of Jesus' love for the Khmer people.
Melissa is the Ratanak Vancouver Office Manager and is responsible for many diverse activities including catching the balls that Brian drops!
RICHARD KNOWLER: Financial Administrator
Richard was born in Windsor, Ontario and became a Christian as a youth. He has lived in Toronto, Florida and the UK. For the past 20 years Richard has called Vancouver home. He is an active member and treasurer of his church, Fairview Presbyterian, in Vancouver.
He comes to the Ratanak Foundation from a financial sales background. In May 2008, Richard visited Ratanak Foundation projects in Cambodia that forever changed him. Upon his return, he decided to retire from sales to join the Ratanak Foundation and start a new full-time career in the not-for-profit sector.
Richard manages the day to day financial administration of the Ratanak Foundation.
TEA CHAN SOTHEARY: Project Coordinator
Sotheary was born and raised in Cambodia through times of turmoil, war and revolution. Her family, like so many others, experienced huge personal loss during the period of the killing fields.
Sotheary comes to the Ratanak Foundation with a wealth of financial control and project management experience in the non-profit sector. These skills along with her cultural expertise, language skills and local knowledge make her an invaluable member of the team.
She is married to Paul who works with another Christian NGO. They have two children, a boy and a girl.
Sotheary is the "on the ground" Project Coordinator responsible for reviewing proposals, monitoring projects and ensuring correct reporting compliance. She also acts as coordinator for teams who visit Cambodia.
BETH DAVIS LAUER: Strategic Operational Manager
Beth Davis Lauer has more than twenty five years experience in project management, marketing, communications and in conflict resolution. During the past eight years Beth, with Stephen, has worked extensively with local and national organizations and churches in Africa and in Asia in helping to create grass roots HIV and AIDS programs. Beth and Stephen are principals of Priority Grow Inc., a management consulting firm focused on strategic planning, community development, organizational assessment, marketing and project management.
STEPHEN LAUER: Strategic Operational Manager
Stephen Lauer has thirty years of hands-on experience in the fields of strategic planning, community development, organizational assessment, marketing and project management. He has led in the creation of hundreds of bottom-up strategic plans, organizational shifts and development strategies that generated substantive results for non-profit organizations, faith-based agencies and local communities across Canada, the United States and abroad. Stephen has taught strategic planning and community development at several universities and for several associations. For three years, he served as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Waterloo, teaching a graduate level course on civics and heritage management.
Beth and Stephen have come alongside the Ratanak Foundation to share their expertise in the area of Strategic Planning.They live in the Village of Glen Morris along the banks of the Grand River in southern Ontario.
The Ratanak Foundation, as it seeks to be a blessing to Cambodia and positively impact many lives, has developed long-term, positive relationships and partnerships with several key organizations:
Operating in Cambodia:
Agape International Missions 
Christian and Missionary Alliance 
Hagar International 
Asian Outreach Cambodia 
Daughters
Inner Change 
TASK
Prison Fellowship Cambodia 
Chab Dai Coalition
Long-Term Partners in Raising Funds for Ratanak Projects:
Heavenly Night, Directed and Founded by
Kelita Haverland - www.heavenlynight.org
STEVEN FRIEBEL: Certified Financial Planner
In addition to Steven's professional financial experience he also brings a wealth of personal experience and sensitivity having grown up as a "missionary kid" in India.
BRYN POIRER: Legal Assistant
Bryn has served on the Ratanak Foundation's board for many years. She has experience in legal, human resources, and not-for-profit sectors in Australia and Canada.
PAUL RATSOY: Administrator
Paul comes from a banking background. He is currently the Office Administrator and Chaplin for Lighthouse Harbour Ministries. He has visited Cambodia with the Ratanak Foundation and also personally.
DAVID SHORT: Rector
David is Rector of Canada's largest Anglican congregation. He has extensive international leadership training experience and was born in Africa to a missionary family.
GRANT WILSON: Minister
Grant has immersed himself in things Cambodian for many years. He has visited Cambodia many times with the Ratanak Foundation, participating in and leading mission teams. He has also visited personally and has an adopted Cambodian daughter.
EDWARD E. BOWES: LL.B, LL.M, J.J.P.
Edward, as the newest addition to our Board of Directors, comes to the Ratanak Foundation with over 30 years of legal experience in Vancouver. He is currently a practicing Barrister and Solicitor, and is also a Judicial Justice of the Peace.