Jim Willey, Founder & Chairman
Prior to his corporate career, Jim Willey served in Vietnam for the U.S. Army, First Cavalry as a helicopter pilot and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the military’s highest honor for army pilots. Jim then returned to the states and began a 21-year career at Polaroid Corporation, before leaving the corporate life to become an entrepreneur. He was, at the time, a Divisional Vice President.
In 1983, Jim Willey and his brother, Tom, founded Willey Brothers, Inc. The company provided merger services, branch design/build, and merchandising solutions to financial institutions. Their clients included SunTrust, Fleet Bank, Wells Fargo and many other regional and community banks. Willey Brothers was a great success, however Jim and Tom decided to sell the business in 2001 in order to retire. It was at this time that Jim began focusing his time on charitable activities.
Jim made his first trip to Haiti in 2005 and, after that, he knew his life would never be the same. He went back time after time with the goal to help change the lives of Haitian kids. He began to feel God urging him to launch Help for Haiti in order to bring hope to these courageous and worthy people, and in 2011 the organization became a reality.
Jim has been married to Betsy, his “best friend and childhood sweetheart” for over 50 years. Together they have two sons, and two granddaughters.
Johanne Méléance, Executive Director
Johanne is a Haitian American leader with more than a decade of experience as a program and organization leader. She has worked for a variety of Haitian and American global development firms including Partners in Health, Management Sciences for Health, 10Power, African Sustainability Project, and the Irish International Immigrant Center. Johanne is fluent in English, French and Haitian Creole. In addition to her leadership experience, she also has expertise in program design and implementation, strategic planning and fundraising, and language and financial literacy training. Johanne has an undergraduate degree in Francophone Studies from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a master’s degree in Global Studies and International Affairs from Northeastern University. She also completed a Nondegree program at the Université Paris IV – Sorbonne and is certified in Community Outreach and Engagement Training through the City of Cambridge, MA.
Betsy Willey, Secretary
Betsy is a graduate of Sullins College with a Fine Arts degree in Interior Design. Her love of design, art and family are the most important influences in her life.
When her two grown sons, Jared and Matt, were established in grade school, Betsy began working at a photographic studio executing room designs. Her room designs were photographed to promote fine furniture and fabric brands for magazines targeting high class, luxury-living consumers. This inspired her to launch a business to provide marketing solutions for fabric companies.
Birge Fabric and Wall Covering contracted Betsy to implement their Oleg Cassini Collection of fabrics at Mr. Cassini’s private New York residence. She spent 10 years designing the interiors of fine restaurants and elegant estates, and retired in 1993.
Betsy’s love for children and their mothers led her to volunteer for various non-profit organizations. For many years she provided art classes, special events for children and annual fundraisers for local schools at the Children’s Multiple Handicapped Center. Additionally, Betsy also founded “All About Moms,” a ministry out of Bethany Church, New Hampshire, dedicated to helping mothers build relationships and share their faith with one another. She served as program director for many years.
Now, Betsy loves to spend time with her family, as she watches her beautiful them grow in love for each other and for The Lord. She loves to build gingerbread houses and fairy villages with her granddaughters. She also loves to paint, read, dance and play golf.
Sue Mullen, Director
Sue is co-chair of the fundraising committee for the Zakim Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a world-renowned cancer research and treatment center. The center offers therapies to patients who are undergoing cancer treatments.
Prior to this, Sue worked for several non-profit organizations in the Boston area, including Harvard University and the Jimmy Fund; the pediatric fundraising arm of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
In previous years, Sue was very active in her community in Newton, Massachusetts as a volunteer teacher at Second Step, a support organization for survivors of domestic abuse that provides transition-housing, job training, mentoring and counseling.
Sue graduated with honors from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts where she majored in Psychology and minored in music. Sue has been married to her husband, Ed, for 37 years, and they have two beautiful daughters.
Steve Gallup, Director & Treasurer
Steve has been a Domino’s Pizza franchise owner since May of 1972. He has been responsible for hiring and training many people, as well as developing and implementing marketing plans, creating and managing budgets, negotiating leases, and performing all the attendant activities that go with operating and growing a successful small business. Today, Steve is semi-retired and oversees three Domino’s stores and their operations in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Steve spent three and a half years in the U.S. Navy and was granted an early discharge to attend Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. Here, he earned an Associate’s Degree in Accounting. He then held a position with Barrecrafters, Inc. as assistant controller.
Steve has been married to his wonderful wife Carol for 51 years, and they have three grown children and six incredible grandchildren. In November of 1981, Steve’s life changed forever when he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He has spent the intervening years growing in his faith.
Steve is a member of Bethany Church in Greenland, New Hampshire, where he served as an Elder for four years. This is also where he met Jim and Betsy, nearly 18 years ago in 1997. Steve and his wife developed a friendship with Jim and Betsy through a Bible study, and when Help for Haiti became instated, Steve was asked to be the treasurer of the organization.
Steve is thrilled to serve the Haitian people alongside Jim and the Help for Haiti team. He believes in Help for Haiti’s mission whole-heartedly, and is excited to see how far Help for Haiti’s impact will spread over the coming years.
Carl Rubin, Director
Carl Rubin brings a plethora of knowledge in the fields of accounting and finance to the Help for Haiti Director’s Board. Carl graduated from Bentley College with a degree in accounting, and worked in finance, accounting, customer service and outside sales positions before being appointed Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Web Industries. Carl served on the company’s Board of Directors from the mid-1980’s until his retirement in 2014. He attributes his long tenure at Web to the strong values embedded in the company culture, and to the terrific people he was fortunate to work with every day.
This year, Carl celebrates his 35th wedding anniversary to his wife Brenda. They have four wonderful children- Calen, Lee, Alex and Kathryn- all of whom are worldwide adventurers.
Carl first met Jim during his time at Web Industries, where Jim had been a Board of Director for over 20 years. Carl’s relationship to Haiti began several years ago when his wife, along with some of his children, traveled to Haiti to help on various missions trips. Carl has been a financial supporter of Help for Haiti for many years, and last year he even joined Jim in the annual Pan-Florida Challenge, a 2-day, 160-mile cycling ride across southern Florida.
Aside from spending time with his family, Carl enjoys running, biking, golfing and skiing. His ministry interests center around financial education and counseling through local churches, with the goal of helping people understand how to manage a healthy financial state in their lives.
