Lori Connell/COO/Co-Founder

COO

Lori’s first visit to Honduras was in 1999 soon after Hurricane Mitch ravaged the capital city and surrounding areas. She was part of a mission team that came to provide housing, food, and medical care.  Lori was impacted deeply by the poverty she saw and was drawn to the women and children and their daily struggle to survive.  It was then that a passion for justice and empowerment for women began.  Lori and her husband Mark moved to Honduras in 2008 to work among the people full time.

“I seek to live out my life and faith by these words...Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

In 2002 Lori Connell Co-founded Mi Esperanza. Lori serves as the COO of Mi Esperanza, overseeing the program's day-to-day operations, which include the skills training school, micro-credit program, production house, and the ME brand, her primary responsibilities.  Lori’s passion is to improve women's lives in extreme poverty, knowing it will change the lives of their children, families, and communities...." the ripple effect of love is endless."   Lori & Mark have two children; Ryan Connell Hargis (Zac) and Eric Connell (Jenny.) Lori's favorite job is being Lola to her five grandchildren, Will, Maya, Kate, Andrew, and Henry.   

Janet Hines/CEO/Co-Founder

CEO

Janet’s first experience with Honduras was in 1998 when she came on a two-week mission trip.  When she returned the following summer after Hurricane Mitch, the need for help and hope had become even greater.  She returned that fall and taught a quilting class to a group of women and realized that they had amazing talent and just needed an opportunity to learn.  It took three more years to bring this dream to life in December 2002. This is when Mi Esperanza was born.  Being able to be a part of bringing hope into lives where there was none is a huge passion in Janet’s life.

“Being able to be a part of bringing hope into lives where there was none is a huge passion in Janet’s life.”

Janet is Co-Founder and CEO. She travels doing presentations and speaks to groups about the Mi Esperanza program. She loves sharing what Mi Esperanza is about and engaging other women in the vision of Mi Esperanza.

Janet lives near Poplarville, Mississippi. She has three sons, Micheal, Richard, and Jonathan, and one daughter, Stephanie. She is also blessed with six grandsons, Christian, Zachary, Reid, Harrison, Miles, and Benjamin, and three granddaughters, Emma, Laura, and Elise.

Jennifer Presley-President

Jennifer’s first experience with Honduras and Mi Esperanza was actually not a personal experience at all.  She experienced it through her daughter, Savannah, after her first trip to Honduras in 2010. Jennifer was able to see what Mi Esperanza was all about with her own eyes during a trip to Honduras in 2012.  Seeing and hearing Lori Connell’s passion and love for the women of Honduras was life-changing for her and she has been back to Honduras a number of times.  She loves the products produced by the women empowered by Mi Esperanza and advocates for Mi Esperanza in the states. 

Jennifer is employed as the Office & Financial Manager for Homewood Church of Christ in Birmingham, Alabama. She has been an employee at Homewood for just over 11 years and a member there for 34 years. 

She is currently involved with the Missions Committee at Homewood and she and her husband, Stephen, have been the contact couple for missionaries, Matt and Andrea Miller, for over 20 years during their mission work in Togo, West Africa and now in Rwanda.  She also serves on the newly formed Racial Unity Action Team at Homewood which strives to educate the membership on the injustices against People of Color in the United States and form partnerships with traditionally African American Churches of Christ in the Birmingham area. 

She graduated from Auburn University in 1988 with a degree in accounting and was employed in public accounting and the corporate world for about 10 years. She then decided to be a stay-at-home mom for 12 years before joining the staff at Homewood in 2010.  She has been married to her husband, Stephen, for almost 33 years and is Mom to three adult children, Savannah (married to William), Stevie and Daniel.  All three have been to Honduras and to Africa and have a heart for missions. She considers herself very blessed. 

Beth Fox-Treasurer

Treasurer

Beth Fox’s first visit to Honduras was in 2014 to see first hand the amazing works being done with and for Honduran women.  Mi Esperanza’s work speaks volumes to making a difference in women’s lives.  Beth is a world traveler having been blessed to have visited over 100 countries, always seeking friends and smiling faces around the world.  Beth hopes to add to her travels in the years to come. 

Beth grew up in Indiana, but calls Tennessee and Florida home now.  She is semi-retired from a 30-year career in insurance.  She and her husband Jimmy hold the blessing of family, friends and church family closest.   A life long United Methodist, a champion for the underdog and an eternal optimist, Beth is proud to join a group of incredible women doing God’s work with Mi Esperanza.

Lana Cagle

Secretary

For all her life, Lana has loved serving others. In fact, she chose hospitality as her career path and degree from Penn State University where she graduated in 2004. Graduation led her to relocation ...in Louisiana and much, much warmer temps! But before she left Pennsylvania for good, she embarked upon her very first mission trip to Honduras in 2003. To say her eyes were opened would be an ultimate understatement. She quickly fell in love with the people and the culture that she grew to cherish. Returning for several years as an intern for Mi Esperanza and eventually a dual citizenship, it put its stamp on her heart for good. Over the years circumstances have prevented her from physically being present in Honduras, but her heart is forever changed by the people and the programs that brought this great country into her life. Empowering women and equipping them is something she works on daily and is eager to help more. She will forever love sharing the mission and the faces behind this wonderful organization and hopes to return one day very soon.

Kea Hampton

“Jesus said that when we extend grace and aid to one in need, we are extending it to Jesus. That scripture resonates the mission that Jesus has for us. Honduras is rich in opportunities to serve Jesus because there are so many in need.”

In 1982, Kea had her first mission experience in Honduras. It was an eye-opening, heart-wrenching, and life-altering experience. The people of Honduras were so grateful for everything they had, and they had so very little. Poverty and hunger were the norm.

Despite the socioeconomic differences, Kea knew she had received far more than she had given in Honduras and was determined to return. God had placed Honduras on her heart.  

Kea graduated from Harding University in 1982 with a master’s degree in social work. She married Bobby Hampton in 1983, began a career as a counselor, and started to grow her family. During this time, God paved the path to lead Kea back to Honduras.

In 2001, Kea returned to Honduras as a chaperone for her church youth group. She met Janet Hines and Lori Connell and was soon introduced to Mi Esperanza there.  

Kea is one of the founding board members and has been managing Mi Esperanza’s online store for almost 20 years. Every package includes a lady’s signature as a reminder that each piece is handcrafted by a Mi Esperanza graduate who has excelled in her craft. 

Now that Mi Esperanza is 20 years old, the Mi Esperanza family sees generational change as women can feed, clothe, house, and educate their children. Mi Esperanza is making a difference by empowering the second generation.

Bobby and Kea reside in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and are parents to five children, ten grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. 

Christine Brewer

Christine Brewer is a native of Louisiana and now resides in North Florida.  She is a graduate of Louisiana Tech University.  Retired, she loves to spend her time traveling and working on community service projects.  She has served as Vice President on the board of directors of the Art League of North Florida, where she provided her talents in managing the Gateway Art Gallery in Lake City, Florida.  Since 2017 she has been a member of Altrusa International of Lake City, a service organization for women, where she currently participates on the Service committee.  She has been instrumental in creating a partnership between Altrusa International of Lake City and Mi Esperanza, where she helps to develop service projects that impact the women of Mi Esperanza.

Christine first became familiar with Mi Esperanza during a trip to Israel with Janet Hines and Kea Hampton in 2011.  She first visited Honduras in 2016, where she experienced firsthand the needs of the women in Honduras.  She felt that tug on her heartstrings and knew that she could and would do more.

In 2021, Christine served Mi Esperanza as the Auction Coordinator for the Passport to Hope virtual fundraiser.  

Elizabeth Roney

I was introduced to Mi Esperanza as an intern in the summer of 2009. Unfortunately, my time in Honduras was cut short that summer because of the government coup.

I returned later that fall, where I launched my line, Liz Alig, from the sewing workshop at Mi Esperanza. Over the years, I have continued to work with Mi Esperanza to produce small collections. I have loved getting to know the women in the sewing program and watching how Mi Esperanza impacts their lives, both in building their confidence and giving them tools to become financially independent.

Since launching my line at Mi Esperanza, I have gone on to partner with similar small workshops around the world. I am passionate about finding sustainable ways to give women more ownership of their lives, both financially and personally. I love being a part of how Mi Esperanza does this in Honduras.

Hope May

I was introduced to Mi Esperanza through Lori Connell in the winter of 2006. She was passionate about Mi Esperanza's work, and I knew I wanted to see it. That following summer, my husband and I took our first trip to Honduras and experienced Mi Esperanza firsthand. I immediately fell in love with what they were doing to bring women and their families out of poverty. The following year, we returned to Honduras with our children, who were 2 and 5 years old. It was important to us that they learn to serve others and see other cultures. Our family has made the trip to Honduras over half a dozen times.

Our family has lived in numerous locations, including spending three years in Mexico as missionaries. Shane and I are always thrilled when we get to use our Spanish. We currently live in Birmingham, AL, where we have worked with the youth and children at Disciples Fellowship for over eight years. Our children, Kellen and Samantha, are now 19 and 16, respectively. I have worked for several non-profits and am passionate about working with the underserved.

Over the years, returning to Honduras in the summer, I have seen firsthand how teaching women a trade gives them confidence and pride in themselves. And you can see this affecting how their children are raised to value education. I am excited to be part of Mi Esperanza because I believe in their influence on changing Honduras's poverty outlook. Empowering women will, in turn, empower a country to change.

EA Lepine

I’ve been designing clothes for over fifteen years, and have worked on product development for Mi Esperanza. I learned about Mi Esperanza on my first trip to Honduras. I found that when I was spending time in Honduran communities, I was most drawn to the young mothers I met. When I learned about the work Mi Esperanza was doing, I knew I had to get involved. I loved how Mi Esperanza was empowering these women to learn a skill and be able to provide for themselves and their children. I serve on the board of directors because I love Mi Esperanza, the women we serve and because I believe that ethical fashion is a key to a brighter, kinder and more sustainable future. I would love to see Mi Esperanza grow to employee a number of women greater than any of us ever imagined. 

EA resides in Fort Worth Texas with her husband James and their two children.  

Julie Lawson

Julie and her husband Alan took a medical mission trip to Honduras in late 1999. On this trip, they met and fell in love with a little Honduran girl with a congenital heart defect. Through a series of miracles, they brought Denia to the United States for life-saving heart surgery. Now permanently tied to Honduras through Denia and her family, Julie, and her husband continued visiting Honduras on various mission trips and to see the family.

In 2011 Julie was introduced to Mi Esperanza through a friend. "I knew I had found my passion project." For years prior, I had been looking for a way to use my artistic gifts to help women in the country I had come to love so dearly.

Since then, Julie founded the jewelry program and trained an amazing team of female artisans that hand-makes the Mi Esperanza jewelry line, which Julie designs. Julie served as Chairman of the Board of Mi Esperanza in 2019.