Board of Directors
Special Hope Network is governed by a Board of Directors who oversee all aspects of vision and its implementation, both in the US and abroad. Our board members bring a diverse set of skills, gifts, and experience but share a common passion for Jesus and enthusiasm to love orphans and vulnerable children with intellectual disabilities.
Current Board Members:
Eric Nelson
Holly Nelson
Chris Knights
Erica Knights
Gordon Myers
Brooke Easton
Jeannie Arnold
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Chris Knights
Chris Knights graduated with a degree in Geography from Mary Washington College (Fredericksburg, VA). His specialized academic studies included Cultural World Geography and Sub-Saharan Africa. Professionally, he has worked in the commercial sector supporting Federal, State, and Local government contracts in the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) industry. Chris is currently employed at Intrado, Inc. as an Account Executive selling Next Generation technology to the Public Safety industry in the Mid-Atlantic region. Chris also holds a Governor-appointed position on the Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN) Advisory Board.
Chris’ past international organization interests and experience include supporting People for Missions efforts in Guatemala by serving in an advisory role to missionaries starting youth churches in urban areas and serving as a host family for the American Belarussian Relief Organization (ABRO). ABRO focuses on bringing children from the radiation-contaminated regions of Belarus to the United States for summer medical respite care. Each summer Chris and his family host a little girl who lives near the site of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, seeking to provide physical, emotional and spiritual support for her and her family.
Chris resides near Charlottesville, VA with his wife, Erica, and their three children, Lindsay (10), Jared (7), and Carson (4).
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Erica Knights graduated from Mary Washington College (Fredericksburg, VA) with a degree in Historic Preservation and Elementary (NK-6) Education.
Erica Knights
Professionally, she worked as a kindergarten and first-grade teacher in Northern Virginia where she developed a passion for children with cognitive disabilities. Her classroom regularly included students with special needs, which led her to work closely with special education instructors to develop curriculum and adaptations that would allow these students to thrive in a mainstreamed classroom setting. She is currently enjoying being a stay-at-home mom to her three kids!
A heart for touching others with Christ’s love has led Erica into several areas of outreach. She has supported People for Missions efforts in Guatemala where she served in an advisory role for missionaries working in a school for orphans. Currently she is actively involved with the American Belarussian Relief Organization (ABRO), serving as a host family for a child living in the area of Belarus contaminated by the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. She recently developed a host family handbook and multicultural curriculum to meet the needs of children and families involved in this medical respite program. Her other passion is leading small group women’s Bible studies and developing mentoring programs.
Erica resides near Charlottesville, VA with her husband, Chris, and their three children, Lindsay (10), Jared (7), and Carson (4).
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Gordon Myers
Gordon Myers is a special education teacher in Charlottesville, Virginia and she has served on the boards of a variety of community service and educational agencies. She also leads the Mercy team at her church. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Psychology, where she minored in Religious Studies, and a Master’s of Education in Special Education from the University of Virginia. Gordon began working with a student who had very significant cognitive and physical disabilities as a teaching assistant in 1996, and she has been committed to providing opportunities for educating children with special needs since then. Her passion includes creating a community that supports inclusion and autonomy for all children who have disabilities, and she has been blessed to be able to combine her calling with her daily work. Gordon lives in Albemarle County with her husband of 27 years, three dogs, and two cats. They have two grown children, Sam and Ellie.
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Brooke Easton graduated from James Madison University with her Bachelor of Social Work. She spent a few years in New York City working in the Women’s Program of Teen Challenge, a Christian drug recovery program. She also has experience working in youth ministry and with elementary school children in an afterschool program setting. Currently, Brooke is pursuing a Master of Divinity with a concentration in missions at Gordon-Conwell Seminary in Massachusetts.
Brooke Easton
Brooke’s passion for international work began in college. She spent two spring breaks in Dominica with the Alternative Spring Break Program her university offered. Studying the culture and economics of the island motivated Brooke to spend more time overseas. In the summers of 2005 and 2006 Brooke traveled with Africa Inland Mission to Namibia and Tanzania. In Namibia she worked with a local church at their afterschool program tutoring and mentoring children. The next year, she led a team to Tanzania to help construct a church building in Arusha, as well as work with children from Compassion International. While Brooke does not have formal experience with special needs children, she has spent several years babysitting children with special needs and also experienced children with a range of cognitive and physical disabilities in her work and in her time overseas.
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Jeannie Arnold graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Virginia Commonwealth University. She spent 15 years providing home daycare to many children of working parents. Some of these children were children with special needs. She spent 10 years working for her local school system, part of that time in a special education classroom.
Jeannie is a mother of 4, two of whom have special needs. Two of Jeannie’s five grandchildren were adopted from foreign countries, Guatemala and Ethiopia. Jeannie and her late husband Gene were active volunteers for 16 years in their Special Olympics local area. Gene and Jeannie also were active supporters of the special needs ministry in their church.
Jeannie met the Nelsons when they started bringing their children to Challenger Baseball, which Gene was directing at the time. Later Gene and Jeannie helped the Nelsons get involved in Special Olympics and the Special Needs Ministry at Spring Hill Baptist Church.
Gene passed away in April 2009. Jeannie now lives in Carolina Beach, North Carolina near her five grandchildren. She continues to be committed to involvement in the Special Needs Community and the ministry to families touched by special needs. She has been devoted to helping her own children reach their potential and welcomes the opportunity to help other children with special needs do the same.
