Eric and Holly Nelson, Founders

Special Hope Network’s founders, Eric and Holly, have a combined 50-plus years’ experience working with special needs populations.

Holly is a special education teacher certified in moderate and severe special needs, as well as early childhood education. In addition to the 10 years of teaching in public school systems, she has also created the educational program every year for their three children who each have Down syndrome.

Eric holds degrees in biblical studies and a master’s of divinity. Vocationally, he has helped oversee and manage several group homes and emergency shelters for adults with developmental disabilities and has also been director of sales and marketing for a start-up business technology consulting company in Washington, D.C. In addition, he has been a pastor for more than 10 years.

Contact them at eric@specialhopenetwork.org or holly@specialhopenetwork.org.

 

Beth Bailey, Director of Operations Africa

Beth is a graduate of the University of Virginia with a degree in religious studies. She spent the four years there working with Younglife, a Christian outreach program to high school students, in Charlottesville. While in college, she led a team of fellow students in ministering to teenagers, focusing on evangelism and discipleship.

Beth completed missionary work at an orphanage in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2007, where she was first exposed to the problem of the worldwide orphan crisis. And while in college, Beth came into contact with several families who had adopted children from Ethiopia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Ukraine, Brazil, and the U.S. Her passion for orphans grew as a result of her interaction and work with these families and compelled her to join Special Hope Network in the work they are doing in southern Africa.

Read more from Beth on her personal blog: So That HE Might Increase.

Contact her at beth@specialhopenetwork.org.

 

 Aaron Schmidt, Senior Media Advisor

Aaron graduated from Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts, with a degree in middle school education and a minor in history. He taught 5th, 6th, and 7th grade; worked as an art director and graphic designer; and is currently the marketing/communications director for ASI Gymnastics in Dallas, Texas.

Aaron met Eric and Holly in college, and they have been close friends ever since. He has been a part of Special Hope since its inception and accompanied Eric to Africa in 2008. His gifted work with both art and computers has enabled Special Hope’s logo to be creative, unique, and upbeat, taking Samuel’s writing and drawings and incorporating them into the SHN logo.