Charissa began serving Insight for Living Ministries as a teenager. She was one of the first employees to staple together our study guides and stamp each envelope for the daily mailings—all from a folding table in one-third of Chuck and Cynthia’s garage! I guess you could say that garage was Insight’s first home.
When Insight for Living relocated from Fullerton, California to Texas, Charissa and her two children moved here as well. She trained eighteen new Customer Service representatives and off we went. As IFL grew, Charissa went on to manage the Customer Service Department, and soon became a Vice President over Marketing, Communications, the Fulfillment Center, and Donor Development.
After a number of years, Charissa felt called to leave Insight for Living to serve other ministries and gain broader understanding of how non-profits function and how fundraising is carried out within those ministries. She served as a Major Gift Officer at Wycliffe Bible Translators as well as at Compassion International.
Because of Charissa’s numerous international ministry experiences, Chuck and Cynthia have the utmost confidence in her serving as the Executive Vice President of Advancement and Ministry Events at Insight for Living Ministries.
Charissa has been blessed to travel around the world, and enjoys public speaking, but her favorite activity is connecting with people on a personal level. She is married to Mark Gaither. Together they have four children and love being grandparents. They reside in the Dallas area.
Bryant Kelley joined Insight for Living Ministries in November 2007 after managing his own art gallery in Plano, Texas, for 13 years. As one of IFLM’s vice presidents for Advancement, Bryant cultivates and maintains friendships with ministry partners who come alongside Insight for Living Ministries to help make a positive impact around the world.
Serving gallery clientele prepared Bryant for his current role by honing the relational skills he needs to develop personal relationships with major contributors and to warmly express appreciation on behalf of Insight for Living Ministries. He enjoys creating opportunities to increase donor awareness of the ministry’s vision and to show heartfelt gratitude for their vital part in helping accomplish the ministry’s mission.
Bryant and his wife, Laura, have been married since 1993, reside in Plano, Texas, and are charter members of Stonebriar Community Church in nearby Frisco where Bryant serves as an usher. They have one daughter and one grandson in Knoxville, Tennessee, and cherish every opportunity to visit them. In his free time Bryant enjoys participating in men’s Bible study under Steve Farrar at Stonebriar, traveling home to Atlanta, Georgia, to help his twin sister, fishing with a bass club on Texas lakes, and whale-watching in Hawaii with Laura.
Bryant and Laura enjoy serving as hosts on Insight for Living Ministries’ cruises and tours, where they have the opportunity to get to know new ministry partners and catch up with long-time friends of Insight for Living Ministries.
Linda joined Insight for Living Ministries in November 2015 after spending years in marketing and business development for higher education. She traveled extensively throughout the United States understanding the different cultures of campuses and managing the expectations of clients in order to develop a food service program at their university that would align with the school’s mission and provide added value to their student experiences. She brings a heart for understanding people from all walks of life and serving them with tools that will help them along their journey.
These experiences translate well into serving those in our ministry and Insight for Living Ministries. Listening to our donors’ hearts, sharing our ministry’s vision, and developing a long-term relationship with our constituents provides opportunity to “make disciples of all the nations” through education and giving . . . something Linda has been called to do since she was in high school.
Linda and her husband, Warren, are from Waco, Texas where she earned a BBA in marketing from Baylor University. Their two sons, who also earned degrees from Baylor and are fourth-generation legacies of the university, live in New Braunfels and Kansas City.