Contact Us:

Address:
  Southern Cross Humanitarian
  10542 S. Jordan Gateway, Suite 200
  Sandy, Utah 84095

Phone:
  (801) 285-7922

Fax:
  (801) 285-7923

Office Personnel:
  
  President:
    Laura Chabries Laura@sxhu.org

  Project Coordinator:
    Cameron Smyres Cameron@sxhu.org
  

Executive Board:

Celeste Bain Allen (Vice President)
Celeste lives in Draper, Utah. She is the lovely mother of five children and enjoys volunteering in her children’s charter schools; most recently as the parent volunteer coordinator. Celeste also spends her time working with the young women of her church, loves to cook, eat and entertain. Celeste’s mother is from Argentina and her first language is Spanish; she learned English in kindergarten. Celeste served an LDS mission to Bolivia, La Paz and has fond memories of her time there. Celeste is a graduate of Utah State University. She has a BA in Political Science, a Certificate International Relations with an emphasis in Latin American studies. Celeste has worked as a drug and gang prevention coordinator with Hispanic youth, and she also has volunteered as an evaluator for a prevention program aimed at young Hispanic women. Celeste likes to refer to herself as the average woman. She calls herself the peanut buttter and jelly of life, stuck between the upper and lower crust. Yet we all know the peanut butter and jelly is what holds the rest of us together.

Brent Bell (Treasurer)
Brent is a Certified Public Accountant whose accounting firm specializes in tax research, planning and compliance. He oversees companies’ tax situations and has clients in the retail, hospitality, manufacturing, real estate and nonprofit industries. He previously worked for an international accounting firm for over 10 years. Brent has served as chairman of the Utah Association of Certified Public Accountants Tax Symposium committee for several years, has been on the advisory board of the Single Mom Foundation, and has been involved as a volunteer in the United Way and the March of Dimes. Brent and his wife Annette have four daughters ages 10 to 23. All six members of the family traveled to Peru with Southern Cross Humanitarian in December 2008 for what became a life-changing experience.

Margo Flint (Secretary)
Margo has spent the past 28 years doing what she loves the most, teaching children. She enjoys the challenges and rewards of owning and operating her own businesses and being an entrepreneur. Margo coached gymnastics in her own private gym for over 26 years and has recently retired from that. She still owns a preschool and doesn't think she will ever quit teaching. "It is just too much fun ! Children are my passion ! Making life better for them is my goal in life!" Margo has had the privilege of visiting and teaching in several orphanages in Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Peru. She is passionate about doing humanitarian work and is excited to be a part of Southern Cross Humanitarian. When Margo is not working or doing service, she spends her time with her 3 children and 5 grandchildren. For her, being a grandma is the absolute best thing in life. Other interests include traveling, waterskiing, boating, jetskiing, snowskiing, snowmobiling, camping , flyfishing and most recently skydiving !

Cameron Smyres (Project Coordinator/Expedition Leader)
Cameron is a graduate from BYU with a bachelors in Nutritional Science and Exercise Science, and a minor in African Studies. He has worked in both Ghana and Burkina Faso, Africa, conducting Medical Anthropology research through the International Field Studies program at BYU, educating local villages regarding essential disease prevention and basic nutrition. Cameron is committed to improving the health, education, and living circumstances in developing nations and enjoyed his first expedition to Cusco, Peru in December 2007. Fluent in Spanish, he has traveled to South America on many occasions, including an LDS mission to Southern Chile and is excited to serve the people of Latin America.
Send an email to Cameron

Board of Directors:

In good measure, Southern Cross Humanitarian is run by volunteers. Because of this philosophy, the Board of Directors of Southern Cross Humanitarian demands more time than most. Each director has a strategic area, and all work to help each other fulfill those roles as well. We are grateful for the dedication and devotion of our board and advisory staff.

Mandalyn Gulbrandsen (Strategic Planning/Operations)
Mandalyn is a partner in Kingsbury Wealth Strategies, a family-owned business that coordinates the integration of a high-net worth client's tax, legal, financial and business advisors. Previously, she spent 6 years directing the communications efforts for a multi-billion dollar financial services firm. She and her husband are avid cyclists and world travelers, particularly to Latin America. Mandalyn became involved with the efforts of Southern Cross Humanitarian through the first annual banquet and served as the Utah Chapter President for nearly a year. She has been both an attendee and leader on expeditions and plans to continue taking expedition groups down on an annual basis.
Send an email to Mandalyn

Kate Keethler (Fundraising & Marketing)
Kate is a Butler University graduate with a BA in Journalism and Public and Corporate Communications and a Minor in Spanish. She has worked at The Washington Post Company for the past 3+ years as a National Account Executive in digital media sales. Prior to that, she worked at Careerbuilder as a Regional Sales Manager. Kate grew up in California, but currently lives and works in Chicago. When not working, Kate enjoys traveling, attending sporting events and reading.

Natalie Mano (Child Welfare/Donations In-Kind)
Natalie has a background in business with emphasis in marketing and operations. Community service involvement includes being a Big Sister in the Big Brother & Big Sister program, a mentor for at-risk high school students, a Child Advocate for the CASA program (Court Appointed Special Advocates). "I love working with Southern Cross because the organization is all about the children."
Send an email to Natalie

Alberto Puertas (Funding Futures Advisory Team)
Alberto is a career/academic counselor for the Counseling and Career Center at Brigham Young University. His current responsibilities include: serving as the International Advisement Specialist at Brigham Young University, teaching courses in career strategies, career exploration and effective learning, mentoring students at risk and assisting the University in promoting career development issues and objectives. In addition, Alberto has mentored many BYU students doing humanitarian work and internships abroad. He has presented workshops and seminars in the United States, Canada, and South America. His outreach to local and international community projects is an important component of his contribution to society at large. In his presentations and daily work Alberto Puertas emphasizes the relationship between meaning, spirituality and career development. He also stresses the benefits and challenges globalization presents to vocational guidance in the international arena to this new millennium. Alberto served as the NCDA International Career Issues Committee Chairperson. In his free time Alberto enjoys soccer, reading, good cuisine and spending time with his family and friends.

Colleen Burns (Education)
Colleen grew up a Packer fan in the capitol city of Madison, Wisconsin. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse in 2001 and began her teaching career in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin the following August. After five years of teaching in Beaver Dam, Colleen sold her house, begged her parents to care for her dog, and headed to South America. Colleen traveled to Ecuador to teach in a rural, one-room schoolhouse full of indigenous children high in the Andes Mountains. That same year, she learned of El Girasol in Peru and continued her travels to find the orphanage. Once at El Girasol, Colleen began working with the children on their education, as many had missed quite a bit of schooling before arriving at the orphanage. When she's not traveling back to Peru, Colleen keeps busy teaching second and third-graders in Minnesota and working towards a graduate degree with certification in teaching English as a second language.

Stacie Byers (Medical Advisory Team Lead)
Stacie hails from Pittsburgh, PA where she was the attending physician and assistant research director at the Albert Einstein Medical Center until recently moving to Denver, Colorado. She is now practicing at St. Anthony Hospital Central in the ER department. Luckily for Southern Cross, Stacie has been to the Sunflower home numerous times, heads our medical team and our children know her as Doctor Stacie.

Dr. Graciela Liliana Colle (El Bichito) Graciela was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and came to the united States in 1973. She then became a chiropractor and began to work in Los Angeles, CA. Throughout the years, she has become part of a few non-profit organizations, such as Cambalache Athletic Club, for which she is currently the Vice President. For 13 years this organization has been providing scholarships for students of low-income families in order for them to continue their education in collaboration with East Los Angeles College. About six years ago, Graciela opened a Drop-in Center in the city of Cajamarca, Peru, which provides meals, education, and medicine for hundreds of children throughout the year. She is married with four grown-up children, and currently resides in the city of Downey, CA. Her goal for the near future is to keep helping out those in need as much as she possibly can.

Charles H. (“Chuck”) Kuck Chuck is the managing partner of the Kuck Casablanca LLC, an Atlanta, Charlotte and Miami based immigration law firm. He currently serves as the President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”). He is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Georgia, where he teaches the immigration law classes each year. He is listed in Who’s Who of International Corporate Immigration Attorneys, Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, and in Chambers Global, The World’ Leading Lawyers For Businesses. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the AILA Litigation Toolbox, a “how-to” book on representing clients before the immigration and federal courts. He has practiced immigration law for more than 19 years, has spoken to numerous legal and business conferences on all immigration related topics, has testified in Congress on Immigration Law, and has litigated extensively against the government on a variety of immigration issues. Chuck served an LDS mission to Peru and he and his wife Jenni, also a former missionary in Peru, have a special place in their hearts for the children of this wonderful country.

Joy Mano (Facebook Coordinator)
Joy began working in the social services field serving people with developmental disabilities in 1998. Currently she teaches children with autism and other developmental delays. She has been involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah since 2004 and started getting involved with orphanages in 2007. Joy first went to Ecuador in 2007, and then to Peru in 2008. She loves spending time with kids, playing the piano, playing the guitar, creating videos, and digital scrapbooking.
Send an email to Joy

Ken Mano (Sponsorships)
Ken is a business analyst with Kaiser Permanente's IT department. He was treasurer for the Amador Valley High School Athletic Boosters in Pleasanton, California for 8 years and involved in organizing facilities and volunteers for Special Olympics events. Has been a scoutmaster and involved with LDS church youth organizations. He has also been treasurer for several political campaigns.
Send an email to Ken

Shawn McCord (CPA)
Shawn graduated from BYU in 1985 with a Bachelors degree in Accounting and a Masters degree in Taxation. He has worked in Bellevue Washington since 1986 starting with Deloitte and Touche, then as a sole practitioner CPA specializing in taxes and is also an adjunct faculty member in the Business Division at Bellevue College. Shawn served with the people in Boliva as a missionary for two years, and currently volunteers with, Special Olympics, Mamma's Hands, and Washington Women In Need. He and his wife, Stephanie, have five children, and all five have participated in a Southern Cross Expedition!

Henry Ponnefz (Colombia Advisory Team)
Henry is originally from Cartagena, Colombia. He came to the USA to go to school and learn English. Since he was a little boy he wanted to help the less fortunate and did this by heading up several projects with scouts and youth groups taking shoes to children that needed them to go to school. Henry graduated from BYU and currently teaches at Channing Hall Charter school in Draper Utah. He believes God sent him to earth to help others less fortunate and this is his biggest source of joy. He and his wife Melissa have gone to Colombia several times and every time they go they come back with a renewed determination to help.