These key individuals are the backbone of
The Children’s Hunger Project:
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Summerpal Kahlon, Board Chair – Dr. Kahlon currently serves as Value-Based Payments Evangelist at Change Healthcare. He has an MS in Healthcare Informatics from University of Florida, and received his MD at University of Alabama School of Medicine. He applies modern information and communication technologies to transform the delivery of healthcare. Summerpal brings to our organization a keen awareness of the health impact of undernutrition.
David Dischler, Vice-Chair – SEO Consultant, David Dischler, is the owner of WebX Design, and has been serving the Brevard County area and beyond in Search Engine Optimization and web design. He attended Louisiana State University, and we are fortunate to have him here in Brevard. Says Dave, “I get more happiness from inspiring others than business has ever given me!” Dave truly is “passionate, unstoppable, and focused”, and lends his passion to our organization to help end child hunger in Brevard.
Rosy K. Ojha, Secretary – Rosy, a Marketing Business Development Specialist at Nuance Communications, is a passionate, open-minded person who values simple acts of kindness. She is a firm believer that a warm smile or a few words of encouragement have the power to propel massive action.
Known as a tenacious and determined business professional, her experience spans several industries including healthcare, lighting, and technology. She prides herself in being able to forge deep, meaningful and long-term collaborative relationships in all walks of life.
Rosy the mother of two amazing sons who have benefited from an exceptional education in the Brevard County school district. When not working, she builds in time to do the things that bring her joy and infuse her with energy. This can be reading a book, sharing a meal with a friend or traveling with family.
Michael Ballard, Treasurer – After TechRev President, Michael Ballard, toured the TCHP facility, he knew we wanted to commit to more than just a food packing event. Ballard inquired further and learned he could offer more hands-on assistance by joining the TCHP Board of Directors. Naturally, he shared the desire to further the mission with his TechRev team, who quickly jumped at the opportunity. Together they have been supporting TCHP financially for over a year, and collectively support 118 children through the sponsorship program; additionally they routinely volunteer with food packing.
Ben Malik – Ben is Vice President of Truist Bank, as well as past Mayor of Cocoa Beach. He is a former Cocoa Beach Planning Board Member and Cocoa Beach Citizens Academy graduate as well as Lead Brevard graduate. Ben is also active in local Melbourne and Cocoa Beach Chambers of Commerce, and non-profits in the community: Kiwanis, Elks, Surfers Helping Kids, Cocoa Beach Surfrider and volunteer teacher for Junior Achievement (Cocoa Beach High School).
Bob Barnes, Founding Director – Bob was a broadcaster and marketing specialist following his Air Force tour. He brings a business and charity background to assist management in implementing its mission statement and goals. As co-founder of The Children’s Hunger Project, Bob put into practice the words of Mother Teresa, “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one”. The rest is history for our charity. Bob also established a nonprofit that feeds children’s minds called Aspiration Academy. This after-school program coaches marginalized students.
Chelsea Moletz – As the Chief Financial Officer at Cromulence, LLC Chelsea participates in strategic leadership activities and directs the company’s overall financial and contractual environment. Chelsea has years of experience in accounting and consulting services. Chelsea and the Cromulence Team are always looking to create positive change in the community while supporting local nonprofits
Dr. Douglas McKee – Doug McKee, M.D. is Chief Medical Informatics Officer of Health First. Doug has been a resident of Brevard since 2005. He completed his undergraduate degree in History at Indiana University and his M.D. at Indiana University. He completed his Family Medicine residency at Florida Hospital in Orlando, where he met his beautiful wife and fellow resident, Kim McKee, and they have two daughters. Dr. Doug practiced in Kingsport, TN, Duke University, then Brevard County with Health First, followed by the Viera VA, then back to Health First. Dr. McKee has also been a volunteer physician with Space Coast Honor Flight since 2014. He had his first interaction with TCHP at a church event, which hit home for him, as he has seen the effects of hunger on children during his career in family medicine. He is passionate about promoting TCHP’s cause in Brevard County and wants to give back to this wonderful county’s children and families through serving on this board.
Edna Wilson – Edna, an outstanding broker/owner of Celebrate Real Estate, has the energy and dedication to help achieve positive results in Brevard. As one reviewer says, “She is your go-to agent for ANYTHING you need in real estate. She is conscientious, always available, listens to your needs, and is as hard working and diligent as anyone I’ve EVER met. If you have a real estate need, call HER! You will not regret it.”
Katye Campbell – Katye is a former music teacher, a pastor’s wife, and mom to three BPS students. She and her husband, Jim, have been serving the Palm Bay community since 2007. She currently serves on the Brevard County School Board. Her favorite things include singing, spending fun time with her family, and inspiring people to get involved with our kids! She loves the simple mission of THCP and that families can participate together to make an impact.
Ryan Firth – After graduating from Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelors of Arts degree, Ryan married his beautiful wife Victoria, and began a career in the petroleum industry. He was recruited by Southeast Petro Distributors in 2014 and currently serves as their Vice President of Wholesale Operations, responsible for customer relations, deployment of oil company programs, contracts and acquisitions. Along with the support of their employers, Southeast Petro Distributors and Health First, Ryan and his wife support and give back to the community through a number of charities and volunteer events including TCHP, Crosswinds, Junior Achievement and United Way. Ryan brings fresh ideas and unwavering support to our team.
Samuel Jordan, Founding Director – A Brevard County resident all of his life, Sam is COO of Crooked Diamond Cigars and a Founding Director of The Children’s Hunger Project and Aspiration Academy. In addition to his business background and success, Sam’s community involvement and charitable work include being a youth football coach and helping to feed the tummies and minds of kids.
Shana Marshall – Shana is a Business Project Management – Blue Cross Blue Shield Consultant. Having been in the healthcare field in Brevard since 2015, she is keenly aware of the impact nutrition has on a child’s health and ability to participate fully in school. She holds a BA from the University of Chicago, and attended Eastern Florida State College for Biomedical Sciences.
Karen Montas, Past Board Chair – Karen, one of the area’s best personal injury attorneys, has spent years in the forefront of charitable causes, including Junior League of South Brevard. Her support of other charities that address children’s needs combined with being a mother of two enables Karen to provide valuable insight to our charity. Karen is a past TCHP board chair, and we thank her for her guidance during a crucial time.
Delores Spearman, Community Leader – Delores is truly one of the gems that make Brevard County a great place to live. With seemingly endless energy to help others, she works on behalf of people she will never meet to make their lives better through countless hours of hard work. Delores was one of four founders of Project Hunger through the United Way of Brevard, which feeds 1600 hungry kids each week during the summer months. It is clear that Delores is passionate about helping children. There is no doubt that thousands of children here in Brevard County have benefited by her hard work and visionary leadership.
Executive Director
Cheryl Cominsky – Prior to accepting an official role with The Children’s Hunger Project four years ago, Cheryl served as a volunteer for two years. Cheryl brings to the position a diverse background of operations expertise, sales management and volunteerism. Formerly the Community Outreach Coordinator, she became well-known for her ability to connect the mission of TCHP with the goals of businesses, organizations and faith-based groups. Cheryl has deepened and broadened those relationships.
Associate Director
Lori Mollnow– Lori has proven an invaluable member of the TCHP team. She maintains all of our banking, donor tracking, financial reporting and yearly audit (which is a huge job in itself) and solely works on grants, increasing our grant revenue year after year. Lori relocated to Florida from Virginia, where she served as Executive Director of Colonial Heights Food Pantry and as a member of the FeedMore Advisory Council. Lori’s background includes human resource management, and she brings to The Children’s Hunger Project a passion to serve the community, with a focus on fulfilling the mission of ensuring all children in Brevard have adequate nutrition.
Operations Manager
Jewel Fulton – Jewel brings over 33 years of experience working in the Social Service field. She spent her entire career working with the Department of Children and Families in the State of NJ, and held several positions with DCF including Caseworker, Supervisor, Business Manager and lastly before retiring Executive Manager overseeing the Statewide Title IVE program. Jewel has spent her career working with children and families, and looks forward to working with The Children’s Hunger Project in providing the much needed food to children of Brevard County.
Community Outreach Coordinator
Stephanie Hand– Stephanie is passionate about helping others to make a meaningful impact in her community. Before becoming a part of The Children’s Hunger Project, she worked as an educator for 9 years. She has seen firsthand what hunger can do to a child in school and she is dedicated to working with the community of Brevard to ensure each child is receiving the support they need.
Website & Media Coordinator
Sherry Burklew – Sherry maintains an archive of the successes and growth of The Children’s Hunger Project through the years. Creating and curating stories from a brief synopsis, she manages published content, ensuring upcoming events and end results receive recognition on social media. She believes childhood hunger in Brevard is a solvable problem in large part due to the efforts of TCHP volunteers and the compassionate people of Brevard.
Administrative Assistant
Tiffany Geare – We are thrilled to welcome Tiffany to our team. Since July 2023, she has been actively volunteering with us. With a wealth of experience under her belt, Tiffany brings a genuine passion for service and a strong sense of purpose to the table. Tiffany has also been a part of the childrens ministry Buddies program at Church at Viera, nurturing and supporting the youngest members with special needs, as well as their families. Her enthusiasm for making a positive impact is truly inspiring. She is enthusiastic about joining the team and making meaningful contributions to the organization.
The Children’s Hunger Project Founders
![Founders of TCHP](https://thechildrenshungerproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/fourbuds-300x166.jpg)
Bob Barnes, David Cohen, Sam Jordan and Jean Yves-Clerc
Click here to read the article about TCHP’s beginning in Space Coast Business