Board.

The Board of Directors at Mercy & Truth Healthcare Ministry is made up of faithful and experienced leaders who are dedicated to serving others. Each member has been prayerfully and carefully chosen to represent different communities throughout our region, bringing unique perspectives and expertise that strengthen our mission. Together, they uphold a culture of collaboration, compassion, and Christian service, ensuring that every decision honors God and serves those in need. Their leadership allows us to remain steadfast in our commitment to providing quality, affordable healthcare to the medically underserved in Kansas and beyond.

  • Howard Russell, PE, Board Chair at Mercy & Truth, bringing global leadership experience and a heart for service to guide the organization’s mission of delivering Life-Changing Care.

    Howard Russell, PE

    Board Chair
    Retired Partner, Black & Veatch

    A licensed mechanical engineer whose four decades in international business development took him across the Asia Pacific, where he saw the distance between communities and the care they need. On this board since 2009, now serving as Chair.

  • Arthur Smith, Vice Chair and Secretary of the Mercy & Truth Board of Directors, supporting the organization’s vision with strategic leadership and a passion for community impact.

    Arthur Smith

    Vice Chair & Secretary
    CEO, HEMACS, Inc.

    Five decades in healthcare management and consulting, spanning hospital operations, physician practices, and rehabilitation services. A HIMSS Fellow and CEO of HEMACS, he served four years as Chairman before taking on Vice Chair and Secretary.

  • Tony Njeru, dedicated Mercy & Truth board member supporting healthcare access and community outreach initiatives.

    Tony Njeru, MBA

    ​Treasurer
    Senior Accountant, Lennar

    A banking and finance professional who came to the United States from Kenya in 2007 and built a career in financial reporting and lending. He advises Mercy & Truth on financial matters and shares the organization's heart for international work.

  • Mark Schmid, committed Mercy & Truth board member contributing leadership and vision to healthcare and community services.

    Mark Schmid

    Board Member
    Retired Attorney

    A retired attorney with decades of legal experience and a University of Kansas law degree. Since 2023 he has volunteered as Mercy & Truth's grant writer, producing the proposals that fund care for patients who could not otherwise afford it.

  • Lischen Peso Gibson, board member for Mercy & Truth Healthcare Ministry.

    Lischen Peso Gibson, JD, CIPP/US, CIPP/E

    Board Member
    Healthcare and Cybersecurity Attorney, Oracle

    A healthcare data privacy and cybersecurity attorney and senior counsel at Oracle, where she guides health technology leaders through the industry's hardest legal questions.

  • Dr. Carlo Jurani, retired surgeon and Mercy & Truth board member, offering medical expertise and compassionate leadership to guide the organization’s mission of Life-Changing Care.

    Carlo Jurani, MD

    Board Member
    Retired General Surgeon

    A retired general and laparoscopic surgeon who practiced in Kansas City for nearly two decades. He has served on medical missions since 2008 in Kenya, Rwanda, the Philippines, Haiti, and Peru, and sits on the international missions committee.

  • Barry Jackson, Mercy & Truth board member actively involved in advancing healthcare and mission outreach programs.

    Barry Jackson

    International Committee Chair
    Morgan Hunter HealthSearch

    Three decades in healthcare executive search and a hand in founding three firms. He has led mission trips to eight countries and introduced Mercy & Truth to its mission partners in Rwanda and Ecuador, relationships that continue to this day.

  • Frankye Stanley, dedicated Mercy & Truth board member supporting community health and ministry initiatives.

    Frankye Stanley

    Board Member
    Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools

    Restorative Justice Specialist at Alfred Fairfax Academy in Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, where she has spent seven years helping students and staff build relationships and resolve conflict. She serves the families Mercy & Truth serves.

  • Clint Hall, Mercy & Truth board member committed to advancing healthcare services and community well-being.

    Clint Hall

    Board Member
    The Sending Project

    Director of Church Relations for The Sending Project and Emeritus Pastor of Westbrooke Church. On this board since 2012, he connects Mercy & Truth to churches across the metro and helps lead the Police and Faith Leader's Network locally.

  • Robert "Skip" Bayles, Board of Directors member at Mercy & Truth Healthcare Ministry in Kansas City, Kansas. Pastor, missionary, and Director of The Maghreb Partnership, serving the faith-based nonprofit since 2004.

    Robert "Skip" Bayles

    Board Member
    Director, The Maghreb Partnership

    A pastor and missionary who began teaching English and serving refugee families at Mercy & Truth in 2004. The multi-ethnic church he and his wife Amy planted still gathers here today. He now directs The Maghreb Partnership in North Africa.

  • Gary Ascanio, Chief Prayer Officer at Mercy & Truth Healthcare Ministry, leading spiritual care and prayer initiatives.

    Gary Ascanio

    Chief Prayer Officer, Non-Voting
    Retired, John Hancock Financial Services

    Five decades in sales and leadership, most of them with John Hancock. As Chief Prayer Officer he has prayed over Mercy & Truth's staff and patients since 2016, and his steady, faithful encouragement has lifted both, one conversation at a time.