From The Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE – George Fritsma, of Trussville, has been named Moderator of the Board of Trustees of the Presbyterian Home for Children for 2023.
The Talladega-based Home is one of the few organizations in the state caring for Alabama’s homeless boys and girls, along with their female caregivers, in its Secure Dwellings Program. PHFC also serves teenage girls who have been subject to extreme trauma and neglect, young female adults in crisis, families in crisis through in-home intensive services, and children and youth in rural Wilcox and Marengo counties.
Fritsma has been a Trustee since 2013 and served as Moderator in 2017 when he was instrumental in helping recruit President and CEO Doug Marshall. He has a long history of serving on and leading the Governance Committee in addition to serving on the Executive Committee. Retired from the UAB faculty since 2007, Fritsma serves as a medical laboratory consultant to the UAB Department of Pathology, a consultant to several diagnostics companies, and as an adjunct associate professor for Michigan State and Rutgers universities. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and chemistry from Calvin University, a Master’s in Medical Laboratory Science from Wayne State University and advanced course work from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is a member of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science and the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis. He and his wife are members of Cahaba Springs Presbyterian Church in Trussville.
Mark D. Feagin of Hoover is Vice Moderator for the Presbyterian Home for Children Board. He grew up in Birmingham and was educated in the Jefferson County and Vestavia Hills school systems and earned a BS in Finance at Auburn University in 1985. His professional experience is in the banking industry where he worked for Regions Bank for 23 years as well as Iberiabank, JP Morgan Chase and Community Bank of Mississippi. Previously serving on PHFC’s Audit and Finance Committees, he is now on its Resource Development and Executive committees. Mark and his wife are members of Asbury Methodist Church.
Carol R. Copeland of Athens is the Board’s Secretary and serves on PHFC’s Programs and Executive committees. Copeland has been in the private practice of social work since 1991 after a long career with the Alabama Department of Human Resources. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, Academy of Social Workers, Alabama Conference of Social Work and The University of Alabama Social Work Society, and she is on the boards of Vine Counseling Center in Huntsville and the Athens Limestone Family Resource Center. She is a ruling elder of First Presbyterian Church in Athens and is the past moderator of the Board of the Presbyterian Home for Children, North Alabama Presbytery and North Alabama Presbyterian Women.
Newell Witherspoon of Huntsville was re-elected as Treasurer, John Haley, Esq. of Birmingham as Legal Counsel and Missy Jones of Mobile as Member-At-Large. Rev. Joseph Scrivner, Ph.D. of Tuscaloosa will serve as Past Moderator.
Members of the Home’s Advisory Board are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Board of Trustees to serve on various committees. Advisory Board members for 2023 are Mary Otulana, Homewood; Rev. Robin Palmer, Madison; Christi Robinson, Huntsville; Brenda Uptain, Talladega; Chuck Williams, Hiram, Ga.; and Rev. Jonathan Yarboro, Wetumpka.
About PHFC
Now in its 155th year of service, Presbyterian Home for Children in Talladega, Alabama, is one of few organizations in the state caring for Alabama’s homeless boys and girls, along with their female caregivers in its Secure Dwellings Program. In its Moderate Residential Care Therapeutic Program, the Home also serves teenage girls who have previously experienced extreme trauma or neglect. In addition, the Home serves young female adults in crisis through its Transition to Adult Living Program and serves families in crisis over seven counties through its In-Home Intensive Services, Family Bridges. All its programs are accredited by Social Current (formerly Council on Accreditation) and the EAGLE Accreditation Commission under the United Methodist Association of Health and Welfare Ministries. Our Ascension Leadership Academy features a fully Cognia-accredited academic curriculum focusing on academics and leadership for our residential children and youth in addition to children and youth from the surrounding communities. PHFC is rated 4-Star by Charity Navigator and received a Gold Seal of Transparency from Candid (formerly Guidestar).