JOY FOPMA

Founder, Speaker, & Chief Idea Officer

Joy is passionate about vision and authentic community. When you meet her she might say, “Hi, I’m Joy. How’s your soul? What’s your dream?” As a little girl, Joy had her own dream of speaking on a stage and ministering to women. However, for the majority of her life she lived under shame that crushed her dream - this shame came from abuse, victimization, and believing the lie that she was small, trapped, and helpless. She came to know Christ in her deepest wounds where she saw His glory and it dazzled her. Today her passion is for survivors and everyone that has breath and brokenness to know Christ and the power of His resurrection. When Joy is not speaking and dreaming about the future, you will find her with her husband Aaron and her grown children, sipping coffee or watching "This is Us".  She is currently writing her first book and is excited to complete it!

BEV SHIPLEY

Executive Director & Mother Hen

As a teacher and counselor with over 30 years of experience, Bev connected with Wings of Refuge through a series of God-Moments. She loves working with the staff, the board, the volunteers, and the women we serve. When she’s not assembling the perfect cast of broken people, you can find her spending time with her family and little dog Gus. She loves basking in the sun with a good book, biking, and watching sappy romance movies. Bev is not just limited to social service and human trafficking, she is in the record books for being the first female to get a hole-in-one at the Lincoln Valley Golf Course in State Center, Iowa.

KRISTEN RUPPEL

Programming Director

Kristen comes to Wings after working as a parole officer for the state of Iowa for 20 years. It was apparant to her through an incredible journey that she was destined to work for Wings. She has survived broken marriages, trials of being a single mother, and has also dealt with addiction issues. Kristen feels God will use her testimony as a sign of hope and restoration for the women to relate to as they have suffered through some of the same situations. She loves going to garage sales and taking walks with her Chihuahua, Molly. Every night, as she travels home, she has an amazing rock concert in her car where she is the lead singer. 

KELLY BUTCHER

Spreadsheet Queen

If Kelly's name was added to the dictionary, you would find it listed under "old soul". Passionate about abolishing human trafficking in all forms, Kelly has been engaged in the fight against slavery since 2013 and joined the Wings of Refuge team in 2015. She uses her talents to organize data, create action steps, and connect with the incredible people who partner with the ministry. A few of Kelly's favorite things include spreadsheets, trampoline parks, cheese popcorn, Anatolian Shepherds, and her hunky husband. 

KARLA DAMIANO

In-House Creative

Our local in-house creative came to Wings bearing a nine on the Enneagram scale. This describes her as patient, easygoing, creative, stubborn, imaginative, and passionate. Her passion for serving with Wings of Refuge has inspired her to "get off the beach and into the water". Besides working full-time on the Wings development team creating visuals she uses her talents and creativity managing her four kids, two dogs, cat, and husband. If you are reading this and love the new website, drop her a note to let her know you are reading every word or at least say hi!