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.

LAURA TESKE

Programming Director

Laura comes to us on a winding path that began in 2018. As a part of the transition team that brought Wings of Refuge to Ames, she got to know the organization and staff and fell in love with them right away. She then served as a volunteer Volunteer Coordinator, before becoming part of the staff at the end of 2019. She has a heart for Jesus and justice, which leads her to many outreach activities in her church and community. If you can find her at home, she is probably lounging on the deck with her husband and friends, reading or enjoying the outdoors.

ANGI BRIGHT

Business Manager

After completing The Ultimate Journey Angi realized that past mistakes can be healed and poor choices do not define you. She learned about sex trafficking at a Women of Faith event in 2012 and knew that she wanted to be a part of healing and transformation in the lives of the women affected by sex trafficking. The hope and light that shines through Wings of Refuge has been a strong beacon for her to stay focused on what God has called her to do. Angi left a 16 year career in commercial banking to enter into non profit work which has proven to be fulfilling and a huge blessing to her family.  Angi has three kids and a husband that makes her laugh (almost) every day. You can find her in the sunshine whenever possible, at her kid’s baseball games, on the beach, on a boat, or on her back patio reading a book! 

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

Administrative Coordinator

Our local in-house creative came to Wings bearing a nine on the Enneagram scale. This describes her as easygoing, creative, and passionate. Besides working full-time on the Wings development team designing and fundraising she uses her talents and creativity managing her four kids, two dogs, two bunnies, cat, and amazing husband. If you are reading this and love the website, drop her a note to let her know you are reading every word or at least say hi!