Our People

Nancy Hathaway spent thirty years in television. She began her professional life as a model in NY and London while still in her teens. As an actress, she worked primarily in TV commercials, daytime dramas (soaps), marketing and training films. She also worked behind the camera as producer, director and writer for corporate, government, and Christian television. Nancy studied Theater and Russian at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, and Shakespeare at Wroxton College in England.

Nancy is the founder and Director of Heart for Orphans—a ministry God placed on her heart after adopting three beautiful girls from Ukraine with her husband Steve. (They also have a grown son.) Her story is the foundation of our ministry.

Nancy is responsible for anything she can’t delegate to someone else. She can also bumble through simple Russian—an asset Heart for Orphans discovered when she ordered horse oats for breakfast during a recent trip to Ukraine.

Gary is an original member of our Board of Directors serving with Heart for Orphans since its beginning. Gary is a 31 year active duty member of the U.S. Armed Forces who holds a Bachelors degree in Business Management from Limestone College and a Masters degree in Instructional Systems from Florida State University.

In the fall of 2006, after spending five and a half weeks in Ukraine adopting their then 13 year old daughter, Gary and his wife Beverly quickly realized how much more is needed to help older orphans in the Ukraine and throughout the world. “God quickly imprinted on our hearts how blessed we have been and how we cannot rest on those blessings. He has called us to action. Whether it is helping to set up group homes in the Ukraine or guiding another family towards making an adoption decision, we have asked God’s Holy Spirit to work through us to care for these lost and forgotten children.”

Tim Quiram is the father of six, including two Ukrainian daughters. Originally from the “hard nucleus” about which these United States were formed (Iowa), his service in the Coast Guard brought him to Virginia where he fell in love with the warm summers and short winters. A 1985 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy, Tim works for an internal consulting group that applies the principles of human performance technology. He also applies his learning from a 1999 Masters of Education in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University to support new technologies in training.

Tim and Charlene learned about the plight of Ukrainian orphans after a performance of “The Old Russian Shoemaker” at their local church. Despite having four sons, they decided they could help and ultimately spent almost three months in Ukraine adopting their two girls.

Robyn is a practicing attorney and shareholder in the law firm of Jones, Blechman, Woltz & Kelly, P.C., located in Newport News, Virginia where she serves as Chair of the Employment Law Practice Group. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the Virginia State Bar, the Virginia Bar Association, and the Newport News Bar Association. In addition to Heart for Orphans, she currently serves as Secretary of the board for the Peninsula Metropolitan YMCA and as Vice President of Development for the board of the FoodBank of the Virginia Peninsula

Robyn formerly held positions as Secretary, assistant Chairman, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Newport News YMCA; as Secretary of the board of Street Missions and Restoration Team (SMART); as Treasurer and Secretary of the board for the FoodBank of the Virginia Peninsula; and as a Director of the board of the Volunteer Center. She has also served as Secretary and Treasurer for the Newport News Bar Association and as a member of the Board of Trustees for the City of Newport News Retirement Plan and Health and Welfare Plan.

Robyn earned her Bachelor of Arts from the College of William and Mary and her Juris Doctor from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law. She is married to Paul Hansen, and they reside in Williamsburg, Virginia with their three children.

Robyn serves Heart for Orphans because she sees this organization making a dramatic difference in the lives of orphans. She responded to a tug from the Lord that she should devote her time, energy and gifts to helping Heart for Orphans. Her legal experience and history of service to non-profits is a huge asset to Heart for Orphans. Robyn is committed to serving the Lord and following his call and direction for this organization.

Brent Knowles graduated with a BS from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia. He spent most of his professional career with Transamerica Leasing in the NY/NJ area, holding various management positions culminating as the Chief Operating Office of one of its divisions in White Plains, NY.

After twenty some years of business life Brent and his wife, Rebecca, returned to his hometown to trade his corporate life for the life as "Mr. Mom" helping to raise their three teenage children.

Brent and Rebecca are active in several local Christian organizations where they encountered Heart for Orphans. After they hosted a pair of Ukrainian orphans several years ago, Brent felt led to become more actively involved in supporting Heart for Orphans efforts. Brent hopes to use his experiences in the corporate world and at home to further the mission of Heart for Orphans.

Woody Perry originally hails from God's country, the "inner banks" of eastern North Carolina. He received his liberal arts degree from Florida International University, and for the past 32 years he has been a licensed real estate broker. Woody has developed eight residential communities, one of which is "Albemarle Plantation", a golf course community in Hertford, N.C. right on the beautiful Albemarle Sound. He continues to broker real estate and develop residential properties throughout Virginia and North Carolina. Most recently he has founded a company, "Seaboard Development Alliance" which does real estate consulting.

Woody has served on the Building Advisory Committee for the Williamsburg Community Chapel, and is currently serving on the board of International Cooperating Ministries, (ICM). He and his wife Shere reside in Williamsburg, and have two grown daughters.

Woody and Shere became interested in Heart for Orphans because of their friendship with the Hathaway’s, and other families who have adopted orphans in the Williamsburg community. They have been inspired as they have observed the powerful and inspiring stories of these children unfold. Their hearts have been touched by the vision of Heart for Orphans, and they want to use their talents and resources to help this ministry.

Mel Rosche is a former board member who now serves in an advisory capacity. He is the namesake of one of our group homes as is his wife Ruth.

Mel’s journey began on a farm in Nokomis, Illinois before the Great Depression! He served as a B-24 “Liberator” pilot during World War II and spent time as a German prisoner of war. Mel worked as researcher and an engineer for NASA before it was called NASA. Rumor has it he started the agency in his garage. Mel writes poetry and is loved by all for his wit, wisdom and generosity.

After Mel retired from NASA, he and Ruth served Young Life for ten years in Williamsburg, Virginia. When Mel turned eighty, God gave him a heart for the neglected. So when his friends Nancy and Steve adopted three orphan girls from Ukraine, a new journey began. Mel has helped focus our ministry. He is the one who quietly urges us on when the mission seems impossible.

Beverly is our Secretary. More moons ago than you might guess, she graduated summa cum laude from Florida Southern College with a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Elementary Education. She taught 1st grade for two years and currently substitutes in a local pre-school.

As Secretary, Beverly is responsible for correspondence, banking, recording minutes, and keeping the office running. She also has the gift of hospitality and frequently opens her home for board meetings and planning sessions.

According to Beverly, “when we adopted our daughter in 2008, we realized the need of those teens we couldn’t bring home as our own children. We saw so many teens without the life skills to make it into adulthood successfully. Heart for Orphans is our gift to those we couldn’t adopt. Through Heart for Orphans, we can provide a loving home and introduce them to a relationship with God.”

Sherri Thrift holds a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Tech and has worked in economic development offices at the university, state, and local level. She also worked in real estate in North Carolina and once owned her own real estate marketing company. In addition to parenting two children and keeping her husband fed, she occasionally engages in spirited searches for things like her purse, glasses, and car keys.

Sherri has an incredible passion for Ukraine and orphans. She credits her grandmother with stirring her heart for orphans when at nine she gave her a book called “Mandy”, about an orphan who more than anything else wanted something to call her own. Hosting two Ukrainian orphans in 2005 brought forth her desire to be the hands and feet of Jesus to these children and thus began her involvement with Heart for Orphans. She enjoys using her marketing, fundraising and administrative experience in whatever ways Heart for Orphans can use her.

Sheryl has a natural heart for orphans; she was an orphan for the first three months of her life.

In Sheryl’s words, “I became involved with Heart for Orphans after hearing Stephen Curtis Chapman talk about his orphan ministry, ShowHope, at a Sunday evening concert. I remember telling God, ‘I know I should be doing something for orphans but I don’t know what to do.’ I didn’t feel led to join ShowHope or just write a check. By 10:00 the next morning, Nancy Hathaway called to say she was looking for help with Heart for Orphans’ accounting and God led her to think of me. Of course He did!!! I wonder why all prayers can’t be answered that quickly and clearly?”

We are blessed to have Sheryl as our bookkeeper – a skill she first learned while working for her father the summer she was 14. She maintains the books for several accounting clients and works full time as an office manager.

Sheryl is also trained in crisis management, conflict resolution and discovering your personality type (she has one!). She used these skills to train leaders on a mission trip to Southeast Asia with Global Mosaic International. Sheryl has volunteered with Birthright Crisis Pregnancy Center and has served as the Director of the Mary and Elizabeth Crisis Pregnancy Center.

She enjoys working with Heart for Orphans and looks forward to visiting Ukraine soon to see firsthand what we do.

Elaine is a graphic designer and fine artist. Originally from Indiana, she made her way to Arizona State University and graduated with a BFA in Visual Communication. She’s been a professional designer for twenty years along with being a wife and mother of two children. When not too busy with daily life, Elaine loves to paint in oils and acrylics.

Elaine’s first knowledge of the orphans’ plight in Ukraine came when the orphan children visited the USA to perform the play The Russian Shoemaker at several local churches. Nancy spoke after the performance about the situation in Ukraine and the great number of orphans. Elaine wanted to help these kids somehow, especially the teens that are aging-out of the orphanages and in need of a safe, family-oriented group home. Soon after, Nancy contacted Elaine about designing a logo for the ministry as well as a newsletter, brochure and invitations. As Elaine said, "I was happy to be able to used my God-given talents for this wonderful, vital ministry." As the ministry grows, Elaine will continue to provide print design and maintain the website. Also she will help with the distribution of news and updates about the children and Heart For Orphans.