Shoulder to Shoulder Inc.
Wayne Waite, Esq.
CEO & Chair
Wayne Waite is committed to the principle that the poor need an advocate and that poverty is urgent. He is an attorney with Waite Tomb & Eberly and served as the original incorporator of Shoulder to Shoulder, Inc. as well as incorporating Association Hombro a Hombro in Honduras. Both organizations are tax exempt charitable organizations with the same mission.
Wayne has been married to Christina Waite M.D. since 1976 and currently lives in Xenia, Ohio. His son Daniel and his wife Nidia are both active in Shoulder to Shoulder. Nidia is a native of Camasca, Intibuca, Honduras. He hopes his work alleviates the scourge of poverty and contributes to the development of sustainable systems of equity and dignity.
Richard E. Buten, PhD
President
Dick became involved in Shoulder to Shoulder in 2001. He created a comprehensive Health Information System to support the contract with the Honduran government and various nutrition research projects funded by Mathile Institute. Dick served as Treasurer for seven years bringing the organization to a balanced budget. His current passion is to improve the education system in Southern Intibucá via CREE.
Dick graduated from Xavier University in Cincinnati majoring in physics. He received his MS in physics and PhD in Computer Sciences from Purdue University. He retired from Procter & Gamble after a career of 27 years where he held various technical and managerial positions within the company’s Information Technology function. He was also an Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at Xavier University for seven years. He is the managing partner of a family real estate business. Hobbies include golf, tennis, skiing, photography, and cave diving. Dick and wife Bonnie have two adult children and three grandchildren.
Susan T. Kaye, MD
Vice President & Secretary
Dr. Kaye became involved with Shoulder to Shoulder in 2003 when she met Dr. Jeff Heck at an organization on international health. The development of the clinic in Concepción was her major fundraising focus, and she continues to support the medial programs of STS, as well as the organization itself.
Susie holds a ScB degree from Brown University and is a graduate of New York University School of Medicine. She has spent her career in medical education and is currently the Chair Emeritus at Overlook Medical Center, a founding member of Atlantic Health System in northern New Jersey. She was a Board member of the Family Medicine Education Consortium, and continues to direct the Josephson Fund, a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to providing financial support to medical professionals who participate in medical volunteerism. To date they have provided StS with over $250,000 to support the Concepción site.
After a 40 year career in medical education, the last 24 as Chair at Overlook Medical Center, Susie continues in a part-time role in medical education and clinical care. On a personal note, she has two children. Her daughter, Alicia holds and MPH from UNC Her son, Evan received his MD/MPH from Jefferson Medical College. Both credit Shoulder to Shoulder with helping them develop their career choices. Together they form the Kaye family mini-medical brigade!
Hilary Jacqua, Esq.
Treasurer
Hillary A. Jaqua was born and raised in Ohio. Hillary attended the University of Dayton where she majored in Political Science and then attended the University of Dayton School of Law. Hillary is a board member of Children’s International Summer Villages, CASA/GAL and Child Care Choices of Miami County, Ohio. Hillary currently resides in Miami County with her spouse and children.
Laura Manship, LICSW, MBA
Executive Director
Laura is a professional social worker. She has two adult children. She came to Honduras in September of 2013, and with her husband, Paul, who passed away in 2018 from cancer. They began in the positions of Directors of Communications and Development for Shoulder to Shoulder in November of 2014. In September of 2015, they became the General Directors of Shoulder to Shoulder in Honduras.
Laura loves the life among friends in Honduras. She firmly believe in the mission of Shoulder to Shoulder as an investment in the common dignity of humanity that empowers people to realize their fullest potential in life.
Read more about our Members at Large to the right →
Fide Gehner
Greg Reinhart, Ph.D
Larry Tepe, DDS & Jan Tepe, DDS
Roy Sanders, MD
Plutarco Rivera, Esq.
Carrie L. Griffiths, Pharm.D.
Angel Allen
Allen Ostrow
Wendy Ostrow
Tim Gunderman
Kate Clitheroe
Christina Waite
Members at Large
Fide Gehner
Scholarships Program
Fidelina (Fide) has been involved with Shoulder to Shoulder for over 20 years. She has helped with different projects and served as a liaison between Shoulder to Shoulder in the U.S. and the local and national authorities in Honduras. She serves as the treasurer of the Asociación Hombro a Hombro in Honduras. More recently, Fide has been focusing on the education aspect of the organization through oversight of the scholarship program.
Fide grew up in the rural community of Concepcion, Intibuca, which is an area in Honduras currently served by Shoulder to Shoulder. After obtaining a teaching degree in Honduras, she came to the U.S through a scholarship program to further her education and learn English. Upon her return to Honduras, she became involved with Shoulder to Shoulder where she met her husband, Tim, a volunteer on a medical brigade. She eventually moved to Cincinnati, OH. She worked for Chiquita Brands International in their Human Resources Department for several years. She then left the corporate world for a while to focus on their 3 daughters. Fide is involved with school PTAs, loves to do charity work and help those less fortunate both here and in Honduras.
Gregory A. Reinhart, PhD, Vice President of Research and Nutrition, Mathile Institute
Nutrition & Water Projects
Dr. Greg Reinhart, Vice President of Research and Nutrition for the Mathile Institute, leverages his training and experience in the agricultural, human medical, and pet food industries to help alleviate malnutrition in young children and their families. He has a Ph.D. in Nutritional Biochemistry and M.S. and B.S. degrees in Animal Sciences from The Ohio State University. Dr. Reinhart is currently involved in infant and young children nutritional studies in Honduras, Guatemala and India as well as research evaluating nutritional needs of reproductive age women in India and Vietnam. He has published over 200 scientific papers and abstracts in peer reviewed journals and is an inventor on 14 United States patents.
Larry Tepe, DDS & Jan Tepe, DDS
Dental Program
Larry became involved with Shoulder to Shoulder in 1999 when his wife, Dr. Jan Tepe, accepted an invitation to travel to Honduras to provide dental treatment to the underserved. They then collected the necessary dental equipment and supplies to make a full service dental clinic a reality in Santa Lucia. Later, they did the same in Concepcion. Larry is responsible for keeping the equipment repaired and running for the clinic’s permanent dentists and visiting US dental brigades.
After many years of working to improve dental care, Larry and Jan realized that prevention and education were the keys to controlling dental disease in Honduras. For this reason they decided to begin a school-based dental program that provides prevention, education, and necessary treatments to over 700 students. Each year they continue to lead a brigade of volunteer dentists from the US to provide additional care to local residents. They have also provided continuing education seminars for Honduran dentists in the region. Their future goals are to work with the Honduran government to expand the prevention and education program as well as to improve coordination of dental volunteers from the US and existing Honduran dental clinics.
Dr. Larry and Dr. Jan have two children. Their son, Adam, has been to Honduras to complete construction projects at the clinics. Their daughter, Rachel, is also a dentist and has made several trips to Honduras to volunteer at the clinic.
Plutarco Rivera, Esq.
Member at Large
Plutarco became involved with Shoulder to Shoulder about 12 years ago when his cousin introduced him to Wayne Waite. As a lawyer he first committed to offering his legal services but he became more and more involved with each passing day. Currently he is connected to almost every aspect of the organization, something which he really enjoys. Through his commitment to Shoulder to Shoulder, he says he’s gotten to know many extraordinary people, both North Americans and Hondurans, and he intends to continue for many years to come. His ultimate hope would be for his children – Luisa, Camila, and Adriana – to also dedicate time to Shoulder to Shoulder. His wife, Patricia Maria Sikaffy, has also been essential to the organization’s success.
Plutarco was born in Tegucigalpa and attended an international school in San Pedro Sula. He then completed high school while living in Paris, France with his mother. He graduated from the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) and then completed his post-bac at the INCAE in Nicaragua.
Carrie L. Griffiths, Pharm.D.
Member at Large
Carrie traveled to Guachi on her first medical brigade in 2018 and returns yearly! She loves the people of Guachi and has built some lasting relationships. She joined the StS Board of Directors in the summer 2023. She is an Associate Professor at Wingate University School of Pharmacy and Tele-Critical Care Pharmacist with Atrium Health. She joined Wingate University School of Pharmacy in 2012.
In her free time, she enjoys travelling, CrossFit, knitting and spending time with her dog Raven and family.
Hombro a Hombro
Plutarco Rivera, Esq.
CEO & President
Plutarco became involved with Shoulder to Shoulder about 12 years ago when his cousin introduced him to Wayne Waite. As a lawyer he first committed to offering his legal services but he became more and more involved with each passing day. Currently he is connected to almost every aspect of the organization, something which he really enjoys. Through his commitment to Shoulder to Shoulder, he says he’s gotten to know many extraordinary people, both North Americans and Hondurans, and he intends to continue for many years to come. His ultimate hope would be for his children – Luisa, Camila, and Adriana – to also dedicate time to Shoulder to Shoulder. His wife, Patricia Maria Sikaffy, has also been essential to the organization’s success.
Plutarco was born in Tegucigalpa and attended an international school in San Pedro Sula. He then completed high school while living in Paris, France with his mother. He graduated from the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) and then completed his post-bac at the INCAE in Nicaragua.
Wayne Waite, Esq.
Chair
Wayne Waite is committed to principle that the poor need an advocate and that poverty is urgent. He is an attorney with Waite Tomb & Eberly and served as the original incorporator of Shoulder to Shoulder, Inc. as well as incorporating Association Hombro a Hombro in Honduras. Both organizations are tax exempt charitable organizations with the same mission.
Wayne has been married to Christina Waite M.D. since 1976 and currently lives in Xenia, Ohio. His son Daniel and his wife Nidia are both active in Shoulder to Shoulder. Nidia is a native of Camasca, Intibuca, Honduras. He hopes his work alleviates the scourge of poverty and contributes to the development of sustainable systems of equity and dignity.
Patricia Maria Sikaffy, Esq.
Treasurer
Patricia Sikaffy serve as the Administrator of Shoulder to Shoulder’s ongoing health care mission as established by the contractual agreement with the Honduran government. This health care mission operates seventeen clinics in the Frontera region of Intibuca, employing over 120 health care professionals, and providing care for over 70,000 residents in this territory. Ms. Sikaffy is an expert in government contracting and relations. Her competence and dedication insures excellent, regular health care and a sustainability of mission.
Read more about our members at large to the right →
Richard E. Buten
Mary Flake de Flores
Plutarco and Diane Castellanos
Daniel Waite
Miguel Angel Bautista Gutierrez
Members at Large
Richard E. Buten, PhD
Member at Large
Dick became involved in Shoulder to Shoulder in 2001. Early work included construction and various computer and communications projects. He created a comprehensive Health Information System to support the contract with the Honduran government and various nutrition research projects funded by Mathile Institute.
Dick served as Treasurer for seven years bringing the organization to a balanced budget. His current passion is to improve the education system in Southern Intibucá via education technology including Khan Academy, Robotics, and various other content delivered by LearningEquality.org.
Dick graduated from Xavier University in Cincinnati majoring in physics. He received his MS in physics and PhD in Computer Sciences from Purdue University. He retired from Procter & Gamble after a career of 27 years where he held various technical and managerial positions within the company’s Information Technology function. He was also an Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at Xavier University for seven years. He is the managing partner a family real estate business. Hobbies include golf, tennis, skiing, photography, and cave diving. Dick and wife Bonnie have two adult children and three grandchildren.
Mary Flake de Flores
Member at Large
Mary was born in Memphis, Tennessee. She moved to Cincinnati in the second grade. She met her future husband, Carlos Roberto Flores Facusse, while studying at the University of Louisiana in Baton Rouge. She has two children, Mary Elizabeth Flores and Carlos David Flores Flake. Her daughter, Mary Elizabeth, is the Honduran Ambassador to the UN. In 1996, Mary became the First Lady of Honduras after her husband was popularly elected president. Throughout her time as First Lady and throughout her life, she has tirelessly advocated for women, particularly rural women, and children. In the wake of the destruction caused by Hurricane Mitch in the Fall of 1998, she and her husband expended great energy in rebuilding Honduras.
Plutarco and Diane Castellanos
Members at Large
Plutarco Castellanos was appointed Honduran Minister of Health by President Carlos Flores in 1998 and served until 2002. He served in this capacity during the worst natural disaster in Honduran history, Hurricane Mitch. He was instrumental in obtaining and distributing foreign aid that alleviated the extreme damages suffered by the population. At that same time he reached out and formed partnership with Shoulder to Shoulder to treat many of the victims of that disaster.
Diane Castellanos is an American citizen living in Honduras. She is a retired teacher from an Catholic High School in Tegucigalpa. She is dedicated to the poor and vulnerable of Honduras.
Daniel Waite, MBA
Member at Large
Daniel Waite graduated from Wright State University with a major in Spanish. He earned his MBA at WSU with a concentration in International Business. Daniel is employed by Persistent Surveillance Systems as Director for Latin American markets. Daniel served as a volunteer with Shoulder to Shoulder at the bilingual school in Camasca where he met his wife Nidia and they now have three children.
Both Daniel and Nidia come to Honduras often with service groups from their local church community. They are committed to the mission of Shoulder to Shoulder in reducing the challenges of poverty that limit well-being for individuals and families on the Frontera.
