BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Becky ruland
Our founder, president and CEO was on track for a long career in broadcast journalism. She recognized God had given her many talents. After 11-years as a professional journalist and several short mission trips, her heart led her to sacrifice that career and family for a rewarding journey as a missionary. She earned her second degree in Theology and Advanced Missions from Christ For The Nations in Dallas, TX, then relocated to Eastern Europe in 1996. It was there that God inspired her to create International Networx. The ministry was officially incorporated in 1999. Becky enjoys speaking Russian with her many native Russian-speaking friends.
Johnny taylor
We’ve known this young man since the 90’s. Johnny is a Realtor/Broker in Amarillo, Texas, and serves as our vice president. He and his wife, Sherry, have been married since 1985 and have four children as well as 18 grandchildren. They have been on a number of mission trips to various countries including Belarus, Africa, Jamaica and Mexico. He’s an elder with his local church and they both love homesteading on their property, where Becky sometimes helps when she’s not globetrotting.
Cyndi Gibson
As our Donor Relations Manager, Cyndi functions in the financial network between missionaries and their supporters. She met Becky at a local church where they both lived in Myrtle Beach, SC. While on an afternoon beach trip, Becky invited Cyndi to join the accounting team. She has been our faithful Board Treasurer since September 2012. She is an ordained Pastor, who loves serving our partners and is actively involved in her local church, now in Louisianna.
Paula Dievendorf
Paula and Al met Becky in early 2022 after Becky and Ukrainians journeyed across the Mexican border into California due to the war with Russia. Paula has worked in both the non-profit and business worlds. She has been passionate about missions since her college days, having gone on several short-term missions trips throughout her life and keeping involved in prayer for missions. The couple live in California where they love spending time with their young grandchildren. She is our secretary.
Pavel Kakurin
Pavel served as Becky’s Ukrainian interpreter in a key meeting with pastors and leaders in Kyiv in 2005. One Mustard Seed church project had been constructed the previous year. The pastors were curious about our unusual American wood framing technology. A couple of days later in the pouring rain as Pavel assisted Becky with an umbrella, he expressed that God had impressed upon him to help our construction teams. The newly graduated engineer stepped into a mentorship with Becky and our expert American builders. He is an accomplished project manager, working with our partner company in Indiana, USA. He and his wife Maria have two boys, Elijah and Daniel.
advisors
Larry Becker
Larry and his wife Nancy became one of our donor partners after a trip to Russia in the early 90s with Time Square Church in New York City. Connecting to Becky in Belarus through another mutual friend, they asked if she knew their interpreter; they had lost contact. Among millions of people it was hardly possible… in the natural. A few days later while riding on a crowded subway, two English-speaking young Belarusian ladies noticed the foreigner, Becky, and asked if she possibly knew their long-lost American friends, Larry & Nancy Becker. That divine supernatural appointment sealed our long relationship. Larry is a skilled tax accountant and has helped guide our financial pathways and policies all these years.
Dwayne borkholder
In 1999 a mutual friend introduced us to Dwayne and his family in Nappanee, Indiana. This innovator and businessman leads Borkholder Buildings and Supply, which has been engineering, designing, and supplying buildings since 1962. His company shipped containers of building materials to Belarus to help us introduce American-style post-frame church construction. He and his network of engineers and builders have been instrumental in helping us train locals and develop wood frame construction methods in Belarus, Ukraine, Russia and Argentina.
Paul Williamson
Our legal counselor helped us to establish the structure of International Networx in 1999 and advises our board of directors. With his partnership firm in Amarillo, TX, Burdett, Morgan, Williamson & Boykin, L.L.P, Paul successfully forms S-Corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, family limited partnerships, and Series LLCs. He and his wife Sarah are active in their community and church.