Board of Directors
Jane Simmons, Founder/Board President
Mrs. Simmons was employed by the Santa Rosa County, Florida School District at Pace High School for thirty-six years until her retirement in 2010. From 1992 until she retired, Mrs. Simmons was assigned to the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Department at Pace High School as a job coach/job placement advocate for the ESE students.
Roy Carpenter, Vice-President
Roy Carpenter, Jr was born and raised in Santa Rosa County. He is currently licensed as a Physical Therapist Assistant and has practiced for the last 20 years. In his profession, Roy has had the pleasure of treating patients with both physical and intellectual disabilities. He has been married for thirty years and has two daughters.
Allison Daseler, Secretary
Allison Daseler is a native Floridian from Winter Haven. She has been a Navy wife for the past 33 years that includes 13 moves and 9 different duty stations. She was an elementary school teacher in Santa Rosa County for 11 years. She has been volunteering at Vision of Hope for the past several years. Her son, Benjamin, is a Life STRIDES participant and thoroughly loves the program. She and her husband also have a daughter, Maggie, who lives in Portland, Oregon.
Christine Wong, Treasurer
Christine Wong holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Elementary Education from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, as well as a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Troy University. Mrs. Wong, her husband, and two adult sons reside in Pace. Their youngest son was a participant in Vision of Hope’s Life STRIDES program and is now employed at Chick-fil-A.
Steve German, Member-at-Large
Steve German was born in Alabama, but has lived in Santa Rosa County since 1974. He has been employed with the Santa Rosa County Federal Credit Union since 1994 where he currently serves as the credit union’s CEO. He has served on the Vision of Hope board of directors since 2019.
Russell Raught, Member-at-Large
Russell Raught is a proud U.S. Army Veteran, having honorably served and retired at the rank of First Sergeant. Following his military service, he continued his commitment to service and discipline as a Correctional Officer with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, serving at Century Correctional Facility from 2006 to 2017. Since 2018, Russell has served as the Local Veterans Employment Representative with CareerSource Escarosa, supporting veterans in Santa Rosa and Escambia Counties in their transition to meaningful civilian careers. Dedicated to both faith and community, Russell is a Licensed Minister with Evangel Faith International and an active civic leader. He has served on the Santa Rosa County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors from 2022-2024 and held the position of Military Affairs Committee Chairman from 2024-2025. Russell holds an Associate’s Degree in Sports and Fitness Program Management from Pensacola State College and remains passionate about service, leadership, and empowering others.
Brian Gates, Member-at-Large
Brian Gates earned a B.A. in World History from Western Washington University and was commissioned into the U.S. Navy in 1983, retiring as a Commander in 2009 after nearly 27 years of service. His career included assignments aboard USS Carl Vinson and in various Naval Helicopter Squadrons. He earned an M.A. in National Security and Strategic Affairs from the U.S. Naval War College in 1999 and later served as Aide de Camp to the Commander-in-Chief of U.S. Special Operations Command. He held leadership roles at Texas A&M's Naval ROTC, Tactical Air Control Squadron TWO TWO (deploying twice in support of the Global War on Terror), and the Naval Service Training Command. Commander Gates is married to the former Lisa Ivey and has one son, Bradley, and two daughters, Savannah, and Lauren.