Board of Directors
Rev. Ricky Harrison
Board Chair
Ricky Harrison serves as the University Chaplain and Director of Religious & Spiritual life at McMurry University in Abilene, TX. He first went to serve in Juarez, MX with his parents at the age of 6 and has been returning multiple times a year ever since. Ricky spent two summers during high school working full time in Juarez for Proyecto Abrigo and in college led several multi-generational teams to refurnish the dorms and build homes. Having returned to Texas after spending three years in North Carolina at Duke Divinity School, Ricky is looking forward to leading new teams of young people to experience God’s great work through the ministries of Operación Abrigo.
Rachel Scott
Board Vice-Chair
Rachel Scott is a Diaconal Minister serving at Noel UMC in Shreveport, Louisiana as Minister of Service and Outreach where she coordinates the community outreach programs of Noel. She is a licensed social worker and worked for the YWCA of Northwest Louisiana for over 20 years in its domestic violence program, and is now serving as the Interim Executive Director. Her first time to serve on a mission team to Juarez and Proyecto Abrigo was in 2004 and Rachel has been leading teams there, along with Dave Fortuna, almost every year since. She loves seeing the transformation that takes place in those coming to serve as well as those being served, and how we all come together as one body of Christ. Rachel is married to Alan who serves in centering prayer ministry and was a hospice chaplain. She looks forward to seeing how the ministry of Operación Abrigo will grow and develop, and is honored to serve on the Board.
Michele Hill
Treasurer & Finance Chair
Michele Hill lives in St. Louis, MO, where she attends The Gathering UMC. Michele teaches English Language Learners in the Pattonville School District. Michele participated in her first mission trip to Juarez in 1995. Since then she has returned countless times, leading teams to build homes and teach children’s programs. From 1998- 2002 Michele served Proyecto Abrigo as the Scheduling Coordinator. During this time, she lived with her family in El Paso, Texas. Michele and Juana Portillo taught English classes and month-long Vacation Bible School programs at Nuevo Pacto for the three years Michele lived in El Paso. Both of her daughters, Jesse and Sophia, consider Juarez their second home and the Portillos their extended family.
Rev. Courtney Schultz
Board Secretary
Courtney Schultz serves as a United Methodist pastor in the North Texas Conference. She was introduced to the ministry of Operación Abrigo in her first pastoral appointment at Stonebridge UMC. Stonebridge had a long history of sending teams to build homes and volunteer in the Medical Clinic. On her first trip, she fell in love with the ministry and the people. She continued traveling twice a year with that church until receiving an appointment to Grace Chapel UMC in July 2019. Each year Courtney leads diverse teams of people to serve with Operacion Abrigo. Courtney likes to say she keeps a part of her heart in Mexico.
Jeff Cullen
Programs & Ministry Chair
Jeff Cullen is married to an incredible lady, Leslie, and together they have two children, Payton & Gwen Faye . Both Leslie and Jeff are very proud parents.
From 2007-2022, Jeff served as the Pastor to Youth, Families, and the Community at Wesley United Methodist Church in Greenville, TX. Jeff has been in full-time youth ministry since 1998, serving at First Quinlan, Plymouth Park, as Camp Director, CCYM sponsor, and District Youth Director. He has led countless mission teams and his passions in ministry include serving alongside students, teaching them how to share God’s love with a broken world, and how to get their hands dirty, muscles sore, and emotions exposed working for the good of someone else.
Jeff has been serving in Juarez since 2003 and has a great love for this place, ministry, and people. He considers it an honor to serve Operación Abrigo and hopes to join you in this ministry, this work, this mission!
Rev. Taylor Smith
Development Chair
Taylor Smith serves as the Senior Pastor of FUMC The Colony in The Colony, Texas. He first experienced the beauty of Juarez, MX with his youth group at Stonebrigde UMC. Over the years, he’s taken a handful of trips across the border and is always thrilled to see how the Holy Spirit is at work among the people of Juarez. Some of his fondest memories of what was then Proyecto Abrigo include the tasty food, playing cards with the locals, and the relationships forged.
Josue Arellano
Josue Arellano is an El Paso native. Even though he is now located in East Texas, his heart will always be for serving the border. He has been going to Juarez, Mexico to help build homes for the past 4 years and is grateful to God that he found out about this ministry from a friend. Although Josue does not serve in church ministry .per se, he does enjoy serving people and talking to those who seek to find ways to help serve in this world. He loves the work that goes into building a home in Juarez and actually plans out his vacations around those times. He looks forward to seeing what God has planned for Operación Abrigo and to serving alongside those who love this ministry as well.
Brad Shine
Brad Shine serves as the Director of Missions for the Wesley at Texas Tech. He serves the college ministry in a variety of roles leading and encouraging college students. Among these positions, Brad feels most passionate and the most privileged helping college students go and lead both domestic and international mission trips. In addition to this, Brad is also highly involved in disaster relief and serves whenever possible. He has been going to Juarez for almost 10 years and has brought countless college students with him. Brad is honored to be able to serve a ministry that God is continuing to use in incredible ways.
Rev. Dave Fortuna
Rev. Dave Fortuna lives in Shreveport, LA where he and his wife, Annette, attend Noel UMC when he is not preaching or teaching elsewhere in the area. Dave is retired now but began working with Jose Luis in Juarez in 1993. Over the years he has enjoyed being a part of the “parade of homes” that this ministry has provided for the working poor in Juarez. Dave, his wife, both his daughters and two of his grandchildren have made the trip across Texas to be a part of this project. They, along with over 600 mission minded, adventure seeking, church members from three different appointments in Louisiana over the last 27 years, have seen God change and bless so many lives. Dave says, “It’s my favorite mission destination - It’s easy to plan, church member friendly, reasonable priced and incredibly powerful.”