Tom Felmley
GDR Director
God has called Tom to international missions for over 30 years, more than 25 of those in disaster response work. He has been to over 55 countries, serving and leading in 25 of them. He is an engineer, entrepreneur, Emergency First Responder, and Chaplain, but is most fulfilled as the team leader and field engineer for disaster response trips. He often leads the ministry's Advance Resource Assessment Team. His undergraduate degree is in Chemistry, Industrial Management, and German, with a Masters of Engineering in Materials, both from Carnegie Mellon. He owns Group 66 Designs, Inc. He is the Director of Global Disaster Response with Restoration Now Global.
Our Team
Christina Davies PA, FAWM
Strategy and Operations Coordinator
With 23 years of disaster response and mitigation experience, Christina ensures Global Disaster Response (GDR) operates efficiently while also developing GDR's strategy for partnering with local communities around the globe in preparation for potential disasters.
She began her medical career in New York where she responded to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Christina then spent the next two decades traveling around the world providing medical care and disaster relief on four continents. She is a Fellow in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine and has trained with retired British Special Air Service (SAS) personnel in hostile environment safety and security.
After serving as the Co-Director of Mission to the World’s disaster response ministry, Christina now has focused her talents, experience, and passion on providing strategic leadership and resource management to achieve the goal of "restoring hope with urgency and compassion."
Amanda Lombard
Design and Administration
Amanda joined the GDR family in 2023 as a freelance graphic designer, web designer, and administrator. Originally from the UK, she moved to Athens, Greece, with her family in 2017. Over the years, Amanda has actively supported charities focused on assisting vulnerable people, refugee youth, and victims of human trafficking.
Amanda established a global design and marketing business called ‘Go Cucumber Design’ with a mission to make design and marketing services accessible and affordable for small businesses, charities, and NGOs. With a global perspective, her goal is to assist these organizations in reaching their target audiences, raising awareness, and achieving their missions through exceptional designs and impactful social media strategies.
Michael Behmer
Board
Michael’s twenty-year mental health career spans across multiple industries and therapeutic disciplines. From interpersonal engagement to team-building and treatment design, his singular focus is to create compelling and healthy education rooted in research. Michael and his team deliver an emphasis on overcoming crisis and the recovery of complex trauma, grief and loss in diverse populations. His work is guided by purpose, passion, simplicity, innovation and results. He has worked with dozens of groups including UNICEF, Faros, Team Rubicon, Samaritan’s Purse, TechStars, Crocs, Ridgeline Ventures, and Global Disaster Response.
Joy Kirkland
Trauma Counseling Consultant
Joy has been serving marginalized groups experiencing trauma for more than 15 years. She has lived in Europe with her family for the last 12 years, experiencing the European refugee crisis in 2016 and working in global anti human trafficking, trauma-impacted counseling , and crisis response. In addition to post grad studies in cross cultural trauma Joy holds graduate degrees in counseling and specializes in trauma and vulnerable populations.
Mark Thompson
Board
Mark has served in missions and disaster response for over 25 years. He began as a missionary in Honduras with Mission to the World (MTW) and worked with the community on the island of Guanaja following Hurricane Mitch in 1998. He remained with MTW for the next twenty years, eventually heading back to the home office where he filled many roles, including MTW’s Director of Volunteer Ministries which included their disaster response ministry. In 2021, Mark joined The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM), a non denominational missions sending agency, as their Manager of the Short-Term Missions Department. Before serving on the GDR board he was a board member for Missions for Life and Dayspring Camp & Conference Center.