Great Shape Inc

Our Team

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Gretchen Lee

Founding Board Member

Gretchen Lee, AKA “Getrin” in Jamaica, also serves as Co-Director of SuperKids and Teach the Teachers. Gretchen, a Co-Founder along with remarkable friends Georgene Crowe and the late Myrtle Franklin, has been with Great Shape! Inc. from day one in 1988. A retired special education teacher, potter and esthetician, Gretchen lives in Oregon.

“Jamaica is a joyful and loving place. I am totally committed to working with our Jamaican friends and family to equip and empower each other as best we can.”

“My goal is to further enhance education for the children in Jamaica by providing professional development programs for their teachers; i.e. our expanded Language Arts and Behavior Management curriculum for our “Teach the Teachers” program. This was a long time coming and very exciting.”

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you do, you will be successful.” — Buddha

“I used to play the 5 string banjo in a bluegrass band!”

Georgene Crowe

Founding Board Member

Georgene Crowe, better known as “Mama G”, is also a Co-Director for SuperKids and Teach the Teachers. When not working with Great Shape! Mama G is a hairdresser in Oregon. Mama G, along with Co-Founders Myrtle Franklin and Gretchen Lee, started Great Shape! Inc. in 1988 after Hurricane Gilbert devastated the island of Jamaica. They collected household supplies, clothes, bedding, and more to ship to Jamaica, and then Mama G met the supplies in Kingston, Jamaica and Great Shape! Inc. was born.

“Many are called but few are chosen, I have been blessed to be chosen to share love and peace with the loving, kind people of Jamaica. ‘Love is my religion,’ I am with Ziggy Marley on that!”

“Build and establish our One Love Volunteer Center in Jamaica for year round projects: Health, Education, Sports, Art, Music. I still have my affirmation of being on the 2nd floor in my office looking out at the Caribbean!”

“Build and establish our One Love Volunteer Center in Jamaica for year round projects: Health, Education, Sports, Art, Music. I still have my affirmation of being on the 2nd floor in my office looking out at the Caribbean!”

“One love, one heart, let’s get together and feel alright!” — Bob Marley

“My husband Steven, Lucinda (1-3 years old) and I lived in a tent in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I know how to cook in the ground! I am a flowerchild from the beginning you know!”

Joseph Wright – “Papa Joe”

Founding Executive Director

Papa Joe has been the Executive Director of Great Shape! since 1995 – volunteering in that role for the first 13 years.   Born in the USA and proud to call Jamaica his second home, Papa Joe has immersed himself in the Jamaican culture. While living in a rural Westmoreland village building a school, Papa Joe learned first-hand the challenges facing everyday Jamaicans.  He noticed the barriers to education such as taxi fare, lunch money and uniforms.  He also saw the lack of access to basic health care like eyeglasses, glaucoma drops or dental care.  It was there he earned is his nickname “Papa Joe” from the school kids.  It was there he learned to speak patois.

“It doesn’t matter what country you are from or what color your skin is.  What matters is what’s in the heart.  We are all brothers and sisters on this planet. We all deserve good health, good education and freedom as basic human rights.  It is not only a duty to help others less fortune is it truly my honor.” – Papa Joe

“My goal is to make the world a better place.  To relieve suffering.  To inspire hope.  To open doors and lend a hand up.  My goal is to reduce poverty through education – the great equalizer.  My goal is to connect people of different backgrounds, cultures, colors, religions and help people understand that differences are beautiful things to be celebrated, not feared. My goal is to give people a safe place to express unconditional love through service.”

Papa Joe loves to wander and wonder.  Among his many adventures: he has been adopted by a Fijian Village, been chased by an Elephant, summited Mt Jefferson (and 15 other peaks), hitchhiked across Australia, jammed with the Marley’s, caught a rattle snake, danced with the Karamojo, hopped a freight train, stared down a Grizzly and slept under many star filled skies around the world.

He loves coffee, rum and cooking.  He loves to take pictures.

Brad Adams

Board Member

Brad Adams is a board member, the Tech Director, and Co-Director for SuperKids and Teach the Teachers (founder). When not collecting computer gear for Jamaica from across the land, Brad is a high school teacher in Washington. Brad married into Great Shape! Inc. and started volunteering in 2006, he joined the board soon after. His entire family volunteers, including his girls who were born in Jamaica and South Korea.

“I love to be able to make a dramatic change at a school in just a couple of hours by providing them with resources that are hard to attain in Jamaica. I love assisting Jamaican teachers who are working hard to help their students and make their country a better place.”

“I hope to provide high tech vocational training in digital manufacturing.”

“You better watch out cause I’m going to come at you like a spider monkey.” — Talladega Nights

“I once won a dance contest at Sandals. We call my winning move, ‘the split’.” (As opposed to the “splits”. LOL)

Dr. C.R. Anderegg, DDS

Board Member – President of the Board

C.R. Anderegg joined the Board in 2006 and has served as a volunteer with Great Shape! Inc. since 2005. When he is not volunteering on our dental projects in Jamaica, Dr. Anderegg practices Dentistry/Periodontics in Bellevue, Washington.

“I joined Great Shape! Inc. to ‘make the world a little better – one tooth at a time.’  My wife, Marianne, and daughter, Sarah, have volunteered with me; while my son, Erik, has been on other volunteer dental trips

“My hope is that one day Great Shape! Inc. will have a permanent presence in Jamaica and/or the Caribbean.”

“You haven’t learned how to live until you’ve learned how to give.” -Kirk Douglas, Actor

“Actually, two words will satisfy me, ‘thank you!’ “

Dr. Ayaz Jafri

Board Member – Treasurer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tiffany Rinaldi-Delaney

Director of Office Operations

Tiffany is a master diplomat and project manager. A Gonzaga University graduate, Tiffany began her work with Great Shape! as an intern at Let It Shine while still in school. Shortly after graduation, Tiffany began working for Executive Director Joseph Wright in 2009, she then volunteered on the SuperKids Literacy Project teaching computers and it was love at first sight.

“There is no greater joy than seeing a Jamaican child’s face light up when they learn something new. Computers completely open up their world and it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. What you gain from volunteering far outweighs what you can ever give… I have learned so many important life lessons and learned what’s truly important in life through my travels to Jamaica.”

“I want to help Great Shape! Inc. further expand globally and financially so that we can build a larger staff to support all our various projects and reach more people in the Caribbean and beyond.”

“The answer will always be NO, unless you try.” — Tiffany’s Dad

“Jamaica has been top on my list of countries to visit since I was a child. I think it’s awesome this dream came to fruition. I don’t believe there are any coincidences in this life.”

Lucinda Kay

Communications Director

Lucinda Kay has served as the Communications Director since 2006, and her company, Let It Shine Media manages the internal and external communications for Great Shape! Inc. More importantly, co-founder Georgene Crowe, AKA Mama G, is Lucinda’s mama. That means Lucinda has been dancing, fundraising, and serving Jamaica since the beginning. Lucinda’s own girls volunteer, as the ripple effects magically become tidal waves of generations serving generations.

“I believe in servant leadership, one love, and collaboration – we get to create and experience such richness when we serve together. Jamaica nourishes my soul with her people, the Reggae, the sea, and the fact that we get to benefit from our impact in real time – the ripple effect plays out over and over, moment by moment.”

“I look forward to the day when we run a year-round volunteer center, full of all the hospitality of a world-class resort, full of all kinds of volunteers, leading all kinds of projects that empower the families of the Caribbean with access to healthcare and education.”

“Don’t let fear make your decisions. Exhale and let it shine!”

“I usually win my dance-off’s by busting out the splits and I’ve been hijacked in Brazil. Oh, I used to be able to deadlift 303 lbs. Yeah, don’t mess with me!”

Sherwin Shinn, DDS

1000 Smiles Clinical Program Director

Dr. Sherwin Shinn is the Dental Clinic Director for Great Shape!’s 1000 Smiles. When he’s not traveling the world to help others, Dr. Shinn (AKA Doc) is a full-time children’s dentist in Washington. Doc joined Great Shape! Inc. in 2000 when Executive Director, Joseph Wright heard an interview with Doc on NPR, and called him to help launch a dental project in Jamaica. The rest is history as the two joined together to lead 1000 Smiles.

“I love volunteering in the Caribbean because the people really appreciate the offer to improve their health. The lively, outgoing spirituality of the Jamaican people, combined with the beautiful country and their constant engagement and happiness is one of the best things you can experience anywhere.”

“Bring awareness of what the dental needs are in developing areas of the world to teams of volunteers. I hope to see ongoing sustainable programs being developed by Jamaicans for Jamaicans so that they can be educated and take care of their own people.”

“We are all born to learn to love.” — Ziggy Marely

“I’m serious about everything 100% of the time.”

Steven Stern

iCARE Director

Steven is the founder of Great Shape! Inc.’s vision project, iCARE. He first volunteered with the 1000 Smiles Dental Project in 2005, he soon realized many people needed help filling out paper work in the dental clinics because they couldn’t see! After some research, he learned there is very little access to eye care, let alone prescription glasses.

“Jamaica is a gorgeous country and its people are warm and generous of spirit. Volunteers not only deeply connect to the culture, but also form life-long friendships with Jamaicans and each other.”

“The need for eye care in Jamaica is great. Our goal is to grow and offer our services to those most in need and implement a sustaining program with a clinical presence throughout the year.”

“For in truth it is life that gives unto life – while you, who deem yourself a giver are but a witness.” – Kahlil Gibran

“I used to play competitive table tennis and had a national ranking. Papa Joe has tried many times to beat me in a match. He’s still trying ☺.”

Shantelle Senior-Clarke, RDH

Project Manager

 

“I hope that through Great Shape! Inc. I will be able to give care for my fellow countrymen, not only in the regions of the Sandals Foundation, but island wide. I believe this will be achieved through greater mobility. I want to see Great Shape! become a household name in Jamaica.”

“Perfect love casts out all fears.” — 1 John 4:18

As well as…

Oshane Dennis, Roshane Dennis, Reyon Reynolds, Shantelle Senior, Dr. Newton Gordon, Dr. Joyce Graham-Royal,  Leanne Rodine, Andy Saller