Operation Rescue Team

Michael Porter
T. Michael Porter has more than 40 years working in international and domestic nonprofit sectors. His experience in conflict zones in Sri Lanka, Abkhazia, Azerbaijan, Nachichivan, Armenia, Russia (Chechnya), Kosovo, Albania, Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen and Iraq have given him a broad understanding of conflict situations. He has dealt with kidnapping, hostage negotiations, evacuations and much more during his career. His work implementing USAID, USDA, World Food Program and UNHCR programs has given him understanding of collaborating with a variety of entities, something that is crucial for Operation Rescue. Michael has led in opening numerous NGO offices in Asia, the former Soviet Union Countries and in the Middle East. He recently retired but continues to have a heart for people in danger and is committed to doing everything possible to save lives in Afghanistan by helping evacuate those most in danger.

Becky Ault
Mrs. Rebecca de Graaff Ault is a health and development professional with over 18 years experience in both domestic and international settings. Her life’s work has been stationed primarily with a development and relief agency in insecure conflict zones including Yemen, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan and South Sudan.  Her area of expertise has concentrated on reproductive and maternal and child health, but she also has experience in overseeing a wide variety of development issues such as civil society, community development, emergency and disaster response, health systems strengthening, etc. She possesses a natural leadership style that crosses cultures and has experience in many health technical areas, all aspects of program management as well as higher level administrative responsibilities. This initiative began with Mrs. Ault’s desire to assist colleagues she worked with on a US-funded health program in the mountains of Bamyan Province from 2004-2009.

​Marty Phillips
​Marty has spent the majority of his professional life working with nonprofit organizations.  Marty started his career in 1989 in Bolivia as a project coordinator for a community development program that dropped infant mortality from 200 per 1,000 births to 10 per 1,000.  Next he ran a USAID-funded food program in Russia after the fall of communism that fed about 100,000 people per month. In Azerbaijan he was the regional director overseeing USAID and USDA programs. In Albania he took over the NGO operations from the Kosovo crises and placed sound management systems. Later he lived in Egypt he gained language and cultural sensitivity training for his next missions in the middle east.  He lived in Cyprus for about ten years and built a network of contacts in over a dozen middle eastern countries that are key to the success of this mission.  Now based back in the US, Marty operates a nonprofit that has a footprint in about 50 countries and has around 450 workers.

​Gary Roberts
​Gary Roberts is an Airline Transport rated pilot with over 25 years of international experience. Flying primarily on humanitarian missions in countries such as Guyana, Bolivia, Venezuela, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso and Indonesia. In 2008 he organized and personally flew evacuation missions of expatriates during the coup d’etat in Chad. He also was the on the ground negotiator for the successful release of an American who was held hostage for over a year on the border region between Chad and Libya.

​Jeff Sutton
​Jeff has been serving in humanitarian work for 18 years. With an aviation background and A&P CFII MEI certified, he has served as chief pilot & Director of Maintenance, high school director, builder, and project coordinator in Bolivia and South America. For the past 9 years he has founded and established MOVE, a volunteer training center in Belize. He has a wife and three kids, all of which have been born abroad. Jeff is currently based in Belize. Jeff is the Executive Director of Family Health and Education services, a Belizean nonprofit, and the president of Moses International Inc. a U.S. nonprofit in Michigan. MOSES international operates a Cessna 441 supporting various humanitarian organizations in Central and South America.

​Kip Ault
​Mr. Ault is a field supervisor for a nonprofit organization. Being conversant in the Russian language, he has acted as backstop support for workers in Central Asia as well as the Indian subcontinent for the past ten years. Mr. Ault also operates an online business. Prior to this he was a contract worker with a relief and development agency where he specialized in food security programs, serving in Liberia and Azerbaijan. Mr. Ault holds a Master's Degree in Public Health.

nPraxis

​nPraxis International is a US-based nonprofit registered with the Tennessee Secretary of State.