Who We Are

Founder & Board Chair

International House’s inception in 1998 came from Brenda’s participation in a prayer initiative for the 1040 Window. God soon opened doors for her to be in the homes of local international women, teaching them English. As that opportunity grew and grew, she recruited her friends to help her. In 2001 she founded Local GO!, which in 2004 became International House, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization.

Brenda graduated with a B.A. in Social Work from Oral Roberts University in 1973. She earned her MSW in Social Work from the University of Oklahoma in 1976 and received a B.A. in Pastoral Studies Ministries from Taylor University in 1999.

Executive Director

Ann began as a volunteer at iHouse in 2005. She joined the staff in 2015. She has traveled extensively overseas listening and learning in places like China, Laos, Thailand, Ethiopia, Haiti, Belize, and Brazil. Her most recent trip was traveling to Jordan to work with Syrian refugees.

Ann has a B.S. in Clinical Psychology from Trine University. She has also completed the Perspectives course and has served as an instructor, teaching lesson #13 The Spontaneous Multiplication of Churches. Ann is certified in Classical Trauma Healing for adults and children and TEFL certified. She is part of the Northeast Indiana Immigration Network and also serves on the Amani Family Justice Task Force and Empowered Legal Aid Network (ELAN) Advosiry Board.

Director of Operations and Outreach

Heather joined the iHouse staff in October 2016. Prior to that, she was the CFO at a local retail establishment for 14 years and also worked in the medical field. She has traveled overseas on several medical mission trips and her most recent trip was traveling to Jordan in 2020 to engage with the Syrian refugee population living there.

Heather has an A.S. in Applied Science and is a Certified Medical Assistant, as well as being CPI certified. She has also completed Perspectives courses, serves on the Amani Family Justice Task Force and is on the Advisory Board for Empowered Legal Aid Network (ELAN). Heather is certified in Classical Trauma Healing for both adults and children, and she is part of the Northeast Indiana Immigration Network

Programming & Administration

McKenna began as an iHouse volunteer in 2015. She worked as an intern for iHouse in 2018-2019. McKenna joined the staff in 2022. She worked at Camp Lutherhaven for four summers and has taught swim lessons for 5 years. She has traveled overseas to South Africa twice on mission trips and has been on multiple stateside mission trips.

McKenna has completed three years of college at Purdue Fort Wayne, 2 years with a focus in Elementary Education and 1 year with a focus in Psychology and Art. Her goal is to complete her degree and become an Art Therapist.

Program Director & English Learning Coordinator

Jamie’s passion for culture started when she was 8 years old and heard a missionary speak about her experiences in the field. Since then, she has done a lot of traveling through both missions trips and studying abroad. She has worked in International Education for almost 10 years. Her favorite thing about learning new cultures is that each culture presents the opportunity to learn a different perspective of who God is and how He operates. She first heard about iHouse in 2022 while visiting First Missionary Church and fell in love with the heart and mission behind the organization. In 2022, she began in-home tutoring and started working for iHouse later that year.

Jamie has a B.A. in International Languages from Grace College, and an M.Ed. in Higher International Education from Loyola University Chicago. She completed her CETLA certificate in 2012 and moved to Fort Wayne in 2013 to pursue teaching English as a second language.

Medical & Social Services Liaison

Valisha, along with her family, served on a team in the Republic of Georgia for seven years before moving to Fort Wayne in 2022. A deep love for people and their journeys, and the honor of sharing the reason for her hope are foundational to her calling. Valisha looks forward to walking with and encouraging iHouse families as they navigate medical and social services settings.

Valisha graduated from Indiana University Bloomington with a B.S. in Education–English concentration. She has taken the Perspectives course, and also has a TESOL certificate. Valisha also has a background in social services, content creation/marketing, and secondary education.