Staff Members
Paul Gesterling
President/CEO
Paul received his bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of Colorado and his master’s in public administration from the University of Illinois. He has certificates in nonprofit management and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). He joined World Villages for Children in 2020, inspired by the work of the Sisters of Mary and the direction provided by its founder, Fr. Al. Paul enjoys running to no place in particular, following Colorado sports teams and spending...
Ann Kee
Marketing Manager
Ann Kee has been working with World Villages for Children for 15 years. As a former teacher, she is proud to continue her work in the bettering of children’s lives. Ann has held various roles in communications and donor relations throughout her career, and currently manages our day-to-day operations. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters.
Janet Klotz
Donor Relations Manager
Janet Klotz has been working with World Villages for Children for 25 years. Janet provides support to our donors, our staff and our Board of Directors. From the very beginning, she developed a strong sense of devotion to the Sisters of Mary and their charity works. If you don’t believe us, just call her! In addition to answering donor questions, Janet enjoys gardening, reading, upcycling furniture, and spending time with her husband and two adult children.
Kevin Wells
Director of Public Relations
Kevin Wells is a Catholic writer and best-selling author of “The Priests We Need to Save the Church.” He was led to World Villages after discovering the priest we need in the staggering life of Fr. Al. Kevin is a graduate of Loyola University, where his studies in creative writing and journalism led to a major daily newspaper job with the Tampa Tribune, where he covered the Tampa Bay Rays MLB team. Kevin has served as Vice President for a...
Frances Popp
Director of Outreach
Frances graduated from Ave Maria University in Florida and served as one of the first FOCUS Missionaries to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Now in the role of Director of Outreach, Frances hopes to share the mission of the Sisters of Mary with the whole world. You can find Frances spending quality time with close friends, her Jane Austen-like-family of five girls, and 4-year old pup, Ria.
Alexandra Cernick
Director of Communications and Digital Marketing
Alex, originally from Connecticut, graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a creative writing degree. Upon graduation, she served two years as a FOCUS missionary, where a passion to continue to work for a meaningful mission was ignited. Her desire to serve the poor through writing and design led her to the beautiful works of World Villages for Children. She has a deep love for family, and sharing her faith through creativity. She also enjoys cooking, art, and making music.
Ivy Marroquin
Senior Accountant
Ivy received her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of New Haven. Since then she has worked with CPA firms getting experience needed in public accounting, now pursuing Not for Profit accounting. After being a treasurer for her church for almost 10 years while in Connecticut, Ivy has found a new home working for World Villages for Children in Maryland. Ivy enjoys playing in soccer leagues with her husband. Her greatest joys and treasures are her children.
Adam Rittermann
Accountant
Adam Rittermann is an Accountant for World Villages for Children with a broad range of experience in accounting, computer science, and marine biology. In 2017, he came to know World Villages for Children by pure chance and found an organization whose mission is truly worth working for. Adam lives with his wife and dog in Columbia, Maryland, where they enjoy spending time with family.