Brian and Dana have been married for 19 years and have had the privilege of being licensed foster parents for 15 years. They have loved pouring their heart and soul into dozens of foster youth during that time who needed someone to take a chance on them. They are also very involved in their fostering community, serving on various foster/adopt advisory boards and mentoring other foster families. Brian and Dana are two of Dogwood Ranch’s co-founders and Dana is currently serving as CEO. In addition to their amazing foster youth, they have three beautiful daughters, Hailey, Kezzie and Sammy.
Dana’s parents, Sam and Brenda Crowell, have spent their married life together opening their home to children and youth. Starting a ranch for kids has been a lifelong dream of theirs, but doing it alone was not a possibility. The Lord began putting the pieces of the puzzle together when Brian and Dana married and shared the same desire. Little did they know that the dream would become Dogwood Ranch and that they would relocate to southwest Missouri from California. Sam is the Ranch Manager and Brenda serves as the Accounting Manager, however having the privilege of being Papa and Nana to the many precious kiddos of Dogwood Ranch is their greatest joy.
(1941-2023)
Don & Margie Lopez were married in 1971 and lived most of their lives in California. They raised 3 sons, who have blessed them with 3 lovely daughters-in-law and 7 precious grandchildren. They have been blessed to be “Grammy & Pappy” to not only their 7 grandchildren but to the many foster kids who are and have been a part of Dogwood Ranch. Don went home to heaven in February 2023 but left us with lots of joyful memories and a legacy of love. Margie works part-time as a legal secretary for a law firm in Springfield, Missouri and serves as the Dogwood Ranch Secretary. She is amazed every time she looks back at the divine circumstances and miraculous journey that led them to live in Missouri and to help establish Dogwood Ranch. They could not be more blessed!
Kathleen serves as the Business Administrator for Dogwood Ranch. After growing up with parents who did foster care, then becoming a foster parent for a short time herself, Kathleen has always had a passion for the foster youth of our community. She has a background in banking, church administration, and women’s ministry and will be using her skills from all those industries to serve Dogwood with heart and passion. Kathleen is happily married and has 3 beautiful kids who all are excited to be a part of the Dogwood family.
Jenifer Sturdivan is a licensed professional counselor in Southwest Missouri and has served in that capacity for the past 20 years. She specializes in Human Trafficking, court-ordered high conflict co-parenting, and most recently, Equine Assisted Psychotherapy through Ok Corral. She is the Vice Chairperson for Stand Against Trafficking and is a professor of psychology. Jenifer lives in the Ozarks with her son Judah, and their dog, Dexter.
Lisa serves as the Care Coordinator at The Haven, which supports former foster youth in crisis. Lisa has a background in serving and helping youth through social work and multiple ministry avenues. She has been married for almost 30 years to her husband Jeremy and together they have 4 children; Cade, Olivia, Paige, and Blake. Lisa passionately mentors and serves every resident at The Haven, uniquely tailoring her approach to the needs of each one. She is thankful that the Lord brought her to Dogwood and always serves with her whole heart.
Kynzee has worked with horses for almost 20 years and has been training both horses and dogs for the past 10 years. Prior to coming on staff with Dogwood she spent over 6 years at Sight and Sound Theaters in Branson working with all their animals and one of her favorites turned out to be the camels! Chance, her dog, is her right-hand pup and if you see her working around the ranch chances are you will see him tagging alongside. Kynzee has a passion for serving others and is excited to be a part of helping restore hope, one life at a time.
Eric Gaisford – InFocus Financial Strategies (Owner)
Sam Crowell – Dogwood Ranch Co-Founder
Brian Lopez – Dogwood Ranch Co-Founder
Andrea Cunningham – FORVIS (Senior Managing Consultant)
Sharyn Wagoner – Missouri Sports Hall of Fame (Retired)
Jason Ball – Wood & Huston Bank (Vice President)
Chris Bryant – Murney Associates (Real Estate Coach)
Eric Cardwell – Summit Specialty Products (Chief Marketing Officer)
John George – OakStar Bank (VP of Mortgage Banking)