​

Paul Svendsen, Treasurer & BoD Member

Hello–I’m Paul Svendsen, and I live in Bend, Oregon. I was born in Seattle and grew up in Southern Oregon. We have three grown children, and I am a financial advisor.

I am deeply committed to helping as many people as we can, survivors and workers. With love, compassion, and care.

 

Jacquie Ryan, BoD Member

My name is Jacquie Ryan.  I currently live in Tucson, Arizona and have been here for four years.  Previously, I lived primarily in California.  I’m married to Phil Ryan and we have three adult sons.  

I’m a survivor of CSA (no one in the fellowship) and have great concern and empathy for the survivors—the many many survivors—of harm and abuse of any kind.  It is heartbreaking to consider the anguish and struggles that so many have labored under.  If there’s a way to help in any way, I’m hoping to be a part of such an effort. 

Also, if there’s a way to ease the burden for those workers entering a new space–for whatever reason–I’m hoping to be part of any effort to accomplish that.

I worked for a year on the suicide prevention hotline, and it was a sobering experience.  There’s so much benefit in seeing life from someone else’s shoes and having a broader life perspective—there are so many who are suffering, and if there’s a way to reach a few of them, it seems we have to try.  The hope is that Bridges&Balm is one way to do that. 

​

Janet Pitcher, BoD Member

Hi, I’m Janet Pitcher.  I live in Sacramento, CA with my husband David. We have one married son and an “adopted” son. 

A little background information about me.  

I am a CSA survivor (non-meeting person).  I’m a retired pediatric nurse practitioner.  One of my positions was a part-time pediatric sexual assault examiner for several years in Placer County. In my main career, I was involved in the care of children with gastrointestinal and neurological issues, including children with problems resulting from CSA and physical abuse.  

As far as meetings, I was both raised in meetings and not.  I’m a 4th generation B & R in meeting on my mom’s side of family. However, my mom died when I was 4 years old.  My father married 6 times.  I lived with him some of the time, and luckily for me, mostly with my maternal grandparents, who were wonderful. My grandfather didn’t profess (at least verbally) but was very supportive.  My father owned a bar, a restaurant and catering service, so I was also exposed to a different crowd.  I realized my need of God and Jesus’ help when I was living with my father, and my personal relationship with them started then.

My purpose of being on the board is to do what I can to support survivors and the workers who need and deserve our assistance.  I want to show Jesus’ love through my actions.

 

​

Steve Paddon, Secretary & BoD Member 

HI, I’m Steve Paddon, and I live in Pleasanton with my wife and two children. I was born in Paso Robles, CA and grew up in southern Oregon. I have lived in the SF Bay area for the last 16 years, working in the tech industry.

I am motivated to put my efforts and resources into the charter of Bridges and Balm simply because I believe it’s desperately needed. The culture and values of the spiritual community I grew up in has placed the desires of the community over the needs of individuals, where the needs of individuals included protection from the most heinous types of crime against people in their formative years. As a result, there is a great debt of pain and suffering to reconcile within the broader community that have been deeply impacted, and Bridges and Balm provides a vehicle to empower others who also care to help make amends and promote healing in a scalable, efficient and transparent way. 

 

​

Eric Miller, Vice Chair & BoD Member 

I’m originally from Southern California and have lived in Northern California with my wife , Erica, for over 30 years.  

I’m a father of 3 ( 2 daughters and 1 son). 

I’ve been in the construction industry all my working years. 

 

​

David Martin, Chair & BoD Member

I’m David Martin, and I live in Alameda, CA and I have two children. I have lived in the SF Bay area for the last 22 years and I recently retired from a career in the tech industry.

I’m not a victim of abuse but I have been aware that it exists in our fellowship for many years.  After the events in March 2023, I was made aware of how pervasive it is, how many people it has affected and how it has been covered up for decades.  I care deeply about the safety of meetings and want to do my part to make our fellowship a safe place for children, adults, and workers.  I love and respect God’s ministry and want to help those who have committed their life to saving souls, especially those who have been trying to alert us to the violations and violators in our midst.

I grew up in the midwest and have lived in several places across the central & western US, including Houston, Denver, Phoenix in addition to the Bay Area.   My life experiences have shown me how much God loves us and cares for us, and being involved in Bridges & Balm is my personal way of trying to do something positive to help those who need our love, compassion, and assistance in their time of need.

 

Susanna Matingou, BoD Member 

Hi, I'm Susanna Ryan Matingou and I live in San Diego, California. I was raised going to meetings, and I still do. I am deeply concerned about the crisis we find ourselves in with respect to decades of abuse and the cover-up of abuse in this fellowship. I also care deeply about the inequities that exist in the care for resting/transitioning workers. It seems imperative that we show Jesus' love and care, without respect of persons, for the true shepherds who have laid down their lives for the sheep.

I was in the work in California from 2005 to 2007. My current career is employment attorney/workplace investigator. I primarily investigate allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and other alleged inappropriate treatment in the workplace. I also have some legal experience in California's juvenile dependency and criminal "justice" systems.

I am not a victim of abuse. However, I have worked around and with survivors in various capacities. I have one living child, Kwame Matingou. I am well-acquainted with grief as I had a baby boy Maxwell, who lived for thirteen months, from July 2015 to August 2016. I am very grateful for the loving comfort of our Heavenly Father and His Son. In the midst of what we are dealing with, I am thankful for the opportunity to assist Bridges & Balm in whatever capacity I can.

​