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Our Team
Board of Directors
Kristi Kraft
President
Sandi Tyler
Board Member
Bill Gaines
Board Member
Bill has been married to his wife Lena for 47 years. They have four grown sons and
14 grandchildren. Bill spent the last 32 years of his career working in the
automotive industry in Michigan, ending his career working as the Global
Automotive Business Development Manager before retiring in 2014.
Bill has since volunteered for various non-profit organizations, starting with Life
Remodeled, an organization which revitalizes neighborhoods and schools in
Detroit. Bill started a tutoring program in the local elementary schools, helping
bring students up to grade level in reading. Bill now serves on the boards of
Pastors Beyond, End of the Road Ministries, and Baja Educational Initiative.
Bill and his wife began their involvement in Mexico with Baja Bound in the 90s
and have continued to this day. They became involved with Baja Educational
Initiative over 3 years ago. They are excited to see how children receive an
education through the resources provided by Baja Educational Initiative.
Bill and Lena continue to live just outside Detroit in Brighton, MI.
Bill has been married to his wife Lena for 47 years. They have four grown sons and
14 grandchildren. Bill spent the last 32 years of his career working in the
automotive industry in Michigan, ending his career working as the Global
Automotive Business Development Manager before retiring in 2014.
Bill has since volunteered for various non-profit organizations, starting with Life
Remodeled, an organization which revitalizes neighborhoods and schools in
Detroit. Bill started a tutoring program in the local elementary schools, helping
bring students up to grade level in reading. Bill now serves on the boards of
Pastors Beyond, End of the Road Ministries, and Baja Educational Initiative.
Bill and his wife began their involvement in Mexico with Baja Bound in the 90s
and have continued to this day. They became involved with Baja Educational
Initiative over 3 years ago. They are excited to see how children receive an
education through the resources provided by Baja Educational Initiative.
Bill and Lena continue to live just outside Detroit in Brighton, MI.
Maribel Hernandez
Board Member
Felicia Newbern-Kelley
Board Member
Felicia Newbern-Kelley is an entrepreneur and the VP of a large National Title
company. Her biggest passion is philanthropy and serving underprivileged
children. Felicia was raised by her grandparents and grew up around nonprofits
through her grandparents’ involvement. She has served on multiple nonprofit boards. She is very involved with foster children in the US, and has fostered children herself. Other areas of philanthropy important to Felicia are orphans in Africa and Mexico, sex trafficking victims, hosting house builds in Mexico with our
sister organization Baja Bound, and hosting blood drives. She fell in love with BEI years back and knew that she had to be involved with the cause.
Felicia lives in San Diego with her husband Adam Kelley, who she met on a house building trip in Mexico. In her free time she loves working out and going on adventures which include anything with adrenaline, traveling, skydiving, playing
sports, riding dirt bikes or street bikes, or taking her therapy-certified mini horse
and mini donkey to visit children and elderly folks in the hospital.
Felicia Newbern-Kelley is an entrepreneur and the VP of a large National Title
company. Her biggest passion is philanthropy and serving underprivileged
children. Felicia was raised by her grandparents and grew up around nonprofits
through her grandparents’ involvement. She has served on multiple nonprofit boards. She is very involved with foster children in the US, and has fostered children herself. Other areas of philanthropy important to Felicia are orphans in Africa and Mexico, sex trafficking victims, hosting house builds in Mexico with our
sister organization Baja Bound, and hosting blood drives. She fell in love with BEI years back and knew that she had to be involved with the cause.
Felicia lives in San Diego with her husband Adam Kelley, who she met on a house building trip in Mexico. In her free time she loves working out and going on adventures which include anything with adrenaline, traveling, skydiving, playing
sports, riding dirt bikes or street bikes, or taking her therapy-certified mini horse
and mini donkey to visit children and elderly folks in the hospital.
Nicole Soares
Financial Administrator
Our Staff in Mexico
Lic. Selene Hernandez
Executive Director BajaEd-Mexico
Silvia Aguilar
Middle and High School
Julián García
Communications & Social Media
Juana Morelos
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