Board of Directors
Dr. Adam Beckett
Founder/Board President
After completing his undergraduate education in 1995, Adam joined the U.S. Marine Corps for four years, ultimately completing his service having attained the title of Rifle Platoon Commander. Afterward, from 1999 to 2003, he went to medical school with the goal of becoming a doctor that specializes in emergency medicine. After graduating, when not practicing emergency medicine in the United States, he enjoyed engaging in volunteer work abroad.
During one of these ventures, volunteering amidst the 2010 disaster in Haiti, Adam saw the need for a centralized network that could more strongly unite people engaged in this type of work. Equipped with military experience and skill set in medicine, he set out to create Global First Responder (GFR) while continuing to provide health education and community development.
GFR officially became a nonprofit organization in 2015. Years later, its goal remains the same: to recruit and build teams for international relief work, as well as serve as a centralized global network for agencies and individuals involved in the same. Adam enjoys the work he does and appreciates the people he has had the opportunity to work in partnership with or in service to.
Daniel Beckett
Board of Directors
Daniel Beckett is a Partner in the Columbia, Missouri law firm of Smith Lewis LLP. He has represented and served on the Boards on NGO’s and served as General Counsel to for-profit business organizations.
He graduated from University of Missouri – Columbia School of Business, Cum Laude, in 2000 with a B.A. in Marketing. Following graduation Mr. Beckett entered into the United States Marine Corps and served two tours in the war in Iraq. After his honorable discharge as a Captain in 2004 he attended the University of Missouri School of Law and received his J.D. degree in 2008.
He began his law career with Smith Lewis LLP and has engaged in the general practice since then. Daniel is married to his wife, Jenny, and they have three young children, all girls.
Dr. Wayne Tate
Board of Directors
Wayne graduated with his B.S. in Biology with an emphasis in Psychology in 1997. That degree was followed by an opportunity to work as an Account Executive with a marketing research firm. Realizing his professional interest had grown toward business, health care, and the pharmaceutical industry, Wayne applied and was accepted into the University of Nebraska Medical Center-College of Pharmacy and the University of Nebraska at Omaha MBA program. Dually enrolled at both universities, Wayne ultimately graduated with his Doctorate in Pharmacy and MBA in International Business and Economics in May 2003.
Professionally, he has always worked multiple jobs to cater to his interest to learn how different organizations work. With each year counting as a year of experience, Wayne has collectively gained over 33 years of work experience since his 2003 graduation primarily with various health systems like Nebraska Medicine, Boys Town National Research Hospital, and CHI Health.
Wayne currently has been working over ten years at what he deems as his retirement job with Methodist Women’s Hospital as a clinical pharmacist. Additionally, Wayne has over ten years working at Charles Drew Health Center as the Senior Director of Pharmacy Services. Working for this urban health center is what Wayne considers his mission job where he knows he has an opportunity to give back to the community.
Suzie Lee
Board of Directors
Aloha! I’m Suzie Lee. You may recognize my name from the Executive Committee. I’ve been with GFR since 2021. I led the Zambia trip in 2022 and am planning on going to India later this year. I have been helping GFR with community education, which matches my skill set as a adult and child educator.
I’ve been a teacher for more than 25 years, certified in both general and special education. I’ve also led medical teams all over the globe for the last 12 years and love seeing my teams excel and gel while we are in the field.
I’m with GFR because of our focus on community sustainability. In Zambia I had the honor of dedicating a GFR water treatment facility. It was truly one of the most impactful days of my life and I want to continue to help GFR move forward in sustainability as a board member.
My home is in Hawaii with my husband, dog, and cat. I run an Air BnB in addition to my fulltime job in education. My husband has been on many medical trips as an acupuncturist, where his work is always in high demand.
Michael Ruesler
Board of Directors
Hello! My name is Mike Ruesler, I was born and raised in St. Louis, MO and moved to Columbia to attend the University of Missouri – Columbia in 2011. Upon graduating in 2016 with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering I decided to call Columbia my home. I have been working for a small company, Centurion Stone, here in Columbia for over 10 years now where I manage the outside sales and material installation portions of our business. Over the past 13 years I have also had the privilege of serving on the boards of multiple different not-for-profits.
I just recently completed my 3rd GFR trip, this time to the Peruvian Amazon, and I look forward to embarking on many more journeys with GFR. To try and summarize these trips is sometimes almost impossible, however what has struck me on each one is the immense care that every person in need receives. There is no “lather, rinse, repeat” methodology when it comes to GFR’s approach in helping people, it’s truly about identifying their needs and working to find the best possible solution to their problems. Whether that is through medicine, health education, or infrastructure projects.
Having the opportunity to serve on GFR’s board and help to support and grow the mission is an honor for me.
Kelly Crowell
Board Secretary
Kelly Crowell graduated from Creighton University with a BA in Cultural and Medical Anthropology with an emphasis in Native American Culture. She is currently pursuing her MBA in International Business and Marketing at Northwest Missouri State University.
Kelly began her medical career in Pharmacy over 20 years ago and has worked as a Technician in Long Term Care, Retail, and Inpatient Hospital Pharmacies at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. While she was with UNMC she also gained her National Registry Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) license and was a part of the City Wide Disaster Team, Decontamination and Haz Mat Response Team, and the Radiological Terrorism Response Team. Kelly also has experience working as a Heart Arrhythmia Specialist at the Creighton University Medical Center.
Kelly began serving overseas during the earthquake in Haiti in 2010 and has been doing so ever since. She has over 12 years of working in leadership roles in various nonprofit organizations. Currently she is the Pharmacy Program Manager at the Charles Drew Health Center, a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center (FQHC), in Omaha Nebraska whose mission is to serve uninsured individuals and address health disparities within the community.
Donna Beckett
Board of Directors
Donna Beckett is Dr. Adam Beckett’s mother. She is a 1969 graduate of the University of Missouri with a degree in Education. She raised 4 sons, all of whom served in the Marine Corps.
She has worked in the airline, travel and clothing sales businesses and in 1992 she founded a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt organization, Assistance League of Mid-Missouri (ALMM). ALMM has grown into a successful philanthropic NGO with 315 members. ALMM is operated entirely by volunteers and has provided millions of dollars in assistance to schools, women and children in central Missouri.