The glorious beauty of God‘s love is found in the hearts of men, women and children who believe in Him.

The Amigos en Cristo Board of Directors​

​​Each member of the Amigos en Cristo Board of Directors, was called to serve in the name of Christ, with hearts filled with love and desire to share the gift of hope. Each board member, in his or her own way, journeys through life believing in the power to change lives with love, combined with action. They do not gaze at photos of children from afar, but rather pack their suitcases, roll up their sleeves and perform the work that honors Christ, while uplifting the hearts and hope of others.

Each member of the AeC Board of Directors has a unique calling to this ministry. Take a moment to know each and feel inspired by the possibilities of change that happens when many gathers, for a single purpose.

​Julie Zara, Board President, January 2018 - Present

Julie graduated from University of Illinois in Springfield with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Education in 1986.  Julie taught elementary school and high school special education for a total of 14 years before joining her husband in their business, Zara’s Collision Center, in 2004. Julie is a mother of 3 grown daughters and is a member of Hope Church in Springfield, Illinois. 

While working for their business, Julie became involved with a women’s homeless shelter and volunteered there in many different capacities.  Julie served on the board there for 6 years, serving as board president for two of those years. Julie went on her first mission trip to Juarez, Mexico in 2014 with AeC Ministries. Julie’s passion for education, children and families was a desire that she was able to fulfill while serving there. In 2015, Julie was asked to join the AeC Ministries board.  In 2018, Julie was elected to serve as the board president of Amigos en Cristo Ministries.

Julie states, “I love the work that the Quick’s and other board members are doing in Juarez. I have a strong passion for education, women and children and love having the opportunity to share Christ’s love for them while serving in Juarez.”

Jerry Quick, Founder, Past Board President
 
Jerry is the founder and past president of the ministry Amigos en Cristo. Jerry and his wife Lisa have two grown daughters, Ashley, son-in-law Jeff Barnes, and Colleen, son-in-law Cameron Mitchell. Jerry and his family first started taking groups to Juarez on short-term mission trips in February of 2000.
 
Jerry is a graduate of Greenville University. He worked as a financial advisor for 42 years with Edward Jones now serves as a consultant. While serving as a financial advisor, Jerry represented the State of Illinois Financial Advisors on a political grassroots task force calling on Congress in Washington and Springfield Illinois on behalf of Edward Jones and the individual retail investor. 

In 2007, Jerry sensed that God was calling him to do more for the people in Juarez. In 2008, we incorporated as Amigos en Cristo Ministries and since then, Jerry’s major charge has been trying to follow God’s leading for the ministry.

Carol Diedrichsen, Secretary

Carol joined the board of Amigos en Cristo in 2011 after retiring from the Illinois State Board of Education working with school improvement and many years as a high school teacher.  Following retirement, Carol consulted for the national Center for Innovations in Learning managed by Temple University and the Academic Development Institute.  Currently, Carol also serves on the board of Kyrios Ministries based in Vienna, Austria.  She has a BA from the University of Illinois/Champaign-Urbana and an MA from the University of Massachusetts/Boston.  

She and her husband are active in local ministries in Springfield, IL.  Her experience in education and passion for children and families keep drawing her back to Mexico.

Gene Wilken

Gene graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant. Gene has served on the Finance Stewardship Team at Cherry Hills Church and joined the Amigos en Cristo board in 2010. Gene continues to support this ministry having seen the needs in Juarez during past mission trips there. 

Gene retired in 2019 after serving as  Executive Vice President of Bunn-O-Matic Corporation for 36 years. Gene and his wife, Pat, have three grown children and six grandchildren.

Kurt Wilke, Treasurer

Kurt Wilke joined the board in 2008, assisting with legal and financial matters for Amigos en Cristo. Kurt, his wife Beth, and their children, Brian and Katie, first visited Juarez on a home building mission trip in 2005. Kurt has returned to Juarez several times since and states, “Amigos plays such a vital role in providing life-changing opportunities to these kids in a Christian environment.” Kurt is a long-time member of Cherry Hills Church, having served as presiding Elder and chairman of the Board of Deacons. Additionally, he has served as Treasurer of Amigos en Cristo since its inception in 2007.

Kurt is a partner with Barber, Segatto, Hoffee, Wilke & Cate, LLP, a general practice law firm in Springfield.  He has been with the firm over 30 years, and concentrates his practice in real estate, trusts, and estate planning.  Kurt is a graduate of the University of Illinois (BS 1981, MBA 1984) and Indiana University School of Law (JD 1985), where he was a member of the Law Review and also a member of the American, Illinois and Sangamon County bar associations.  Kurt is a past president of the Ball-Chatham Board of Education, and a past president of the Abraham Lincoln Council Boy Scouts of America.

Brad Zara

Brad Zara joined the AeC board in 2015 alongside his wife, Julie. Brad, and his wife Julie, married since 1985, have three grown daughters and enjoy frequent travels. Highly active in his community, Brad is a part of the following organizations; Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), National Auto Body Council (NABC), Alliace of Automotive Service Providers of Illinois (AASPI), Akzo Nobel – Acoat Selected Program, Central Illinois CEO Roundtable, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and a member of Hope Church.

Brad is the founder and president of Zara’s Collision Center, since 1987. Before starting his own business, Brad completed the two-year auto body program at what is now the Capital Area Career Center, and worked at a local collision shop for six years, developing his skills as a technician and in management. Brad now leads a team of 27, performing collision and body related repairs of all sizes, on nearly every make and model of passenger vehicle. Zara’s has been recognized nationally for their commitment to training, customer satisfaction, and team/culture development, and has grown to be the highest producing collision shop in downstate Illinois.
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Serving those in need, both locally and globally, has become a part of Brad’s and Julie’s lives, and infused into the culture at Zara’s.

Jim Fay

Jim Fay became a board member in 2010 and regularly travels to Juarez to serve in the ministry, joined by his wife Lynn. Jim retired from the Illinois State Police in 2006, he now works as an administrator in “Leadership and Operations” at Cherry Hills Church in Springfield, IL.

Jim says, “The greatest thing about AeC Ministries is that our aim is not to do all of the work ourselves, but instead to build up the local Juarez leaders for self-sustaining ministry. A side benefit is that going to Juarez and working side by side with people who have so little compared to our abundance always ‘resets my life scale’.”

​Jennifer Johnson

Jenni joined the AeC board in 2017. She works as a paralegal (“Drafting Coordinator”) for an Elder Law Firm, Edwards Group LLC, of which she has been a part of for 4 1/2 years. Jenni also works at Cherry Hills Church, as a student ministry assistant. Between the two jobs, she has numerous opportunities to meet with people of all ages, prepare for meetings and workshops, plan events and trips, and continues to grow her attention to detail and organization skills. She previously worked in childcare, at Springfield Christian School, in which she was able to further her communication and leadership skills. She was also able to serve as an intern on a one-month mission trip to Juárez in the summer of 2017. On a volunteer basis, she serves as a high school youth group leader at Cherry Hills Church.

Since Jenni’s first trip to Juarez in 2015, she says, “my heart has never been the same. The culture is bright; the people are gentle and I always feel like I leave Juarez a renewed person.” She states, “The hands of God are so actively working in this city and it is a true blessing to get to be a part of His mission.”

Colleen Mitchell

Colleen is the daughter of AeC Ministries, founders, Jerry and Lisa Quick and a graduate of Hope College, Holland, MI. She was raised serving in Juarez and recruited numerous groups to join in the work for the ministry. With her many trips to Juarez and her college experiences, she gained leadership experience and speaks the language, reaching the hearts of our Mexican brothers and sisters.  

Colleen is a Wealth Advisor with Edward Jones in Melbourne, Florida. She and her husband, Cameron, who also is a wealth advisor with Edward Jones, are members of First Baptist Indialantic Church in Indialantic, Florida.  Colleen is a member of the Junior League South Brevard, a non-profit that educates women and children on healthy lifestyles. She also is a board member of Viera Regional Business Alliance, an organization that invests in small business and community development in the Melbourne, Florida region.

Colleen’s first mission trip to Juárez, Mexico was in 2000 and served at Rivers of Mercy orphanage in Juarez in 2012, and also served in Juarez in the summer of 2013 with Amigos en Cristo. She and her husband have made several trips to Juarez and continue to serve in any way that they can to increase the awareness and support of the ministry in their own community.