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Margaret (Peggy) Hartshorn, Ph.D., President

Margaret H. (Peggy) Hartshorn, Ph.D., has served as President of Heartbeat International since 1993. Under Peggy’s leadership, Heartbeat has grown from 250 members to become the most expansive network of Christ-centered, life-affirming, pregnancy help ministries in the world, with over 1,100 affiliated pregnancy help centers, medical clinics, maternity homes, adoption agencies, and abortion recovery programs, located in forty-eight countries.

Peggy threw herself into the cause of life soon after the Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade, on January 22, 1973, declared abortion restrictions unconstitutional. In 1974, she and her husband started opening their home to young mothers. They founded Pregnancy Decision Health Centers (PDHC) in Columbus, Ohio, in 1981.

Today, Peggy travels and speaks extensively, sharing her “hands on” experience with pregnancy help ministries as they develop programs on abortion, abortion recovery, sexual integrity, adoption, and alternatives to abortion. She leads Heartbeat’s commitment to organizational and leadership development for the pregnancy help movement worldwide.

Peggy was a college English professor for twenty years at Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio. She has been married to Michael Hartshorn for forty-one years. They have two adopted children, now married, and four grandchildren.

Carla Cole, Executive Vice President

Prior to joining Heartbeat International, Carla Cole worked as a Sales, Marketing and Operations Executive in the areas of technology, advertising specialties, health and wellness, money management and underground coal mining.  A former volunteer and board member of a Pregnancy Help Center, Cole is thankful to be part of the life affirming work at Heartbeat International.

“The privilege to work for and pray for the many staff members, volunteers and clients at over 1100 Heartbeat affiliate organizations throughout the world is thrilling.  God’s provision is miraculous each day for Heartbeat, all of our affiliate members and the women, men and children who receive help at the centers. I am continually impressed with the compassion demonstrated by the staff and volunteers of our member organizations.  Their professionalism, wisdom and intellect are matched only by their love.”

Carla and her husband Joseph W. Cole II are the parents of five daughters: Stashah (married to Brian, children Avery, Greyson, Lachlan, Stratton and Thayer), Darian (married to Brian, children Ayden, Emerson and Holden), Kiele (married to Dairen, child Porter), Ashley and Hillary.

Jor-El Godsey, VP for Affiliate Services

Jor-El Godsey serves as Vice President of Ministry Services. He leads a staff dedicated to equipping, empowering, and encouraging the thousands of leaders and developing leaders of Heartbeat’s affiliated pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, and adoption services, in the U.S. and in forty-eight other countries. He oversees Heartbeat’s core mission to be the leadership supply line for the growing pregnancy help movement worldwide by providing accurate information, training resources, leadership development conferences, programs, and daily support to help affiliates start, grow, and expand their services to women and couples at risk for abortion.

Jor-El comes to Heartbeat having served in the pregnancy help movement since 1988. He first served as a volunteer at Hope, the pregnancy help centers in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Then he joined their board, served as Chair, then as Executive Administrator. In 1999, Jor-El became Executive Director of Life Choices in Longmont, Colorado. Six years later, in 2006, Jor-El accepted the call to help Heartbeat International meet the diverse and expanding leadership needs of the pregnancy help movement.

Jor-El met his wife, Karen, at a volunteer training meeting for the Hope Center in Ft. Lauderdale. They currently make their home in Columbus, Ohio, with their three children.

John C. Cissel II, Cornerstone Advisory Services, LLC, Board Chairman

A specialist in industrial and office real estate (SIOR), John helped his local pregnancy help ministry in Boston grow and develop six ultrasound-equipped medical clinics. Adopted at birth, John carries a gracious awareness of the life-saving power of pregnancy help ministries and a passion to advance this work worldwide.

Cathy Clark 

In 1999, Cathy and her husband Ken co-founded the Birth Choice Health Clinic in Placentia.  She currently serves on the Diocese of Orange (California) Respect Life Task Force and is chairperson of her parish Respect Life Committee.  Cathy worked as a legal secretary for many years before retiring so she could devote more time to pro-life work.   She is active in many parish activities and a member of the Orange Coast Legatus chapter. In 2007 she was nominated as Catholic Woman of the Year in the Diocese of Orange.  Cathy has been married to Ken for 43 years and they live in Yorba Linda, California.  They have two daughters, Jill (married to Matt) and Allison (married to Paul) and five adorable grandsons

Ken Clark, Farmer Boys Restaurants

Since helping start a pregnancy center in Placentia, California in 2000, Ken has been involved in the pro-life movement. He is committed to helping those women in need and making sure that everyone knows his commitment to the life of the unborn. That is why Ken gives his time, talent and treasure to support Heartbeat International.

Christine Dattilo 

Pia de Solenni, S.Th.D., Diatima Consulting, L.L.C

Ethicist and moral theologian, Dr. de Solenni is an expert in issues relating to women's health, life issues, the new feminism, Catholicism, and culture. She participates in many radio and television talk shows including MSNBC, "Hardball with Chris Matthews," "The O'Reilly Factor," CNN, ABCNews, among others. Dr. de Solenni has been quoted in newspapers nationwide, including The New York Times, The Washington Times, and The Associated Press.

Charles A. Donovan, Susan B. Anthony List

Chuck Donovan brings over thirty years of experience to Heartbeat as a voice for life. From 1981 to 1989, he was a writer for President Ronald Reagan, served as the Executive Vice President of the Family Research Council, and currently serves as the head of a trust funds/education institute for the Susan B. Anthony List. Chuck is coauthor, with Robert G. Marshall, of Blessed Are the Barren: A Social History of Planned Parenthood (Ignatius Press, 1991). Regarding his service through Heartbeat, Chuck says, “Women on the threshold of motherhood and children at the threshold of life deserve a warm welcome into the human household. We have no power to deny, and every duty to honor, the awesome gift that God gives us every time He gives life."

Larry Jacobs, The Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society

Larry serves as the Managing Director of the World Congress of Families and Vice President of The Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society. As the former President of Healthy Beginnings, a medical practice and health-care ministry that worked with more than 18 pregnancy help centers in Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, Larry brings passion as well as abundant personal experience to Heartbeat's mission to advance the pregnancy help movement worldwide. He and his wife, Jennifer, live with their two children, in Rockford, IL.

Dr. Alveda King, Priests for Life/King for America

Her uncle, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, and her father, Rev. A.D. King, both gave their lives to the cause of advancing human dignity. Now Alveda has taken up the mantle and declared that the natural extension of the civil rights movement is the prolife movement.

Dyxie Lincoln

Dyxie Lincoln, a strategic marketing professional, consults with organizations large and small to develop, improve and clarify organizational plans for success. Committed to the sanctity of human life, she led a strategic initiative to increase life decisions within urban communities for Focus on the Family. She is passionate about the pursuit of the Great Commission, particularly through responsible evangelism and humanitarian assistance to ‘the least of these’. Dyxie resides in Colorado with her husband of 20 years and is the mother of three sons.

Derek A. McCoy,President of The Maryland Family Alliance and The Maryland Family Council

For the past several years Derek McCoy has lead bi-partisan initiatives that have promoted the advancement of justice and righteousness in our culture. He has been a consistent advocate in the building of coalitions, government relations, and media on key issues such as the protection of life, marriage, and the family. He served as Sr. Vice President of The High Impact Leadership Coalition and serves as an associate pastor of Hope Christian Church. Derek served as the Ethnic outreach Director of the Proposition 8 initiative in California which defined Marriage between a man a woman. He has been instrumental in conducting Educational Summits with pastors, community leaders, and citizens on issues that are affecting the culture.

McCoy has appeared as a guest on NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC, NPR , Gospel Today and Family News in Focus and has been in publications such as Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and The Washington Times.

Derek is married to his “girlfriend” Cathy for 19 years. They have 3 incredible children:  Derek Jr., Justin and Cailin.

Brandon McCrary,Insurance One 

Brandon McCrary has been in the insurance market in Texas for the past 17 years. He is an agent with Insurance One with expertise in church and non-profit agencies, including religious organizations, churches, schools and daycares. Brandon has also spent a lot of time learning the construction industry. Brandon and his wife, Debbie, are the proud parents of three wonderful children, Jace, Kaylee & Jackson. They enjoy spending time outdoors, especially on the water.

Dr. Marie Meany, D. Phil.

Dr. Marie Meaney brings international perspective to Heartbeat International. She is fluent in six languages and has triple citizenship (USA, Germany, France). She is the Arthur Ennis Teaching Fellow at Villanova University, a scholar, lecturer, writer, wife and mother. All these roles provide her a platform to teach and promote the culture of life. She currently lives in England and Virginia.

Julie Parton, Texas Life Connections

Julie joins Heartbeat with years of experience as both a pregnancy help center director in Dallas and as a Sanctity of Life leader at Focus on the Family. "Nothing is more basic, and therefore more important, than life. Heartbeat helps equip, protect, and encourage life-affirming ministries in their respective missions to respect and preserve that great gift. It's a privilege to be a part of such world-changing work."