Our Team

Frances Ford was born in Perry County, Alabama to the late Mr. and Mrs. Isiah Dobynes Sr., the seventh of their ten children. Mrs. Ford received her education in the public school system in Perry County where she graduated from East Perry High School. She then continued her education at Judson College in Marion, Alabama, where she received a B.S. in Biology before attending Samford University’s Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing, in Birmingham, Alabama, where she received an Associate’s Degree in Nursing. Mrs. Ford started her nursing career in Dallas County, where she remained for twenty-one years. She served as the Assistant Director and Intern Director of Nursing at the Lighthouse Convalescent Home. Mrs. Ford then returned to Perry County where she served for a time as the Executive Director for Sowing Seeds of Hope, Inc., a faith-based organization that provides her the opportunity to intertwine her faith and professional career. She is currently serving as the Perry County Health Care Coordinator and works directly with Sowing Seeds of Hope. In this position, she serves as an advocate and spokesperson for the county on health issues. She works with city and county officials, institutions, organizations, churches and residents to identify problems, implement programs, seek solutions and evaluate results in regards to these issues. These roles have provided her with an opportunity to reach a life long goal of sharing her faith and serving others. She is a certified trainer for the National Alliance Children’s Trust Fund’s “Strengthening Families and Protective Factors Framework” program, as well as the Parent Project. She also serves on the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame Board. She is married to Willie Ford Jr. and together they have two children, Elijah and Marsha, and three grandchildren, Deja’, Brooklyn, and Autumn.

For three decades, Todd has been helping organizations become more successful through campaign planning, fundraising, donor database evaluation and selection, capital campaign development, and management consulting. He holds an M.Ed. with a concentration in Institutional Advancement from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University, an M.B.A. from the Brock School of Business at Samford University, and a B.S. in Public Administration from Samford. He has also completed coursework toward the Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of Alabama. Before co-founding Hope Manifest, Todd consulted in major donor development, foundations, and capital funds with organizations such as Samford University, the Baptist Joint Committee, Associated Baptist Press, Cumberland University, the Woman’s Missionary Union, United Way, the Joint Campaign Against Homelessness in Birmingham, among others.  He is married to Amanda Hiley. Together they have five sons, Graham and Deason Heifner, Jess, Andy, and Nathan Vaughan. They also have a grandson, Julian Heifner.

Our founding board chairperson, Mart, has spent his career in the non-profit sector serving as an ordained minister on church staff, as the first coordinator of Alabama Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF), and roles as board member and officer for numerous organizations including Elba Chamber of Commerce and Community Development Corporation, Wiregrass United Way, Alabama Poverty Project, the CBF Movement Leadership Team, and Sowing Seeds of Hope in Perry County. He has a background in community leadership and development, strategic process, social justice initiatives, and has served as a certified moderator for the Kettering Foundation’s National Issues Forums. Mart grew up in Wetumpka, attended Samford University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and is married to Mary Hill Gray of Locust Fork. They have two sons, Will and John, and a granddaughter, Lily. In 2014 they moved back to Locust Fork and their residence on Spunky Hollow Road serves as base camp for his photography, creative writing, and their mutual travels. After taking early retirement to care for aging parents some years ago, he and Mary most recently have assumed leadership of the Higher Ground Senior Adult Ministry at their church.

Meg Spears-Newsome serves as the Board Chair for Hope Manifest, bringing experience in nonprofit management, food justice, and community development. Her professional journey has come full circle with the organization; following her time at Samford University, she launched her career in nonprofit management as an AmeriCorps member at Hope Manifest, where she learned to develop and implement fundraising strategies and board training for nonprofits nationwide. Today, Meg is the Marketing and Communications Director at the Society of St. Andrew, spearheading the national storytelling, brand strategy, and public outreach for the country’s premier food rescue organization. Meg’s commitment to community-led change is backed by a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University. In addition to guiding Hope Manifest’s board of directors, she serves as Board Chair for the Greenwood Forest Childcare Center and holds various leadership roles at Greenwood Forest Baptist Church. A resident of Cary, North Carolina, Meg shares her life with her spouse, Wes, and their daughter. When she isn't diving into the deep end of nonprofit systems, she can be found at the pottery studio, tending to her garden, or watching a good movie.

Teresa Zuniga Odom retired from a long-time career with Alabama Power Company in 2017. Her positions over her 37-year career with this company ranged from accounting and public relations, to managing strategic issues and customer value research. She ultimately was able to create a multicultural markets position with an emphasis on Hispanic/Latino issues and final position involved reinventing the energy expert marketing training program. From 2018 to 2020, Teresa served as a loaned executive manager during the United Way of Central Alabama's annual fundraising campaign where she managed several teams of fundraisers. Teresa has been very active in the Hispanic community over the past 27 years. She has served on numerous boards as a Hispanic community representative including HICA - Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama (board chair), Hispanic Business Council of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce (board chair), Girl Scouts of North Central Alabama, UAB Foreign Language Advisory Committee (chair), Childcare Resources, Children's Aid Society (board secretary), YWCA, American Heart Association, Alabama Association of Non-Profits, and the United Way of Central Alabama's Community Initiatives Committee. She is a Co-Founder of Fiesta, Alabama's largest celebration of Hispanic culture and heritage, now entering its 24th year. As of 2023, Teresa now leads the Fiesta Advisory board that is charged with implementing the Fiesta Scholars Program and building an endowment fund. Fiesta has awarded over $160K in scholarships to Hispanic students.

David Gooch is a professional financial planner, now retired. He was, for many years, a partner in Steine & Gooch, based in Nashville, TN. Beyond that he has been active in numerous non-profit organizations and other charitable endeavors throughout his life. Driven by a strong faith-based belief in the manta, “To whom much is given, much is required,” David has given generously of his time, talent, and treasure to a broad spectrum of causes, religious and secular. “Gooch”, as he is affectionately known, is one of our longest tenured board members and has provided insightful advice and encouragement to our organization regarding our fiduciary responsibilities and communication of our mission to others. A native of Mississippi and graduate of Samford University, David is a long-time member of Glendale Baptist Church and an active voice in the Alliance of Baptists. In his retirement, he continues to enjoy faithful engagement with many causes as well as the personal and professional pursuits of his son Davis, who resides in Baltimore, MD.