Jason & Courtney Neland
Executive Director | Co-Founders of Carry The Cross Ministries
Jason & Courtney Neland
The Neland Family: A Legacy of Faith, Service, and Vision
Jason and Courtney Neland have devoted their lives to building places of refuge and restoration for children and families in need. Together, they co-founded Carry The Cross Ministries and lead The Firehouse in Kansas City, Kansas—a ministry dedicated to transforming lives through mentorship, community, and the love of Christ. Their journey is now expanding through On Eagle’s Wings Farm, where faith, family, and purpose take root in a new way.
Leadership & Calling
Jason Neland, Executive Director of On Eagle’s Wings Farm, is a graduate of Avila University with a B.S. in Natural Science/Biology and certification as a Secondary Teacher. His diverse background—spanning ministry, missions, counseling, and education—has uniquely equipped him to guide youth and families through life’s most challenging seasons.
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8 years as a youth and associate pastor
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5 years as a juvenile intake counselor serving at-risk and foster youth
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10 years as a teacher, mentor, and coach in the Kansas City, KS public schools
- 20 years serving with Carry The Cross Ministries in the heart of Kansas City, KS
These experiences have shaped Jason into a compassionate leader who bridges the gap between ministry and real-world mentorship. His heart for “hard-to-reach” youth was ignited when he and Courtney began a mentorship program for young men in crisis—taking them to a farm each week to work with horses and experience peace, structure, and purpose. That program sparked the dream that would become On Eagle’s Wings Farm.
Family & Ministry in Motion
Jason’s wife, Courtney, has poured her heart into ministry, motherhood, and community life. For over fourteen years, she has served as a Children’s Director, youth ministry volunteer, daycare provider, and mother not just to their five children—but to countless Firehouse and neighborhood kids who have found safety and love in their home.
Together, Jason and Courtney embody servant leadership, modeling faith, resilience, and compassion in every area of life.
The Next Generation of Service
The Neland children each play a vital role in carrying the mission forward:
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Gracie Neland serves as an apartment mom, providing stability and care for young women transitioning out of foster care.
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Joshua Neland keeps operations running—driving clients, tending to the animals and gardens, and preparing to one day soon head up The Firehouse with his fiancé Claire.
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Luke Neland helps stock and distribute food in the pantry, prays with clients, and brings joy to community events as the Grinch each Christmas.
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Evie Neland brings warmth and encouragement, helping maintain a welcoming environment for every guest.
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Maggie Neland has a gift for working with children and brightens events as Cindy-Lou Who during holiday celebrations.
A Family on Mission
Together, the Neland family lives out the heart of Carry The Cross Ministries—serving where needed, loving without limits, and building communities where hope and healing take root. Their unified mission continues to inspire others to serve boldly and believe that transformation begins when faith and family come together.
Board of Directors
Steve Tucker
Board Chair
Steve Tucker | Board Member
Steve Tucker is an accomplished global safety and security executive with more than 25 years of experience leading transformative health, safety, and environmental programs across multinational manufacturing and consumer goods organizations. His leadership blends operational rigor with strategic foresight, driving measurable reductions in risk while embedding safety and security as core business enablers.
Currently serving as Vice President of Safety & Security at Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R), Steve partners with portfolio company leadership across 40+ global enterprises to elevate safety performance, strengthen compliance, and advance a culture of accountability and care. He builds scalable governance frameworks that protect employees, enhance resilience, and deliver measurable business outcomes.
Previously, Steve served as Global Director of Security, Health & Safety for Suntory Global Spirits, where he achieved a 78% reduction in Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) and 87% improvement in Lost Time Incident Rate (LTIR). His pioneering innovations in aging warehouse safety have been recognized by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, the Scotch Whisky Association, and Suntory’s global leadership.
A passionate advocate for mental wellbeing, Steve is a certified instructor for Mental Health First Aid and co-founded the Suntory Global Spirits Mental Health & Wellness Employee Impact Group. He has earned multiple international awards, including Beam Suntory’s Vision-Into-Action Leadership Award and the Suntory Global Safety Performance Award. An accomplished, vulnerable, and engaging speaker, Steve has shared his successes and lessons learned across the world, including the America’s, Europe, & Asia as well as at the US House of Representatives and British Houses of Parliament.
Steve holds a Master of Science in Organization Development & Leadership from Saint Joseph’s University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and was inducted into Alpha Epsilon Lambda Honor Society. He also earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management from Columbia Southern University.
He has served as the Chair of the Safety & Risk Management Committee for the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States and is the Chairperson on the Board of Directors for Carry The Cross Ministries. Steve’s mission is to inspire organizations to move beyond compliance—to build cultures where safety, security, and wellbeing drive performance, innovation, and long-term value creation. He and his wife of 25 years, Anna-Lisa, reside in Louisville, KY and are the parents to five children. In his free time, Steve enjoys golfing, reading, coaching baseball, and watching his beloved St. Louis Cardinals.
Kenneth Miller
Vice Chair
Kenneth Miller | Board Member
Kenneth and Abigail Miller both grew up in an Amish community, where they were grounded in faith, hard work, humility, and a deep commitment to family and community. Those early values continue to shape their lives and their heart for service today.
Kenneth brings passion, conviction, and bold faith to his leadership. Much like Peter in the Bible, he leads with courage, loyalty, and a willingness to step forward when called. Abigail offers warmth, wisdom, and a nurturing steadiness that beautifully complements Kenneth’s strong and expressive spirit. Together, they are committed to serving with integrity, authenticity, and compassion.
They are the proud parents of five children: Veronica (22), Kayla (20), Angela (16), Alayna (16), and their son Kyler (11). Having raised children across multiple stages of life, they understand both the challenges and the profound blessings of family life. Their home has always been centered on faith, meaningful connection, and building a legacy that honors God.
As board members of Carry The Cross Ministries, Kenneth and Abigail are honored to support a mission that reflects their deepest values—faith, restoration, stewardship, and strengthening families. They are dedicated to helping create a place where lives are nurtured, hope is renewed, and community is strengthened.
Michael Maness
Treasurer
Michael Maness | Treasuer
Michael brings nearly two decades of executive leadership experience to the Carry The Cross board of directors, serving as Managing Partner of Wholesale Batteries, where he directs operations across Kansas City and St. Louis locations. A Baker University graduate with a degree in business management, Michael combines strategic business acumen with a deeply personal calling to serve vulnerable children and families.
Michael’s passion for ministry-based outreach is rooted in his own story. Adopted at the age of two, he intimately understands the emotional challenges faced by displaced children today. It was through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that Michael found true peace and purpose—an experience he is committed to sharing with every child. This authentic connection to the mission brings invaluable perspective to the organization’s work with underserved communities.
Together with his wife Leslie, Michael has built a family centered on faith and service. They have been married for over 15 years and are the proud parents of JP, who attends Kansas City Christian School in Prairie Village. As partners in ministry, Michael and Leslie actively support numerous faith-based outreach programs across the country, demonstrating their shared commitment to making an eternal impact.
Michael’s servant leadership, combined with his business expertise and genuine heart for ministry, brings both depth and balance to CTC’s board. When not advancing the Kingdom through his work, Michael enjoys spending time outdoors fishing and hunting, finding renewal in God’s creation.
Tekia Thompson
Engagement and Development Officer
Tekia Thompson | Board Member
Tekia Thompson currently serves as the Sales and Community Outreach Manager for Global Mamas, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering financial well-being, happiness and health for Ghanian women and their families. When not fulfilling her duties with Global Mamas, she spends her time volunteering as Assistant Floor Manager for Ten Thousand Villages Overland Park.as well as coordinating volunteers at various farms and community gardens to harvest and distribute produce to hungry families. With the support of Global Mamas, she serves as content creator for Black & Fair, an Instagram blog that explores the role of people of color within fair trade and beyond. She is an Alumni of Avila University.
Prior to her work in fair trade, she served as a missionary in Juarez, Mexico, leading teams in building houses for those in need as well as serving in rural Appalachia and Poland performing community and educational outreach. She has worked for various nonprofits throughout the Kansas City area including Sunflower House Children’s Advocacy Center and the American Cancer Society as director of communications. She was featured in the “New Faces of Philanthropy” March 2020 Issue of In Kansas City Magazine.
When she’s not wrapped up in fair trade joy or rescuing produce for hungry families, she’s creating community engagement opportunities for her local church, Foundry Church KC, in addition to serving on various community committees/advisory boards in Kansas City like Jubilee Community Garden Leadership Team and the Johnson County Food Policy Council. She was also recently appointed to the Avila University Board of Counselors. She is passionate about people, building community, and inspiring hope!
Steve Reed
Board Member
Steve Reed | Board Member
Chief Executive Officer for Daybreak International, a missions organization dedicated to initiating and developing friendships among the marginalized and forgotten peoples of the Americas in order to encourage and promote transformational relationships with Jesus and multiplying faith communities. Currently Steve and his team is responding to the many mission opportunities before them–from ministries with cowboys in Central America, to partnering to start churches in the jungles of Guatemala. Along the way they have discovered that the simple “Play. Story. Eat.” process they use can be applied to any group of people in any culture. In 2018 they seek to create 100 circles of friends who use the PSE discipleship process. Currently these groups range from the Sandhills of Nebraska, to the suburbs of Kansas City, to the jungles of Guatemala!
Joe Graham
Board Member
Joe Graham | Board Member
Joe Graham is a principal at John Fiske Elementary School in Kansas City, Kansas. He has twenty years of experience as an urban educator and mentor, working in both elementary and secondary settings. Over the years, Joe has developed a deep appreciation for his students and the communities from which they come, for he believes his students have taught him enduring lessons about life, and in particular change and resiliency. He hopes to build relationships with others who advocate to meet the needs of all students.
Joe has been married to Becky for twenty years, and they have three children: Oscar, Nell, and Sawyer. Becky also works as a middle school teacher. Joe and Becky love to travel with the kids, so the family not only creates memories but also new learning experiences. Ultimately, Becky and Joe want these learning experiences to help the kids develop a deeper understanding of Jesus and who they are in Him.
Justin Powell
Board Member
Justin Powell | Board Member
Justin Powell is a foster and adoptive father who recently moved back to his hometown of Newton, Kansas. He has an undergraduate degree in visual communications and a MA of interaction design. He currently works as a Senior Experience Software Designer for DST Systems in Kansas City, MO. God has blessed his work and allows him the freedom to design software remotely – his most recent work being based in London, England. Justin uses his gifts and talents in numerous ways serving nonprofits and ministries throughout the world. He has designed fundraising tools, web sites, applications, and brand identity systems.
Justin and his wife of 15 years, Jessica, work to support healthy marriages, families, and relationships within their church and community. They have also logged over 10 years of experience volunteering with Big Brothers and Big Sisters. He enjoys CrossFit, soccer, and the unconventional hobby of riding BMX bikes.