Board of Directors
Rev. Ricky Harrison
Board Chair
Ricky Harrison serves as the University Chaplain and Director of Religious & Spiritual life at McMurry University in Abilene, TX. He first went to serve in Juarez, MX with his parents at the age of 6 and has been returning multiple times a year ever since. Ricky spent two summers during high school working full time in Juarez for Proyecto Abrigo and in college led several multi-generational teams to refurnish the dorms and build homes. Having returned to Texas after spending three years in North Carolina at Duke Divinity School, Ricky is looking forward to leading new teams of young people to experience God’s great work through the ministries of Operación Abrigo.
Rachel Scott
Board Vice-Chair
Rachel Scott is a Diaconal Minister serving at Noel UMC in Shreveport, Louisiana as Minister of Service and Outreach where she coordinates the community outreach programs of Noel. She is a licensed social worker and worked for the YWCA of Northwest Louisiana for over 20 years in its domestic violence program, and is now serving as the Interim Executive Director. Her first time to serve on a mission team to Juarez and Proyecto Abrigo was in 2004 and Rachel has been leading teams there, along with Dave Fortuna, almost every year since. She loves seeing the transformation that takes place in those coming to serve as well as those being served, and how we all come together as one body of Christ. Rachel is married to Alan who serves in centering prayer ministry and was a hospice chaplain. She looks forward to seeing how the ministry of Operación Abrigo will grow and develop, and is honored to serve on the Board.
Michele Hill
Treasurer & Finance Chair
Michele Hill lives in St. Louis, MO, where she attends The Gathering UMC. Michele teaches English Language Learners in the Pattonville School District. Michele participated in her first mission trip to Juarez in 1995. Since then she has returned countless times, leading teams to build homes and teach children’s programs. From 1998- 2002 Michele served Proyecto Abrigo as the Scheduling Coordinator. During this time, she lived with her family in El Paso, Texas. Michele and Juana Portillo taught English classes and month-long Vacation Bible School programs at Nuevo Pacto for the three years Michele lived in El Paso. Both of her daughters, Jesse and Sophia, consider Juarez their second home and the Portillos their extended family.
Rev. Courtney Schultz
Board Secretary & Development Chair
Courtney Schultz serves as a United Methodist pastor in the North Texas Conference. She was introduced to the ministry of Operación Abrigo in her first pastoral appointment at Stonebridge UMC. Stonebridge had a long history of sending teams to build homes and volunteer in the Medical Clinic. On her first trip, she fell in love with the ministry and the people. She continued traveling twice a year with that church until receiving an appointment to Grace Chapel UMC in July 2019. Each year Courtney leads diverse teams of people to serve with Operacion Abrigo. Courtney likes to say she keeps a part of her heart in Mexico.
Brad Shine
Programs & Ministry Chair
Brad Shine serves as the Director of Missions for the Wesley at Texas Tech. He serves the college ministry in a variety of roles leading and encouraging college students. Among these positions, Brad feels most passionate and the most privileged helping college students go and lead both domestic and international mission trips. In addition to this, Brad is also highly involved in disaster relief and serves whenever possible. He has been going to Juarez for almost 10 years and has brought countless college students with him. Brad is honored to be able to serve a ministry that God is continuing to use in incredible ways.
Rev. Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith serves as the Senior Pastor of FUMC The Colony in The Colony, Texas. He first experienced the beauty of Juarez, MX with his youth group at Stonebrigde UMC. Over the years, he’s taken a handful of trips across the border and is always thrilled to see how the Holy Spirit is at work among the people of Juarez. Some of his fondest memories of what was then Proyecto Abrigo include the tasty food, playing cards with the locals, and the relationships forged.
Yale Fairchild
Yale Fairchild grew up in Dallas, TX, where he currently resides with his wife, Hannah, and two little girls. Yale first served with Operación Abrigo in 2021 and has returned to Juarez every year since with a group of coworkers and friends. His favorite part of each trip is forming new relationships with people in the community and seeing old friends. He has a heart for service and is especially passionate about supporting young people with difficult upbringings. Yale and his family attend Highland Park Presbyterian Church, where he and Hannah teach Sunday School to kindergarteners. Yale is incredibly excited to help expand the reach of the mission because the manifestation of God’s love is always shining bright with Operación Abrigo!
Karen McClellen
Karen McClellen grew up in Dallas and has extensive experience in church ministry, including children's programs, homeless ministries, and international missions. Grounded in the teachings of Matthew 25:35-36, she strives to be the hands and feet of Christ, serving those in need with compassion and dignity. Through nurturing ministry, meal programs, and community outreach, she aims to feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, and offer hope to the vulnerable—living out her faith through acts of love.
Karen participated in an Operacion Abrigo mission trip with Wesley United Methodist Church in 2024. For over thirty years, she has been deeply involved in community hospitality and food ministries for Wesley UMC in Greenville, Texas, and other churches. She currently leads the Nurturing Ministry and serves on the Missions Committee at Wesley UMC. Karen oversees food preparation for two monthly meal programs in partnership with United Way and collaborates with a church alliance supporting homeless ministries.
A graduate of East Texas A&M, Karen and her husband James have four children and two grandchildren. She enjoys international travel, especially when it involves exploring cuisines from around the world.
Jay Prudhomme
Jay Prudhomme grew up in Plano, Texas and currently resides in McKinney, Texas. Operacion Abrigo has been a constant in Jay’s life since attending his first mission trip to Juarez in the fall of 2005. Since that time, Jay has witnessed God’s love and presence each and every trip across the border through the relationships built with this wonderful community, the staff of Operacion Abrigo and his fellow servers. “I have an immense passion for this ministry as I have personally witnessed it transform the lives of not only the dozens of families we have served, but also the generations of those families to come!”