Our Leadership
Joni Eareckson Tada
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Joni Eareckson Tada is an esteemed Christian stateswoman and respected global leader in disability advocacy. Although a 1967 diving accident left her a quadriplegic, she emerged from rehabilitation with a determination to help others with similar disabilities. Mrs. Tada serves as CEO of Joni and Friends, a Christian organization which provides programs and services for thousands of special needs families around the world. President Reagan appointed Mrs. Tada to the National Council on Disability, then she was reappointed by President George H.W. Bush. During her tenure, the ADA was passed and signed into law. Mrs. Tada served as advisor to Condoleezza Rice on the Disability Advisory Committee to the U.S. State Department. She served as Senior Associate for Disability Concerns for the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization. The Colson Center on Christian Worldview awarded Joni Tada its prestigious William Wilberforce Award, and she was also inducted into Indiana Wesleyan University’s Society of World Changers. Joni Eareckson Tada has been awarded several honorary degrees, including Doctor of Humanities from Gordon College and Doctor of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary. She is an effective communicator, sharing her inspirational message in books, through artwork, radio, and other media. Joni Tada served as General Editor of the Beyond Suffering Bible, a special edition published by Tyndale for people affected by disability. Joni and her husband Ken were married in 1982 and reside in Calabasas, California.
Joni Eareckson Tada
Founder and CEO
Joni Eareckson Tada is an esteemed Christian stateswoman and respected global leader in disability advocacy. Although a 1967 diving accident left her a quadriplegic, she emerged from rehabilitation with a determination to help others with similar disabilities. Mrs. Tada serves as CEO of Joni and Friends, a Christian organization which provides programs and services for thousands of special-needs families around the world. President Reagan appointed Mrs. Tada to the National Council on Disability, then reappointed by President George H.W. Bush. During her tenure, the ADA was passed and signed into law. Mrs. Tada served as advisor to Condoleezza Rice on the Disability Advisory Committee to the U.S. State Department. She served as Senior Associate for Disability Concerns for the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization. The Colson Center on Christian Worldview awarded Joni Tada its prestigious William Wilberforce Award, and she was also inducted into Indiana Wesleyan University’s Society of World Changers. Joni Eareckson Tada has been awarded several honorary degrees, including Doctor of Humanities from Gordon College and Doctor of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary. She is an effective communicator, sharing her inspirational message in books, through artwork, radio, and other media. Joni Tada served as General Editor of the Beyond Suffering Bible, a special edition published by Tyndale for people affected by disability. Joni and her husband Ken were married in 1982 and reside in Calabasas, California.
Laura Gardner
President and Chief Operations Officer
Laura Gardner serves as President and Chief Operating Officer at Joni and Friends. She has been with the ministry for more than a decade providing fiduciary oversight, departmental integration, and strategic planning through various senior management positions, including Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the past five years. Laura holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Troy University and has received certification from the Harvard Business School Executive Education in Driving Nonprofit Performance and Innovation. Before joining Joni and Friends, Laura founded her own business, The Protocol Institute, LLC, where she developed world-class eLearning courses on character education, etiquette, and protocol. She was the first to introduce such tools for helping to instill these qualities in young people and wrote extensively on the topic for national publications. Laura currently serves as the Chairman of the Joni and Friends Foundation and Chairman of the Christian Leadership Alliance.
Greg Hubert
Executive Vice President, U.S. Ministries
Donna Lucas
Senior Vice President, Development and Marketing
Steve Bundy
Senior Vice President, International Ministries
Jason Holden
Senior Vice President, Operations
Jason graduated with a B.S. in Management from Regent University and is a certified Lead Like Jesus facilitator. He lives in Southern California with his wife Jannah and daughter Makenzie. His passion to serve the disability community is only second to his love for his faith. He feels blessed to continue serving the ministry as Joni and Friends helps people living with disability find their place in the body of Christ.
Amy Hurtado
Vice President, Marketing and Engagement
Amy Hurtado has served with Joni and Friends for 15 years managing strategic communications, marketing, and brand strategies through various management roles. With a desire to connect all people to the vision of the ministry, Amy has spent her career developing engagement strategies across digital, audio, and traditional channels, while leading teams in content strategy, storytelling, and design.
Amy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Belmont University. Prior to her work with Joni and Friends, she spent several years teaching abroad through the Fulbright Commission and served in music ministry. Amy spends her free time running, traveling, and making music. She and her family reside in the Los Angeles area.
Andrew Grumm
Vice President, Information Technology Services
Andrew Grumm brings over 25 years of IT experience, with 15 years in the Healthcare/Life Science industry, to his position as Vice President of Information Technology Services at Joni and Friends. He brings extensive technical knowledge and delivery of IT Operations and Services from his previous leadership roles at such organizations as Quest Diagnostics and Q2 Solutions.
Andrew holds a BS in Computer Science from California State University, Northridge and numerous technical certifications. Andrew is happy to apply his technical expertise and planning skills to help accelerate the growth of one of the best Christian ministries in the world!
Dinithi Jayakody
Vice President, Accounting & Finance