Serving faith-based organizations since 1997.

Mark received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering Physics from the Colorado School of Mines and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame. At Ford Motor Company, he was responsible for financial analysis at six Transmission & Chassis Division factories. Before joining PhilanthroCorp, he was responsible for all aspects of Plummer Precision Optics in Singapore. Mark joined PhilanthroCorp in 1999, after being introduced by a friend who worked with PhilanthroCorp while selling his business.

This friend impressed upon Mark the importance of this work then challenged him "to do something more meaningful with the rest of your life than build widgets." Mark responded to this challenge and remains passionate about this work and its Kingdom impact. He resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado with his wife, Catherine, and sons, CJ and Lucas.

Following ten years as Director of Development for Project Concern International (1969-1979), Dave was appointed to begin the planned giving program for the Young Life Foundation. While serving at Young Life for six years, Dave pioneered the concept of outsourcing planned giving as a way of enhancing donor confidence in the planned giving communications process. As a result, Dave founded Estate Design Inc. in 1993 with the goal of providing independent, confidential, charitable planning assistance for a broad range of Christian non-profit organizations and families. While still giving leadership to Estate Design, Dave also served as (volunteer) President of WaterStone from 1993 to 1996 to help smooth its relocation to the Colorado Springs area. WaterStone is the nation’s oldest Christian Community Foundation.

While there, Dave pioneered the use of a legal audit to analyze and improve the financial accountability of the organization, assuring full compliance with all legal and accounting requirements of the I.R.S. In 1997, he merged Estate Design with PhilanthroCorp to form America’s premiere planned giving outsource company. PhilanthroCorp’s 100+ client ministries include churches, para-church and Christian educational ministries of all sizes throughout the country. PhilanthroCorp has also developed the first and most extensive online planned giving service for ministries that want to communicate planned giving effectively to their donors, including an online process for donors to complete planned gifts in complete privacy. PhilanthroCorp has generated more than $4 billion in confirmed gift commitments for their client ministries, yielding a 40:1 Return on Investment (ROI) for clients across the board.

Dave’s undergraduate work at the University of Kansas emphasized Political Science and International Relations. He has taught extensively in settings across the country in venues such as Christian Leadership Alliance as well as countless continuing education seminars for the legal, accounting and financial planning professions. He also speaks extensively at donor events for client ministries around the country.

Tara Irons has been a part of the PhilanthroCorp team since July, 2001. As the Vice President of Marketing and Client Relations, Tara oversees relationships with ministry clients including reporting and developing communication plans. She also assists with creating marketing materials. Tara is a Colorado Springs native and enjoys all the activities the community has to offer.

Ron is a native of Louisville, KY and now resides in Bowling Green, KY. His education includes a bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University and a master’s degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His professional experience includes over 28 years in various administrative roles at Western Kentucky University. For over 13 years, he worked in Institutional Advancement at WKU where he retired as Director of Planned Giving in 1999.

Since then, he has been involved in financial planning and the formation of several businesses. He has worked in sales and marketing and consulting for the past eleven years at PhilanthroCorp and now serves as a Vice President. He has been active in Eastwood Baptist Church, serving in various leadership roles, including teaching adult Bible study for over 40 years. His family includes his wife Bonnie, two children and seven grandchildren.

Dr. David E. Clippard has been as an ordained Southern Baptist (SBC) minister for over 40 years and has served churches in Texas, Oklahoma, Florida and Virginia. He served as V.P. North America for Evangelism Explosion, International and served for 17 years on its Board of Directors. He has held many roles in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and has served as staff on SBC state conventions of Oklahoma and Missouri. Most recently, David served as Associate Vice President of the International Mission Board in Richmond, VA, leading the Development Team.

Larry’s burden and passion for PhilanthroCorp was born out of his desire to serve the people he pastored over 45 years ago. He couldn’t find anyone to help his members with their estate planning from a Biblical perspective. His burden lay dormant for all these years. He is so grateful to be on the PhilanthroCorp team fulfilling a burden of over 45 years.

Larry Reesor is the Founder of Global Focus, a local church mobilization ministry with chapters in over forty countries. His 56-year ministry has been highlighted by his vision and involvement in global evangelization.

After graduation from seminary, Larry embarked on a varied ministry in evangelism, the pastorate and missions. A gifted speaker, he has had many opportunities to proclaim the gospel in North America and around the world.

His pastoral experience, coupled with his evangelistic and missions ministry, has uniquely prepared him for understanding and working with pastors and local churches both domestically and internationally.

He has traveled extensively to the mission fields of the world, motivating and mobilizing pastors and churches to greater missions vision and involvement. As a senior pastor, he led his churches to more expanded roles in global evangelization. He is committed to seeing local churches empowered for greater local and global impact and to give the members the opportunity to plan their estates from a Biblical perspective.

Larry has led Global Focus to partnerships with the Southern Baptist International and North American Mission Boards, Operation Mobilization and many other denominations and missionary organizations domestically and internationally. Global Focus has chapters in over 40 countries and is presently engaged in a very rapid international expansion.

Larry graduated from College and Seminary at Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, Tennessee and received the Doctor of Divinity degree from TTU. In 2008, he was honored with the Roberson/Faulkner Leadership Award by his alma mater. He and his wife, Sharon, live in Acworth, Georgia. They have one son, Landon, who is a church planter in the New York City area (Encounter Church). Landon and his wife, Cristy, have six children: Lauren, Lawson, Layton, Logan, Lia and Lili (Lia and Lili were adopted from China).

Doug began preaching at age 17, about two months after he was saved. He preached all through his college years and became a pastor at age 21. He pastored his first church in Tennessee for 12 years. He pastored his second church in Alabama for 35 years. During his last year-and-a-half in Alabama, the church partnered with The Baptist Foundation of Alabama and PhilanthroCorp to raise $3.7 million in legacy giving. Introducing the Body of Christ to legacy planning is his passion.

John has served in the local church most of his adult life as an Executive Pastor, Senior Pastor, Pastor of Global Outreach and Senior Adults, Pastor of Singles as well as Evangelism and Discipleship. John has served in local churches in Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee and Florida.

John also served as Vice President of North America for Global Focus in Acworth, Georgia. John served at the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention in the Development Office. His area covered 17 states. John has also served as a Trustee for the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention from 2000 through 2008. During his last two years of service, he was elected as First Vice Chairman of Trustees for the International Mission Board. He also served as President of the Global Reach Foundation, a church planting partner with First Baptist Church of Lakeland.

A native of Bessemer, Alabama, John attended Troy State University and Samford University and is a 1983 graduate of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. John is married to the former Marianne Gaston of Selma, Alabama. They have three children: Tray, married to Whitney; Shay, married to Jason Hamrick and Wade, married to Kailee. John and Marianne have seven grandchildren.

Bryon Swanson has spent more than 20 years helping individuals turn their stewardship hopes, dreams, and responsibilities into meaningful, practical plans. A seasoned leader in Christian nonprofit work, he brings deep experience and creative insight to gift planning strategies that strengthen relationships between churches, ministries, and their communities—building lasting partnerships and transforming supporters into fully engaged stakeholders.