COMMIT Executive

Doug Thompson - co-leader and founder of COMMIT

Doug Thompson is a medical doctor who has practiced Family Medicine in Stratford, ON for 40 years. He is now retired.  He has also been an active Rotarian for 40 years . Doug has participated in mission trips to the Dominican Republic, Mexico and for the last 12 years to Nicaragua and was active in helping to create COMMIT.  His CENTRAL wish is that we do more to help the disadvantaged in 3rd world countries and more generously share the abundant wealth we so obviously have in Canada.

Janice Rauser - co-leader and founder of COMMIT

Janice is a registered nurse who presently works on the Maternal Child Unit at Stratford hospital and also worked for the Waterloo Public Health as a vaccination nurse. She and her husband Mark have four children who have all participated in mission trips to Nicaragua. She is also the proud grandmother of little Myers Overbeeke. Janice is one of the co-founders and leaders of COMMIT and has been active in mission work for over 11 years. Janice has been a Rotarian for over 3 years now and she believes that she should live by the following statement: “I cannot do all of the good that the world needs, but the world needs all of the good that I can do”.  Jane Stanfield 

Kim Neeb - sewing project leader

Kim Neeb has always understood that giving back to the community is important in life. After many years of local service, she knew she wanted to pursue international mission work in retirement. Kim joined Rotary in 2020 and was immediately inspired by the COMMIT efforts in Nicaragua.  On her first mission during a tour of one of the villages she noticed an abandoned building that would be a perfect fit for a sewing co-op for the ladies. Thus – the sewing program was born. Kim has been a seamstress for over 50 years and energetically shares her knowledge with two different villages in Nicaragua. The ladies have become friends, and they eagerly await her next arrival again. Giving these ladies of all ages (15 – 65) a skill that can result in household improvement or even better an entrepreneurial adventure. She is proud to be a part of their lives.

Beverly Neeb - Music and School Program Co-ordinator Executive

Mission work was on Bev's radar as something she wanted to do in retirement, so when she learned about COMMIT, she felt like she had found a happy home within the group. She worked in the newspaper industry and in later years, at a health unit. Music is a big part of her life, and and she has taught piano and lead the music program at her church for many years. In Nicaragua, Bev has worked with teachers in one of our remote villages, helping them with some of the basics of rhythm and reading notes on a staff. Rhythm seems to be part of the gene structure of Nicaraguans and if given a chance, these teachers will be able to pass the love and pleasure of music onto their students. "In comparison to most any Nicaraguan, my life has been trouble-free. It is a privilege to be able to help in a small way to make life a little better for our friends in Central America." Beverly shared. 

David Knoppert - Fundraising

David Knoppert is a retired hospital pharmacist, originally from Toronto, but has lived in London since 1986. David, and his wife, Diane, have a 4 year old Golden Retriever, named Smudge. Over a period of 25 years David has visited China, Ghana, Cuba, Guyana, Dominican Republic and Mexico, as well as several trips to Nicaragua with COMMIT. "I have seen poverty all over the world. When I was young I only heard about it, but as I got older I experienced it first hand", says David. Since retiring in 2013 David has gone on a number of mission trips through his church, Rotary and most recently with COMMIT. He wants to help others in different countries who do not have the opportunities and supports that we have in Canada. It is one way in which he feels he can give back.

Jane Feryn - Agricultural project Manager

Pat is an agronomist and Jane is a Landscape Architect and  live on a farm south of Stratford. A few years ago they had the dream and vision to start an agricultural project in Nicaragua to improve the national's diet with healthy vegetables. Their background gave them the knowledge of what was needed to get the project off of the ground and with the help and skills of Jimmy the project was started. Jane and Pat have participated in two trips to Nicaragua and are active behind the scenes fundraising for the garden project.

Unfortunately Pat passed away in April of 2023. He will be greatly missed by the team and the people of Nandarola.