Hope Network Employee Passion Profiles

Who We Are

The team at Hope Network is more than emails and meetings and casual greetings in the hallway. We’re people. Humans. We each have passions and stories...that’s who Hope Network really is. We’re the sum total of these stories (the good ones, the hard ones, and everything in between). It’s these passions and stories that drive our mission.

Pastor Bruce

Pastor Bruce VaanDrager spent 18 years pastoring churches before joining us here at Hope. For the past nine, he’s led our Pastoral Services with care, compassion, and a deep belief in the worth of every person. He’s expanded our ministry of “presence” across Hope Network—helping our staff and clients better their spiritual health, while remaining respectful of everyone’s religious affiliation.

Joe Haveman

For the last 10 years, Hope Network’s Director of Government Relations, Joe Haveman, has been part of CLEAR, a West Michigan program supporting people as they return to the community after incarceration. Week after week, he’s watched people work to rebuild relationships, find stability, and create a different future for themselves. And through those conversations, one thing keeps standing out: we’re not as different from each other as we sometimes think.

Tommie Spicer

Tommie Spicer lost his sight in 2005but not his vision for what life could be. With faith, purpose, and a chance from Hope Network, he’s found his way through touch, intuition, and love in action. He says it best: “We all breathe the same air. And we’ve got to learn how to live with one another.” This is Tommie’s story.

Audrey Hoisington

Audrey Hoisington from our HR team started Sit and Stitch for a pretty simple reason: she wanted people to have a place to connect. No big agenda or anything. Just a table, a craft, and time to talk while making something with your hands. It started with what Audrey learned from her grandmother. And now, it’s become something meaningful for Hope Network team members. Take a look.

David Meyer

David Meyer went to prison at 16. When he got out, he made good on a promise to build something better. Now, through Hope Network and a home of his own, he provides housing, support, and second chances to others. This is his story—of purpose, partnership, and the belief that we’re all equally human.

Don King

Most days, Don is a Program Director at Hope Network Behavioral Health. But on Sundays, Don’s the technical director at his home church, engaging in the service through every image, sound, and word from the microphone. Watch and learn about Don’s technical passion.