Board of Directors

Matthew Gritters

Matthew Gritters

Board Member

I graduated from the University of Iowa School of Medicine and completed my residency at Mercy in Mason City, Iowa. I spent 22 years with Pella Regional Health Center as an ER physician and various leadership roles including ER Medical Director. I am currently working at Mahaska Health Partnership as an ER doctor, ER Medical Director, and Physician Leadership. My wife Kim and I have four children: Rebecca, Noah, Isaiah and Sarah.

I went to Haiti in 2009 after the earthquake and to Honduras with PATTH (Pella Area Teams to Honduras) yearly from 2010-2015 to provide medical care for those in need. Those experiences exposed layers of community needs that held people back from flourishing, and I realized we have similar needs in our communities here. I help people in the ER, but there are layers of needs that impact one’s health that we can’t address in the ER. The Well is addressing those needs and is providing help and hope to people. I believe they will help our people and communities flourish like God intends them to be. I want to be a part of blessing people like that.

Jose Carballo

Jose Carballo

Board Member

My personal journey and our family has been touched in many unique ways by people and organizations who believed in us and extended their unconditional love knowing that at some time through work and with God’s Word in our hearts, we would become self-sustainable. We want to continue to extend the same love and help to other people whose journeys in life are also being impacted by similar or different circumstances, and that deep in their hearts they want and desire to strive to flourish like we all do.

Thus, when I was asked to serve on the Well Board, I was honored because the people and the programs at the Well do exactly what our family and I have received from God in different phases of our lives. Just like our lives have been transformed, The Well programs do the same for many people in this great community we now call home.

Camille Schmidt

Camille Schmidt

Board Member

I coordinate the Love to Pray prayer ministry and the Prayer Room at Celebrate Church in Knoxville, IA. I also enjoy helping with discipleship and creating welcoming environments in the church for prayer and worship. I am married to Lead Pastor, Andrew, and love being mom to our five children. I have been engaged with The Well in Knoxville in various capacities through prayer and volunteering at various events.

Kate Guess

Kate Guess

Board Member

I’ve called Pella home for the better part of the last decade. We found our way to the area after my husband, Nathan, and I both accepted positions at Vermeer Corporation. Today, I serve as the Vice President of Human Resources.

I find it no coincidence that it was at Vermeer that I first met Jayson and learned of the Well. What started as a tiny seed of interest has become a great appreciation and passion for the mission of the Well. I’ve had the privilege of serving as a volunteer since 2017, hosting a monthly faith and fellowship dinner for women to grow in friendship not only with each other, but more importantly with Jesus.

I grew up in small town southwest Iowa, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Iowa State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Northern Iowa. And most importantly, I’m wife to Nate and mom to Harper, Will and Drew, three uniquely made and gifted children I get to love on.

It’s a joy to serve the Well in this board capacity and I look forward to getting to see closeup what God has in store for the good works happening every day through this organization.

Lowell Ernst

Lowell Ernst

Board Member

My family has been blessed to live in the Pella community since 1998 when I accepted a job as the Director of K-12 Instruction for the Pella Community Schools. Our journey has allowed us to witness the outpouring of God’s love from so many directions. What takes place in this region to care for each other should not be taken for granted. My wife and I have felt blessed to raise our two, now adult, children surrounded by this support.

I grew up in rural, west central Iowa and graduated from Morningside College with a secondary science teaching degree. This led to teaching opportunities in three communities in southwest Iowa at which time I was able to earn my Masters in Educational Administration degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. I served as the assistant high school principal in Glenwood, Iowa until we moved to Pella.

Being asked to serve on the board of the Well is a calling that has pulled together many experiences that I have been provided. Being able to be a consistory member and serving in a variety of non-profit organizations has shown me what can be accomplished when you trust God to work through people. He places each of us in a specific role for a certain purpose at a designated time.

Jayson Henry

Jayson Henry

Board Member

I’ve been in various manufacturing leadership roles at Pella Corporation from 1994-2010, then Vermeer Corporation from 2011-2015. I am currently the CEO of The Well. I’m married to Nancy and together we have four children Camille, Colin, Clayton, Carlyn. I felt the calling to ministry in the early 2000’s, hearing God’s voice saying “I gave you your past for a purpose, how are you using it?”

I was involved in the early days of brainstorming The Well and joined the board in 2014 when the organization became a tax-exempt 501c3. After leading the board for one year, I moved into the Executive Director role – the first person hired on the ministry side to lead on a full-time basis. When God was working through me on getting into ministry, I had no idea what it was going to be like. He’s placed me in a role that feels like home. I’m thankful to get to serve alongside a great group of staff and volunteers, and I’m thankful to get to serve the communities we reside in. I continue to be encouraged by what God is doing through the team at the Well.

The Well

The Importance of Governance

The Well utilizes a biblical and best practice approach to its governance responsibility. By providing and enforcing biblically based policies that guide the Leadership, the Board creates a safety net that makes certain ministry is offered in a God-honoring way.

Excellence in Governance

In 2015, The Well adopted a model of governance called Policy Governance. In this model, Board members provide spiritual oversight, long-term vision and operational boundaries for the functioning of the whole organization. While they focus on these items, they entrust the implementation of their direction into the hands of staff and other ministry leaders through the leadership of the CEO. The benefit of this model is that it allows the Board to focus their time and energy ensuring The Well is achieving its mission, while allowing the aforementioned leaders the empowerment to lead ministries as God directs and make practical decisions on how to carry out the Board’s mandates.

Board Member Characteristics

Individual Responsibilities:

  • Be familiar with The Well’s programs, polices and operations
  • Attend board meetings and appropriate committee meetings
  • Serve on board committees, as assigned
  • Review agenda and supporting documents prior to meetings
  • Keep current on community needs in program areas
  • Identify and cultivate potential sources for funding
  • Participate in fundraising activities, special and community events
  • Participate in board development and learning activities
  • Show support and commitment to The Well through sharing your time and financial resources according to your circumstances
  • Strictly adhere to conflict of interest policies
  • Strictly adhere to confidentiality policies

Time Demands
(approximately 80 hours/year)

  • Terms are 3 years in length and a board member can serve two consecutive terms
  • Attend new board member orientation (3–4 hrs)
  • Prepare for scheduled meetings (1 hour per month)
  • Attend and actively participate in board meetings (8 monthly board meetings, approx. 2 hrs) Note: You are expected to attend at least 80% of board meetings
  • Attend and actively participate in the annual planning meeting (4–6 hrs)
  • Attend and actively participate in the annual budget meeting (4–6 hrs)
  • Attend and actively participate in annual board member candidate interviews (4–6 hrs)
  • Attend and actively participate in the year-end celebration (2 hrs)
  • As needed, attend and actively participate in committee meetings (1–3 hrs/month as determined by committee)
  • Attend special events such as fundraisers, graduations and community events (2/year recommended)
  • Attend and actively participate in board development activities (generally 4–8 hours annually)
  • Meet with potential donors/funders to make a case for funding The Well, answer questions, etc. (approx.8/year)

Interested in applying to be on The Well’s Board?