BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CYRA LOHMAN
President
Kirsten is passionate about followers of Jesus living out the gospel in everyday life. She desires to see them live in a way that points others to Jesus and brings His kingdom to earth. She possesses an Associates Degree in Business Administration and is currently enrolled at Moody Bible Institute studying Theology & Cultural Engagement. She has experience as a business manager and business owner of 15 years altogether.
KIRSTEN OBER
Secretary
Cyra served in East St. Louis for 12 years in the area of youth development. She currently serves The Covering House - a child sex trafficking recovery agency in St. Louis - as the Director of Advancement. Cyra brings 19 years experience in nonprofit leadership and development to our Board, serving faith-based organizations since 2002. Cyra's work centers on building capacity in small to midsize nonprofits ranging from homeless services to ex-offender re-entry to legal aid and urban youth programming.
Lohman has nurtured and managed allocations of $25+ million in funding from individuals, corporations, and federal & foundation grant programs. Cyra was honored with the Moving the Mountain Award in East St. Louis in 2015 after growing a City youth center eight times financially and three times programmatically. Cyra loves Jesus and is humbled to serve on the Board of R3, carrying out the vital work the Lord is accomplishing in this remarkable City!
MARK ZAVAGLIA
Treasurer
Mark is the President of First Collinsville Bank. He began as a teller at the age of 16 and worked his way through the ranks. Worked multiple jobs throughout his teenage years to pay his way through college while balancing challenging family dynamics -allowing him to empathize with individuals in difficult family situations. His bank is passionate about the area and its residents; therefore, R3 is an excellent way for him to invest his time through one-on-one relationships, financial literacy classes, and strategic advocacy.
BRIAN STANLEY
Brian is a real estate agent and a dynamic advocate for R3. He is serving R3 as a housing development advisor on the board. He assists in property acquisition and sales within East St. Louis as well as the surrounding communities. His experience is extremely helpful to the housing element of R3.
JAZLYN STANCIEL
Jazlyn grew up in the heart of south St. Louis. After graduating from Webster Groves High School, Jazlyn attended Hanover College to pursue her degree in Theology and Sociology. After earning her bachelor's degree in 2017, she attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale. In 2019 she graduated with her master's degree in professional school counseling. She began her career in East St. Louis shortly after graduating. For the first two years of her education career, she worked as a Jobs for America's Graduates Specialist at the Wyvetter Younge Alternative School. In this role, Jazlyn recognized her passion for preparing students for life after high school. Jazlyn is enthusiastic about teaching topics such as professional presence, communication skills, employability skills, and financial literacy. From this role, Ms. Stanciel transitioned on to become the Career Pathways Supervisor for District 189 in 2021. In this role, Jazlyn coordinates college and career readiness engagement activities for the whole school district. Jazlyn is currently a board member for R3 and the Illinois Coalition for Community Service Board.
D.J. MERNICK
D.J. owns his own construction company and is serving as a construction advisor on the board as well as the general contractor for the organization. His business-minded service brings such value to R3's operations. He oversees some of the investment properties we flip to fund the organization.
BRIAN WOODWARD
Co-Founder / Emeritus Board Member
Brian began working with East St. Louis youth in July 2012 as Director of Operations of Rebirth: East St. Louis. While working at Rebirth, Brian loved creating life-changing experiences for youth that shed light into their identities, strengths, and desires for the future. In February 2015, he helped create R3, and served as the Executive Director for three years, so that youth in East St. Louis would have more opportunities to gain meaningful work experience while rebuilding their own community. Brian has corporate experience in marketing and organizational structure and strategy. He also has experience in overseeing organizational staff and programs, developing youth through academics, character and spiritual development, and life skills training.