The Board of the Presbyterian Home for Children approved its Executive Committee for 2023.

The Talladega-based Home is one of the few organizations in the state caring for Alabama’s homeless boys and girls, along with their female caregivers in its Secure Dwellings Program. PHFC also serves teenage girls who have been subject to extreme trauma and neglect, young female adults in crisis, families in crisis through in-home intensive services, and children and youth in rural Wilcox and Marengo counties.
George Fritsma of Trussville is Moderator for the Board of Trustees. Fritsma has been a Trustee since 2013 and served as Moderator in 2017 when he was instrumental in helping recruit President and CEO Doug Marshall. He has a long history of serving on and leading the Governance Committee of which he is the current vice chair in addition to serving on the Executive Committee. Retired from the UAB faculty since 2007, Fritsma serves as a medical laboratory consultant to the UAB Department of Pathology, a consultant to several diagnostics companies and as an adjunct associate professor for Michigan State and Rutgers universities. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and chemistry from Calvin University, a Master’s Degree in medical laboratory science from Wayne State University and advanced course work from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is a member of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science and the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis. He and his wife are members of Cahaba Springs Presbyterian Church in Trussville.

Mark D. Feagin of Hoover is Vice Moderator for the Presbyterian Home for Children Board. He grew up in Birmingham and was educated in the Jefferson County and Vestavia Hills school systems and earned a BS in Finance at Auburn University in 1985. His professional experience is in the banking industry where he worked for Regions Bank for 23 years as well as Iberiabank, JP Morgan Chase and Community Bank of Mississippi. Previously serving on PHFC’s Audit and Finance committees, he is now on its Resource Development and Executive committees. Mark and his wife are members of Asbury Methodist Church.

Rev. Joseph Scrivner, Ph.D. of Tuscaloosa is Immediate Past Moderator and serves on both the Executive and Programs committees. Scrivner serves two historic institutions in Tuscaloosa as dean of chapel at Stillman College and the pastor of Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church. He earned a doctorate in Biblical studies at Princeton Seminary. He has published introductory articles on the Bible and obtained a Master’s Degree in Biblical studies from Reformed Theological Seminary. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree with a double major in secondary education and Bible from Crichton College. Scrivner was previously a faculty member at Samford University and is currently on the Executive Council for the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley.

Carol R. Copeland of Athens is the Board’s Secretary and serves on PHFC’s Programs and Executive committees. Copeland has been in the private practice of social work since 1991 after a long career with the Alabama Department of Human Resources. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, Academy of Social Workers, Alabama Conference of Social Work and The University of Alabama Social Work Society, and she is on the board of the Athens Limestone Family Resource Center. She is a ruling elder of First Presbyterian Church in Athens and is the current Moderator of the Commission on Ministry in the North Alabama Presbytery serving 27 churches. Copeland is past Moderator of the Board of the Presbyterian Home for Children, North Alabama Presbytery and North Alabama Presbyterian Women.
Newell Witherspoon of Huntsville was re-elected as Treasurer, John Haley, Esq. of Birmingham as Legal Counsel and Missy Jones of Mobile as Member-At-Large. New members of the Board of Trustees for 2023 are Jeff Hicks of Montrose, Rev. Madison Roberts of Mountain Brook and Dr. Joyce Pettis Temple of Huntsville.
Members of the Home’s Advisory Board are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Board of Trustees to serve on various committees. Advisory Board members for 2023 are Mary Otulana, Homewood; Rev. Robin Palmer, Madison; Christi Robinson, Huntsville; Brenda Uptain, Talladega; Chuck Williams, Hiram, Ga.; and Rev. Jonathan Yarboro, Wetumpka.