Who We Are
The Resilience Resource was founded out of a passion and vision to develop and implement resources, response, and care within collaborative community resulting in redemption and restoration as reflected in the thriving and resilient lives of those serving on the front lines of crisis response and challenging contexts, either in their country of origin or in the farthest corners of the earth.

Graham Aitken
Board Member, Pastor, Humanitarian Aid, Crisis Response Care
Graham and his wife, Lizzy, have been part of the humanitarian aid world since 2013. Prior to this, Graham worked in higher education, overseeing a Global Service Learning division for Trinity College in Chicago while he pursued a Master’s degree in Intercultural Studies. As part of this role, Graham was responsible for developing campus-wide debriefing models for college and graduate students returning from the field.
In their work with an international humanitarian aid organization, Graham and Lizzy served in various roles in both Congo (DRC) and Myanmar. Upon their return to the US, both Graham and Lizzy continued their care and support work with humanitarian aid and missions personnel. In 2017, Graham transitioned into a pastoral role at theHeart, a church in North Carolina.
Graham is passionate about the global effort to alleviate physical and spiritual poverty and believes Christ-followers can lead the way in demonstrating how to engage this difficult work in a healthy way.
Graham grew up in Scotland but claims Chicagoland as a second home which unfortunately saddles him with the painful burden of being a Bears fan. He is working hard to pass on a love of all things Scottish to his two children, Jack and Sophia. And yes, he’s heard all the kilt jokes already….

Sarah Cates
DO, PhD, MSc, Humanitarian Aid, Crisis Response Care
Sarah is a board-certified emergency medicine physician who is currently living stateside. She has been back in the US since the fall of 2021. Before that, she lived in Togo, West Africa, for six years and worked in a missions hospital there. Her humanitarian aid involvement has spanned multiple disaster responses, including the DRC for Ebola, India after the tsunami, and Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. She also helped coordinate a VHF outbreak response in Togo as Lassa Fever recurred yearly. She is a DO by training from the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine and has a PhD in health education from Virginia Tech. She also recently completed an MSc from the University of South Wales in the UK in disaster healthcare, where her focus was on burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and PTSD among humanitarian aid workers and missionaries.
She recently got married and is splitting her time between West TN and Louisville, KY, where she continues to work in the ER and helps coordinate quality improvement projects in mission hospitals worldwide through a program called Iron 2 Silver under the Christian Health Service Corps umbrella.

Tanya Kurylo
Crisis Care & Adoption Support Specialist, Ukrainian Translator
Tanya is deeply committed to applying various tools and resources in providing effective and compassionate care for individuals, families, and communities in crisis. She has more than 20 years of experience working with orphans and has worked for the past 7 years specifically with US families who have adopted children from international locations. Tanya has provided coaching and counseling support, coordinated and facilitated children’s camps and groups for moms, and created and published a processing journal with guided prompts to provide a safe space for children to communicate their feelings and experiences. Her personal and professional experiences continue to affirm the necessity of support for both parents and children who have gone through crisis and trauma.
Growing up in Ukraine, now living full time in the United States, Tanya has unique insight into the cross-cultural challenges that those living displaced from their homeland face. Having worked with orphans since she was 16 years old, as well as more recently with Ukrainians displaced due to the war, her heart is to help each one find their identity and understand that the trauma that they have can be healed with help of others.
Tanya is passionate about coming alongside her fellow Ukrainians to provide help and support in healing from the trauma they have experienced, past and present, and equip individuals and communities with resilience building tools and professional help so they can move forward into a brighter future.

Rachel Lukas
Humanitarian Director, MA: International Security, MBA: Global Business
Rachel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Wake Forest University, a Master’s in International Security from King’s College London, and an MBA with a concentration in Global Business from University of Cambridge. Throughout the last decade of work in international affairs and humanitarian intervention, Rachel has worked in countries all over Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Central America. A lover of linguistics, Rachel can provide care in both English and French; and she is currently studying Arabic (MSA) and Spanish as well. Rachel’s work and travels have given her a depth of experience in firsthand and secondhand trauma and trauma care, including political conflict and terrorism. Her passion is leading both individuals and organizations through times of transition and change.
Though they met while living in Niger, West Africa, Rachel currently resides in Portland, Maine with her husband Jarrett (who is also an international security consultant). Rachel loves to run and is always training for a marathon of some kind. And, like all runners, she is always happy to talk anything and everything running! Since moving to Maine from Niger, Rachel and Jarrett spend as much free time as possible either backpacking in the woods or relaxing with family.

Harry Mathis
Board Member, Chaplain, Colonel-Retired (US Air Force)
Harry, a retired Air Force Chaplain and semi-retired Anglican Priest, has been married to Sherry Mathis for 42 years, is the father of five grown children, and grandfather to six grandchildren, ages 9 to 3. He served in the Air Force for 30 years, 25 as a chaplain with assignments in Asia, Europe, and the US, and including a combat deployment in Iraq, and a humanitarian deployment to the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina.
Harry and Sherry have received extensive training in working with wounded, ill, and injured people using a model of listening, loving and praying. Harry is active in Celebrate Recovery, as he works on finding God’s healing for his own hurts, hang-ups, and habits, as well as helping others to do the same. He and Sherry lead a ministry for their church with those in bereavement. Harry loves Jesus unapologetically, and this seems to inform pretty much everything he is interested in.

Debra Owens
Crisis Team Responder
Debra has spent the last seven years working in international disaster response, equipping and deploying a global roster of 2000+ response personnel to serve. Prior to working in humanitarian aid, she spent a decade working in sports production & live event management. She loves getting to connect and engage with other cultures, and her work has taken her to sixteen countries across six continents.
Debra is passionate about personal and team development and wellness, as well as sharing resources with others. A native North Carolinian, she loves spending time with family and friends and adventuring around the world to explore and appreciate God’s glorious creation.

Natalie Mathis
EMT, Crisis Response Care
Natalie Mathis is currently completing a degree in psychology from the University of South Florida and caring for and supporting children in her community as an elementary school substitute teacher.
Natalie has a background in emergency services and healthcare as a former EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) and CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant). She has broad experience assisting those going through both physical and psychological trama and providing compassionate care in crisis. Natalie also maintains a high level of practical knowledge in the areas of First Aid/CPR and Advanced Life Support.
Natalie has a deep passion for those experiencing poverty, global conflict, disease, and other forms of suffering and has significant experience in various international humanitarian aid projects.

Gary Meadows
Board Member, Pastor, Firefighter (Retired), Fire/Law Enforcement Chaplain
Gary Meadows serves full time as chaplain to the local police & fire departments, after recently retiring from the pastorate after 22 years.
He is a 22-year veteran of Colorado’s Volunteer Fire Service, retiring in 2020, and served six years as an Aviation Electronic Technician in the United States Navy receiving an Honorable Discharge in 1979. He is an Advisory Board Member with Ranch of Hope Counseling, Westcliffe, Colorado, VP/Treasurer with the Colorado Fire Chaplains Association, and an ordained minister (1998) with the Assemblies of God. His abilities lie in the areas of crisis response/intervention and pastoral care/counseling. He serves as a go-to resource for his county’s critical incident response needs.
His most life giving experience so far in his 65 years has been interacting with individuals and groups as a challenge course instructor/trainer, being an emergency responder to his community, and helping people sidestep many of life’s trials and hardships as avoidable and unnecessary. All of these are eclipsed by being grandfather to 5 grandsons!
His life is summarized with the answer to this question: “An old man was asked, ‘What would you do differently if you had the opportunity to live your life over.’ The man answered, ‘If I had the opportunity to live my life over, I would live it in such a way that it would change the lives of people. Because, you know, until you’ve changed the lives of people, you’ve really changed nothing at all.’”

Rachel Toone
MDiv, Pastor, Crisis Response Care
The Rev. Rachel Toone is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and serves as the Dean of Spiritual Formation and adjunct faculty member at Montreat College in Montreat, NC. She has experience providing theological education in Europe, South Africa, and Southeast Asia. In addition to academia, Rachel has worked in the local church, jail chaplaincy, and as a bartender. She holds a B.A. in Theology from Whitworth University, an MDiv. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Ministry program at Trinity School for Ministry.
Rachel is passionate about integrating trauma informed care with pastoral ministry. When she’s not teaching college students how to change a tire or write a paper, she loves spending time in the mountains, reading dusty old books, and playing jazz or bluegrass music.

Wes Scheu
MDiv, Pastor, Chaplain, Mental Health First Aid Instructor
Wes Scheu has a passion for people’s wholeness and joy. He knows that thriving communities and organizations are made up of people who are happy, healthy, and high impact. Investing in the physical, emotional, spiritual, and cognitive health of individuals helps maintain the momentum, mission and purpose of organizations and teams.
With over 18 years of experience in pastoral counseling and chaplaincy settings, Wes loves meeting people where they are, creating, and holding space for their growth, resiliency, healing, and wholeness.
Wes is an ordained pastor in Denver, CO where he lives with his wife and three children. He loves spending time with others in the mountains, hiking, backpacking, camping, and experiencing God in the outdoors. One of his favorite things to do is hike the Grand Canyon rim to rim. He’s an avid fantasy novel fan, enjoys singing and playing the guitar, and loves supporting his Denver Broncos.
Wes holds an M.Div in Chaplaincy, holds certificates in Group and Individual CISM, Operational Stress Management, Managing School Crisis, Enhancing Resilience, Suicide Awareness, and is a Mental Health First Aid Instructor. He is also a certified personal trainer, fitness teacher, and outdoor guide.

Kerri Wolcott
MA, Crisis Response Care
Kerri Wolcott holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Journalism from Pepperdine University and a Master’s degree in International Development from the University of Denver.
Through her background in humanitarian aid she has worked all over Asia and Africa. She consults for a variety of non-profits focusing on strategic planning, fundraising and all things programming. Her work with those who have experienced trauma in a variety of ways led her to pursue training in group counseling for trauma and grief as well as being a trained prayer minister.
Currently, she works and co-owns two businesses with her husband, Josh, in addition to leading a small foundation. Kerri resides in Fredericksburg, Texas. She has been married 27 years and has three children.

Scott Gwin
MA, Board Member, Founder, COO, Crisis Response Care, Leadership Development, Curriculum Coordinator
Scott Gwin, COO and co-founder of The Resilience Resource, holds a graduate degree in transformational leadership from Bethel Seminary, is a Mental Health Coach through the American Association for Christian Counselors, a certified Chaplain through the International Conference of Police Chaplains, and carries a variety of certifications and credentials from the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation.
As volunteer youth staff at a local church, Scott unknowingly stepped into a trauma-care career when the youth group he served went through the tragic shooting at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. Shouldering with survivors as they grieved and struggled developed into a passion to walk with people through tragedy and loss.
Prior to co-founding The Resilience Resource, Scott spent 25 years in the commercial and residential construction industry, served as a firefighter for 12 years, and has 12 years of experience in the equine therapy world. He has been involved in cross cultural contexts and ministry for over 21 years, spanning eleven countries on five continents.

Josie Gwin
MA, Board Member, Founder, CEO, Crisis Response Care, Leadership Development, Sexual Assault Care Specialist
Josie Gwin, CEO and co-founder of The Resilience Resource, is a Mental Health Coach through the American Association for Christian Counselors, a Spiritual and Psychological First Aid Instructor, certified Chaplain through the International Conference of Police Chaplains, is credentialed in Grief following Trauma, Emotional and Spiritual Care in Disasters, Advanced Critical Incident Care for Individuals and Groups, and carries a graduate degree in transformational leadership development from Bethel Seminary.
Prior to co-founding The Resilience Resource, Josie Gwin served as a firefighter for 6 years, spent 18 years in the equine therapeutic industry, and currently serves as a first responder, law enforcement, and humanitarian aid chaplain. She has been involved in cross-cultural and international contexts and ministry for over 35 years, deploying as a crisis response chaplain, and living and serving in ministry and humanitarian aid contexts in multiple countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Josie, along with her husband, Scott, has trained, resourced, and provided care for personnel, leaders, and teams from a variety of faith based and secular organizations, as well as firefighters and law enforcement, first responder chaplains, medical personnel and hospital chaplains, and military and special forces personnel from all four branches of the US military.