Meet the Team
Allen Speer
Chief Executive Officer
Ministry has been his life. Allen was blessed to be born a preacher’s kid, saved at an early age, and called to ministry as a teenager. For forty years he has faithfully served Christ in a variety of ministry roles, primarily as a Senior Pastor. For the last 30 years as a pastor he has been closely involved with mission endeavors around the globe. From Jamaica to Mexico, Cuba and Belarus, his life has been impacted by missionaries and national pastors. As Agape’s CEO, his passion for serving missionaries is clear and contagious. He is honored that God has called him to Serve Christ by Serving His Missionaries.
He is a communicator of the Word of God and he loves sharing the vision and the mission of Agape Flights!
Married to Jennifer Mathewson Speer, with five children, one son-in-law and two daughters-in-law: Laura and Christopher, Robby and Meredith, Daniel and Jenna, and sons Micah and David, as well as six grandchildren.
Allen enjoys golf, fishing, and his grandchildren!
Carole Leman
Chief of Staff
With roots planted in the cornfields of central Illinois, Carole was “transplanted” to Florida’s gulf coast in February, 2008. She joined Agape Flights later that year, and was honored to serve Agape’s gracious and amazing donors for the next 14 years.
With her love of collaboration, background in nonprofit resource development, and program administration, she transitioned to the role of Chief of Staff in October 2022.
Carole is happy to embrace each day with the Agape Flights family God has blessed her with!
Front Desk Receptionist & Volunteer Coordinator
Shae Amatore
Front Desk Receptionist & Volunteer Coordinator
As a teenager living in the Middle East, Shae witnessed first-hand the power of the underground church and the move of God’s hand with missions – and a seed for missions was planted in her heart. Through serving in her local church in Tupelo, Mississippi, that seed continued to grow.
In 2017, Shae was blessed to be part of a mission trip for Bible translations to Botswana with Wycliffe Bible Translators. “Through this, I was moved beyond words for the lost in all nations and the desire to serve thrived,” Shae says.
When Shae and her family moved to Florida in June, 2018, God provided Shae the opportunity to serve at Agape Flights. She feels blessed to be serving in a ministry that encompasses the goal of her heart in serving people and sharing the Gospel.
Missionary Services
Brooklynn Graybill
Missionary Services Manager
Growing up as a missionary kid in the middle of Wyoming, Brooklynn’s love for serving God’s people started at an early age. She followed her parents to Pakistan and Indian Reservations as she learned, through a hands on approach, what it takes to be a missionary. By the time she graduated High School, she knew God was calling her into a life of ministry and decided to attend Liberty University for a degree in Global Studies. Although she enjoyed her classes, she felt God was calling her away from a “book education” and followed Him into the world on a missions trip known as The World Race. Over the course of 11 months, she visited over 15 different countries and worked alongside various missions organizations. Brooklynn believes God calls a special group of people to be “Missionaries to the Missionaries” and as a Agape’s Missionary Services Manager, she is excited to be one of them.
In her spare time, Brooklynn enjoys riding her motorcycle, being on her Church’s worship team, watching movies and being with her family.
Her life verse is Psalm 46:10 “Be Still, and know that I am God! I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
Sonia Rehder
Missionary Care & Events Coordinator
Originally from the beautiful island of Jamaica, Sonia came to the United States in her mid-twenties. Ten years later, she accepted Christ as her Savior – recognizing that living under His sovereignty was the best decision she could ever make. When Sonia went on to work for Miami Youth for Christ as their events coordinator, she found that working for the Lord was more fulfilling than any secular position she’d held in the past. It was during that time that she saw God laying the groundwork for a life of ministry in the Venice area. When the opportunity arose to join the Agape Flights team, she had every confidence that God was opening a door to a new season of ministry.
Sonia attends Grace Community Bible Church where she is involved in the Women’s Ministry leadership team. She enjoys reading, puzzling, and game nights with friends. She has been blessed with three very sweet grandchildren by her son, Alex, and his wife, Katrina.
Bruce Bosco
Director of Cargo & Logistics
From his background in healthcare management, to family management, including fostering and adoption, to cargo management, Bruce loves being a part of something bigger than himself. In 2016, Bruce moved with his wife and one of three children from New Jersey to Florida pursuing a life of passion and a call to ministry. Starting as a volunteer in Agape’s cargo department, Bruce fell in love with the mission of Agape Flights and soon after God opened the doors for him to become Agape’s full-time Cargo Manager.
In his spare time, Bruce enjoys fitness, reading, beach time, and sports. He is also blessed with five granddaughters, including twins!
He loves to share with others the Good News that “Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6).
Financial Sevices
Todd Bartley
Director of Financial Services
After a 25-year career in banking, Todd joined Agape Flights in the summer of 2023. He hails from Port Huron, Michigan. Todd and his wife, Megan, moved to Venice from Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 2007. They are the busy parents of three sons. The family attends CenterPointe Christian Church in Venice, where Todd is an Elder and also serves on the Finance leadership team.
Todd enjoys gardening and landscaping, golfing, and watching college football. His desire is to love God and love others.
Marsha Pavliak
Finance Specialist
Marsha was born and raised in Irwin, a small town in the Pittsburgh area, and came to Florida in 1978.
She has worked over 35 years in the areas of administration and/or accounting in a variety of fields.
Marsha is still excited to be part of the Agape Family and to be serving through such a valuable ministry. Her faith has brought her through many challenges and she continues to live by Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.
Marsha loves spending her spare time with her five grandchildren and is blessed that they all live right here in Florida.
Development
Tim Kenny
Director of Donor Relations & Development
After a varied career in broadcast and digital media, Tim Kenny spent 13 years with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, including seven years as vice-president of media ministries. It was in that position that he answered the call to work with supporters, leading BGEA’s monthly giving program and working with key donors to the Internet Evangelism ministry.
Tim has been a TV weatherman, a radio and TV news reporter, and he’s written for aviation and travel publications. He holds a commercial pilot certificate and has twice been blessed with invitations to fly in the F-16 with the USAF Thunderbirds.
Shelly Watkins
Donor Relations & Database Manager
For Shelly, coming to work at Agape Flights has been a journey both personally and geographically. After years of raising children, volunteering and pastoring alongside her husband in the Midwest, moving to the Suncoast of Florida opened up the opportunity to serve in Christian aviation.
Her heart is in service and giving, so it is her joy to come alongside our faithful donors as we support the work of the Saints. To God be the Glory!
In her spare time she enjoys good books, walks on the beach, spending time with family and occupying the passenger seat on road trips.
Haley Greene
Content Coordinator
Haley is a 2023 graduate of Liberty University, where she studied digital marketing and journalism on her way to a Communications degree. Before joining the Agape Flights team, Haley worked with the Lynchburg Hillcats Minor League Baseball team in their communications office.
These days, Haley uses her skills a writer, photographer, and videographer to help tell the Agape Flights story in social media and through our quarterly newsletter, Flightline.
Haley loves animals. She hopes to adopt a Bernese Mountain Dog someday and name him Meatball. She may also be interested in taking flying lessons, but she’s not yet told her parents about that. (Shhhh!).
Flight Operations
Greg Haman
Director of Flight Operations & Maintenance
Greg was born and raised near Dayton, Ohio. He earned his Airframe and Powerplant Technician ratings while attending a joint vocational school during his high school years and went on to earn an associates degree in Aviation Maintenance Technology. Greg has many years of aviation maintenance experience, working on aircraft ranging from light pistons to large corporate jets, and first started flying in 2009. He has been an Agape staff pilot since October of 2016.
He is passionate about using his God-given gifts and abilities to serve the Lord by maintaining and flying Agape’s aircraft to highest of safety standards.
Some of his interests apart from flying include scuba diving and playing the bass guitar for his church’s worship team. Greg has been married to his wife Sierra since June 2013, the two reside locally with their two boys in Nokomis, Florida.
Chase Linde
Mechanic
Born and raised in Sarasota, Florida, after high school Chase decided he would like to pursue a career in aviation with a focus and direction towards some sort of missions.
After about 12 years, mostly working in general aviation and an FAA Part 135 flight operation, God brought him to Agape Flights.
Chase is a private pilot and aspires to finish up his flight ratings and join Agape’s flight crew. He loves being a husband and dad to two daughters and a son. He’s excited to be a part of the Agape team and to be a useful tool for the Kingdom!
Rick Kelly
Pilot/Mechanic
Rick was born in Georgia, but his most recent job flying in the Mariana Islands near Japan meant he had to travel halfway around the world to join the Agape Flights team. Rick earned his aircraft mechanics rating at Moody Aviation in Spokane, Washington, before taking his first turn in the pilot’s seat in 1998. He spent the next 16 years pursuing the advanced ratings that would allow him to fly high-performance aircraft for a living.
Since attaining those advanced ratings, Rick spent the better part of the next decade in full-time flying roles. He’s flown for air cargo operations, air ambulance service, scenic tour operators, and on-demand air taxi operations. He’s enjoyed it all but sees Agape Flights as a higher calling. “Not to minimize anything else, but this is the most important flying I’ll ever do,” he says.
He and his wife, Jennifer, are the proud parents of four children – one in Detroit, two others in Tennessee, and a son who will be joining them in SW Florida.
Rick describes Jennifer as someone who loves to be a blessing and encouragement to others – and he says they’re both eager to become a part of the local community.
Steve Koch
Volunteer Captain
Steve began flying at the early age of 16. He has spent 42 years in commercial aviation including air cargo transport, on demand air taxi operations, air ambulance and as a corporate pilot for his own former business. He now owns and operates an air touring operation in Louisville, Kentucky with an open cockpit biplane.
Steve has always had a passion for using his flying skills to serve God and is now living that dream by volunteering his time as a missionary pilot. Steve and his wife reside in both Fort Myers, Fla., and Louisville, Ky. Steve has been involved with Agape Flights since March 2008.
Doug Graber
Volunteer Captain
Doug grew up in Ohio and attended Hesston College. It was here that he earned his pilot’s license and where every landing is a crosswind landing. After receiving his B.A. in business administration from Goshen College in Indiana, Doug worked in commercial lending before he and his wife felt they were called to the mission field.
They served in Haiti and Belle Glade, Fla., for three years. Doug is now owner of Graber Associates, a regional sales office that sells church furniture for the Sauder Company. Doug began volunteer piloting for Agape in 2004 and holds commercial, multi and instrument ratings.
Kory Elleby
Volunteer Captain
As the owner of an electrical contracting business, Kory understands the process of apprenticeship. So, when he and his wife, Ruthie, moved to the Venice area in 2016, Kory began his Agape Flights service very much as an apprentice. “Every Wednesday, I’d do the flight planning and other things to get ready for Thursday’s flight,” he recalls. “And even now, every day is a learning day.”
Originally from Illinois, Kory earned his pilot’s license before a lot of his friends had a driver’s license. Flying has always been a passion, but stepping up to the Agape Flights Embraer-110 with its turbine engines was a big leap. Volunteering his time, Kory is now an Agape Captain and has nearly 100 Agape roundtrips in his logbook. He loves what he does and loves that God has allowed him to use his passion of flight to serve others. “I know what the mission is,” he says about his time in the left seat. “The people I see when I fly are my friends. It’s like family.”
Kory and Ruthie own and operate Sunshine Electrical Services, Inc in Venice. They consider Sunshine another blessing that God has given as they provide services to the community and see God provide for their Sunshine families.
Board of Directors
Pictured Above (from left to right):
David Yohn, Craig Faulkner, Adrienne McCutcheon, Kyle Henson, Allen Speer (Agape CEO), Bradley Hume, Jim Whitney, Ed Loomis, Charlie Thompson
not pictured: Becky McQuillen
Your gift helps deliver hope for millions of people.
Through Christ, His people and aircraft, Agape Flights delivers love and hope, changing lives one flight at a time.
Allen Speer
Chief Executive Officer
Ministry has been his life. Allen was blessed to be born a preacher’s kid, saved at an early age, and called to ministry as a teenager. For forty years he has faithfully served Christ in a variety of ministry roles, primarily as a Senior Pastor. For the last 30 years as a pastor he has been closely involved with mission endeavors around the globe. From Jamaica to Mexico, Cuba and Belarus, his life has been impacted by missionaries and national pastors. As Agape’s CEO, his passion for serving missionaries is clear and contagious. He is honored that God has called him to Serve Christ by Serving His Missionaries.
Allen Speer
Chief Executive Officer
Ministry has been his life. Allen was blessed to be born a preacher’s kid, saved at an early age, and called to ministry as a teenager. For forty years he has faithfully served Christ in a variety of ministry roles, primarily as a Senior Pastor. For the last 30 years as a pastor he has been closely involved with mission endeavors around the globe. From Jamaica to Mexico, Cuba and Belarus, his life has been impacted by missionaries and national pastors. As Agape’s CEO, his passion for serving missionaries is clear and contagious. He is honored that God has called him to Serve Christ by Serving His Missionaries.