In January 2006, Kathryn initiated the process to pass C.J.'s Law, mandating that every mobile home manufactured in the state of Indiana be equipped with a NOAA weather radio which would alert residents to impending severe weather threats. CJ's Law was passed and signed by Indiana Governor, Mitch Daniels, in July, 2007. Congressman Brad Ellsworth and Kathryn announced CJ’s Home Protection Act of 2007 in June 2007. This measure passed unanimously through the United States Congress in October, 2007. Kathryn also spearheaded the building of a memorial park and playground at Eastbrook Mobile Home ark where she once lived and where her family members died. Kathryn received the Lampion Center Community Service Award for her efforts in building the two acre memorial park that was dedicated to those who lost their lives as well as those who survived. A playground was designed in the memorial to help the children who still live in the mobile home park feel a sense of normalcy after their lives were literally turned upside down by the forces of nature. Kathryn also received the prestigious Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award in June, 2007, as well as the Mark Trail Award presented by the National Weather Service. In February, 2008, Kathryn was recognized by MONTEL and Charming Shoppes with the VOICES award. Kathryn continuously advocates for those who remain in Eastbrook by writing to Congress about the need for shelters in mobile home parks.

On Friday, May 26th 2006, Kathryn, a friend, and their children drove to a small Indiana town that was ravaged by a tornado the night before, to lend a helping hand. With coloring books, crayons, fruit snacks, and juice boxes in hand, Kathryn provided a sense of peace to a family she had never met by caring for their children as the parents spent hours sifting through the rubble of their former home. This experience was the catalyst behind the CJ's Bus Foundation.

Jeff remains active in corporate finance and venture capital and serves on the Advisory Boards of 5Linx, the leading direct sales company for VoIP telephony and videophone products and services, and TeleContinuity, a telecom disaster recovery company focused on the government and insurance industry and backed by a grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce. In 2001, Jeff co-founded Elematics, an optical network provisioning software company backed by Warburg Pincus and started by VenturiFX, a seed-stage venture capital fund he co-founded. Jeff also helped to raise the first $77 million for Arbinet (Nasdaq:ARBX), the world's leading real-time exchange for global telecom capacity. Jeff helped to manage the initial public offering process and served as the first Director of Investor Relations for IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT), a leading global telecommunications company. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Jeff served as a White House intern in the Office of Public Liaison for Defense and Foreign Policy under President Reagan.

Jeff has received a number of awards for his service with The New York Says Thank You Foundation including The Melvin Jones Fellow for Humanitarian Service from the Lions Club International Foundation, The Champion of the Community Award from Champion Mortgage and The New York Mets, and the 1010WINS Tomorrow's Newsmakers Award for Public Service.

Paige Ellison, Board Member
Paige is one of the heroes of Hurricane Katrina. With an extensive background in military and non-profit child care services, Paige immediately recognized the need for emergency child care services for Gulf Coast families displaced by the storm. Within a week of Hurricane Katrina's landfall, Paige established the first emergency play care facility with the support of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. That one facility grew to 13 play care facilities across the Gulf Coast which cared for 5,600 children in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. This extraordinary grassroots effort resulted in the formation of Project K.I.D., an Alabama-based non-profit organization focused on providing parents and children safe, reliable, and much needed respite child care in the days and weeks following a disaster. In addition to Project K.I.D., Paige also serves as the Regional Services Support Manager of the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA).

Before forming Project K.I.D., Paige worked as a Surgical Specialty Executive Account Manager with Glaxo Smith Kline. Prior to her work in pharmaceutical sales, Paige operated child care centers during the Desert Storm military deployment for Department of the Army, Ft. Huachuca, AZ, and Vint Hill Farms Station, VA. Later, as a civil service employee, Paige inspected all the U.S. Marine Corps Child Development Services Programs in the continental U.S., Hawaii, and Japan. Paige has professional relationships with the National Association for the Education of Young Children, where she has served as an accreditation validator. She has also been a validator for the Council for Professional Recognition Child Development Association (CDA) credentialing program. Paige has degrees from Auburn University (B.S.) and Boston University (Masters in counseling). She resides in Fairhope, AL, and has two children, Thomas, 8th grade, and Madeline, 2nd grade. Paige is a member of Daphne United Methodist Church.

Chaplain Steve Holden, Board Member
Chaplain Steve Holden is a Chaplain with the Illinois State Police and is also the Executive Director of The United States Emergency Chaplain Corps. In this capacity, Chaplain Holden provides both direct service and coordinates the efforts of other chaplains in disaster relief situations, from the rescue and recovery phase, to the immediate aftermath, and long-term recovery process. Chaplain Holden has served in disaster relief situations across the country from 9/11 at Ground Zero, to the San Diego County wildfires, and throughout the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina, including recovery efforts in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Through the course of his work, Chaplain Holden has built an extensive network of contacts in the disaster relief community from the Department of Homeland Security, to state emergency managers, and to various fire department and law enforcement organizations nationwide.

Mary Hess, Board Member
Mary holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Southern Indiana and a Masters in Counseling from Western Kentucky University. She has worked in higher education since 1986 in student affairs, assessment and advising, and for the last six years as a faculty member, an Associate Professor and as Chair in the Human Services program at Ivy Tech Community College. She holds a license as a Licensed Social Worker in the State of Indiana. Currently she serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for a three county Community Action Program in southwestern Indiana and on the Warrick County Habitat Advisory Board. Prior to her employment at the College, she was employed as a Head Start teacher and later as the Director of a tri-county Head Start program. Mary also worked as an employment counselor for Indiana Employment Security, and for the local CETA and 70,001 programs.

Alexa Nickolick-Stahl, Board Member
Alexa is currently the Director of Operations for Skyway Management DBA the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Evansville, Indiana. She earned a degree in interior design from Ivy Tech State College where she was president of the design club. Throughout the years Alexa has been a volunteer coach for more than 13 youth soccer teams and volunteered for Special Olympics in the tri-state area. For Skyway Management, Alexa has overseen purchasing, event planning, advertising, as well as running the hotel with her grandfather (Joe), father (Gary), and husband (Kevin) since 2004. At the hotel she has worked on gala fundraisers for the following organizations: Wish Upon a Star, Arthritis Foundation, and Warrick County Community Foundation. The hotel also hosts an annual fundraiser called Taste of Southern Indiana, put on by the Substance Abuse Council of Southern Indiana in 2007. The Taste was formally with The American Heart Association. She directed the donation of furniture and other needed items including beds, sheets, blankets, and flatware to the Red Cross following Katrina.

Alexa is a member of the Southwestern Indiana Builders Association and the hotel is the host for many of their events. Alexa is also a project coordinator for Nickolick Development. Prior to working with her family, Alexa owned and operated Nickolick Interiors as well as worked as a sales rep / kitchen and bath designer for Home Consultants Center. Alexa is a wife and mother of 2. Her eldest son, Connor, was in CJ Martin’s class in daycare where the 2 CJs became buddies.

LeAnn Rumsey, Board Member
LeAnn Rumsey was born in Evansville and raised in the Tri-State area. She lives in Evansville with her husband (Mark) and their 2 children. LeAnn is currently employed by Wilderman & Associates, a locally owned engineering firm, as the Office Manager. She has over 18 years of office experience with over 14 years as an Office Manager. Her experience has been in sales and customer service related industries. LeAnn's experience includes accounting, job management, payroll processing, human resources, event planning and coordination, and various special projects. Over the years LeAnn has supported various foundations by organizing and participating in local fundraisers. Some of the organizations she has supported are the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, the Local PTA, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Relay for Life, Colon Screening for Life.

When asked why she believes in The CJ's Bus Foundation she replies, "I have several different reasons that I feel so passionately about CJ's Bus. It's a foundation that I can get my entire family involved in, including my children. This is the perfect opportunity to teach my children what it means to 'help one another'. I admire Kathryn's courage to turn her personal tragedy into something positive for the entire community. I am excited to share the foundation's history and mission with family, friends, and anyone that I come in contact with."

Mark Rumsey, Board Member
Mark is a Corporate Training Instructor with Progressive Insurance. His background in disaster service includes several CAT (catastrophe) deployments for local and national events for Progressive Insurance, including Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma, Rita, Jeanne and Frances. He also served CAT duty after the tornado in Marengo, IN and the local devastation of November 2005 in Evansville, IN.

He helped victims get back on their feet and was on the first wave of responders in the first week after Hurricane Katrina. These deployments helped to solidify his beliefs in helping those in times of need and to help the foundation achieve its goals. He has worked in various capacities over the years including the Wabash Valley YMCA as a Youth Program Leader, Walt Disney World as Team Lead, Nationwide Financial Services as an Investment Advisor and currently with Progressive Insurance as a Corporate Training Instructor for the past nine years. Mark is a member of the Tri-State Adjustors and a member of the Friends of Florence National Cemetery. He has a B.A. degree from the University of Southern Indiana.

He and his wife LeAnn are from Mt. Carmel, IL, have two children and currently reside in Evansville, IN.
Mark's motto is "110%...part time".

Dawn McCoy , Board Member
Dawn is a former resident of Evansville. She now resides in Owensville, Indiana. Dawn has been married to Curtis McCoy for 14 years. Curtis works for Freightliner of Evansville and is also a Volunteer Fireman and First Responder. Together they have two daughters Katlyn and Aubrey. Dawn owns and operates The Real McCoy Daycare, which is an Indiana state licensed daycare that she runs out of her home. Through the daycare she is a member of 4C of Southern Indiana. Dawn is also a photographer with Deig Photography in Evansville. Previously Dawn worked for Buehler Foods Inc, where she was a Floral Manager, designer, merchandiser, buyer, and trainer for the floral division for 13 years. Her home store was at North Park, however she was sent to all stores to work with the other Floral Managers. Dawn is also an 8 year member of the Girlscouts of America where she has been a leader for the past 4 years and plans to continue this for years to come. She is also a mission committee member at Blythe United Methodist Church in Owensville.

I am now starting a wonderful chapter of my life in being a part of CJ's Bus. Other than being a wife and mother this will be the most important thing I have ever done. I have been appointed the Gibson County Representative. I hope to bring awareness and knowledge to my area along with others.

• Eric Williams / Evansville, IN / Vanderburgh County Sheriff
• Emily Smith-McCormick / Evansville, IN / Specializes in education & counseling
• Melissa Marie Rupp / Evansville, IN / Specializes in child psychology
• Drew Speier / Scranton, PA / Media Specialist, News Anchor
• Bridgett Naas / Newburgh, IN / Disaster coordinator and volunteer firefighter
• Tom Brown / Utica, IL / Member of Utica, Illinois Fire Department
• Erik Kreippen / Slidell, LA / Fire Inspector, St. Tammany Fire District #1
• Julia Mudloff / Boston, MA / firefighter & degree candidate in homeland security
• Jon Gates / Kill Devil Hills, NC / Sgt. in the Kill Devil Hills, NC Fire Department
• Debra Orozco / Plentywood, MT / disaster relief coordinator Harbison Canyon, CA
• Ava Reinstein / Miramar, FL / Information technology system specialist
• Cindy Brush / Evansville IN / Evansville Police Department Captain
• Tom Hess/Boonville, IN / Retired County Govt
• Jody Caplan / New York, NY / Executive Director of National Law Enforcement and Firefighters' Children's Foundation
• andy j / evansville / web