Medical Missionaries Board of Directors

PRESIDENT
Gilbert Irwin, MD

Gil, practiced internal medicine in Manassas, Virginia,  and is the founder of Medical Missionaries.

VICE-PRESIDENT
Kenneth Kornetsky, MD

Ken has practiced nephrology and internal medicine in Warrenton, Culpepper, and Manassas (Virginia) for 29 years. He has worked with Medical Missionaries since 1999.

SECRETARY
Carolyn Jeans, RN

Carolyn staffed the night shift in the critical care unit at Prince William Hospital for 30 years. She is one of the founding members of Medical Missionaries and has made many trips to serve the poor in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

TREASURER
Ed Wyrsch

Ed brings to Medical Missionaries a long history of accounting and tax work. He worked for the IRS for 31 years and before that for a corporate accounting firm in New York City.

Brian Brenner

Brian is owner and technician at Brenner’s Advanced Automotive, Inc. located in Manassas Park, Virginia, for 20+ years. Among his many contributions to Medical Missionaries, Brian provides mechanical advice, service, and supplies for the organization’s vehicles.

Debra Parrish, RN

Debra spent four years in the U.S. Air Force prior to working in the Operating Room at Prince William Hospital for the past 30 years. She has headed seven trips of surgical teams to Banica (Dominican Republic) and Thomassique (Haiti) for Medical Missionaries.

Anna Penna, MD

Anna graduated from Dartmouth Medical School. She specializes in Anesthesiology at Prince William Hospital.

David Snyder, MD

David is an orthopedic surgeon at Fauquier Hospital, with a private practice in Warrenton, VA. He is Founder and Chairman of the Board of the Verdun Adventurebound Youth Retreat Center in Rixeyville, VA. He is also District Chairman of the Piedmont Boyscouts, serving Culpepper and Fauquier counties. David is a motivational public speaker whose greatest recent joy is being a grandfather of four.

Tim Purnell

Tim is the Senior Partner at Purnell, McKennett & Menke, PC in Manassas, VA and has practiced law for over 36 years.

Gachard Jean Pierre, PA

Gachard is a Physician Assistant in Internal Medicine. She has made several trips to St. Joseph Clinic with medical teams. She is founder and advisor to the Gwoup Jenn Tet Ansanm (GJTA), a Thomassique youth group devoted to improving the quality of life in Thomassiique.

Drs. Julian Hertz and Nick Cuneo

Global Health Fellows Board Seat – This seat on the Medical Missionaries Board is currently shared by two of our early Global Health Fellows.

Medical Missionaries April 2023 

April showers bring May flowers, and this month they also herald the launch of our 2023 Caring Hearts Online Auction! This exciting event is now live, and we can’t wait for you to participate.

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Medical Missionaries March 2023 

What does Klorfasil, toys, local community, Caring Hearts Online Auction, and pajamas have in common? They are just a few items that made their way into March’s newsletter. Read on to find out how they and others made for a busy month.

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