Join the mission.

Mended futures for every family.

Meet our dedicated team.

FIVE18's leadership is committed to the mission of reconciliation.

Our leadership team sets the tone for who we are at FIVE18. Not only do they believe in our mission, but each of them have lived it out since long before they came on board with us. Meet the people behind our three core values: Christ-Centered Compassion, Evidence-Based Impact, and Team-Driven Excellence. 

FIVE18 Boards

  • Ken Arthur | Forest

  • Derrick Brown, | Madison Heights

  • Bonnie B. Crews | Rustburg

  • Beverley E. Dalton | Altavista

  • Tina I. Friar | Concord

  • Laurie Harris | Lynchburg

  • Linzie Johnson | Lynchburg

  • Ashley Marshall | Charlottesville

  • David Marshall | Forest

  • Aubrey Mason | Lynchburg

  • Don McMillen | Forest

  • Ron Miller | Forest

  • Brandon Osterbind | Lynchburg

  • Rob Penha | Lynchburg

  • Will Showalter | Farmville

  • Blair Smith | Appomattox

  • Dawn Tolley | Appomattox

  • Cannon Watson | Farmville

  • Yolan Williams | Forest

  • Ken Arthur | Forest

  • Derrick Brown | Madison Heights

  • Tommy Clark | Lynchburg

  • Bonnie Crews | Rustburg

  • Beverley Dalton | Altavista

  • Tina Friar | Concord

  • Laurie Harris | Lynchburg

  • Linzie Johnson | Lynchburg

  • Brittany Kuczewski | Lynchburg

  • Ashley Marshall | Charlottesville

  • Don McMillen | Forest

  • Ron Miller | Forest

  • Brandon Osterbind | Lynchburg

  • Rob Penha | Lynchburg

  • Will Showalter | Farmville

  • Blair Smith | Appomattox

  • Dawn Tolley | Appomattox

  • Cannon Watson | Farmville

  • Yolan Williams | Forest

Three Core Values

Christ-Centered Compassion

The grace-filled compassion of Christ is the heartbeat of our motivation to serve vulnerable children and distressed families. It is the “why” behind our “what.”

Evidence-Based Impact

We hold our agency accountable to meaningful outcomes using an evidence-based approach to measure the effectiveness of our services. We don’t just want to help, we desire true transformation in the lives of those we serve.

Team-Driven Excellence

We strive for excellence over perfection. Those we serve deserve nothing less than our fullest efforts. We believe that excellence is a team-driven process of humble, hungry, and intelligent people.

Volunteer

You and your time are valuable.
We are committed to equipping and empowering you to further the work of reconciliation.

Give

We see your heart.
We know the need so we can deliver faith-driven, evidence supported solutions.
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We need your help.

Thank you for your willingness to advance the ministry of FIVE18 Family Services through your financial gift.

Jim Herron

Jim Herron

Chief Strategy Officer

Jim Herron serves as the Chief Strategy Officer. He is passionate about helping those who care about the hurting so they are able to support and promote mental and emotional healing. Jim’s role allows him to leverage his training and experience, along with his passion for children and families, to empower others to heal and grow. From a rich reservoir of experience in family dynamics, church leadership, and community mental health services, Jim guides the application of Biblical truths into real life.

Jim and his wife, Ruth, have six adult children, three of whom joined their family by adoption. They provided foster care for many years in Ohio and Virginia, and hosted over 50 placements.

Jeff Nitz

Dr. Jeff Nitz

Chief Executive Officer

Beginning July 1, 2025 Jeff Nitz took on the role of Chief Executive Officer. Jeff has been an integral part of our leadership since 2017 and has been involved in child welfare services for more than 35 years.

Jeff deeply believes that our strength and future as a community comes down to how well we collectively care for our children and support parents. He also views the local church as the hope of the world, and is excited to see the Church take a much more prominent place in meeting the needs of children and families in our community. He and his wife, Cheryl, have been married for over 40 years and have four children, including two through older-child adoption.

Robert Day

Robert Day

Founder of Recovering Orphan

For fifteen years, Robert Day served as the CEO for FIVE18 Family Services. Robert referred to himself as the “Chief Executive Orphan” rather than “Chief Executive Officer”. Born to a teenage mother, who was herself a ward of the state, Robert survived over 35 homes, abject poverty, neglect, and abuse before his unlikely graduation from high school. Recently, Robert stepped away from his FIVE18 position to explore his journey and pursue a new venture named Recovering Orphan (https://recoveringorphan.org/). A ‘Recovering Orphan” is an adult who suffered childhood trauma from absent or abusive parents.

Volunteer Sign Up Form

We can't do this without you. Please fill out the short form below, and one of our friendly staff members will reach out!