Board of Directors

Clarice Hutchens, President

Clarice is currently is Senior Director, Advisory Office & Biologic’s License Management Team within R&D at Pfizer and holds a Doctorate of Management, Environmental and Social Sustainability. She has traveled to Peru three times and is involved locally with Joining Hands, the group that founded PJT. She is on the Executive Committee, Board of Directors for Earthdance Organic Farm School in Ferguson. Clarice and her husband have a pug plus two rescue dogs that found them. She loves to read, travel on the road-less-traveled, sailing and scuba diving, and hiking in Castlewood Park each morning. She attends St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Ballwin, MO, where she’s an elder, led the Mission Committee, play hand bells, ushers, and champions fair trade products.

Ryan Smith, Vice-President

Ryan is director and representative to the U.N. with the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations. He joined PJT’s board in 2017.

Ruth Farrell, Treasurer

Elly Commings, Board Member

Elly has participated on a mission trip to Peru to meet the artisans and is a supporter of the work of the Joining Hands Action team. Elly is retired, she previously worked as a Project Manager at AGE. She has been an active member at John Knox Presbytery for 30 years, serving as Deacon, Elder, youth leader PWJK, and many other committees.  She been active in the Presbytery serving on many committees, COM, CPM, COR, NOM, DRAP, Moderator of Presbytery 2009, MC, Synod COR, and GA.  She is currently serving as leader for Hospitality teams for COLA 223. Her favorite hobbies are traveling, theater, music and reading.

Meg Krejci, Board Member

Cheryl Rainey, Board Member

Cheryl served on the committee that brought the first shipment of artisan crafts to what would become PJT from Peru; they began selling in churches and at community events, and began to learn about fair trade. In 2004, she attended the first Joining Hands International Conference in Tacoma, Washington, meeting representatives from Peru, Egypt, Palestine, South Africa, Cameroon, Lesotho, India, and Bolivia. In January 2005, with 8 others, Cheryl traveled to Peru to meet many of the Joining Hands artisans in their communities in Lima, and west, high up in the Andes Mountains. Whether sharing an ice cream cone with a little boy, a morning of fellowship and laughter with the women of El Mercurio, or an amazing trout picnic with the weavers of Huayanay, Cheryl felt humbled, and thankful, for the privilege of sharing these moments with the children and their families. She still feels blessed to be a part of this work. Cheryl graduated from The University of Missouri, with a Marketing degree in Business, but her passion is with the artistic and creative. She worked at Washington University School of Medicine for 25 years. Cheryl and her husband, Steve, were married at the Pacific Presbyterian Church, and joined in 1983, where Cheryl has served as a Deacon, an Elder, Sunday school teacher, an alto in the choir, supporting the Presbyterian Women, on the Christian Education Committee, chairing the Stewardship Committee, and helping to raise funds for the church.