Board Members
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Paul and Cindy Shumpert, M.D., President and Vice President, respectively
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Lee Jennings, CPA, Treasurer
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Laurie Douglas, Secretary
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George Faile, III M.D.
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Dewey Dunn, M.D.
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Jarratt Bryan, Webmaster
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David Kearns, M.D.
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Doug Parkin, M.D.
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Martha Cates
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Sylvia Washington, M.D.
In memorial:
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Willie Ree Howell, M.D.
Paul and Cindy Shumpert, M.D.
Paul Shumpert, M.D and his wife Cindy Shumpert, M.D. are the current President and Vice President respectively of the Foundation. Paul received his BS in biology from Emory University in Atlanta, while Cindy earned her BS in nursing from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. After receiving medical degrees from Emory in 1985, they completed their Family Medicine residency at Floyd Medical Center in Rome, Georgia in 1988.
The ensuing 30 years have been spent in medical practice in the US and overseas plus being blessed with two sons, two daughters-in-law, and four grandchildren. When not working or enjoying family time, they can often be found outdoors hiking or backpacking.
Paul and Cindy have been regular volunteers at Baptist Medical Centre for over 20 years.
Lee Jennings
Lee is the Foundation's accountant and treasurer, and offers his business location as the site for the Foundation's meetings. He is part owner of RL Jennings & Associates.
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1985 Graduate of Berry College - B.S. Business/Accounting
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Member - American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
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Rome Fellow - Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants
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Past President Rome Chapter Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants
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Director - Rome Chapter, Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants
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Member Information Technology Committee AICPA, GSCPA
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Captain, US Army Reserve, Signal Corps
Laurie Douglas
Laurie has taught school for 13 years. Currently, she teaches 1st and 2nd grade Science and History at Providence Prep. in Rome, Ga. Laurie graduated from Furman University with a degree in Elementary Education. She is also a graduate of the University of Georgia with a Master's and Specialist's degree in Reading Education. Laurie and her husband, Dr. James T. Douglas, have raised three sons: Samuel, James, and William. Laurie's family is involved in First Baptist Church of Rome, the Bill Davies Homeless Shelter, Boy Scout Troop 113, and the Faile Foundation.
George and Elisabeth Faile
George and Elisabeth have been married for 37 years. They met while working in the Baptist hospital in North Yemen, George as a PA anesthetist and Elisabeth as a nurse midwife. George was born in Atlanta, but grew up in Ghana. Elisabeth is from Sweden. They have 3 grown sons and one grandson.
After getting married, George went to medical school at American University of the Caribbean and completed a Family Practice residency at Floyd Medical Center in Rome, GA. Later he did an OB fellowship, also at FMC. George and Elisabeth served as volunteers at Baptist Medical Centre for a year, 1987-1988 and then were appointed as career missionaries with the IMB in 1989 to continue working at BMC.
They retired in 2010 and now live in Dawsonville, GA where George works in urgent care for Northeast Georgia Physicians Group and Elisabeth takes care of the house and does volunteer work.
Peter Faile
Dewey Dunn, M.D.
G. Dewey Dunn, M.D. is a gastroenterologist from Nashville, TN. He is on the Vanderbilt Medical School faculty and works at the Veteran's Administration Hospital. He has been president of the Baptist Medical Dental Fellowship and has made many volunteer mission trips leading large groups of medical volunteers. His wife, Bobbie, has helped with many medical missions projects; she does eyeglass projects and trains volunteers to fit used eyeglasses.
The Dunns have four children and 10 grandchildren. The Dunns, their children, and grandchildren have served in volunteer missions in places such as Korea, Brazil, Nigeria, Poland, Thailand, and other countries. Dr. Dunn has done four volunteer mission trips to Nalerigu, Ghana—he has walked in their daughter Debbie Gregory's footsteps as she served in Nalerigu as a nursing student from Vanderbilt Nursing School more than 20 years ago.
Jarratt Bryan
Jarratt is the Foundation's webmaster. He also designs the Foundation's newsletter, Operating for Christ.
He's originally from Florida, but moved to Rome, Georgia in 1995. In 2000, he opened his business,The Digital Pen, which specializes in photo restoration, photo collages, DVD slideshows, and videotape to DVD transfer.
Jarratt has been married to the former April Meers since 1997 and they have one son, Jonathan.
David Kearns, M.D.
David Kearns is a semi-retired pathologist who lives in the country outside Rome, Georgia with his wife Jennifer and their son Patrick.
Martha Cates
Martha Cates is a graduate of North Georgia College in Dahlonega with a B.S. in Biology.
She is married to Dr. Bob Cates. They have two grown sons and five grandchildren.
She enjoys reading and traveling. She plays hand bells with a group at First Baptist Church in Rome and is active in other church activities and groups. She has served on the boards of several volunteer organizations and is currently very involved with Good Neighbor Ministries in Rome.
Sylvia Washington, M.D.
Sylvia Washington, MD earned her BS in Biology from Howard University. She earned her MD from New Jersey Medical School. She completed her pediatric residency at the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon, Georgia , June 2010. She is board-certified in general pediatrics. Having a heart and calling for the underserved, she initially worked for a federally qualified health center in Southwest Georgia from 2010 – 2013. After relocating to be closer to family, she joined Floyd Primary Care in 2013, where she currently practices newborn nursery care, inpatient pediatrics, and outpatient pediatrics.
Dr. Washington has served the Lord on short-term medical missions trips to Mexico (2006), Trinidad (2008), and most recently at Baptist Medical Centre in Nalerigu, Ghana in October 2014. She and her husband (Marcus Washington, EdD) were married in 2007. They have two sons and a daughter. Their little ones keep them busy, but the Washingtons enjoy hanging out at the beach in rare moments of free time.
Dr. Willie Ree Howell
On January 24 th 2018 the George Faile Foundation lost its founder, Dr. Willie Ree
Howell.
Dr. Howell was a native of Mississippi and received her BS degree in biology at
Millsaps College in Jackson, MS. She immediately furthered her education at the
University of Mississippi School of Medical Technology, then years later received
her MD degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine.
After completing her Family Medicine Residency at Floyd Medical Center in
Rome, GA in 1987, she was employed as an Emergency Physician at both Rome
hospitals. She then served as the ER director at Polk Medical Center for 15 years
until her retirement in 2005.
Dr. Howell made her first and only trip to Baptist Medical Centre in the summer of
1997 serving there for one month as a volunteer physician. After that trip she
realized she was not called to continue working in a tropical environment, but she
loved the people and the hospital and did feel called to serve in a different fashion.
Through her vision and persistence the George Faile Foundation came into
existence. With no expertise in foundation development or organization, she
provided the leadership needed to rally the needed resources to start the foundation
and guide it through its first lean years.
Dr. John Wikman had this to say about the 1997 trip:
Willie Ree Howell was one of my heroes. She essentially saved my life when we
worked together in Ghana in 1997. We worked a month at the Nalerigu hospital so
that two doctors could take time off for vacation and CME training. Willie Ree
worked her heart out, especially with the 40+ patients in the pediatric ward. She
took her share of night call and even learned to D & C's for incomplete AB's.
Our last week there and in route to Accra I got as sick as a dog with nausea,
vomiting and dizziness. I was in bed dizzy, vomiting, and even hallucinating;
thinking how upset my wife was going to be for my dying in Africa. Willie Ree
saved me with her care and medicines, bottles of IV fluid and even rectal
suppositories! I was able to make the flight from Accra to home. We decided my
sickness was a bad reaction to mefloquine, an anti- malaria medicine. I've always
said that Willie Ree was the only woman I spent the night with except my wife.
From all of those with the George Faile Foundation:
Dr. Howell we thank you and miss you!
