Board of Directors
All of our board members are passionate volunteers who are motivated by a deep love for the blind as they pray for patients’ physical healing and, most of all, their spiritual life.
Eric Ristvedt
President
Eric W. Ristvedt was born and raised in Alexandria, MN. He is a devout follower of Jesus Christ. He has been married to his wife, Debby, for 17 years and they have three young children. Eric is currently the President of Central Global Vision Fund, a Christian non-profit organization supporting eye care in underdeveloped populations. Eric and Debby are both entrepreneurs and have created several businesses together locally.
Eric is currently the board chair at Mount Carmel Ministries, a member of the Unity Foundation board, and a school board member with Sacred Journey Academy. Eric’s purpose is to unite a generation in face-to-face worship and release the Kingdom of God to the ends of the earth.
Dr. Andrew Gess
Vice President
Andrew’s career has spanned roles as a Training and Development specialist with Intel Corporation and multiple progressive positions as an educator in the field of Communication (including language, culture and organizational-communication effectiveness). As the son of Dr. Lowell Gess (and having been born in Sierra Leone), Andrew has been actively involved in the medical-mission work of his parents for many years. He has also seen, first hand, the blessing that quality medical and eye care can be to those in underserved areas of the world.
Roger Reiners
Treasurer
Roger Reiners was a 29-year-old self-employed construction worker in 1982 when the first work team from Central United Methodist Church in Milbank, SD, traveled to Sierra Leone to build an eye clinic that eventually became the Lowell and Ruth Gess UMC Eye Hospital at Kissy. Teams returned in 1983 and the finishing touches were made to the building in 1984 and 1987. A month after his marriage to Melanie in January 2004, Roger and his bride traveled to Sierra Leone, taking four volunteers along from the church on their “honeymoon” to provide additional building and repair support along with the recent renovation of the surgery building and construction of a modernized apartment for visiting doctors. From the beginning, Roger felt God calling him to serve in Sierra Leone and to specifically make a commitment to the eye hospital, which he honors to this day. As Secretary of the Central Global Vision Fund, he spends much of his spare time preparing containers for shipment to Sierra Leone in addition to handling the financial records of the organization.
Melanie Reiners
Board Member
Now retired, Melanie Reiners became a licensed local pastor in 2011, and served three United Methodist churches for several years. She continues to serve through pulpit supply and funeral/memorial services for Mundwiler Funeral Home. Melanie’s past career was in the eye care field. After hearing Dr. Lowell Gess speak, she felt called to serve alongside Roger in lay missions. Due to her eye care connections, she has been able to acquire equipment and medications through donations or discounts that greatly benefit patients in need in West Africa. With the exception of 2015, when Ebola ravaged the country, the Reiners have returned annually to work at the Lowell and Ruth Gess UMC Eye Hospital. God willing, the Reiners wish to continue to serve for longer periods of time in Sierra Leone during their retirement years.
Dr. Deborah Gess Ristvedt
Board Member
Dr. Deborah Gess Ristvedt attended Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency training in ophthalmology at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and Genesys Regional Medical Center in Grand Blanc, Michigan. Dr. Ristvedt, the granddaughter of Dr. Lowell Gess and daughter of Dr. Timothy Gess, joined her father in 2011 at the Alexandria Eye Clinic as a third generation board certified eye surgeon. A trip to Sierra Leone to visit the eye hospital founded by her grandparents moved her to specialize in ophthalmology. There, she saw the vast need and the powerful impact of restored sight. Dr. Ristvedt is married and has a daughter and two sons, and hopes to leave a legacy of a faith-filled life that translates into compassion for people.
Dr. Timothy Gess
Immediate Past President
Dr. Timothy Gess, the firstborn of Dr. Lowell and Ruth Gess, has been interested in supporting missional endeavors since the establishment of CGVF. Having spent six years in Africa as a teen, Dr. Gess went on to graduate from Westmar College, obtained his B.S. in Medicine from the University of North Dakota and received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota in 1972. After interning at St. Paul Ramsey, he went on to receive his degree in ophthalmology and established his practice in Alexandria, Minnesota in 1978. He is presently working with three of his daughters at the Alexandria Eye Clinic — a doctor of ophthalmology, a nurse, and clinic manager — and is blessed by providing ongoing support of CGVF. He enjoys travel and reading, especially historical fiction.
