SEARCH Leadership

When supporting any organization it is important to understand who. is at the helm and why they took on a significant role for the organization.  Here we provide information the leaders at SEARCH. SEARCH is. volunteer lead organization with a diverse set of skills and interest.  What is common is their desire to help the children and young women to have productive lives without risk of physical or mental abuse, subject to slavery, or used in the prostitutions industry.   Select each person to learn more about the leaders at SEARCH. 

Lisa McGuinness – Executive Director

Lisa McGuinness is the Executive Director of SE Asia Rescue Coalition & Haven. She is also the author of several books including Across the Deep, which was influenced by her volunteer work with women and children who have been sex trafficked or are at risk of being trafficked. For her day job, she’s the Creative Director of Mango Publishing where she gets to play with words and images all day. To learn more about Lisa, check out her blog at lisamcguinnesswrites.com.

Sarah Ago – Board President

Sarah Ago is a minister, writer and nonprofit leader.  She is ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church.  Sarah serves on the board of Christians for Biblical Equality and on the President’s Advisory Council for Alaska Christian College.  She regularly communicates her reflections on faith and life in her blogs and video messages on her website- www.sacredsnapshots.net

Board Secretary

Randy Fischback retired from Dow Chemical after 39 years. In his final role, he served as Public & Government Affairs Director for Western States and Canada. He is currently serving as Director of Compassion, Justice, and Missions for Hillside Covenant Church in Walnut Creek, CA where he has been a member for 40+ years. He is a frequent participant in short term mission trips, having been on 12 trips total, including five to SE Asia. He is the Secretary of the South East Asia Rescue Coalition & Haven (SEARCH).

Gemma Tosto – SEARCH Treasurer

Gemma Tosto was born and raised in SE Asia and in 1984 migrated to the United States. Her career has been in the healthcare industry. She is an Executive Director for Kaiser Permanente Foundation and Health. She graduated with an MBA in Finance  from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. Gemma humbly realizes that she has been free to pursue a career she is passionate about. while recognizing that there are many women and children who do not have that chance and need help. Even before being part of the SEARCH board, she has been a supporter of the safe house in SE Asia for years and now feel privileged to serve as Board Treasurer. She hopes, with your support, to make a big difference in the lives of at-risk women and children in SE Asia.

In 2008 Gail went on her first mission trip to Thailand with Hillside Covenant Church, Walnut Creek, CA. She’s been back multiple times in the years since then, as her heart was opened to the ministries working with the vulnerable street children and women of the brothels. She has served on the anti-trafficking task force at her church, which helped educate the congregation on the plight of those trafficked both locally and overseas. She helped start a Fair that was held every Christmas that sold items from various organizations that worked with trafficked women. And she has served on the team that has supported the work of a safe house in SE Asia. Gail is retired from a 25+ year career with various global software companies where she led the customer and partner training organizations.

Dr. Jeff Reed serves as Senior Pastor of Highland Covenant Church in Bellevue, Washington and directs a small independent press called Wind in the Reeds Publishing. He has traveled to South East Asia multiple times in support of the SEARCH relationship network. He is author of Kore on the Trail of the Treekeepers as well as several collections of poetry. He is married to Susan and has three grown children.