Meet The Team

Hiwot Solomon | In-Country Assistant

Hiwot has been with Ordinary Hero since the beginning. After spending years working alongside our teams as a volunteer and translator, she officially joined the OH team in June of 2018 as our in-country assistant, helping purchase and organize mission market donations. She also helps lead and translate for our teams that travel to Ethiopia. Hiwot has a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing Management from St. Mary University in Addis Ababa, but beyond that, a huge heart for the people in her community.

Chris Carrico | Chair of the Board

Chris Carrico is the Vice President of Internal Audit for Delek US Holdings, a publicly traded downstream energy company based in Brentwood, TN. Chris has a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting and management from Lipscomb University and is a CPA and a certified internal auditor. During the process of adopting his son Daniel from the Democratic Republic of Congo, they developed a deeper understanding of the global orphan crisis. Chris says, “I am deeply honored and humbled to be a part of Ordinary Hero and the work that they’re doing in Ethiopia. My hope is that we continue to increase awareness of the great need, as we strive to live out the words in Psalm 82:3, ‘Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and oppressed.’” Chris and his wife Claire reside in Franklin, TN with their three children.

Linda Howard | Board Member

Linda Edell Howard has almost 30 years of experience in the areas of entertainment, new media and technology, and domestic and international intellectual property law and is the leader of the Entertainment/New Media team. She joined Adams and Reese in 2001 and opened the firm’s Music Row office. Linda Edell Howard is proud to count among her clients many members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; Songwriter’s Hall of Fame;Canadian Music Songwriter’s Hall of Fame; Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame; Musician’s Hall of Fame; and Country Music Hall of Fame, as well as many Grammy winning producers and artists. In 2016, Linda Howard was named Billboard Women in Music: 100 Most Powerful Executives.

Ryan Dorr | Board Member

Ryan Dorr is the Chief Information Officer for HCA Healthcare’s Physician Services Group where he leads a team supporting the providers within physician practices, urgent care centers and many hospital-based specialties. Ryan adopted his youngest daughter from Ethiopia, which sparked Ryan’s heart for orphans and hurting children around the world. Ryan was deeply impacted by hearing how Ordinary Hero was making a difference in the lives of children and families in Ethiopia, and is excited to play a part in making a difference. Ryan resides in Franklin, TN with his wonderful wife of 20 years and four children.

Melissa Leghorn | Board Member

Melissa has been a Nashville resident since 2006, and her time in Nashville has included obtaining a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Lipscomb University and working in the Healthcare industry for the past nine plus years. She is currently working as the Acquisitions and Infrastructure Services Manager at HCA Healthcare. It wasn’t until Melissa’s first trip to Ethiopia in 2015 that she realized how special the work of Ordinary Hero truly was and that she was meant to play a larger role in helping people change the world for one. Each time Melissa travels to Ethiopia she is reminded of what an incredible organization Ordinary Hero is and how blessed she is to be a part of this family.

Shane Putty | Board Member

Shane is the husband of Founder, Kelly Putty, and resides in Brentwood, TN with his wife and nine children, four of which are from Ethiopia. Shane is an experienced entrepreneur of 25 years, and has bought, sold, and started businesses from 0. He is currently 2 years into a start-up, app-based, on-demand Dry cleaning & laundry pickup and delivery service in the Greater Nashville area. He says, “I am really interested in how to use business to make a difference in the world while making a profit. I am fascinated by building giving into the framework of businesses, making it a lever of success just like customer service or product quality. Adopting from and serving in Ethiopia has been one of the biggest privileges of my life and because of this I’m very passionate about the work of Ordinary Hero.”

Brian Loar | Board Member

Brian Loar is the VP Sales for Contender Solutions, an IT Consulting company focused on Digital Transformation. Prior to Contender Solutions, Brian has led commercial & revenue teams for 20+ years in the oncology & pediatric space including digital health, SaaS, capital equipment and Enterprise software. Brian shared, “I have been lucky in my career to be with mission driven companies that have a positive impact on the patient population served and Ordinary Hero’s mission is aligned with my passion path of serving and enabling human flourishing.” Brian lives in College Grove, with wife of 23 years and a daughter and son.

Mark Fairless | Board Member

Mark Fairless was most recently the CFO of Michigan Heart + Vascular, one of the largest cardiology groups in the nation, where he had 37 physicians and over 300 staff under his direction. Mark enjoyed a 25 year career in Health care administration, with notable contributions to operations, policies and procedures in financial performance, HR management, IT management, operational efficiencies and strategic planning before retiring at the age of 53.

Mark’s passion is making life easier for the impoverished, especially in Ethiopia, where the need is so great. I’ve also served in the city of Detroit in various volunteer capacities, leading teams to paint homes and mentor the youth there.

Mark and his wife of 46 years reside in College Grove, TN.

Kris Fairless | Board Member

Kris Fairless is a wife, mother, and proud grandmother of six. She and her husband, Mark, recently relocated to College Grove, Tennessee after many years in Naples, Florida, and Michigan.

Kris is a passionate entrepreneur and relationship-driven leader. She built and led the largest sales organization within the billion-dollar direct sales company, Rodan + Fields. Her leadership has always centered on empowering others to grow personally, professionally, and financially.

Kris and Mark share a deep heart for Ethiopia and the marginalized women and children served through the Ordinary Hero community. Traveling to Ethiopia and supporting this mission has been a profound blessing in their lives. They look forward to continuing to serve and make an impact in the years ahead.

Bethlehem Ambaw | Board Member

Bethlehem Ambaw is both a U.S. Army First Lieutenant and a real estate professional with a background in business, sales, and nonprofit work. She graduated from Grand Canyon University with a degree in Business and Entrepreneurship, while serving four years in the Army ROTC, shaping her leadership and communication skills.

Bethlehem was born in Ethiopia and adopted into a large family in Colorado with her sister at the age of 7. Being adopted from Ethiopia gives Bethlehem a unique perspective to share as she understands the impact an organization like Ordinary Hero can have. Bethlehem is passionate about using her story to support our mission and make a difference.

Alison Weakley | Board Member

Alison Weakley is a wife and mother of 3.  She and her husband live in Clarksville, TN, and have been lifelong Tennesseans.

Alison is a full time photographer specializing in families, weddings, newborns and seniors. She uses this gift on all the trips she has taken to Ethiopia.

She has been on 7 OH trips and has even led a few of those.  OH has been a huge blessing in hers and her family's lives.  Ethiopia holds a very special place in her heart especially Entoto Mountain.  

She is very passionate about the mission of OH and can't wait to see the organization grow and serve more people.

Melissa Preisler | Board Member

Melissa co-founded Pen and Ledger, LLC in 2015 to bring peace and financial predictability to small businesses through end-to-end finance, accounting, and human resource support. Before launching Pen and Ledger, she spent 15 years at The Walt Disney Company in a range of finance and operations leadership roles.

As a Board Member of Ordinary Hero, Melissa is passionate about extending that same peace and predictability to young adults in Ethiopia who have aged out of orphanage care—helping them transition to independence through continuing education, empowerment, and practical support. After two trips to Ethiopia, this mission is deeply personal, and she is grateful for the opportunity to use her experience to further Ordinary Hero’s work.