Say hello to a team with the expertise & compassion to meet you where you are.
Meet Our People
FOUNDER / TRAUMA-INFORMED TRAINER / MOM
Meredith Shuman, MSW
Meredith Shuman is the founder of James Trail, an organization supporting the unique needs of families and organizations impacted by trauma. Meredith has over 28 years of experience serving as a therapist, trauma-informed trainer, and as a mom. She holds a MSW from the University of Texas at Arlington, and is a TBRI Practitioner. She and her husband Dan, a global health physician have been married over 30 years, and they have 5 children, 4 of whom are adopted. Meredith loves a passport with lots of stamps, a water bottle with lots of stickers, a table with lots of people, and a mountain with lots of trail.
GLOBAL HEALTH LEADER / FOUNDER, JTMED
Dan Shuman, D.O.
Dan Shuman is the director of James Trail’s medical practice (JTMed). He holds degrees from Baylor University and UNTHSC at Fort Worth. He is Board Certified in Family Medicine and brings his 26 years of Global Health and Family Medicine expertise to caring for James Trail clients and brings support of our nonprofit partners around the globe. Dan and his wife, James Trail founder Meredith, have been married over 30 years, and they have 5 children, 4 of whom are adopted. When not providing medical care or mentoring other caregivers around the world, you can find Dan Jeep-trekking through the mountain trails of Colorado.
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Amy Tennis Nguyen
Amy Tennis Nguyen brings strong experience in human resources, operations, and organizational support to James Trail. She loves creating clarity, structure, and smooth systems so the team can focus on serving those impacted by trauma and mental-health challenges.
With a long background across education, nonprofit, and corporate settings, Amy has a heart for people and a steady gift for coordination. Her work reflects her desire to support the mission of James Trail with excellence, integrity, and compassion.
Amy lives in Colorado Springs and is a proud mom of four. She enjoys the mountains, meaningful conversations, and seeing God restore hope in people’s stories.
FINANCIAL COORDINATOR
Amy Darst
Amy serves as our Financial Coordinator. A self-proclaimed numbers guru, she brings a passion for supporting nonprofits and serving others. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Management from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri, and has over 15 years of accounting experience. Outside of work, Amy enjoys spending time with her husband, their three children, and three dogs. Her family recently moved back to the Midwest to be closer to friends and loved ones. You can often find them by a pool or lake, or cheering on their kids at various sporting events. In her spare time, Amy loves to crochet and read.
TRAIL GUIDE
Neva Ringdahl
Trail Guides follow-up with trauma-informed training, with an emphasis on application of the content to your situation. Neva has over 34 years of experience as a foster/adoptive mom. She and her husband, Jim have 8 adult children, 9 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. Neva was a public school teacher for 16 years in California. Neva holds certificates and training in Soul Care, Grief Death and Dying, Prepare/Enrich, Trauma Informed Caregiving and Formational and Healing Prayer. In addition she is well versed in TBRI and is a licensed chaplain.
Neva has a passion to walk with people on the trail. She also loves reading, hiking, Pilates and enjoying a great meal with friends.
TRAIL GUIDE
Lynn Sprunger
A reluctant student of resiliency, Lynn has walked the path of trauma and grief unique to pastor’s families. Believing there is eternal purpose within our trials and knowing there is healing in community and vulnerability, Lynn has a heart for walking alongside and supporting pastors, spouses, and their families who have experienced trauma. She is a pastor’s kid, a pastor’s wife and a mom with nearly 40 years of experience in full-time ministry, currently serving with her husband and their congregation in the beautiful state of Oregon. Her ideal afternoon would be sitting in the sun with a fruit smoothie in one hand and a trip itinerary in the other.
VIDEO + PODCAST PRODUCTION
Andy Michael
Andy has been a cinematographer and producer for 24 years—long enough to remember when "HD" was a futuristic dream. He helps businesses and non-profits get the right story out into the world. When he’s not directing, or behind a lens, you can find him attempting to keep up with his family while hiking, camping, or skiing high above the tree line. His two essential pieces of gear: a reliable camera and a very warm sleeping bag.
MARKETING TEAM
MARKETING TEAM
Abigail Ham
Abigail is a founder of a marketing company with 5+ years of social media and strategy experience. Working with several ministries and non-profits, environmental conscious energy solution companies, and software developers, has built a foundation of knowledge (and plenty of trial and error!) that lead to her passion for developing strategic roadmaps for any aspect of digital marketing she is working on. She eagerly brings this strategy and passion to James Trail, coupling digital marketing driven results with reaching more people through James Trail trauma informed care and the heart of Jesus.
Weekends for Abigail look like curling up with a fantasy novel, baking lemon poppyseed scones, and drinking an obscene amount of Earl Grey. You’ll find her in the gym on Monday working off the scones, probably listening to Glass Animals.
MARKETING TEAM
Lydia Martin
Lydia is a founder of a marketing company with more than seven years of experience in professional illustration, branding, and design.
She studied Theatre Arts at the University of Northern Colorado, a foundation that shaped her approach to communication as storytelling. Whether developing campaigns or designing, Lydia brings both creativity and strategy to the table.
When she isn’t making things, you can usually find her reading in the corner of a local coffee shop, collecting mugs and matchboxes, tending to her plants, or watching bad movies with her husband and loved ones.
MARKETING TEAM
Amber White
Amber is a founder of a marketing and creative house built on the belief that strategy should be bold and creativity should be fearless. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and nearly 20 years of diverse experience in the marketing industry. She has been married for 21 years and is mom to three amazing kids, including one adopted son who completes their family’s puzzle.
Alongside her work in marketing, Amber is deeply passionate about advocating for those impacted by trauma, especially within the foster and adoptive community. She believes that healing and creativity often walk hand-in-hand.
Amber loves a bookshelf with too many stories, a trail with too many mushrooms, a playlist with too many 80s hits, and a cup of spicy chai with too much cayenne pepper.
BOARD MEMBER
Irasema Rentería, BS
Irasema is a psychologist that has been working with Back2Back ministries for the last 8 years. She has worked as a one-on-one therapist for teens coming from hard places, as well as in a training role. Irasema is a key member of the Child and Family Development Team, where her main focus is to teach Trauma Competency to biological/foster/adoptive parents, teachers and caregivers. She is a TBRI and EMDR practitioner who feels passionate about bringing the "Trauma Friendly'' approach into every aspect of life, knowing how valuable it is in the lives of the most vulnerable. Irasema and her husband are raising a 8 year old girl, and share a passion to serve the Lord.
BOARD MEMBER
Roy Sprunger, MRE
Raised on a SW Kansas farm, Pastor Roy Sprunger has been in full-time ministry serving churches in Missouri, Kansas and Oregon over the last 33 years. An avid bicyclist and hiker, he never meets a stranger & enjoys intentionally connecting with those he meets along his path.
Roy received a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Warner Pacific College in Portland, OR and a Masters of Religious Education from the Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City. He currently serves as Senior Pastor at a beautiful church along the Columbia River in NW Oregon where he lives with his wife of 34 years. Together they have one amazing adult daughter.
BOARD MEMBER
Daniel Ziegler, BA
Daniel graduated with a design degree from the University of Cincinnati and spent the next 6 years working in marketing for Back2Back Ministries, a global non-profit dedicated to giving a voice to orphaned and vulnerable children. He brought his photography, video, and marketing experience to launch Next Door Photos, a real estate photography company, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He’s passionate about Next Door Photos' mission to provide employment to survivors of human trafficking. When Daniel is not helping realtors delight their clients with high quality media, you can find him playing outside with his wife, two sons and a daughter, or tackling that next big DIY project at home.
Help us walk the trail with families in need.
Be part of the work of James Trail today! Our giving model allows you to directly support our mission in a way that resonates most with you.
