The people who carry the work.

Born in Wewoka, Oklahoma and raised in Tahlequah — the heart of the Cherokee Nation — Teddy's early life was deeply shaped by his heritage and his family's roots in the region. Leading up to the era of the Sixties Scoop, his family relocated to Kansas — a pivotal transition that ultimately laid the foundation for his decades of regional grassroots leadership.

A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Teddy served with profound distinction in Vietnam, where his deep-seated dedication to safeguarding and supporting others was forged — notably delivering over 300 babies during his service.

A true virtuoso, Teddy plays over ten different instruments and is a recognized master luthier. He is the designer behind Van Vale Hand Crafted Guitars, culminating in signature cultural design concepts like the widely admired Eagle guitar series. His deep commitment to precise, high-caliber craftsmanship directly shapes the high standards and structural discipline backing the development of the Sovereign Threads artisan manufacturing workspace.

In addition to his dedicated leadership at CLM Outreach, Teddy is a master craftsman and the artisan behind Van Vale Guitars, where he designs and hand-builds custom stringed instruments—including a special, custom-designed guitar crafted in memory of the legendary B.B. King, with whom he shared many years of musical adventure. He brings that same lifelong passion for precision, traditional craftsmanship, and mentorship into our community programs, helping guide the next generation of creators and learners.

Long before dedicating his focus to economic infrastructure development, Teddy spent decades as a prominent professional touring and session musician, sharing stages and performing alongside legendary musical icons including B.B. King, The Staple Singers, and Redbone. For his unwavering dedication to utilizing the arts to uplift others, he was formally recognized across the state of Kansas as a regional Sunflower Hero.

An ordained community leader since 1984, Teddy brings a rich legacy of grassroots leadership to CLM Outreach, historically directing resource-sharing initiatives, creative arts workshops, and direct supportive programming across regional public spaces, correctional facilities, and regional reservations.

Born and raised in Kansas, Anna grew up immersed in the values of a traditional farming family. Her connection to the local neighborhood runs exceptionally deep — she is an alumna of Highland Park High School, located right here in Topeka. This personal history fuels her unwavering commitment to uplifting and resource-sharing within her home community.

As a logistics master, Anna specializes in transforming community needs into immediate, structured action. Over the decades, she has organized massive food drops, commodity distribution pipelines, and large-scale annual community events. Her logistics leadership shines brightest in times of crisis; notably, she coordinated the ministry's grassroots regional disaster relief response following the devastating Joplin tornado, mobilizing and delivering critical shipments of basic necessities, clothing, food, and children's toys directly to displaced families.

A skilled typist and a gifted poet, Anna balances her sharp operational expertise with a profound creative spirit. While her tireless work is often found behind the scenes managing complex logistics, she has never hesitated to step onto the frontlines to serve the underserved. She remains the quiet backbone of our daily operations and a constant source of inspiration to the entire team.

Deeply committed to supporting grassroots community initiatives, Rose plays an integral role during the organization's high-volume community care events, specializing in participant coordination and frontline data management. When CLM Outreach executes its mass food drops and commodity distribution pipelines, Rose is on the ground managing participant registries, streamlining intake logistics, and overseeing the direct, efficient hand-off of food boxes and essential household items to local families.

Known for her steady presence and practical focus, Rose provides vital administrative backing to ensure that the organization's complex, real-time distribution efforts remain organized, respectful, and community-centered.

A soft-spoken and compassionate advocate, Michael has dedicated his life to community service and spiritual mentorship, currently serving as a local assistant pastor. His heart for service is mirrored by his deep devotion to his family as a dedicated husband and a proud father of two boys. Guided by a genuine love for his neighbors, Michael wears his heart on his sleeve, consistently working to support and uplift vulnerable families throughout the community.

In addition to his community and pastoral leadership, Michael is an accomplished bass guitarist. He shares a long-standing musical bond with CLM Outreach President Teddy Van Vale, and the two can frequently be found playing session music together in their free moments. This shared creative synergy and mutual dedication to the community help ground the collaborative, heart-centered leadership backing CLM Outreach.

As the newest member of the board, Kenneth is deeply invested in understanding and addressing the evolving needs of the local neighborhood. His role focuses on bridging grassroots community voices with actionable organizational strategies, ensuring that CLM Outreach's distribution networks, youth initiatives, and supportive programming remain deeply impactful and responsive.

Kenneth's forward-thinking approach and passion for collaborative service make him an invaluable asset to the organization's mission of empowering and enriching the community from within.

As an Indigenous beadworker and textile artist, she specializes in crafting intricate beadwork, custom ribbon skirts, and traditional dance regalia. Her dual passion for administrative advocacy and cultural preservation directly shapes her leadership over community initiatives like the Sovereign Threads traditional craft project and the high-tech Dawn-Box Digital Hub.

When she isn't architecting regional development programs or writing grant pipelines, Thea can be found immersion-writing novels and poetry, hand-beading jewelry, or sewing custom regalia for her eight children.