Our Board

Scholar-Practitioner

DeAris primarily serves as a police training officer while also holding the positions of part-time health and safety officer and air tactical flight officer with the Louisville Metro Police Department. DeAris also has the following academic positions: contributing faculty at Walden University, adjunct faculty at Franklin University, instructor at Eastern New Mexico University, and academic writing coach and editor at Heartful Editor.

DeAris is a graduate of the University of Louisville (Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice), Xavier University (Master’s in Criminal Justice), and Walden University (Ph.D. in Criminal Justice). DeAris is passionate about generating honest discussion around the relationships between law enforcement and underserved populations and preparing new officers with the skills and tools necessary to succeed safely and effectively. Ultimately, through honest conversations and the efficient training of new officers, DeAris hopes to change the image of law enforcement and create more positive, healthy relationships with the public. DeAris holds active Kentucky Peace Officer Certification from the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council and active memberships with the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice, the American Criminal Justice Association, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and the Southern Criminal Justice Association.

DeAris enjoys traveling the globe in his spare time, especially in the Caribbean and other places with beaches. 

Broadcast Television Engineer

John has been working in the broadcast field for the last 30 + years. His background includes technical engineering and production. He served 30 years as a volunteer firefighter and retired as Captain. While on the fire department, he served on numerous committees, from apparatus purchasing to turnout gear and equipment purchases. He also served two years on the Board of Directors for the fire department. He graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcasting. He joined Free2Hope as their first Chairman. His wife, Amy Leenerts, started the organization with a passion for helping educate and stop Human Trafficking. He joined the board to help Human Trafficking victims and his community. He’s honored and proud to serve on Free2Hope’s board, knowing we can make a difference. 

Executive Director at Kentuckiana AIDS Alliance 

Paige got to know Free 2 Hope founder Amy Leenerts through her work as an HIV Prevention Specialist and educator after meeting her at a drop-in center. From then on, Paige stayed in touch with Amy and developed strategies for assisting the client base Free 2 Hope serves. It was a very organic progression for Paige and Amy to get to know each other better and, while supporting individual missions in public awareness, identify ways Paige could work more directly with Free 2 Hope resulting in a board nomination.

In addition to her work with Free 2 Hope, Paige serves as the Senior Vice President of the Kentuckiana AIDS Alliance; is a member of Team Friendly Louisville; volunteers with the Kentucky Care Coordination Program during their monthly mixer for women living with or affected by HIV and teaches two to three programs per year of Healthy Relationships, the Centers for Disease Controls evidence-based course on navigating life with a positive diagnosis and positive outlook.

She plays a wicked game of dominos and makes lovely soups in her precious free time.

Homeless Case Manager

Family Health Centers – Phoenix

Matt is a Homeless Case Manager for Family Health Centers – Phoenix who performs outreach to homeless shelters and encampments to provide housing and related services. Matt is a direct service provider at Free2Hope and enjoys building relationships with patrons and staff during outreach to the Free2Hope drop-in center. 

Matt is a Louisville native from the Portland neighborhood and was a part of two Track and field state champion teams at Louisville Male High School before graduating in 2013. Matt graduated 2017 from Eastern Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Criminal Justice degree and has worked in the public sector for over four years. Matt is a graduate student at the University of Louisville, set to earn his Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree in the fall of 2024. 

Matt is a hunter and outdoorsman who loves nature, wellness, and exercise. Matt has a wife and dog named Onyx at home and likes to spend his free time with family.

Matt brings non-profit experience and education to Free2Hope, youthful energy and passion. Matt strives to be an active board member who can lead the organization to longevity and success. Through advocacy, dedication to the mission, and strong community partnerships, Matt believes Free2Hope can grow beyond the founder’s biggest dreams. 

Owner Total Services

Tim is an honors Louisville Male Traditional High School graduate and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Centre College in 2001. His entire career has been in transportation and logistics-related services. Initially, with one of the nation’s largest third-party logistics organizations, he led process improvement operations at automotive manufacturing facilities in Louisville, Detroit, and Chicago areas.

In 2006, Tim took a management position with Total Services, Inc. / P and L Express, Inc., a local Trucking operation with brokerage and warehousing services. He became Vice President in 2011 and purchased the companies in 2014, becoming President and sole owner – positions he holds today.

In 2013, Tim was selected by Business First Magazine as a recipient of its 40 Under 40 Award given to the Louisville area’s top forty business leaders under the age of 40. Under Tim’s leadership

Total Services, Inc. has been recognized by Business First for a Fast Fifty Award ten times for its year-over-year growth among local private companies. The magazine also listed him as “One of 20 People to Know in Manufacturing and Logistics” in a 2018 publication. In addition to his role at Total Services, Inc. / P and L Express, Inc., Tim has been a volunteer firefighter with Worthington and Pewee Valley Fire Districts. At Worthington, he was Firefighter Recruit of the Year in 2007 and awarded Firefighter of the Year in 2013. He moved to the Pewee Valley Fire

Department in 2021 and is now an Emergency Medical Responder in addition to his firefighting duties. With what little spare time Tim has, he enjoys live music, college athletics, golf, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. Joining the Free2Hope Board of Directors will allow him to continue his mission to help others daily. Tim and his partner of 16 years, Jenny Gibson, currently make their home in Crestwood.

 Rebecca has worked in the Health Insurance Industry for over 17 years in various roles, including Finance, internal audit, Risk Management, and Compliance. She is a graduate of the University of Kentucky (Bachelor of Science in Accounting), a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Internal Auditor, and holds a Certification in Risk Management Assurance.

Rebecca is passionate about human trafficking victims and meeting the basic needs of the underserved women in Portland. She joined Free2Hope as a volunteer working with founder Amy Leenerts with a focus on digitizing client records. Rebecca enjoys spending time with her family in her free time and can often be found curled up reading a book.