World Opportunities would cease to exist without these stellar servants. Jered oversees our gifts-in-kind program, and Patricia runs the operations and logistics of our ministry. Gene Dickey leads the team with insight, experience, and not the least bit of wry humor.
GENE DICKEY, PhD
President and CEO
Before joining World Opportunities, Dr. Dickey spent over two decades with a Fortune 500 company in both domestic and international operations. When Dr. Dickey retired in 2002, his territory covered eighteen Western states with gross revenues exceeding 1.3 billion dollars.
Feeling that the Lord was leading him to serve the Kingdom with the financial and business skills honed in the secular world, Dr. Dickey began his service to World Opportunities as chief financial officer, then chief operating officer, before being appointed president on April 26, 2004. Dr. Dickey has been involved with the non-profit sector, particularly those organizations benefiting children, for over twenty years.
JERED B. WOOD
Director of Gifts-in-Kind and CIO
Prior to joining World Opportunities, Jered Wood held the position of director of operations for a digital animation and visual effects studio in Burbank, where he managed studio operations and financials, supervising numerous productions with both domestic and international scopes. Prior to joining this studio, Jered benefited from brief stints with a major financial planning firm and a Fortune 100 company, where he was involved in multi-unit franchise store management.
Jered received a BA degree in psychology with an emphasis in biblical studies from Biola University, and went on to receive a degree in financial planning from UCLA’s extension program. He is currently pursuing an MBA at Pepperdine University.
Jered is happily married to his wife, Heather, and has one son.
PATRICIA SWAIN
Vice President of Operations
Patricia has remained actively involved with World Opportunities for over 35 years, working as a volunteer, missionary, and now an important member of the leadership team.
In 1973, Patricia began her career with one of the world’s largest banks, where she was integrally involved in branch oversight and financial management. From 1977 to 1980, Patricia partnered with World Opportunities’ missions department and moved to Japan where she spent the majority of her time teaching conversational English to Japanese students as an outreach ministry. In 1982 Patricia piloted World Opportunities’ English teaching program in Korea.
In 1993, Patricia returned to World Opportunities as a financial manager and was promoted to her current position, where she oversees the organization’s financial management.