Leadership
 Team
Tom Jacques CHAIRMAN
Tom has served as the Chairman of AIDSPIRIT USA and Director of Tender Mercies since the fall of 2011. His career in sales and marketing spans over 35 years, focusing primarily on developing Occupational Health and safety programs to reduce injuries and Illness in the workplace and environmental programs that reduce an organizations carbon footprint. He and his wife jean have six children, twenty-one grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.
He most enjoys the time he gets to spend his family and his children in Uganda, as well as the many people and the numerous organizations AIDSPIRIT works with, including but not limited to Kiwanis, Key Clubs, Circle K, Builders Club etc.
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Charles Walakira HEADMASTER
As Headmaster of the Tender Mercies Home, Charles and his wife Jackie provide a safe environment for their four biological children and dozens of others who are orphaned, abandoned, or abused in the Kayunga District of Uganda.
Raised in the Buggoge Village of Kayunga, Charles learned from an early age how children who are raised in abusive environments can grow to be resilient adults when given the proper resources, and he shares this knowledge and understanding for our children in the most compassionate manner possible.
Charles continues to work diligently with the local government, police, and social services to advocate for the well-being of Kayunga's youth.
Maribeth Habeck TREASURER
Maribeth has been intimately involved with AIDSpirit USA for over fifteen years. Starting as a meal provider for our Meal Partnership program, she cooked nearly a thousand meals for individuals affected by HIV/AIDS in the Billings community. She is the mother of two sons, one an engineer, and the other an artist. Maribeth and her husband Bob are environmentalists/naturalists who have developed their 1.5 acres into an urban wildlife sanctuary. Their land serves as a piece of secluded paradise in an area of town within walking distance to banks and hospitals, pushing the community to think about conservation. Maribeth has volunteered with Family Promise for ten years, providing transitional shelter for families in need of housing. She now serves as Treasurer for the AIDSpirit USA Board of Directors, providing us with more help than we could ever thank her for!
John Stilger BOARD MEMBER
​John is a retired educator who spent over 20 years with his wife Linda teaching children in the Alaskan Arctic. Prior to teaching, John worked in industry as a machinist, welder and shop manager. John and Linda have 4 children and 13 grandchildren located around Montana, Florida and North Dakota. Both are also involved with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (MS) fundraising and charity events throughout Montana and South Florida. After retiring in 2014 they had an opportunity to follow a group from Havre, through Constru Casa, to help build a house for a deserving family in Guatemala. This experience cultivated a strong desire to keep giving back. It was this rewarding experience that later led them to Tom and Jean. The Jacques' invitation to accompany the AIDSpirit USA TEAM on their annual trip to Tender Mercies. The trip solidified the fact that there are so many needs in the world and that they were not done reaching out to others, both overseas and within their local community. John was encouraged to join the Board of AIDSpirit USA. He continues to believe in this organization and actively gives of his talents and heart by serving as one of our current Board members.
