Meet the Key Staff

Corporate Office

Executive Director – Jessica Deese

I grew up in a very broken family where sin and misguided decisions held a mark on even the youngest of lives.  I was separated from my mom, dad, and eventually my sister always losing any stability I had. As a young adult, I was broken, full of fear, pain and worthlessness. Always searching for love, acceptance, stability, and peace. I had a rebel heart in my early twenties running from God. My decisions led me to two unplanned pregnancies and a blighted marriage.  In desperation and exhaustion from the effects of secular living, I cried out to Him surrendering my life devoting myself to be a vessel for his righteousness.

God stirred up a passion so fierce in me, I changed my college major 3/4 of the way through! I knew that he was leading me in a different direction, and I wanted to obey. When I changed my posture in obedience to honor Him, my world opened in ways I had prayed and prayed about. Things that did not seem possible began to align and for the first time I had true PEACE and joy.

After years of searching for my identity, I know who I am; a child of God. I am remarried and blessed by my marriage daily as we raise my two children together, each step becoming stronger and bolder in our faith.

Through a series of circumstances, I was told about Grace House & I became a volunteer Member Advocate. I thought I was coming to help and heal.   God continued to help and heal me as well! After volunteering for two years, I love our members so fiercely and am humbled to walk in God’s leadership to share how He can heal them as well, so they too, can experience a new life in Him.  I’m honored every day to see the blessing of God moving in our members lives and through the provisions of this ministry. I am so passionate about being one of the instruments that guide our clients in their relationships with God and in life affirming decisions for their families.

Lead Administrative Assistant- Gigi Housley

I am from a military family so we moved around a lot when I was young. My family moved to Florida when I was 13 years old after my parents divorced. I graduated from Coral Springs High School in 1982. I have been happily married to my middle school sweetheart, Al Housley since 1984. We have 2 beautiful grown children, Harvey and Sarah. Al & I were baptized in 1991 where God changed our lives and he became very important to us. We have been in ministry together ever since. I have been a church secretary in 2 different churches. God has blessed me with serving and working at this wonderful job at Grace House Pregnancy Center in DeLand since 2016 where I am administrative assistant in the corporate office.

Administrative Assistant- Martha Mehegan

I am a proud wife, mother of two growing boys, and a DeLand native. (Go Bulldogs!) I grew up attending Stetson Baptist Church and accepted Christ as my savior when I was 7 years old. I feel God’s greatest calling in my life has been to motherhood, and I know firsthand how much love and support we parents need along the way, so I am grateful for the opportunity to serve new families as Administrative Assistant at Grace House.

“God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” – 1 John 4:16

Development Director- Kyndra LupPlace

I grew up on the East Coast but moved here from Arkansas in 2017 with my husband and two daughters.  We love Florida!  We are a foster family and have had the privilege to  provide a safe and loving home to over 20 foster children since 2012.

I have degrees in Civil Engineering and Business Management from Colorado School of Mines.  I worked as a Civil and Software Engineer for 15 years.   I volunteered as a Client Advocate for an Arkansas pregnancy center for a few years before moving to Florida where I sought out another pregnancy center in order to volunteer. I was blessed to find Grace House and serve as a Client Advocate for 3 years before being hired at Grace House.

God led me to join the staff at Grace House because it is such a God-centered ministry.  Each employee and volunteer is so Spirit-led and devoted to the sanctity of life while showing God’s love and compassion to each client, no matter their circumstances or beliefs.  I am blessed to work in a ministry such as Grace House!

Centers

Lead Center Director – Pamela Grocke

I graduated from Hudson High School. I worked for Barnett Bank for 15 years & then was a stay at home mom for 10 years.  I served as a Grace House Volunteer for a few years before coming on staff for Grace House.  My passion to volunteer & work here just came from a Passion for LIFE.  I wanted to do something bigger than myself.

Client Services Specialist, DeLand – Michelle Arbona

In the year 2000 God intervened in my life, I met a wonderful man who I have been married to for 19 years. We have 2 beautiful children, a boy and a girl. We relocated from New York and have resided here for 16 years. I came to Grace House in 2012 and have been blessed to see what God  has done in this wonderful ministry and look forward to seeing what HE will continue to do.

Center Director, New Smyrna Beach – Melanie Gettel

I grew up in a home where unconditional love was demonstrated and taught on a daily basis. However, our family was far from perfect. By the time I was a teenager, I had already experienced many emotionally painful events. Although I had been brought up in the church, I was lost and questioning God.  Like a lot of young girls, I wanted to be rescued.  This led me down a path of unhealthy relationships and poor choices, including unplanned pregnancy.

Those negative experiences brought me to a place of surrender and I was finally rescued by the only One who was truly able to rescue me! He immediately gave me compassion for all vulnerable people and instilled in me a passion to help others who had been through similar circumstances.  Over the years I have been blessed by my involvement in several different ministries including Resources for Women, where I served as a Client Advocate.  I discovered the ministry after struggling for years with the pain from my own past.  When I realized that forgiveness and healing were actually possible, I wanted to share that knowledge with others who are hurting.  

My journey has not been an easy one but God has been faithful.  He never allowed me to drift too far away without gently calling me back to Himself. He has used my messy life as a testimony to His promises.  Isaiah 61:3 states “God will provide for those who grieve and bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes.” 

After a particularly difficult year, I fervently prayed for God to reveal His will for the next season of my life.  That is when He unexpectedly opened the door for me to serve as Center Director of Grace House New Smyrna Beach.  I feel so blessed to be a part of this wonderful ministry!  Each day I get to witness God working in the lives of those we serve.  I also observe His provision, as He meets needs almost immediately after the words are spoken! It has been an incredible experience! I feel so humbled that God called me to such an important ministry.  I pray that He will use me as a vessel to help protect the precious lives He has created and to lead others to Him through the love and compassion He has gifted me with!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Client Services Specialist, New Smyrna Beach – Terri

We are thrilled to have Terri join us in our NSB clinic!

Client Services Specialist, Ormond Beach – Whitney Huguenin

My passion is promoting pure hearts for Jesus! His transformative and redemptive work all began when Jesus cried, “It is finished” (John 19:30 NIV). I am expecting God to touch hearts, transform lives, and woo hearts to surrendering to Him here at Grace House Pregnancy Center. I so love the dedication of Grace House Pregnancy Center to the Gospel and His Word, it is very evident in the life of the ministry.

Within the last several years I have attended worship & Bible study nights at project WARM and have been involved with pregnancy resource centers in the area. I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Supervision and Management with a focus in Entrepreneurship & Sales in December of 2019 from Daytona State College.