Cheryl Loper: President of the Board
Cheryl, a current resident of Waxahachie, has a history of mission-mindedness and family-oriented ways of doing life with other people. Married now for 40 years to Gary Loper, Cheryl’s family includes six children, 22 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. As a missionary in Haiti, she served in Port au Prince to work with an orphanage called “No Place Like Home.” Additionally, she currently serves as a moderator for the Central Presbyterian Church Mission Ministry Team and is a lifetime member of the Texas PTA. Former president and volunteer at Families in Action in Duncanville, she is currently employed by LOPER Pipe Organ Service Company. She loves music, gardening, and spending time with her grandchildren.
Helen Wagner: Vice President of the Board
Helen has been a member of the Common Ground Ministries Board for 13 years; during that time, she has served as both Vice President and Secretary. Currently, she serves as the Board’s grant writer. Due to her husband’s military career, Helen has lived in many places but has settled in Waxahachie. She has three children and six grandchildren and is a member of Waxahachie Bible Church. Once a registered nurse, Helen now raises Boer goats and has three dogs to take care of.
Sheriff Olalekan: Board Member
Sheriff Olalekan is employed at Bank of America as a Merchant Specialist. He serves as the Military Support and Assistance Group senior chapter chair since 2021. In 2024, He was selected to serve as the DAN & MSAG Segment (regional) Leader and the Global Operations Military Development Dallas Leader.
He served as a Strategy & Transformation Process Lead performing the role of a technology project manager, supporting the Bank’s business requirements by delivering two deposit account system bots, saving over 5,000 hours of work, while reducing risk by automating a manual process for interest-bearing account conversions.
In 2020, he became an agile coach for twelve Scrum and Kanban teams, where he implemented agile scrum practices and improved processes within the organization. For this performance, he was promoted to Vice President, recognizing his successful management skills. Sheriff took a Capability Designer role in April 2021 to support Global Operations as a technology project manager, supporting the Bank’s business requirements by coordinating, advocating, and delivering technology solutions.
Prior to joining Bank of America, Sheriff spent 25 years in the United States Army, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and traveling around the world in support of our nation’s freedom in countries, including Korea, Kosovo, Albania, Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. He earned two Bronze Star Medals for Merit, a Purple Heart Medal and four Meritorious Service Medals, in addition to many other awards. He has a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Roosevelt University and a Master of Military Science from USMC Command and Staff College. In addition to his duties at the Bank, he is a We Can Deliver Champion, and Better Money Habits Champion.
Sheriff is married to Ravin, a city of Mesquite Firefighter/Paramedic, and US Army Veteran. They have two boys and reside in Ellis County Texas.
Judy Helm: Treasurer of the Board
Judy is a retired CPA practicing tax accounting. She is a member of First Baptist Church, where she sings in the choir and also teaches children’s Bible study weekly. She is a widow with four children and seven grandchildren who mean the world to her.
Christie Berger, B.S. Physical Therapy, UTMB Galveston: Secretary of the Board
Christie is a licensed physical therapist who has practiced for 45 years, 37 of which have been in Ellis County. Presently, she works as needed at BIR Waxahachie. She has served her community through the Waxahachie Junior Service League and Partners in Education.
Additionally, she volunteers her services to the community through her church, First Baptist Waxahachie, in both children’s ministry and missions. She has been an avid supporter of and involved in Common Ground Ministries for over 30 years. Christie is married to Gillett Berger and has three grown children who gave her three grandchildren, whom she describes as the delights of their lives.
DeShawn Moore, B.A. Education: Board Member
DeShawn has worked for Waxahachie Independent School District going on 25 years. She has been involved with Common Ground ministries for over 15 years. She speaks highly of Common Ground: “Common Ground Ministries is a great asset to the Eastside Community. It values the whole family, teaching, instilling, and restoring all who are involved.”
Marilyn Sutton: Board Member
Marilyn is a Texas native who currently lives in Waxahachie, Texas. She is happily married and loves spending time with her family. In addition to being a licensed insurance agent, Marilyn also volunteers as secretary of her church, with the Ronal McDonald House, and with Children Medical Center. She has been a member of the board for four years.
Jill Wadsworth, B.S. Office Administration, Louisiana Tech University: Grant Writer of the Board Membe
Jill is a resident of Waxahachie and was excited to discover Common Ground – an organization that puts faith into action by helping children succeed! She has worked with children in many capacities: an elementary school library clerk, a reading specialist, a reading advocate with preschool children, and a Sunday School teacher. Jill is currently retired but looking for more opportunities to read to kids!