Meet the EVM Team
Edward Heath
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President
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Ed is a dedicated emergency department nurse, global volunteer, and the founder of Ed-Ventures in Missions (EVM)—a nonprofit organization that empowers individuals to find purpose through service. Raised in the Peruvian Amazon, Ed experienced extreme poverty and homelessness before being adopted into a new life of opportunity. These roots, grounded in resilience and gratitude, continue to shape his unwavering commitment to serving others.
With a nursing career that spans over 15 years, Ed has worked in both rural clinics and level 1 trauma centers. He currently serves as a regional bedside emergency department nurse for BJC Healthcare. His past roles include agency nursing, team leadership, and charge nurse positions across southern Illinois and Missouri. This extensive clinical background directly supports the medical and humanitarian work that EVM facilitates.
Educationally, Ed holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Bachelor of General Studies from Southeast Missouri State University, along with an associate degree from Shawnee Community College. His mission-driven journey began at age 12, volunteering alongside Amazon Promise in his home village of Jaldar. Since then, he has served on international medical teams in Mexico, Liberia, Haiti, and the Amazon, as well as through countless local community service efforts.
The founding of Ed-Ventures in Missions was driven by a deep desire to connect people through shared humanity. Guided by core values of adventure, empathy, generosity, kindness, respect, and resiliency, Ed leads with the belief that when we serve others, we heal and grow ourselves.
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Jenn McLaughlin
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Treasurer
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Jenn McLaughlin brings a dynamic blend of business leadership, financial responsibility, and medical expertise to her role as Treasurer of Ed-Ventures in Missions. As the owner of Taylor’s Tins, she oversees daily operations, customer service, and administrative tasks, working closely with a CPA to ensure the company’s financial compliance and success. Her background in managing donations and evaluating charitable giving through her business reflects a deep commitment to service and fiscal integrity.
Jenn holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Missouri–St. Louis and a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of South Alabama, where she trained as a Family Nurse Practitioner. With over 15 years of experience in emergency medicine, Jenn brings clinical skill, quick decision-making, and compassion to every mission she serves.
After stepping away from clinical practice in 2023, Jenn sought a meaningful way to stay connected to medicine and humanitarian service. She found that purpose through Ed-Ventures in Missions, where she combines her financial acumen and medical knowledge to help underserved communities around the world. A pivotal medical mission trip to Peru in 2022, where she provided care in remote Amazon villages, reignited her passion for global service and deeply aligned with her core values: adventure, empathy, generosity, kindness, respect, and resiliency.
Jenn describes her financial philosophy as conservative and grounded in accountability, emphasizing proper planning and budgeting to ensure long-term organizational health. Integrity and honesty are central to both her personal and professional life, and she brings a collaborative, dependable spirit to the EVM leadership team.
Outside of her work with EVM, Jenn is a devoted wife and mother of two young boys, Henry and Max. She’s an adventurer at heart, with a life goal of visiting every country in the world—having already traveled to 36 and counting. Her curiosity and cultural openness have led her to try everything from fermented shark in Iceland to live suri grubs in Ecuador. Back home, she finds joy on her mini farm filled with highland cows, donkeys, goats, chickens, and more.
Jenn’s hope is to contribute her time, energy, and heart to EVM’s mission, helping the organization grow its global impact and inspire others to serve with passion and purpose.
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Jesal Amin, MD
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VP and Medical Director
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Dr. Jesal Amin brings a passion for both urgent, high-stakes medicine and compassionate, community-centered care to his role as Vice President and Medical Director of Ed-Ventures in Missions. His medical journey began in Kansas City, where he completed his undergraduate studies and earned his medical degree from the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine in 2017. He went on to complete his Emergency Medicine residency at UMKC, developing expertise in rapid problem-solving and critical decision-making under pressure.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Amin has worked in a variety of community and academic medical centers across the country, and has held impactful roles such as Assistant Professor at St. Luke’s in Houston, training residents and medical students through Baylor College of Medicine. His commitment to service extends far beyond the hospital walls—he has participated in medical mission trips to Thailand and Peru, providing care in resource-limited settings and deepening his dedication to global health.
Dr. Amin was drawn to Ed-Ventures in Missions by the opportunity to serve in the Peruvian Amazon, where healthcare access is scarce and small interventions can make a life-changing difference. In his leadership role with EVM, he ensures clinical teams are prepared, safe, and equipped to deliver compassionate, effective care. His vision is to see EVM become a trusted partner in underserved communities—locally through strong partnerships with community organizations, and internationally by building sustainable collaborations that bring lasting improvements to healthcare access.
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Aaron Dunn, RN
Secretary
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Aaron Dunn has been a registered nurse for over a decade, with a career that has taken him across the country. A graduate of Rend Lake College’s nursing program in 2014, Aaron brings both clinical expertise and a compassionate heart to his work. Originally from Miami, Florida, he was raised in the Midwest—splitting his formative years between Wisconsin and Illinois—and graduated from Mt. Vernon High School in 2011.
Aaron’s passion for healthcare is matched by his love for travel, adventure, and helping others. He believes true personal growth often stems from the challenges we face, and he embraces opportunities that push him to become a better person. His involvement with Ed-Ventures in Missions is rooted in a desire not only to serve communities in need, but to deepen his understanding of what it means to live with empathy, purpose, and humanity.
Outside of his professional life, Aaron enjoys staying active, exploring new places, and sharing good company. He lives in the St. Louis, Missouri area with his wife, their beloved cats and dog, and is known for his uplifting, charismatic personality. The Dunn household is a welcoming space—often the hub for friends, family, and neighbors alike.
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Steve Heath, MSW
Social Worker & Mental Health Therapist
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From a young age, Steve Heath felt drawn to people who were hurting—especially those carrying emotional or spiritual wounds. Raised in a small, two-room Catholic school, Steve took to heart the teachings of prayerful reflection and the call to live out the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. That early foundation shaped his deep sense of purpose: to walk alongside others in their pain and help them find healing from within.
Steve’s natural ability to listen and offer insight led him to study psychology and social work, eventually earning a Master’s in Social Work. His professional journey began in physical rehabilitation counseling but found deeper fulfillment working in mental health. After three formative years in a Rural Health Medical Clinic, Steve stepped into a long and impactful career at a state mental hospital, spending 17 years on the frontlines of acute psychiatric care. There, he met some of the most complex human challenges with compassion and resilience.
When burnout crept in, a soul-refreshing walk through the Amazon jungle helped him reconnect with his inner calm. Though he thought he’d retired, Steve soon found himself in private practice working with federal parolees—adding yet another chapter to a life of service. Now in his latest and most intentional stage of retirement, Steve brings his wealth of wisdom, empathy, and clinical experience to Ed-Ventures in Missions, offering support to both volunteers and the communities they serve.
With humility and a listening heart, Steve continues to honor his lifelong calling: to help others find peace, strength, and clarity—especially when they need it most.