Board Members
Chris Tracy
Co-Founder
Chris Tracy is a retired lieutenant from the Illinois State Police who served for 25 years with honor and distinction. He now works as an independent contractor for General Motors in product liability investigations. Prior to his service with the Illinois State Police, he was an Army veteran who served in Grenada and his unit was able to raise money for an orphanage there. It is where his passion for caring for vulnerable children first began. He has been married to his wife Julie for 33 years and together they have five children – three of which were adopted from the special needs program in China. They are also proud grandparents to two grandchildren. In addition to his public service career, Chris is passionate about serving his community and together with his wife Julie, they founded the organization Equipping The Called Foster and Crisis Closet which helps local foster families and families in crisis by providing them with items they need. Away from service, Chris loves hunting and working on his classic 1969 Oldsmobile 442.
Julie Tracy
Co-Founder
Julie Tracy is an experienced former childcare provider with a fierce advocacy for vulnerable children. She was the leader for 31 Young Reasons, a teen mom outreach program, and she served as the volunteer coordinator at Henning School in Troy Illinois for several years in the mid 2000's. Julie has been married to her husband Chris for 33 years and they are the proud parents of five children, three of whom they adopted from China. In addition to her advocacy work and volunteer roles, Julie is a part time professional photographer, and enjoys spending her free time decorating and organizing. Julie is also a doting grandmother to Winnie and DJ. Julie is dedicated to making the world a better place for children in need and continues to lend her energy to empowering those most vulnerable in society.
Mandi Voegle
Secretary
Mandi is a 2005 graduate of Anderson University in Indiana with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Music. For 14-years she was a consultant with Vector Communications Corp. in St Louis, Missouri where she oversaw public relations and event planning for projects in education, healthcare, urban planning, and transportation. In 2019, Mandi left the corporate world to become the marketing and sales team manager for her husband’s family business, Grumpy Bob’s Emporium, in Maryville, Illinois. This unique retail and resale shop specializes in retro video games, movies, music, comic books, toys, and more. She currently oversees in-store and online customer relations, as well as daily operations of the storefront and employee team. Mandi is passionate about assisting organizations that help children in foster care. Prior to her work with Equipping the Called, she volunteered with Children's Home + Aid of Southwestern Illinois, as well as the Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition of St. Louis. In her free time, Mandi enjoys participating in book club, singing in church choir, and going to the park or out for Mexican food with her husband and young daughter.
