Office Director / Urban Planner, EMI Senegal

Professional Training & Experience

• BS, Community and Regional Planning, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, 2005
• Master of Urban Planning in International Development, University of Illinois, 2007
• American Institute of Certified Planners, 2009

Andrew’s first professional experience was in transportation planning in Des Moines, Iowa. After completing his master’s degree specializing in International Development, Andrew went on staff with Parsons Corporation in St. Louis, Missouri. He was able to refine his planning skills as he worked as a consultant for the US government on facility and infrastructure projects around the world. From there Andrew moved to Iowa to work with local governments on planning and economic development issues.

After spending 2019 studying French near Paris, France, Andrew and his family moved to Senegal at the beginning of 2020 to join the EMI team in West Africa, and became Director of the office in 2022.

Ministry Experience

Having long felt a draw to participate in God’s mission around the world, Andrew has been part of the missions committees at each of the churches his family has attended. He has been privileged to walk with others as they fulfilled their callings into full time missions. He has long felt a pull to international development and seeing the Gospel go out to the unreached. A short term trip with EMI gave him a vision of how God might want to use his professional skills and experiences to spread the Kingdom of God to those in spiritual darkness. Andrew and his family feel the call to, “go and make disciples of all nations,” and are seeking to do so in Senegal with EMI.

Family

Andrew and Shannon were married in 2005. They have two boys and two girls. Shannon has degrees in Sociology and Nursing, and she is certified in Third Culture Kid (TCK) care and debriefing. She presently serves as the K-8th grade guidance counselor for Dakar Academy. They love camping, hiking, reading great novels, and going on adventures together. Their family has experienced God’s faithfulness and trust Him to lead them in each step of their journey.