Who We Are

J127 Ranch Co-Founders

Victoria describes herself as a “Jack of all trades, Master of none.” Truthfully, she is a woman of many talents and abilities. Her life experiences are quite diverse. She has lived and worked on dairy farms and has been employed by a livestock dealer and has worked in veterinary clinics. She has worked in construction and taught in the ESL (English as a Second Language) department at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is an especially gifted artist with an uncanny knack and heartbeat for working with children, especially those often overlooked and forgotten by society. Victoria seems to have been uniquely created to connect at a heart level with people and especially so with children. She was a foster parent, has worked with the homeless, and had exchange students living with her while her own children were growing up. In 2000, Victoria took her first trip to an orphanage in Kazakhstan and returned each year thereafter on short-term trips until moving to Kazakhstan on a full-time basis in 2009.

Beth would describe herself as one who has so many dreams and passions that it would take 10 lifetimes to fulfill them all. The dream for the Ranch actually began when she was a teen. When asked what she wanted to do when she grew up, she would reply. To have a ranch with horses and underprivileged kids. That dream has been evolving ever since. Beth has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and worked for 13 years in residential treatment with abused, neglected and delinquent children. Her passion is for administration and small business development. She especially enjoys helping others recognize their full potential. In 2000 Beth went on the same delegation as Victoria to an orphanage in Taraz, Kazakhstan. She too fell in love with the culture and the people of Kazakhstan. Seeing the plight of the orphans, she felt called to the work being done there. In 2003 she moved to Kazakhstan where she worked until January 2011. In January 2012 Beth joined Victoria to pursue the vision for J127 Ranch full-time.

Our Advisory Team

Dr. Kit Charbonneau, DVM
Born outside Boston, Massachusetts as the son of a naval officer, Dr. Kit traveled extensively throughout his youth and lived in the Philippines, Saudi Arabia and Hawaii. He received a B.S. [Biology] from Virginia Commonwealth University and went on to the VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech [1989]. Having started three veterinary clinics in his career, he has owned Genito Animal Hospital with his wife since 2006. A cancer survivor of almost six years now, he is grateful for the gift of life and his pursuit of a purposeful life is stronger than ever. He is actively involved in his work, family and church and recently returned from a mission trip to the Amazon. His hobbies include woodworking, horseback riding and playing guitar.

Dr. Cindy Lee Charbonneau, DVM
Dr. Cindy has shared the responsibility of hospital management and finances with her husband Dr. Kit since 2006. After a difficult childhood and having dropped out of high school to support herself, Dr. Cindy Charbonneau successfully pursued Doctorate at the VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine. Having been on a mission trip helping at an orphanage in Mexico, Cindy shares a love of helping children. Her hobbies include music, competitive horse show jumping and changing diapers. Cindy has been a keyboardist with her church since 2007.

Edith Parks
Edith currently lives with her husband Rip in her childhood home town in South Carolina. Edith received a B.A. in Elementary Education from Clemson University and a M.A. in Education from Columbia International University. She and her husband have traveled extensively throughout South America, Europe, Asia and lived in Abu Dhabi for three years. She has experience as a teacher, as an administrative assistant for a non-profit organization, and as the Director of Education at several different organizations.Her activities include leading a children’s ministry, participating in women’s groups, teaching and singing with a choir. Edith’s interests include gardening, floral design, traveling and reading mysteries.

Susan Werderman
A Midwesterner at heart, Susan Werderman was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, but relocated to Skaneateles, New York as a high school freshman. After attending college in Boston, she attended Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School where she learned organizational and administrative skills that have served her well through many careers. Before serving in the diplomatic community with her family in posts in Hong Kong, Singapore, Geneva and Helsinki, Susan spent three years in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia where she worked in school administration. At each post, Susan was able to establish a very active ESL program for both children and adults. Susan now lives in Richmond, Virginia where she works full-time as a decorator at Calico Corners. She serves on the Advisory Board of Casa Victoria in Quito, Ecuador and the International Missions Committee at her church. She is blessed to be living in the same city as her daughter and son, and is able to enjoy her two beautiful little grandsons, Logan and Tucker.