Dan William Peek, GroW's President and Director of GrOW's Civic Action and Awareness Programs, lives near Columbia, Missouri. He is a marketing consultant, writer and musician. He is one of the founders of GrOW. Following the Shawn Hornbeck abduction case in 2007, the so-called "Missouri Miracle", he did extensive research on the subject of sex crimes against children and the organizations that exist to combat pedophile predators. His research convinced him that a community-based, nation-wide organization on the model of MADD would be the only truly effective way to interdict pedophile predators, and that no such organization was in existence. Dan set in motion the process of creating GrOW in 2008. He met his fellow GrOW founders, police professionals Jim Murray and Andy Anderson, as a result of media reports about their professional activities and successes.
Jim Murray , a Founding Director and Vice President of GrOW, resides near Diamond, Missouri. Jim is the retired Police Chief of Diamond and has been very active (and successful) as part of nation-wide Internet child sexual predator sting operations by law enforcement agencies. Playing the part of a teenager in Internet chat rooms and email exchanges, he has participated in the apprehension and conviction of two dozen Internet child predators. His work to combat pedophile predators has been chronicled by MSNBC, CNN and other national media. Chief Murray was a schoolteacher for 27 years before entering the law enforcement field. Prior to retirement, Jim taught a college credit class in Internet investigations for certified police officers. Chief Murray was a co-founder of Newton/Jasper County MADD in 1985 and since then has served at various times as chapter president and state chair and continues to served as a MADD victim advocate. In 1994 Chief Murray received the MADD President's Golden Achievement Award. Jim is also on the Board of Directors for the Children's Protection and Advocacy Coalition.
John G. Clark is an Attorney and Certified Public Accountant who specializes in legal and business consulting to tax exempt organizations. John holds an undergraduate degree in accountancy and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri -Columbia. He resides in Columbia, Missouri where he is well known for his interest in community and public affairs. In addition to his duties as Director, John is GrOW's Treasurer and Secretary.
Joy Peek is an administrator at Boyce and Bynum Pathology Laboratory (BBPL) in Columbia Missouri. Prior to holding this position, she was employed by BBPL as a consultant and, for 33 years, as manager of the BBPL Microbiology Department. She holds a degree in Medical Technology from the University of Missouri. Along with her husband, Dan, Joy was instrumental in the founding of Grandparents and Others on Watch, Inc. and has made several presentations to civic groups on behalf of the organization.
Sue Enlow is a Respiratory Therapist in a Southern California hospital. She resides in Covina, California. Since 2005 she has hunted down internet child predators, shutting down over 1000 web sites, including sites that she directed law enforcement to. She has developed a community education program called Not with my Child. Sue blends her experience in monitoring, profiling, and interacting with child predators on the internet with her research on child predators and their grooming techniques to provide an educational presentation that educates and empowers parents, educators, and other adult caregivers to intervene and protect children. In addition to her election to the GrOW Board, Sue has responsibility for GrOW's education program as the National Director of Community Education Programs.
Melinda Kidder is the owner and lead investigator of Columbia Investigations, a Missouri private detective agency. A graduate of the University of Missouri at Kansas City, Melinda holds a Bachelors Degree in the Administration of Justice with an emphasis in Psychology, earning the Edward Tomich Memorial Award and Honors from Alpha Kappa Delta, the International Sociology Honor Society. Melinda considers her prior volunteer work as a Court Appointed Special Advocate and Guardian ad Litem in the Jackson County Family Court, working with a team to help child victims of abuse, to be the most rewarding work she has performed. Melinda lives near Columbia, Missouri with her family in a quiet country setting enjoying the peaceful surroundings. A martial arts instructor, she also utilizes this country acreage as the setting for her martial arts classes. She donated her school to a charitable organization in 2007 in order to do more good for the local and global communities through martial arts & safety mentorship and leadership training.
Steven W. Wise is the owner of Cannon Blaylock & Wise, a commercial real estate appraisal firm headquartered in Columbia. He has been in real estate appraisal for the past thirty years. He holds a B.A. degree with a major in economics from the University of Missouri. His avocation is writing fiction, with several works ranging from essays to novels having been published. Steven and his wife, Cathy, a retired registered nurse, reside in Columbia, MO. They share in the lives of two adult children, their spouses, and four grandchildren.