Introducing Our New Executive Director
May 1, 2026
We are thrilled to announce that Sean Rutter has been named Executive Director of Hope Institute. Sean is no stranger to our mission. He served as our founding Board Chair and has been a visionary leader and trusted partner from the very beginning. He brings to this role exactly what it demands: strategic clarity forged through a distinguished career in executive leadership and management consulting, and a servant’s heart rooted in a deep, God-given calling to the world’s most vulnerable children.
About Sean
As a co-founder of Hope Institute, Sean has been instrumental in shaping the organization’s direction since its founding. Now stepping into the role of Executive Director, he brings the full weight of his business and organizational expertise to the mission: strengthening the systems that care for vulnerable children, and bringing excellence and best practices to child care and protection systems in Central America and across the globe.
Sean leads alongside a dedicated team with both professional rigor and personal investment, believing that transformational change happens not through programs alone, but through the trust, collaboration, and shared commitment we build with the people and organizations alongside us. For Sean, this work is not merely a career transition. It is a calling.
In His Own Words
A Word of Gratitude for David Nowell
At the request of Hope Institute leadership, David Nowell has agreed to become Board Chair and Senior Advisor. His years of visionary leadership as founding Executive Director have shaped everything Hope Institute is today. His wisdom, dedication, and heart for this work are woven into the fabric of our organization. We are grateful that he remains a vital part of our work as we move forward together.
