FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 29, 2011
Five Talents International
P.O. Box 331
Vienna, VA 22183
www.fivetalents.org
Contact: Charlie Shifflett, Website and Communications Manager, (703) 242-6016 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Charles Quillin Elected to Five Talents Board of Directors
Vienna, Virginia – Five Talents announces Charles Quillin of Reston, VA, has been elected to the board of directors. Quillin is currently Managing Partner of OpsTech Capital Partners LLC, Cornerstone Security Foundation, and a member of Blu Venture Investors.
"Charles brings everything Five Talents could ask for – he's a successful entrepreneur, he has a demonstrated heart for the poor, and he's a committed Christian," said Dr. April L. Young, Five Talents Board Chair and Senior Vice President and Managing Director, US, with MMV Financial. "We are delighted he has agreed to bring his talents and energy to the board."
Quillin first learned of Five Talents from a fellow church member. "When I was attending McLean Bible Church in northern Virginia I got involved in short-term mission trips," Quillin said. "Another member, Jenna Walton, had been on a different Business-as-Missions trip, and I heard about Five Talents through her."
Shortly thereafter Quillin had coffee with Five Talents President and CEO Craig Cole, and his relationship with the organization blossomed from there.
What ultimately drew Quillin, a seasoned missioner, to Five Talents was the organization's focus on building self-sustaining programs in some of the poorest countries in the world.
"You want to help people with their basic needs when you go on a mission trip, but the more time you spend in the field, the more you're looking for something that's sustainable, to help the poor create for their own future," said Quillin. "I think that's what is attractive about Five Talents. The organization is certainly sharing the love of Christ, but it's also enabling people to help themselves."
A native of Gate City, VA, Quillin was formerly CEO, co-founder and sole capital provider for Crucial Security (2000-2010) – which was one of the most elite cyber security companies providing services for the federal government and Intelligence community. Crucial won Washington Business Journal's Best Place to Work honor in 2007, 2008, and 2009.
The successful entrepreneur earned an MBA at University of Virginia's Darden Graduate School of Business and a Bachelors of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech. Yet, perhaps, it is Quillin's mission trips that have most impacted his personal vision.
"The Lord has put on my heart the desire to help the Burmese that are in Thailand," Quillin said. "They suffer from many things – they are persecuted in their own land and in moving into a foreign country, they struggle to have an identity."
Several years ago, Quillin volunteered at a school for the children of these Burmese exiles. In late July, he will return to Thailand to partner with Manna Worldwide of Fort Worth, TX on building a school for up to 500 students.
Established in 1999, Five Talents International has provided funding for business training and thousands of loans, ranging from $50 to $300, in 11 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America. A majority of loan recipients are women. Five Talents' ongoing work is supported by a staff based in Vienna, VA, and an office in London. Hundreds of volunteers across the United States and United Kingdom participate in the organization. For more information and to donate, visit www.FiveTalents.org.
