Management Team

John English, M.D.
Chief Executive Officer

Dr. John English is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and has been practicing medicine since 1993. Prior to becoming the Medical Director of Bethesda Health Clinic, he practiced medicine at Trinity Clinic in Tyler, Texas. John holds a M.D. degree from U.T. Southwestern Medical School. He completed his residency at John Peter Smith Hospital.

Diane Thomason, Bethesda’s Development Director, manages donor relations and fundraising events. She has been with Bethesda since 2009 and was part of the inaugural board in 2002. Diane holds a Fine Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin and has a tech background. She has held leadership roles in various local organizations, including UT Tyler’s College of Business & Technology, Tyler Executive Women’s Network (TEWN), Christian Women’s Job Corps, The Women’s Fund, and GetIT.

Melissa, with a BBA in Accounting and extensive healthcare management experience since 1995, has been a dedicated supporter of Bethesda Health Clinic and Hangers of Hope since 2014. She’s passionate about Bethesda’s mission. In her free time, Melissa and her husband Zack volunteer at Prince of Peace Church and engage in community service projects in Whitehouse. As empty nesters, they love exploring the outdoors, particularly through hiking, remote camping, and skiing adventures in Colorado.

Rick Martinez, M.D.
Medical Director

Rick comes from a family of medical professionals. His grandfather was a pulmonary doctor, his father was a pediatrician and his brother is an allergist. He graduated from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and fulfilled his internship and residency in San Antonio.

Rick loves taking care of patients of all ages, especially the elderly, and is passionate about helping care for those with diabetes. Diabetes is something that runs in his family and he also has the disease, which allows him to share a personal connection to those patients.

He is trilingual and speaks English, Spanish and German. He enjoys playing tennis and watching Star Wars, and has four daughters.

Chelsea Cohen
Senior Clinic Operations Director

Chelsea manages and oversees operations for both our adult and pediatric clinics. She is responsible for ensuring patient satisfaction, as well as scheduling, electronic medical records and much more.

Chelsea holds a MA in Strategic Leadership and a BA in Business Administration from LeTourneau University.

Prior to joining Bethesda in 2019, Chelsea worked in the veterinary industry for 7 years doing everything from managing a clinic and recruiting veterinarians to pharmaceutical and equipment sales. She is a graduate of Leadership Tyler Core Class 36.

Laura holds a BA in Business Management from Stephen F. Austin University.

Prior to joining Bethesda in 2014, Laura held positions as Customer Service/Engineering Rep. with TXU Energy, Executive Director of a Chamber of Commerce in Georgia, Retail Manager of teacher supply, and various administrative positions.

Chrystal Carter
Director Thrift Operations

Chrystal Carter oversees operations and over 60 employees at 2 Hangers of Hope thrift stores and the Hangers of Hope Production Facility. Chrystal joined Hangers of Hope as a cashier in 2016, and she worked her way up to Director Thrift Operations. Prior to joining Hangers of Hope, Chrystal spent over 15 years in the home health industry as a Certified Nursing Assistant.

Samantha DeVries
Director Thrift Growth

Samantha graduated from Robert E. Lee High School. She and her husband Chris live in Whitehouse.

Samantha’s career with Hangers of Hope started in 2020 as a Production Sorter. She was promoted to Production Manager in 2021, to Manager of Hangers of Hope Broadway in 2023, then to Director Thrift Growth in 2024.

Said Samantha, “I love Hangers of Hope and am dedicated to our mission at Bethesda. What I love the most is empowering individuals, through Christ Jesus, to do things they never thought they could do. I love to see the barriers break and to see the change in them through the Holy Spirit. I love to go out on the sales floor, talk with our customers and see the impact we are having on our community. I love being a part of something so much bigger than me and to share Christ with our team and our customers and donors.”

Marsha Jones joined Bethesda in 2022 as a Lead Nurse.

Marsha is a 1981 graduate of Texas Eastern School of Nursing. She has 42 years of experience. These years include time in ICU, ER, Cardiology, Home Health and Hospice. Marsha has been a volunteer at Bethesda with Grace Community for the last 6 years.

In her spare time, Marsha spends time with family. Her hobbies include quilting, needlework and making things for her family including her 4 children and 6 grandchildren.

Don received a BA in Liberal Studies (Elementary School Teacher Program) and a BA in Mathematics from Sacramento State University, Sacramento.

He previously served on the boards of BBB of Central East Texas, Operation Go Quickly, Greater East Texas IT Professionals, Innovation Advancing Education and Parent Services Center.