OUR BOARD
Board Member
Michael A. Cunha
Michael A. Cunha has spent most of his life seeking to honor God through service, leadership,
and faithful stewardship.
He earned his undergraduate degree summa cum laude from Washington State University and later completed an MBA in Accounting and Economics from Chapman University. Early in his career, Michael served for over six years in the United States Air Force, flying B-52 aircraft, and later worked with the General Accounting Office, conducting air base audits, where he developed a strong foundation in discipline, responsibility, and service.
Professionally, Michael has more than thirty years of experience in business leadership, finance, and operations. He has served in executive and board-level roles across manufacturing and food-related enterprises and currently leads and advises organizations focused on responsible growth and long-term stewardship.
A lifelong follower of Christ, Michael accepted Jesus as his Savior at the age of ten. In the early 2000s, he sensed God’s call to mission work and has since been blessed to serve in Guangzhou (China), Uganda, Trinidad and Tobago, and now Belize. He worships at Christ’s Church of the Valley in Phoenix, Arizona.
Michael is honored to serve on the Board of The Word at Work, bringing together his faith,
mission experience, and professional background to support the ministry’s calling to share God’s
Word and equip believers in Belize and beyond.
Board Member
Rusty Burnett
Rusty's passion for the country of Belize started on a 10-day vacation there on his 1st wedding anniversary with his wife, Barbara, in 1992. They spent several days deep in the jungle at a Mayan ruin called Chan Chich and the rest of that trip on Ambergris Caye.
While on the Caye, they explored on beach bikes that took them beyond the scenic tourist areas to neighborhoods where the people that worked in the resorts lived. This, along with the kindness & sincerity of the Belizians they came in contact with, had a lasting impression on them both.
Years later, when Rusty's church, Covenant Presbyterian, in Austin Texas, announced they were planning a mission trip to Belize, he & Barbara were all in.
Since then, Rusty & Barbara have been blessed to be part of more than a dozen short term mission teams to Belize with The Word at Work.
After graduating from Texas Tech, Rusty moved to Austin to pursue a career in commercial construction project management. Forty years later, Rusty is still managing commercial construction developments and looking for ways to use his learned skills to grow God's Kingdom.
Rusty & Barbara, have two children who have both been with them on mission trips to Belize.
Sydney is a realtor in Colorado Springs, Colorado & Matthew is a Porsche mechanic in Austin.