NCS Bergen County

Jerry Palmieri has 34 years of experience as a Strength & Conditioning Coach, including 21 years in the NFL. He began his career at the University of North Carolina, and then spent time at Oklahoma State, Kansas State, and Boston College. In 1995, he became the first Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. After 8 seasons, he served 1 year as an assistant for the New Orleans Saints, and then spent the last 12 years of his career coordinating the Strength & Conditioning for the NY Giants. During his tenure, the Giants won 2 Super Bowl Championships (42 and 46). Palmieri is a 1980 graduate of Montclair State University. He received a master’s degree in exercise physiology from North Carolina in 1984. Palmieri was a three-time New Jersey Golden Gloves champion (1976-78) and competed in international competitions as a member of the 1978 and 1979 USA Boxing Teams. Currently, Palmieri volunteers for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes advancing that ministry in North Jersey. He also speaks on topics of strength & conditioning and his faith, while also conducting workshops on 3 Dimensional Coaching.

Larry Hartmann, is the CEO of ZRG Partners, recently recognized as the fastest-growing executive search firm in North and South America with offices around the world providing senior-level retained search services to clients. Prior to joining ZRG Partners in 2002, Larry was a founder of Rockford Industries; a NASDAQ traded commercial lending business that supported the medical device market. While at Rockford, the firm went from a pure start-up to an Inc. 500 recognized growth firm through IPO and ultimate sale to American Express.  After the sale, Larry was an EVP with American Express for three years. Larry also has broad board of director experience. In addition to public company experience as a board member, he has also served on boards in both Private Equity and Venture-backed businesses.   Additionally, Larry founded and now leads a non-profit ministry, Impact Paterson, which supports jobs placement and creation for the community of Paterson, NJ in the spirit of the Good Samaritan. Larry is also author of Oddly Unjust, a book that explores the proof and odds that God exists, the Bible is the truth, and Jesus was indeed God’s Son through the lens of the OJ Simpson murder trial. Larry is married for 31 years and lives in Edgewater, New Jersey with his wife. He has three sons.

Frank is currently an Assistant Pastor at Calvary Chapel North Jersey. He is also a Supervisor at the National Labor Relations Board, an independent government agency authorized to enforce Federal labor law, for the past 28 years. He has participated in numerous outreach programs, including, serving as a moderator for the New Jersey Labor Law Conference. He is a graduate of Cornell University with a major in Industrial Labor Relations and a minor in Economics. Frank and his wife Michele have three children, Frank (27), Aaron (23), and Elisa (19).

Meet Phillip Bracco—a dedicated disciple of Jesus, a committed husband to Lisa, and a proud father of five wonderful children: Gianna, Joseph, Vincent, Francesca, and Dominick. Alongside his roles as a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and supervisor in New Jersey, Phillip serves as the Pastor of Care at Emergence Church. In addition, he co-owns Restore Counseling Center and holds the position of Director at Emergence Counseling Center. Passionate about Christ and the integration of top-notch mental health care, Phillip ensures that both centers prioritize advancing the gospel while delivering exceptional clinical services to those in need.

David Nammo has served as executive director and CEO of Christian Legal Society since 2012. He is the former executive vice president of the Leadership Project for America, where he worked closely with conservative leaders such as former Reagan Attorney General Ed Meese, Publisher Al Regnery, Club for Growth founder Steve Moore, and U.S. Rep. David McIntosh, in preparation for the 2012 election cycle. He also was the executive director of the Family Research Council Action (FRCA), the 501(c)(4) arm of the Family Research Council, where he worked on political issues, interfaced with Congress, and met with candidates from across the country. He also started the first PAC for the Family Research Council and engaged in the 2008 election cycle in over 40 states. David consulted and worked for a variety of employers over several years, including Gammon & Grange, a Virginia law firm; defense consultants for the Defense Intelligence Agency, and as a sole practitioner practicing trademark and business contract law. His prior employment at the Christian Legal Society was as the former director of attorney and law student ministries of Christian Legal Society. He also helped found the IVCF/CLS joint taskforce and restarted The Christian Lawyer magazine in 2005. He has been interviewed by national and international media, including the NBC Nightly News, Fox News, the Associated Press, CBN News, as well as various radio stations from across the country and around the globe. His op-eds have been published in USA Today, the Washington Times, the National Review, and many online news sites. Prior to attending law school at both George Mason University School of Law and Chicago-Kent College of Law, David worked as a journalist for the Fox News Service, a Middle East wire service, and WTTG-TV in Washington D.C. David writes an occasional blog called Babylonian Thoughts, given his Chaldean heritage, as the son of a Christian-Iraqi. He is co-owner of a record label out of Southern California. He resides in Northern Virginia with Laura, his wife (a patent attorney), their six children, a cat, and a St. Bernard dog.

Rollie Espinosa has had a diverse and accomplished career, showcasing a wide range of skills and experiences: Advertising Management: Worked as an advertising manager for prestigious publishing companies like Crains NY and John Wiley and Sons.Pursued a passion for art as a Gallery Artist, showcasing creativity and a keen aesthetic sense.Graduated from the School of Visual Arts (SVA), indicating a formal education in visual arts. Voiceover Announcer: Started as a weekend announcer and contemporary Christian radio deejay at WWDJ in the 1980s, showcasing artists from the Jesus revolution. Network booth announcer: for NBC Radio NBC page: on Late Night with David Letterman in the early 80s, gaining experience in television production Active volunteer: Short-order cook at Hackensack River Mission for the homeless since 2014, demonstrating a commitment to community service Rollie and his wife Francesca were married for 42 years before she went home to be with The Lord last month. Rollie was a dedicated and compassionate husband. As a result of Fran’s terminal brain disorder, Rollie resigned from corporate employment to be her full-time caretaker. Rollie’s rich and varied background reflects professional success and a commitment to community service, artistic expression, and personal resilience in challenging circumstances. His diverse experiences in advertising, voiceover, art, and community involvement contribute to a well-rounded accomplished believer and servant of his Lord Jesus Christ.

Prior to launching his “Speaking on Joy and Happiness” venture, Geoff was the co-founder of eMarketer, a New York-based company providing data, analysis and insights on all aspects of digital marketing and ecommerce on a global scale. In serving his various roles at eMarketer for over two decades, Geoff quickly became sought-after as a dynamic motivational speaker within the digital marketing industry. Geoff is also co-author of a book, Digital Impact: The Two Secrets to Online Marketing Success (Wiley & Co.) In his former careers, he was an advertising executive for over 15 years working in New York ad agencies, as well as a professional magician performing close-up and stage magic. Geoff was not raised on religion growing up, but after having an existential crisis in his mid-twenties, he found Christ and began his spiritual journey which has led him to where he is today. Geoff lives in Allendale with his wife Kim and they have four children, ages 29, 27, 23 and 14.

Andrew joined Regency Wealth Management as a Partner in 2010 after a two year affiliation with LPL Financial and over 18 years in Alliance Bernstein’s Fixed Income Division. As a Senior Vice President, he formed and headed Alliance’s corporate bond research group, managed institutional global credit portfolios, a credit oriented hedge fund, and a retail balanced mutual fund. He has also helped manage numerous institutional and retail bond strategies including open end and close end mutual funds and money market funds. His prior experience includes research roles at PaineWebber, Citibank, and Standard & Poors after being a Relationship Manager at The Chase Manhattan Bank. A visible and respected professional, Mr. Aran has been published in Institutional Investors, authored a case study in Fabozzi’s Bond Credit Analysis: Framework & Case Studies, has been quoted in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal; has been quoted or interviewed multiple times on Bloomberg and CNBC and has spoken at numerous financial conferences around the world. He also served on Markit iBoxx’s Oversight Committee. He is a member of the CFA Institute, FIASI, NYSSA (Bond and Stock Analysts Association), and is an Associate member of NAPFA (National Association of Personal Financial Advisors). Andrew earned a B.A. from Rutgers University in 1978, an M.B.A. from Fordham’s Graduate School of Business in 1980, and was awarded a Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 1986. He served as President of the Bergen County Chapter of the New Canaan Society from 2011-2015 and currently serves in their Board. Andrew is currently a member of the Advisory Board of Street 2 Street and The Exodus Road, and Star of Hope Ministries in Paterson, NJ and serves on the Christian Health Care Center’s Foundation Board. He is a member of Grace Church of Ridgewood where he has served on the Elder Board and their finance committee. He is blessed by his marriage to Cindy, their three children, and one grandchild.

Rich Garza originally from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, has lived in San Antonio, Texas for over 30 years. Rich played offensive line and started his college career at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he was a four-year letterman, captain, and two-time offensive line MVP. In the early – mid 80’s, Rich continued to play football at the professional level for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Denver Broncos, as well as for two USFL teams, the Philadelphia Stars, and the San Antonio Gunslingers. Rich started 56 games and 2 playoff games while in the USFL. It was during an off-season when Rich felt a call to begin telling his story wherever there was an open the door and he’s been going strong for 36 years. In the past 3decades, Rich has spoken in over 3,000 schools in the United States, Canada, South Africa, Mexico, and Barbados; hundreds of prisons, penitentiaries, and detention centers all over North America; and death row in Raleigh, North Carolina. For the past 24 years, Rich has also volunteered his time as the co-chaplain of the 5-time NBA. World Champions, The San Antonio Spurs, their opponents, and arena staff before every home game. He also served as the Chaplain of Canadian Football Team, The Texans, in 1995. Rich is named to the National Hispanic Sports Hall of Fame, the Lehigh Valley Football Hall of Fame, and the Liberty High School Hal of Fame. He has also served sa the Chaplain for the US Army High School All-Star game that is held ni San Antonio, Texas since the games inception and been a guest speaker for Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Soldiers for Faith, and Behind the Walls Prison Ministries. Rich is the corporate chaplain for companies AM Technical Solutions, Airbox Inc, and the Austin Self AM Technical NASCAR Race Team. In 2014, Rich co-authored his first book, Available and his story is also told in Pat William’s Book Triumph. Rich and his wife Jan of 36 years have four wonderful children: Kelly, Rich. David, and Daniel.

A graduate of Nyack College, Manhattanville College, New York Theological Seminary and New York University, Dr. Schroeder served churches in New York, New Jersey, and England. On the missional front, he has served overseas and at home with the Christian and Missionary Alliance, Trans World Radio and International Teams, and continues preaching ministries in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. ​Dr. David Schroeder is currently serving as Chancellor of Pillar College after 14 years as President. He was also president of the Philadelphia Theological Seminary for three years and Nyack College for twelve years. Besides his work in Christian higher education, he has served in missions with International Teams, Trans World Radio, and The Christian and Missionary Alliance, under whom he was ordained in 1974. He has served three alliance churches as a full-time Pastor and four churches part-time, most recently at Grace Chapel in Bedminster, NJ, and Washington, NJ Alliance church. He is the author of twelve books, the most recent being The Lion, the Church, and the Warfare, published in 2020. Serving the next generation within a context of spiritual renewal, ethnic diversity, and Christ-centered higher education has been his passion for over thirty years.

Matthew Maher is a 2007 graduate of Temple University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Legal Studies. He is also a former professional soccer player, playing on teams in North Carolina, New Jersey, and Philadelphia respectively. He is the author of the book(s): U MAY B THE ONLY BIBLE SOMEBODY READS: R U LEGIBLE?; Imprisoned by Peace: A View Apart; and Unchained: A Voice Apart (available on Amazon.com). For the past 11 years, Matthew has been a monthly contributor to the Cape May County Herald with a column previously entitled, Prison Talk, and now Truth Over Trend. He is the host of the podcast, Rechurched, a podcast aimed at instigating Christians to be Christian, as well as a highly sought-after speaker both on the local and national level. His “Decisions Determine Destiny” program is sponsored by State Farm Insurance and has addressed over 500,000 high school and college students through various events and assemblies. Matthew is honored to serve as a Teaching Pastor at Landmark Church in Ocean City, NJ, where his desire is to inspire conscience (so people may know God) and instigate conviction (so people may show God). You can learn more at www.TruthOverTrend.com, where his blogs have been read by over 1,000,000 people in every state, 121 countries, and in 67 different languages. Matthew and his beautiful wife, Sarah, their daughter Willow, and son Ezekiel, reside in Egg Harbor Twp., NJ. Twitter || Instagram || Facebook @TruthOverTrend

Randy Wilson serves as FRC’s Director of Men’s Ministries. He travels the country building relationships with Christian ministers, speaking at regional and local pastoral gatherings and calling them to be Watchmen on the Wall (Isaiah 62:6). Prior to joining FRC, Mr. Wilson worked in the public policy department of Focus on the Family, where he started and developed state Family Policy Councils across the country. He also served the local church as a Family Life pastor. Randy and Lisa Wilson have been married for 37 years and have seven children, five are married and are blessed with fourteen grandchildren. They are the founders of Generations of Light Ministry, an outreach to families. They have authored three books: Celebrations of Faith: Tying our Children’s Heartstrings to the Truth; Daddy’s Blessing; and The Joshua Basket. They are the founders of “The Father Daughter Purity Ball” which caught the attention of national and international media. Mr. Wilson has had the opportunity to stand and defend the importance of fatherhood in such well-known venues as the Focus on the Family broadcast with Dr. Dobson, Time Magazine, The New York Times, O (Oprah) Magazine, Glamour, USA Today, The Economist, and Marie Claire as well as “Good Morning America,” “The Today Show,” “Glenn Beck Show,” “Cooper 360,” and “Dr. Phil,” among others, and are the subjects of two documentaries seen in the U.S. and across Europe. His older three daughters released their book, Purely Woman. Their son, Logan, created the School of Honor and travels the country gathering young men, 10-18 for a three day school teaching biblical masculinity and living as men of honor.

Dr. Joël Núñez is a New Jersey state licensed clinical psychologist. In 1996, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree with Honors in Psychology from Drew University in Madison, NJ. He earned a full scholarship to study psychology at Penn State University in University Park, PA graduating in 2003 with a Ph.D. in adult clinical psychology. As a graduate student, he was awarded the prestigious Soros Fellowship for New Americans on the basis of scholarly merit, academic promise, and potential to contribute to public life in America. He completed his clinical internship at the former Robert Wood Johnson Medical School/UMDNJ in Piscataway, NJ. Following internship, he worked as a bilingual clinical psychologist at the Meadowview Psychiatric Hospital in Secaucus, NJ and at the North Jersey Developmental Center in Totowa, NJ. He earned his license to practice psychology independently in 2006. Presently, Dr. Núñez owns and operates Prov 205, a multi-purpose agency providing: 1) comprehensive professional, student, and parental development services to local and national school districts, colleges, and universities as well as workforce and service delivery solutions to private and public sector agencies; 2) forensic psychological evaluations in immigration, juvenile waiver, adult resentencing and other criminal matters along with expert witness testimony throughout the state and region; and 3) a psychological group practice in Bayonne specializing in the treatment of individuals, couples, and families facing various challenges in living. He, his wife, and three children live in northern New Jersey.

There is an Isaiah 61 calling on Raun’s life; he is on a mission to help men to find their place in the Father’s heart. Raun loves to use his God-given talent in music to lead congregational worship and has had the unique privilege of doing so in churches of varied races and cultures. In his younger years, he was part of project mgt team at AECOM, a global leader in commercial construction. His famous Dad Ray Barretto, a Grammy award winning artist in the field of Salsa, was widely respected in the music industry as being an innovative pioneer in the blending of the Latin and Jazz genres. After the death of his Dad in 2006, Mark Reitsma invited him to come and play keyboard for the NCS Worship Band.  This introduction to men’s ministry would forever impact the course of Raun’s life. His life changed once again when he heard Joe Pellegrino speaking at NCS on the topic of Facing Your Giants. Raun began to play for the chapter of NCS that Joe headed at the time. Sometime later, Joe went on to form Legacy Minded Men, and Raun became an integral part of his staff, serving in various behind-the-scenes capacities, including helping to edit several of Joe’s books. In 2022 he married his beautiful wife Diane, who was the first woman appointed by Joe to head up Legacy Minded Women.  After walking with men through some of their deepest valleys for many years – and being through some of his own – Raun opened up Legacy Coaching last April. He has a deep passion to help men make “The Rest of Their Lives – the Best of their Lives”.  At an age when many men are mainly thinking about relaxing and taking it easy, Raun is just getting started, to the Glory of God!

Arnie Cole (EdD, Pepperdine) is the CEO of Back to the Bible and Director of Research and Development for the Center for Bible Engagement. With his passion for research and helping others, Dr. Cole has been active most of his professional life in developing methodologies, processes and best practices to instill significant behavioral change in individuals. A serial entrepreneur, Arnie pioneered disruptive organizations in California that successfully moved violent patients with developmental disabilities out of institutions and safely into the community and employment. Dr. Cole has also served with YWAM’s Business as Missions group in the Middle East, CEO of MegaVoice LLC, as well as Vice President of Development for Mission Aviation Fellowship. Today he is responsible for the digital media ministries as well as Research & Development at Back to the Bible. For the past 18 years, he has done life transformation research and field work on the spiritual lives of people from around the world as it relates to spiritual formation, spiritual fitness and life transformation. Additionally, he leads a team that developed a spiritual fitness assessment that supports a spiritual needs-based algorithm that is the heart of a daily spiritual fitness digital platform that helps people engage in Scripture on the path of life transformation. Dr. Cole is the co-author of several books, including Unstuck: Your Life, God's Design, Real Change; Worry Free Living; Tempted, Tested, and True (all Bethany House Publishers). Arnie and his wife Char are the parents of adult children. They operate Still Waters Equestrian Academy which is an equestrian ministry that serves as a community outreach. The Coles live near Lincoln, Nebraska.

Dr. Pier moved to New York from South Dakota in 1984. He served for thirteen years with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship overseeing 15 campuses as Area Director and spoke at the 1993 and 1996 Urbana Mission Conferences. In 1988, Mac founded Concerts of Prayer with colleagues from Here’s Life Inner City. To date, more than 250,000 people from 2,000 churches have participated in the Metro NYC prayer movement. Dr. Pier and Dr. Tim Keller, co-founded the Church Multiplication Alliance in 2003. Its emphasis on united prayer and church planting was a catalyst for the 500% growth of evangelical Christianity in Manhattan from 1989-2014 In 2008, responding to the expressed needs of local pastors and leaders, Dr. Pier founded The New York City Leadership Center (renamed Movement.org in 2018). Movement Day began shortly thereafter in 2010. Since then leaders from 400 cities and 95 countries have participated in Movement Day Expressions with new cities being added monthly. Movement.org is currently tracking with leaders in 500 cities globally. Mac also serves the Lausanne Movement as Co-Catalyst for Cities. Dr. Pier earned his Master of Arts degree in religion from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and his doctorate at Palmer Theological Seminary. He is the author/co-author of 10 books including the series – A Disruptive Gospel, A Disruptive Generosity, and A Disruptive God. A Disruptive Gospel was named an outreach resource of the year by Outreach Magazine in 2018. Mac also wrote The Power of a City at Prayer on the one-year anniversary of 9/11. His most recent book is Required with Bishop Claude Alexander Mac and Marya have lived in New York City for 39 years. They have three married children and five grandchildren.

As a result of The Lord’s continuous Favor, Steve Wolf has been fortunate to experience a track record of demonstrated, continual business success within large and small organizations in the marketing research and consulting space. Over the years, The Lord enabled Steve to excel in simultaneous, multiple roles (in the US and globally), creating/implementing vision and strategy, attracting/retaining/leading world-class talent – creating powerful teams, resulting in dynamic, sustained, and profitable growth for the businesses themselves and clients which included many of the Fortune 100 companies. He has revitalized several failing businesses, written articles and spoken at local and global conferences. On a more personal level, for 25 years, Steve has co-led and mentored men in areas of character enhancement, integrity, and accountability which includes spiritual, business, relational, and financial matters as well as mobilizing the group to tangibly assist others in need. For decades Steve and his wife have helped young people identify their life purpose, deepen their relationship with The Lord, and learn principles upon which to base their lives. They have worked with some of these same individuals later in their lives to help them discover and utilize their personal treasure trove of talent and gifts. He and his wife also counsel couples in regard to biblical marriage principles. Steve has been on the ground in 47 countries to guide senior business associates and/or for missions purposes. He commits time and resources to various organizations and outreaches including New Canaan Society (NCS), where he serves on the leadership board of the Bergen County Chapter and is the Prayer Captain for the Paterson Chapter, where he shares personal devotions and leads men in prayer every Monday at Noon. He has presented on numerous occasions, to these and other NJ NCS chapters on the topics of disruptive discipleship, forgiveness, God’s faithfulness, obedience, and more. Wolf co-leads an Impact Paterson initiative which works alongside select Ministry Partners, to mentor and provide loans to individuals who need assistance “getting back on their feet” and securing better paying jobs. He’s also presented on the subjects mentioned earlier, to the men enrolled in the Discipleship House Rehabilitation Program in Paterson, NJ, and, for the past couple of years, has co-led monthly meetings with those men. In educating the next generation of marketing researchers/consultants, Steve has guest lectured at Rutgers Business School, at Eli Broad Graduate School of Management, and at Michigan State University. He was also a Faculty and Client Advisor for the Masters of Marketing Research program at Eli Broad. In 2014 he created his Wisdom, Insight and Mojo (www.wisdominsightmojo.com) which conducts marketing research and consulting, as well as executive and career coaching. His multiple executive coaching certifications are from Five Capitals (www.fivecapitals.net), an organization that trains leaders in how God’s truth connects to both their personal and professional lives, creating greater levels of integration, wholeness and fulfillment. Steve helps individuals and teams thrive, focused on what they have been created to do, become and accomplish. Steve has a ministry certification from Global University and is recognized by Bethany Church as a Commissioned Minister of the gospel. Steve and his wife Lynda have a blended family with four grown children, their spouses, one delightful grandson and a beautiful granddaughter.

Raymond H. Harris established one of the country’s largest corporate architectural firms.  The firm was ranked as the number two American retail design firm for three years by McGraw Hill Architectural Record Magazine. While leading his firm, he helped establish numerous other businesses, ministry efforts and projects.  Using his business acumen, he capitalized educational, medical, manufacturing, and entertainment businesses in the USA and abroad. Being an entrepreneur, he recognized talent in young men and women and became an igniting force for their businesses. Through using capital earned through his architectural practice, he has deployed millions into God’s kingdom in for-profit businesses and ministry efforts throughout the world.     Raymond is a Senior Fellow of Entrepreneurship in the Institute of Global Engagement at Dallas Baptist University.  He is a writer and speaker, having previously published three books Business by Design, The Heart of Business, and The Anatomy of a Successful Firm.  Raymond has delivered chapel messages at LeTourneau University, Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS), and many lectures and talks at Wheaton College, The Kings College (NYC), Oklahoma University, Dallas Baptist University, DTS Leader Board, ISI, The Navigators, OMF, Elevate USA, Movement Day, Crown Financial Ministries, Kingdom Advisors, New Canaan Society (Manhattan), Redeemer City to City with Tim Keller, among others.  As Bill Hendricks of DTS once said, “Raymond is not a professional speaker, but he is a very effective one.” Raymond has been an executive producer, founding partner and chairman of the board for Erwin Brothers Entertainment which has now become the largest faith-based movie producer.  Movies include, I Can Only Imagine, American Underdog, Jesus Revolution, Moms Night Out, Woodlawn, I Still Believe, and October Baby.   He is an executive producer for Getty Music on the Evensong album.  Raymond sits on the board of the Come and See Foundation which owns the rights to the sensational series The Chosen. Although Raymond has never been in vocational ministry, he has endeavored to build God’s kingdom through business and unique ministry projects.  The insights through his forty years of experience in business has helped many so far, including the men that he mentors and the thousands that have heard him speak and have read his books. Most of the ministries and businesses that Raymond helped start have said “we could not have done this or we would not be here without Raymond’s help.”

First, & most importantly, I’m a husband of a beautiful wife & father to an amazing 4-year-old. Of secondary importance, I am the owner of Beard & Bowler Productions, a Commercial Filmmaking creative company that helps nonprofits raise funds & awareness through the power of storytelling via video. I have worn all the hats, including an English bowler, in my time building this company & have been privileged to work with a long list of businesses, agencies, & organizations. There is genuine power to the art of storytelling and I’m proud to be part of a company that uses this power to make an impact in our world. As with any good story there are numerous details I must not go into great detail over here. From my days as a hard news journalist to A.J. Video to Beard & Bowler I continue to learn & grow. Only greater things to come… just you wait.

Bob joined Crossmark in May 2021 as Chief Investment Officer (CIO),  bringing over 40 years of industry experience to guide the investment process and serve as portfolio manager for multiple Crossmark large-cap strategies. He also utilizes his investment expertise to provide weekly and quarterly investment commentaries, as well as annual market predictions. Bob is a regular guest and contributor to multiple media outlets such as CNBC, Bloomberg TV, Moneywise, and Fox  Business News. Prior to arriving at Crossmark, he held the roles of  Senior Portfolio Manager and Chief Equity Strategist at Nuveen and  Blackrock, President and Chief Investment Officer at Merrill Lynch  Investment Managers, and Chief Investment Officer at Oppenheimer  Funds, Inc.   Bob graduated from Lehigh University with a B.S. in Accounting and a B.A. in Economics. He later went on to earn an M.B.A. from the  Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a Certified  Public Accountant (CPA) and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst  (CFA®) designation, as well as the FINRA Series 7 and 63 securities licenses.  Bob dedicates his time as choir director at his local church and also serves on a number of boards including the Alliance of Confessing  Evangelicals, Word of Life Fellowship, New Canaan Society, Kingdom  Advisors, National Christian Foundation, Gordon Conwell Theological  Seminary, The Lausanne Movement, Movement.org, Cairn University,  Christianity Today, and the Princeton Healthcare System.  Bob and his wife Leslie currently reside in Princeton, New Jersey and have three children.

As the Senior Partner and CEO of Hampton Square Wealth Management, Scott helps over 170 households and organizations to plan, invest, and steward their money in a way that reflects their values and life goals. Scott worked for Northwestern Mutual Insurance and then Merrill Lynch before starting Hampton Square Wealth Management, so he could focus on values-aligned investing and talk more freely about his faith.  He now holds the designations of Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®) by the College for Financial Planning and Certified Kingdom Advisor®. Before joining the financial services industry in 2009, Scott was president of an international manufacturing and importing company in New York City, where he enjoyed a long and successful career. Scott has taken many active leadership roles in Sussex County, New Jersey. He has served on a local Board of Education, his township government board, his church elder board, and two non-profit boards of directors. He is a member of the Sussex County Chamber of Commerce and Business Networking International (BNI). He is also the leader of a local Kingdom Advisors® monthly study group for Christian Financial Advisors in northwest New Jersey. Scott lives in Hampton Township, NJ with his wife Jan.  Together, they have six adult children and enjoy spending time with (and sometimes without) them at their vacation home near Camp-of-the-Woods in the Adirondacks.  Scott is an active member of C12 New Jersey.

Along with his brother, Jon began his career as a teenager working for ESPN as a camera operator in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. Jon worked as a sports cameraman and covered University of Alabama games all over the country and also worked with ESPN College Football Primetime, FOX NFL, and the NBA. In 2002, he founded a production company with his brother, Andrew. Their first ventures were commercials, documentaries and music videos. The brothers soon were directing videos and producing concerts and television programs for platinum recording artists such as Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Casting Crowns, Switchfoot, Skillet and others and received eleven GMA Dove Awards nominations and 3 wins for Music Video of the Year. Alongside their award-winning music videos, Jon and Andrew have also produced and directed several documentaries. These include the multi-award winning 9/11 story, “The Cross and the Towers”. In 2010, Jon and Andrew began exclusively developing dramatic feature films. Their features have all opened in the top ten box office on opening weekend and they have received the coveted A+ Cinema Score twice. Their features include OCTOBER BABY, MOMS’ NIGHT OUT, WOODLAWN and the 2018 surprise hit I CAN ONLY IMAGINE, which became the #1 independent film of 2018, earning over $83 million at the box office. In 2019, Jon and Andrew launched Kingdom Story Company, alongside their partners Kevin Downes and Tony Young, with a first-look deal with Lionsgate. The first film from that venture is I STILL BELIEVE, a biopic about CCM megastar Jeremy Camp slated for 3/20/20. Jon serves as Chief Executive Officer at Kingdom Story Company as well as writes and co-directs feature films with Andrew. He is also the author of the upcoming book For Love and Honor, which tells the amazing true story of his grandfather Red Erwin, who received the Congressional Medal of Honor in WWII. It is slated for publication in 2020.

Ron Hutchcraft is an impassioned contemporary evangelist, speaker, author and radio host. As President of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Ron and his team specialize in developing authentic, relevant and creative tools to, as Ron says, "Bring the lost to the Cross." Ron is committed to communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost in their language and to motivating and equipping believers to communicate Christ to the lost in their world. He has hosted two international youth radio broadcasts and has authored many books. His most recent book came out in 2021 – Hope When Your Heart is Breaking: Finding God's Presence in Your Pain (Harvest House). For over 35 years, Ron has been a part of people's daily lives through his popular radio program. "A Word With You" is heard on over 1,300 outlets across the country and broadcast internationally in the six most-spoken languages in the world. Ron, with his late wife Karen, is the co-founder of On Eagles' WingsTM, an outreach and leadership development program for Native American, First Nations and Alaskan Native young people. He has traveled with and helped shepherd Native-led On Eagles' WingsTM teams that have brought hope to over 100 Native communities. He is also co-founder of the Warrior Leadership Summit conference, which annually brings together young people from almost 100 indigenous nations. In addition, the On Eagles' WingsTM Warrior Scholarship Fund has helped many Native young people go to college to train for spiritual leadership among their people. Ron has been a popular speaker for major events and conferences in North America, Africa, South America, Australia and Asia and has spent his entire life working cross-culturally with young people. At Billy Graham Schools of Evangelism and other conferences, Ron has trained tens of thousands of Christian leaders in how to be spiritual rescuers in our rapidly-changing culture. Ron is looked to as a "Spiritual Rescue Coach." Ron comes alongside Christian ministries, organizations and leaders, and provides both the "want to" and the "how to" for using their influence for maximum evangelistic impact. "Movements of rescue" have been and continue to be developed through Christian business leaders, Christian Radio broadcasters, church leaders, everyday believers, and more. Rev. Hutchcraft served as the Chairman of the 1991 Northern New Jersey Billy Graham Crusade, and frequently spoke at Billy Graham Evangelistic Association pre-Crusade youth events and Schools of Evangelism. He continues to speak regularly at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove. Ron was honored as Moody Bible Institute's Alumnus of the Year for 1997. Ron has worked alongside his late wife and life-long ministry partner, Karen. They have three children who have served with them in ministry, and nine grandchildren.

Cole retired from a 37-year career on Wall Street in 2021. He currently serves as managing partner and founder of Narrowgate Partners, a consulting and advisory firm. He is an author and will publish his book, “The Narrow Gate,” this fall. He spent the last 11 years of his career in investment banking at Citibank, where he was co-head of the leveraged finance business for the U.S. and Canada. In this role, he was responsible for managing the origination, approval, and distribution of leveraged loan and high yield bond financings for large corporate issuers, including LBOs for the world’s largest private equity firms. His responsibilities also included leading the recruiting of analysts for all businesses within Citi Capital Markets; liaising with U.S. regulators from the Fed, FDIC, and OCC; serving on the Capital Commitments Committee and the Investment Banking U.S. Operating Committee. Prior to Citi, Cole spent two-and-a-half years at HSBC, where he was hired to grow its leveraged finance business and was promoted to co-head of its commercial and investment banking business for the Americas. In this capacity, he oversaw the firm’s origination and product groups, including M&A and public and private equity and debt. Prior to HSBC, Cole had a 20-year career with Deutsche Bank in investment banking, primarily in client service and origination, initially focusing on the Midwest region and then as head of the Chemical Industry group. He also spent two years in London in a risk management role, approving all transactions in the UK and Europe for corporate clients as well as distressed debt trading. He started the U.S. Leveraged Finance group in 2001, which he led until his departure at the end of 2007. Deutsche Bank was awarded the U.S. Leveraged Finance House of the Year by IFR Magazine in 2006. Prior to Deutsche Bank, Cole spent three years at Continental Bank as an associate, and prior to that, he spent two years at General Electric in its Financial Management Program. He is a board member and former chair of the New Canaan Society (a ministry serving men), president of Faith in Financial Services, a member of the Center for Being Known (psychiatrist Curt Thompson’s organization that facilitates connected communities), a member of the New York City Salvation Army, and an advisor for the DRM Foundation (promoting mental health among college students and young professionals). While a student in the Kelley School, Cole was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity and captain of the Men’s Swimming team, through which he was an NCAA All-American and Big 10 champion. He received the Balfour Award given to one member of each sport for “outstanding performance and conduct.” In 2012, the I Association awarded Cole with the ZG Clevenger Award, which is given to alumni who have made outstanding contributions through service to IU’s athletic program. In 2020, he received IU’s Bicentennial Award for his personal and professional efforts to broaden the reach of IU. He has served on the Kelley School Dean’s Council for more than 15 years, and the Cole family has funded scholarships for Kelley and IU Men’s Swimming. Cole received an MBA in accounting and finance from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 1992. He is married to Kim, and they have three children and four grandchildren.

Tucker Rodkey is a visionary leader, artist, communicator and founder of Painting Freedom Ministries. At the age of 17, Tucker was given a vision to use art to spread the Gospel. Over the following years, Tucker travelled all across the United States painting and preaching the Gospel. In 2017, this gave birth to Painting Freedom Ministries, a team of artists dedicated to the sole purpose of using art to impact lives. Painting Freedom has gone on to share the Gospel with hundreds of thousands of people and is actively involved in the revitalization of inner city Chester. Additionally, Tucker is an avid reader and coffee drinker.

The 30-year owner of a construction company, Mike Palombi has been building foundations—both for houses and for young lives. In 2008, Mike was able to accomplish what even the law said he’d never be able to accomplish; he received a Standard Certification for Teacher of Carpentry allowing him to teach in any school in the State of New Jersey. Since his release from prison, Mike has used his trade skills and experience of overcoming the entanglements of addiction and incarceration to teach at-risk youth the importance of building foundations for life. In January 2014 Mike released his award-winning memoir, How’s It Feel, Tough Guy? From Prisoner of Pride to Prisoner of Hope. His memoir, received 1st Place recognition in The Christian Writers Awards, in the category of Counseling/Recovery and is currently in over 400 prisons and county jails nationwide. Together with his wife Heidi, they use the book as a vehicle to bring a message of hope to those most others deem to be hopeless. Most recently, Mike has completed the Brooklyn Teen Challenge School of Ministry and is pursuing his ministerial credentials to help position himself to have access to the prison populations he desires most to minister to.  Mike regularly speaks at men’s groups, churches, recovery events, drug treatment facilities, and jails. Mike and Heidi attend and serve at El Bethel International Ministries Church, Inc. in Port Jarvis, NY.

Mason Rutledge is the national Executive Partner of the New Canaan Society. His appointment was announced at the 2023 NCS National Retreat. Mason is also President of Grand Avenue Consulting and Red Door Investments and serves on the Board of KIROS, a marketplace ministry in Seattle/Bellevue, WA. Prior to starting at NCS, he was the President of C3 Leaders, a ministry to business owners. Mason previously served CRISTA Ministries, which his grandfather helped found, as the Senior Director of Donor Relations, and he served for 25 years with Young Life, as Senior Regional Director for Young Life’s largest region, as worldwide Director of Training, and in other local, regional and national roles. Known as an excellent communicator and trainer, Mason has taught around the world. NavPress published his first book/study, Memorize This! TMS V3.0. He has also been published in numerous magazines, including Pray!, Discipleship Journal and Christian Reader. His second study, God Moves, will be released in 2023. He has a Master of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary and a bachelor’s degree from Washington State University. He and his wife, Brenda, live in Everett, Wash. They have three adult children (Merrick & Kelsey Rutledge, Madison & Kameron Fleming, and Murdock Rutledge) and two grandchildren from the Flemings, Kingston and Kinsley. Mason enjoys cooking, running, traveling, and time with his family.

Waikiki "Kiki" Paulino: Fusing Profound Commercial Real Estate Acumen with Christian Faith-Driven Leadership for Comprehensive Impact Waikiki Paulino, affectionately known as Kiki, is a dual force in commercial real estate development and Christian faith-based community service. Leveraging more than 25 years of experience, Kiki has managed projects with budgets totaling an inspiring $2.5 billion and has successfully overseen the construction of over 3.5 million square feet of commercial real estate. His business, CRE Construction Partners, is a leading light in the sector, representing Private Commercial Real Estate Investors, Family Offices, and Institutions across the United States. Kiki’s educational background is equally robust, with a degree in Structural Engineering and Architectural Studies from New York City Technical College, a bachelor’s in Construction Management from Pratt Institute, and additional real estate master's courses at New York University. His portfolio boasts transformative projects such as the Bear Sterns headquarters, the SEC headquarters, The Flatiron Building renovation, Baccarat Hotel, Waldorf Astoria Renovation, and NYACK College Jersey City Dorms, among others. Having grown up facing the multifaceted challenges of Brooklyn, Kiki developed resilience and a commitment to community that have shaped him personally and professionally. These values shine through in his role as the non-profit founder of Kings in Christ, a men's group based in Wyckoff, NJ, focusing on spiritual and personal development. He also leads a commercial real estate men's mastermind group in NYC, a testament to his skill in merging professional expertise with a passion for community and mentorship. Since finding salvation at the age of 26, Kiki has been unwavering in his devotion to Jesus Christ. He credits all his accomplishments to God's grace and blessings upon his life. Currently, he is furthering his biblical studies and pastoral training, a pursuit that dovetails perfectly with his role as a trained chaplain and grief counselor. Kiki's emotional intelligence and compassionate leadership make him a dynamic force for positive change. He is steadfastly committed to generational wealth-building, community enhancement, and, most importantly, helping individuals find their purpose in both spiritual and material realms. At the heart of Kiki's life and ambitions lies a deep-rooted commitment to his family. As a loving husband to his wife Neivis and an attentive father to his two precious daughters, Angie and Celeste, Kiki embodies the family values that are central to the mission of Kings in Christ.

Branch Commander, Homeland Security Branch, New Jersey State Police Christopher M. DeMaise was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on June 1, 2023, and has faithfully served more than 24 years with the New Jersey State Police (NJSP). He currently oversees the Homeland Security Branch which encompasses the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management and the Special Operations Section. This group is comprised of more than 438 enlisted Troopers and 442 civilians. He serves as the Deputy State Director of Emergency Management and has held roles such as State Emergency Response Commission Co-Chair, State Coordinating Officer (SCO) and Governor Authorized Representative (GAR) for numerous Presidentially Declared Disasters. He also serves as the Accountability Officer for the American Rescue Plan funds awarded to the New Jersey State Police and has been tasked with integrity monitoring for $2.4 Billion Coronavirus Relief Funds for the State of New Jersey. Prior to this assignment, LTC DeMaise served in various assignments within the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management. He served as the Unit Head of the Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Unit and oversaw the transition of New Jersey Task Force 1 (NJ-TF1), the state’s Urban Search and Rescue team, into the Federal US &R system. As the NJ-TF1 Representative, he led deployments to incidents such as Hurricane Matthew (North Carolina), Hurricane Harvey (Texas) and Hurricane Florence (North Carolina). He also served as the Incident Commander and other Command and General staff positions for several Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) deployments to Puerto Rico (Operation FURIA- Hurricane Fiona-2022, NJSPEAR- Earthquake Response- 2020, and NJPRIDE- Hurricane Maria-2017.) Preceding his assignment to the Emergency Management Section, LTC DeMaise spent 12 years in the Special Operations Section. He was promoted to Lieutenant of the NJSP Technical Emergency and Missions Specialist Unit (T.E.A.M.S.) where he initiated numerous programmatic goals based on enhancing the training and certification of the Unit’s membership, enabling grant funding of resources as well as realigning the records management processes of the Unit to a more professional standard. During his assignment in the Special Operations Section, he served as the Station Commander of the Atlantic City Marine Station and Training Officer for the Section. He served as Chair of the Training and Civil Disturbance Response Committee for Superbowl XLVIII held at Met Life Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ. LTC DeMaise proudly served the United States Marine Corps for six years (active duty/reserves) before joining the NJSP. He has earned a Master’s in Human Resources Administration from Seton Hall University and a Master’s in Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School. He also attained a Bachelor’s Degree in Law & Justice with a Minor in Spanish from Rowan University, where he now serves as an adjunct professor. He has been married to his wife Chrissy for 24 years, and they have three children, Tyler, Emma and Layla. Emma currently attends Rowan University and Tyler has recently graduated from the institution.

Greg Brenneman is Executive Chairman of CCMP and a member of the Firm’s Investment Committee. Mr. Brenneman plays an active leadership role in executing the Firm’s overall strategy while remaining actively engaged in completing transactions, developing strategies and coaching the senior management of CCMP’s portfolio companies. Prior to joining CCMP in October 2008, Mr. Brenneman served as Chairman, CEO, President and/or COO of Quiznos Sub, Burger King, PwC Consulting and Continental Airlines. In 1994 Mr. Brenneman founded Turnworks, Inc. (“Turnworks”), his personal investment firm that focuses on corporate turnarounds. Prior to founding Turnworks, Mr. Brenneman was a Vice President for Bain & Company. Mr. Brenneman currently serves on the board of directors of Hayward, Ecovyst, Baker Hughes, Baylor College of Medicine and The Home Depot, Inc. Mr. Brenneman is an Emmy Award winner and the author of Right Away & All At Once, Five Steps To Transform Your Business and Enrich Your Life. Mr. Brenneman holds a bachelor’s of business administration degree in accounting/finance, summa cum laude, from Washburn University of Topeka, Kansas and a masters of business administration degree with distinction from Harvard Business School. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Commerce degree from Washburn University.

Joseph Kelley is the Founder of Building For Him Ministries, an organization with the mission to educate, advance economic development and raise up disciples and leaders throughout the world. They are currently working closely with pastors in India, Venezuela, Pakistan, and Kenya. He is also the president of On-Site Construction– he has built the highest quality architecturally designed custom houses in the Hampton’s for the past 40 years, which vary in style from classic to ultra-modern. Several houses he has built have been showcased in books and magazines and featured across various forms of digital and social media. His assembled team of skilled sub contractors are among the finest skilled craftsmen in their various fields of expertise. Joseph additionally serves as the Senior Pastor of Hampton’s Church, faithfully guiding his congregation. He has been married for 45 years, is a proud father of six grown children, and is a grandfather to nine grandchildren.

Ray was in the National Football League for seven seasons: four with the Jets, one with the Patriots, and two with the Miami Dolphins. Lucas was a favorite player of Bill Parcells during Parcells’ time in New England and with the Jets, and was one of the players Parcells eventually brought over from the Patriots to the Jets. The son of a Giants season ticket holder, Lucas, who grew up at Exit 15W has said that he could have walked to the Meadowlands and knew the stadium well. Lucas started in the Jets’ 1999 preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers, and Parcells had him in the running for the starting and second-string quarterback role during that season. After starting QB Vinny Testaverde was injured in the first game of the season, Lucas started several games. Following his playing days, Lucas began to talk about the game. Lucas worked for SportsNet New York as an analyst to Jets programs such as pre-game and post-game shows and weekly updates, before leaving in 2020. On March 28, 2008, Lucas was named to the Hudson County Sports Hall of Fame and in 2014, Lucas co-wrote the book Under Pressure: How Playing Football Almost Cost Me Everything and Why’d I’d Do It All Again. In the book, Lucas explains how he turned to painkillers after his career-ending injury, and how the abuse of painkillers leaves many former players unable to lead a normal life once their playing days are over. Lucas also tells how he overcame the addiction and turned his life around. In March 2018, Lucas was named Executive Director of the Harrison New Jersey Housing Authority serving in the same capacity that his father did for 27 years.\ Lucas, lives in his hometown of Harrison with his wife, Cecy, and their three daughters: Rayven, Madison, and Kayla.

Pastor Anthony Fleming was born and raised Aussie, has a passion for God, people, and life. From the young age of 19, Anthony believed he was called to preach the word of God. He earned a tennis scholarship to Liberty University and represented the school during college while earning a Bachelor of Business of Science in Business Marketing. It was here that he also met his beautiful wife Miriam. They have 3 beautiful children and together they founded and currently serve as the Senior Pastors of Church Alive in northern New Jersey. From a basement with 8 people at the start of the church, Church Alive has grown to over 1300 people in attendance, and is known for its passion for God, love for people, and generosity in the community. Wanting to practically equip people to have a fresh, real, and powerful walk with God, in 2018, Anthony launched Transform. Through a dedicated focus to develop men, he continually sees to it that men find genuine faith and continue to get unstuck and flourish in all areas of life. What started as a men’s group at Church Alive grew in 2021, when Anthony Fleming released his first book, Transform. He is now the President of Transform the Movement and continues to coach leaders throughout the nation and empower men to rise up and transform their lives.

Nicholas Di Iorio has been part of the NCS Manhattan community since November 2012. After leaving the seminary to be a Roman Catholic priest, he moved to New York to start his career at Pfizer Inc. During his career, he has been a financial contractor, political candidate, educator, and development officer. Nicholas and his wife Dana have been married since 2017 and live on the Upper West Side. He has degrees in philosophy from Providence College and Fordham University. Nicholas is passionate about helping those in need and ensuring is included and part of a community. He currently raises money for a mobile outreach to our neighbors experiencing homelessness called City Relief.

Larry Hartmann, is the CEO of ZRG Partners, recently recognized as the fastest-growing executive search firm in North and South America with offices around the world providing senior-level retained search services to clients. Prior to joining ZRG Partners in 2002, Larry was a founder of Rockford Industries; a NASDAQ traded commercial lending business that supported the medical device market. While at Rockford, the firm went from a pure start-up to an Inc. 500 recognized growth firm through IPO and ultimate sale to American Express. After the sale, Larry was an EVP with American Express for three years. Larry also has broad board of director experience. In addition to public company experience as a board member, he has also served on boards in both Private Equity and Venture-backed businesses. Additionally, Larry founded and now leads a non-profit ministry, Impact Paterson, which supports jobs placement and creation for the community of Paterson, NJ in the spirit of the Good Samaritan. Larry is also author of Oddly Unjust, a book that explores the proof and odds that God exists, the Bible is the truth, and Jesus was indeed God’s Son through the lens of the OJ Simpson murder trial. Larry is married for 31 years and lives in Edgewater, New Jersey with his wife. He has three sons.

As the Development Coordinator of Servant’s Heart, Nate is responsible for the growth and progress of a local Christ-centered, construction-based nonprofit. Since graduating from Ramapo College with a degree in Business Management, he is has been professionally serving in ministry for the last ~15 years: pioneering a multi-site youth program, starting a church location as Campus Pastor, and working as a Pastor of Community Engagement. Nate’s deepest passion is to see the Church mobilized into the local community. For that reason, it was a smooth transition from working inside the walls of the church to now working outside the walls at Servant’s Heart, where he oversees roughly 400 volunteers a year.  As a Jersey native, Nate met his wife Kaitlyn at Pequannock Township High School. They’ve been married for 11 years, and have four kids: Hailey (10), Melida (8), Luke (6), Madison (4).

Lee is from Greensboro, NC. He attended Page Senior High School. Lee varsity-lettered in several sports and was an integral part of the Page Pirate community. He went on to receive a full scholarship to the University of Colorado where he played for Coach Bill McCartney. Lee was the 4th all-time leading rusher at Colorado from 1980 – 84. He was a key factor in turning the Colorado Buffaloes’ program around to become a National Champion. Lee was drafted by the New York Giants and played under Bill Parcells for six years and won two Super Bowl rings with the Giants. He was Special Teams player of the year in 1986. Lee’s Professional Football career was ended because of ankle injury. In his final year in the NFL, he was a starting Full Back and Tight End with the Cleveland Browns under Coach Bill Belicheck. Lee has worked as a professional speaker with Sports World Ministries for over 20 years. He has served as Director of North Jersey for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for 15 years, and presently sits on the board, serving North Jersey FCA. Lee helped to plant the New Horizon Church Ministry serving as Associate Pastor and praise and worship leader under the leadership of Pastor Michel Faulkner beginning in 2006. Lee recently worked as manager for the mentoring and leadership program in the Mount Olive Township School District. He serves as a board member for Legacy Minded Men and a Board Trustee for Pillar College. Lee obtained a BA in Business Management at Malone University in Canton, Ohio. Also, Lee has an MBA with a concentration in Workplace Conflict Management. Currently, Lee is the Principal Executive for an LLC; Move Your Chains, a consulting company that looks to work within the educational and business industries. Lee works tirelessly throughout the community encouraging everyone from the youth to the elderly with the message of Hope. Lee and his wife, Lisa, have four children and eight grandchildren.

Ray was born and was raised by his mother and his grandparents in Brooklyn and East New York. After high school he attended NYC Technical College and went on to work for the NYC Department of Transportation. With a desire for life change and more experience he joined the Army National Guard. Little did he know this experience would include a “battlefield” conversion and a new purpose for life. Ray served in the Army for 21 years with tours in Bosnia during Operation Noble Eagle and in Iraq during Operation Enduring Freedom. After ten years at the NYDOT he joined the NYPD where he served for 20 years as an officer and detective in some of NYC’s toughest neighborhoods. His greatest joy with the NYPD was community engagement. These interactions fueled his desire to mentor young men and help others fight through adversity to realize their full potential. Ray’s work with youth has garnered him recognition by the New York City Police Foundation where he received the Dale Hermerdinger Award for “Community Service.” In 2021, he co-authored a collaborative book entitled The Reveal an Analogy. Ray’s chapter “Full Circle” is a chronicle of his life’s journey to manhood and finding his purpose. Today Ray spends his “retired” years mentoring young men and working with Inspire Sports Camps to develop new urban partnerships. He is a also a minister at his home church, Bethel Gospel Tabernacle in Jamaica, Queens. He and his wife, Princess, reside in Long Island.

As a member of Generation “Z”, Jordan is uniquely positioned to impact his Generation with the Gospel. Jordan has grown up in a multi-generational ministry family. He is a graduate of Liberty University, with a Bachelor’s in Religion: Biblical and Theological Studies, and is an ordained reverend. As a frequent speaker at churches and conferences, Whitmer challenges both young people and adults to join Jesus in fulfilling His Great Commission. He has been the subject of numerous local and national media appearances for radio, television, and print. Jordan is passionate about mobilizing student leaders around the world to impact their generation for Christ. Jordan is the host of the Gen Z Today Podcast. He travels frequently, and can often be seen at Starbucks mentoring and encouraging young people to boldly lead for Jesus.

Henry Eugene “Hank” Erwin Jr. was the son of Henry Eugene “Red” Erwin Sr., a U.S. Army Air Forces sergeant who earned the Medal of Honor in World War II. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and graduated from Ensley High School in 1967, before going on to earn degrees at Troy State University (1972), Southeastern Bible College (1974), and the Dallas Seminary (1981). Erwin broke into broadcasting in the 1970s and served radio and TV stations in Dallas, Texas, and Birmingham, Alabama, for almost 35 years.[citation needed] He was elected to the Alabama Senate in 2002 and re-elected in 2006. Erwin and his wife, Shelia, have two sons, filmmakers Andrew and Jon Erwin.

Logan Gentry is the Generosity:NYC Director for Generous Life. Generous Life is creating a movement of generosity among Christian philanthropists by awakening the hearts of those blessed with capacity to transform the way we give, and leading the next generation to give with purpose. Logan was a pastor for 12 years in Manhattan, where his last role was the Lead Pastor at Lower Manhattan Community Church in Tribeca. LMCC was known for the miracle of generosity, giving away over $1 Million annually to 25 ministries and missions while Logan served as the pastor.  He is also an executive coach who combines strategic planning with personal care. He assists clients and their teams unlock their potential to live the best vision for their lives and businesses. Logan’s distinct coaching style empowers clients to align their personal life vision with their professional ambitions. Before two decades in pastoral ministry, Logan’s career journey began as a civil engineer working in urban planning. His distinct career path has allowed him to work with and impact hundreds of CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business leaders.

Ken is a lifelong resident of the area. He ran a family-owned business for a number of years before passing it to his sons. He and his wife, Judy, recently celebrated their 51st anniversary. Their two sons and grandchildren live in the immediate area. He is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickenson University and Biblical School of Theology. He was ordained as a Baptist minister. In 1975, he began Applied Biblical Counseling which was a counseling center based on Biblical principles. It served multiple area churches, police departments, children’s homes, and prisons. He retired for a brief period in 2013, found himself taking naps in the afternoon, and realized retirement was not for him. He then worked as Executive Director and Counselor at Grace Redeemer Church as well as providing counseling advice to other ministries. Now he’s trying retirement a second time. So far his retirement/COVID interment have resulted in he and his wife painting the interior of their home and a few days at the Corvette race track.

John Hanna is New Jersey State Capitol Minister with Ministry to State, a ministry to those serving in government. Ministry to State is an evangelistic gospel outreach to government, which also exhorts those who profess faith in the Lord to be faithful to him in their calling within government. It also serves a voice of witness and conscience to government. In addition, Ministry to State aims to be a bridge between the government and the Church of our Lord in New Jersey. John is a graduate of Binghamton University (B.A., Pol. Sci.), The American University Washington College of Law (J.D.), and Westminster Theological Seminary (M. Div.). Prior to going into full-time ministry, John practiced law for over a decade. He has served as Associate Pastor of All Souls Community Church in Suffern, NY, and as Pastor of Restore Fellowship in Oakland, NJ. He and his wife, Nevine, have five children. John believes that the opportunity to serve with Ministry to State in New Jersey brings together his education, experience, and interests. His hope is that in and through Ministry to State, the powerful, gracious, redeeming, dying, and rising, truth and love of God through Jesus Christ in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit would be at work in and among the people in government in New Jersey.

John Jay Crandall, AIA will speak on the journey Christ has laid out for him, especially during the transition to retirement. The path has had hardship, joy and life altering implications, not always realized at the time they were happening! John looks for ways to work for our Lord in all endeavors and tries to realize the presence of Christ in every moment. John will speak on his journey and how Christ is calling him today. John is a “retired” Architect with over 40 years of experience in the design, construction and leasing of a wide variety of facilities. He has been responsible for the coordination, planning and construction efforts for Fortune 500 companies, managing their design professionals, working with their project teams as well as both tenant and landlord leasing teams. For 25 years John has been a volunteer serving our Lord through the Appalachia Service Project (ASP). ASP serves the people of Central Appalachia performing emergency home repairs. The focus of the organization is to make homes “warmer, safer and dryer”. Mr. Crandall has served on the ASP Board of Trustees and helped spear head the “New Build–Appalachia” projects as well. John serves on other Christ centered not-for-profit Boards and started “ACT Now!” Youth Fellowship in Morris county. ACT (Applying Christ Touch) organizes and funds youth mission trips and projects. John also is a past President for Tres Dias of Northern New Jersey.

The Boswell Aiosa Group Ron Aiosa co-founded The Boswell Aiosa Group with William Boswell of Keller Williams Prosperity Realty. The team is comprised of Listing, Buyer and Rental Specialists along with a full-time client relations and administrative staff. Boswell and Aiosa were each named Platinum Level recipients of the NJAR® Circle of Excellence Sales Award® for the last consecutive 9 years, the highest level recognized by NJ Realtors®. They have consistently been ranked in the top tier on the REAL Trends Best Real Estate Agents in America list of NJ’s top real estate sales professionals based on closed transaction sides. The Prosperity Network Aiosa, along with his business partner Bill Boswell, is the co-owner & founder of Keller Williams Prosperity in Wayne, NJ as well as Keller Williams Integrity in Sparta, NJ. These brokerages both continue to grow and flourish, providing their communities with the best real estate agents in the industry. They pride themselves on establishing the most incredible cultures any real estate environment has ever seen along with ancillary income through multiple opportunity streams provided by their companies, daily training relative to today’s environment as well as a world class staff which supports, trains and encourages their agents at the highest level. Personal Ron is married to his beautiful wife Laurie for 25 years, is father to three amazing children and has a desire to speak the name of Jesus every day. He looks for opportunities to open doors in what he considers his mission field, the daily workplace. Ron Aiosa is known as one of the happiest men alive, one who is always there to uplift a person a need and spread as much joy as he possibly can.

Raised in a Pastor’s home in Northern Jersey, Aaron went to Midland Park High School and then attended The College of New Jersey where he studied Finance and played basketball, graduating in 2010. After working for five years at a financial firm in NYC, Aaron joined the staff at Grace Church of Ridgewood in 2015 and enrolled in the M.Div program at Southern Seminary. In January 2017, Aaron became the Senior Pastor at Grace. His main responsibilities are setting the vision and direction of the church along with the elders, leading the staff, preaching, and shepherding the congregation. Aaron’s passion and burden, which God has increasingly stirred in his heart over the past five years, has revolved around the gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed and applied in the lives of young men and women through the context of the local church. Aaron has been married to Rochelle since 2012, and they have four children: Kaden, Brinley, Graham, and Loren.

As an Assistant Vice President at LAN Associates, Matt is responsible for the development and management of LAN’s New Jersey Architectural Department. He has been in the architectural industry for over 17 years, working at several local and global firms including Wells Associates and Gensler. He is a licensed architect, member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), LEED Accredited Professional, Construction Document Technologist (CDT), and is NCARB certified. Matt graduated Magna Cum Laude from the New Jersey Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s in architecture. Matt’s diverse background in design, construction and technical knowledge has led to a creative and well-rounded leadership style. He plays a vital role in LAN’s business development and project contract acquisition efforts, and his expertise in project management has led him to efficiently direct various projects ranging from hospitality, commercial, retail, mixed-use, multi-family, and non-profit institutions. Matt’s background in historic adaptive reuse, and passion for sustainability, have proven the ideal mix to support the development and execution of many award-winning projects across the region. Recently, he was recognized by NJBIZ as a Leader in New Jersey Real Estate and Construction. Beyond his day-to-day professional role, Matt is passionate about community service and donating his time and talents to underserved communities and non-profits in need. He has designed and coordinated the construction of a school in an impoverished area of Mexico and lead the master planning and design efforts for a medical center development in Uganda, Africa. Matt was also the co-founder of a local Christian skateboarding non-profit called Solid Foundation. Currently, he serves on the facilities committee at his local church, involved in teaching at the Servants Heart Workmanship training program in Paterson and serving on the board as chapter president of the Bergen chapter of New Canaan Society. He is married to his wife Monica for 17 years and has three children, Riley, Madison, and Evan.

Rupert is the President of Pillar College, the only bible based Christian College in the state of New Jersey. He is also the Founder and Chairman of Organization and People Dynamics, Inc., an organizational consultancy focusing on emotional and leadership development under the auspices of The Center for Emotional Development and the Center for Emotional and Spiritual Development. He is the former Chief Operating Officer and Executive Pastor of an 10,000-member (Christ Church) and 3,500-member (The Life Christian Church) organization. He is one of the founding members of the board of the Movement.Org, (formerly the New York City Leadership Center) and chief architects of Advance Leadership Intensive (formerly, Leadership Fellows Program), a program dedicated to the development of leaders in the for-purpose and social sectors. He is a board member of Salvation Army specific to Newark, NJ. He has coached executives in the for-profit and for-purpose organizations. He has over thirty years in the field of strategic management from such organizations as Cytec Industries, Prudential Financial, Christ Church and Merck Pharmaceutical. He served as an Officer in the United States Air Force. He received his Ph.D. from Regent University with a specialization in leadership, change management, and emotional intelligence. He has an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the field of Decision Sciences and Finance and BS in Accounting and Information Technology. He is a previous lecturer and adjunct professor for American Management Association and Stillman School of Business, Seton Hall University and current professor at Pillar College. Rupert is author of the books, Practical Strategy: Aligning Business with Information Technology and Emotional Intelligence and the Church. He, his wonderful wife-Maryann, and children Stephen and Savannah lives in Wantage, New Jersey. Rupert’s specialties, research interests, and certifications for individual, teams and organizations are: Emotional Intelligence and Organizational Leadership Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Virtues Authentic Leadership within Organizational Types BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-I and EQ-360) Assessment Team Emotional and Social Intelligence (TESI) Assessment Duncan Strategic Organizational Planning Framework Maslach Burnout Index (MBI)l Assessment and Deployment Team Leadership Development through Team Dysfunction Linkage William Bridges Transition framework for Organizational Change Linkage William Bridges Transition Framework for Individual Transition

Mike was born in 1947 in a small mountain town, Loudon Tn, and he was so talented that, by the time he reached the 8th grade he was known as “Tennessee Tarzan” being sought after to play in pool tournaments and move into a profession that would certainly encompass him through the rest of his life. He has lived the rough life of a hustler and he is alive today because God was with him through all the rough and hustling times he lived as a pool hustler. Mike Massey is a “Hall of Fame” pool player that has won 23 major titles and numerous 8-ball and 9-ball tournaments. He has traveled to at least 40 countries playing tournaments, teaching pool, doing exhibitions and the Gospel trick shot ministry. Mike has served his country from 1964 to 1967 is proudly a Veteran. He also had worked as a firefighter in Chattanooga, Tn in his earlier years. Mike has been married twice and he has a son named David and a daughter Anna that have blessed him with two grandsons, Zachary and A.J. with them all residing still today in Chattanooga, TN.

Steve Lillis is the current President and Founder of the worldwide ministry Gospel Trick Shot Ministries, Inc. (GTS) which is an evangelistic ministry using the BAM (Business As Mission) model for ministry. Recently this past October, he led a GTS team of five Christian American pool players along with a GTS coach from South Africa and two GTS team managers from South Carolina to Tangier, Morocco to compete in the 2022 World Blackball International Pool Championships with 32 nations in attendance. The GTS USA team did live Gospel Trick Shot Artistic Pool shows in the main arena with thousands viewing online from all over the world. GTS distributed billiard products as gifts from leading Amercian billiard manufacturers along with Bibles in both Arabic and English to players and fans in this Arab nation! Steve has recently been nominated and confirmed as the first President and Founder of the USA Blackball Pool Association and has been selected by his peers to be the General Secretary of Blackball International. He has been charged with the responsibility of bringing the vastly popular English styled billiard game of Blackball to the American shores. Gospel Trick Shot is using the BAM model of ministry by using the sport of billiards in 12 African nations to help the poor become self-sufficient. Blackball pool is the most popular cue sport on the African continent. GTS is not only providing billiard tables for future entrepreneurs but also has located a site in Zambia to build blackball pool tables for distribution. GTS is also partnering with churches both here in the USA and Africa to dig water wells along with a seed planting ministry to produce crops to help combat the great need for both food and water. GTS also currently has 23 international billiard industry partners assisting in this effort. In January, Steve will lead another GTS team to England to compete in the 2023 IPA World Blackball Championships and has again been invited to do special GTS Artistic Pool shows which will be broadcast on the BBC. The team has also been invited to Dublin, Ireland after England for more shows before heading back to the USA. Steve is a retired professor of English from William Paterson University after serving as an educator for 24 years here in Northern New Jersey. He has run after school programs and summer camps in the City of Paterson. He also was a franchise general manager for Chic-fil-A and the Corner Pockets of America. Steve has served on the Board of Trustees for the Passaic County Community College (PCCC) and has college degrees from PCCC, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), and St. Peter’s University, along with a 4-year Bible Diploma from the Hawthorne Evening Bible School.

Ron Hutchcraft is a 40-plus-year veteran of youth and family ministries. Ron presents the Gospel across North America and around the world, through city-wide evangelistic “Community Impact Weeks,” parenting seminars, singles’ events, youth outreaches, and business/professional dinners. He is the author of several ground-breaking books, including his most recent –Living Peacefully in a Stressful World. Ron hosts three radio programs, including the popular daily short feature “A Word With You.” Ron is s also the founder of “On Eagles’ Wings,” a Native American leadership program.

Reginald Smith serves as a Research Analyst for Eventide Asset Management, a values-based investment firm based in Boston. He is primarily responsible for finding and evaluating new investment opportunities in clean tech, clean energy, and traditional energy. Mr. Smith spent five years at Johnson Controls where he developed large energy conservation and solar projects and, most recently, led the development engineering for an energy storage start-up business within the firm. Before Eventide, he spent the Summer of 2019 at Marathon Capital, an investment bank in clean energy. Mr. Smith holds an MBA with High Distinction from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University.

Nick grew up in the Catskill Mountains working alongside his father and mother in a small family run restaurant. He attended SUNY Cortland, played varsity football, concentrated in athletic training, and graduated with a degree in Physical Education. Upon graduation from college Nick married Betsy and in his early 20’s was given the opportunity to own a small family market in Bedford Hills, NY. Under an apprenticeship to his uncle, he learned to become an artisan butcher… Yes, that’s right, a butcher… In the years to follow, after several attempts at business, his backgrounds in meat cutting and foodservice opened the door for him to teach aspiring culinarians the basics of cutting and selecting meat. Moving from teaching to administration, Nick spent the greater part of his eighteen-year career at The Culinary Institute of America in the office of Advancement where he learned the business of development and fundraising. ​Today, Nick is the Development Director for Hoving Home. Hoving Home is a Christ centered program dedicated to helping women overcome addiction. Hoving Home has been helping women overcome addictions of all kinds for the last 55 years and has provided opportunities for recovery to over 26,000 women. Currently, with locations in Oxford, NJ; Garrison, NY; Las Vegas, NV; Pasadena, CA; and Rose Hill, NC Hoving Home has the vision to have a presence in 50 states by 2050. In addition to his full-time job as Director of Development, Nick is an ordained pastor at The Reformed Church of the Comforter in Kingston, NY.

Panelist #1: Scott MacKenzie, CEO, Hampton Square Wealth Management As the Senior Partner and CEO of Hampton Square Wealth Management, Scott helps over 170 households and organizations to plan, invest, and steward their money in a way that reflects their values and life goals. Formerly with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and Northwestern Mutual Insurance, Scott holds the designations of Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®) by the College for Financial Planning and Certified Kingdom Advisor®. Panelist #2: Eric Rojas, Founder, Six+ One LLC Eric Rojas is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Six+One LLC a creative branding and category redefinition firm based in New York City. Eric graduated from FIT with a degree in Communication Arts. He started working at Deutsch Advertising working his way up from Art Director to Creative Director. He then moved to Amarati and grew their creative team from 8 to 60 people. Eric then transitioned to Havas before starting his own creative agency in July 2014. He and his team have worked on brands that became household names including CPGs such as Vitamin Water, Pirate’s Booty, Body Armor Sports Drinks as well as working in the financial sectors with giants such as New York Life and Charles Schwab. Panelist #3: Brendan DaSilva, CEO, The DaSilva Team Brendan Da Silva is the Founder and CEO of Da Silva Team, a residential real estate team that sold >$90M in volume and 200+ homes in 2021. Over the past several years, Brendan and The Da Silva Team have earned numerous accolades within their industry, been featured on Fox News for their generosity during the COVID-19 pandemic, and shown a commitment to building an faith driven and impact-oriented business. This year, Brendan and The Da Silva Team will move their office to Newark, New Jersey, where they will focus heavily on educating Newark residents about the home-buying process. Panelist #4: Bill Bavagnoli, President, Specialized Storage Solutions Inc. Bill Bavagnoli is President of Specialized Storage Systems in Fairfield, NJ. Their core values of Honesty, Integrity, and Service guide them to help customers create space, maximize productivity, and improve profitability in commercial facilities, and to honor God in all they do. They have been in business for more than 25 years, and have many Fortune 500 clients throughout the United States. Panel Host: Charles Eapen, Chair, C12NJ Charles (Chuck) Eapen is a follower of Christ, husband and dad. He’s lived on both coasts and got his start in business by joining a startup he eventually became President of. It was through his working career he was introduced to the person of Jesus Christ and since then has strived to be a faithful follower to lead people to Jesus. Today, Chuck is the Principal Chair and CEO of The C12 Group Northern NJ and leads 20+ corporations ranging in size from a few million to a few hundred million in revenues. Through C12 and their network of 3,000+ corporations across 5 countries, C12 is the largest professional development corporation for Christian business Owners/CEOs.

After ten years of marriage, two kids, numerous losses of loved ones, and more difficult seasons in ministry than they could count, Rob & Jen Schwinge found themselves weary and wondering how they would be able to keep going. Little did they know that when they reached the end of their rope God had already begun their RESTORATION journey. In the following years with God’s strength and leading, they made the decision to intentionally retreat, and refocus their hearts on who God created them to be, and how He wanted them to live out their callings in everyday life. Through their restoration journey, they found healing, hope, and a passion to help others that were just like them. You can find out more about their ministry by visiting www.restorationfamilyfarm.com

Juan is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, focusing on Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Temperament Therapy & Marriage and Family Systems. He has earned a PhD in Clinical Counseling. Dr. Garcia serves NBA and NFL players, both current and retired, as a Certified Professional Life Coach and Chaplain, since 2005. In his work, he uses different assessments that have proven measurable results towards healing and sustainable optimal living. Dr. Garcia has been featured on FOX News, “Beyond the Dream”, speaking on the topic of the importance of mentorship in the lives of young people. He has also appeared on TBN NYC as a speaker and has traveled all over the world as part of the National Speaker’s Association. Dr. Garcia has been contracted by the US Department of Human Services as a trainer for staff all over the country, including the US Virgin Islands. Dr. Garcia has a private practice along with his wife Deborah in Hawthorne, NJ called, Restored Counseling Center. They have been married since 1996 and together have 2 children: Jordan and Hannah.

Ryan Baitzel is a husband, father of 5, follower of Christ, and lead pastor at Emergence Church. Emergence Church was planted as an independent church in December 2011 and in that time has grown to 3 campuses, with 2000 plus weekly attenders across Northern NJ.

Bob served for 31 years in the U.S. Army in a wide variety of command and staff positions culminating in his last three assignments as Assistant Division Commander for Operations, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault); Commander, Second Infantry Division, United States Forces Korea; and as Deputy Commanding General, V (US/GE) Corps in Europe, concurrently serving as Commander, US-Israeli Combined Task Force for Missile Defense. Commissioned a second lieutenant after graduating from West Point in 1972, he is also a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and Royal College of Defense Studies in London, England. Following military retirement in January 2003, Bob served as Executive Director, Defense Strategies, Microsoft Corporation; followed by leadership of a non-profit outreach to the military. While authoring The Resilience Trilogy (Resilient Warriors, Resilient Leaders, and Resilient Nations), he pioneered resilience programs for the military and beyond as Associate Vice President for Military Outreach, Adjunct Professor, and Director of the nation’s first Institute for Military Resilience at Liberty University. Bob subsequently served as National Security Advisor and Campaign Chairman, Dr. Ben Carson for President 2016. His primary endeavor now is leading the National Center for Healthy Veterans at Valor Farm near Liberty University, with the mission of “Returning Healthy Veterans to America.”. Bob speaks at numerous seminars and conferences, as well as commentary on national security, Resilience God Style, and cultural topics in numerous media venues, churches, military bases, and business organizations across America. He was featured as one of 30 "Master Leaders" in America by noted author George Barna. You may recall him from his tour-of-duty as speaker at the 2017 NCS Metro NYC Regional Retreat, as well as his “Resilient Aging” talk to our group a year ago! Bob has been married to the former Kathleen Robinson of Houston, Texas, for 48 years. They have two children and nine grandchildren, and are currently moving to the National Center for Healthy Veterans at Valor Farm in Virginia. General and Mrs. Dees are grateful for the privilege of serving God, Nation, and others during these critical times.

For twenty years, Bill Paige was a policeman and detective in and around New York City. He served fourteen years as the associate chaplain at Children’s Village, where he worked with emotionally disturbed boys in the city. He has also served 10 years in senior leadership of Young Life. He is a certified trainer for “Therapeutic Crisis Intervention” involved in areas of emotional and behavioral issues among young people. Paige now serves as Special Assistant to the President of Young Life. An ordained minister, Paige speaks frequently at chapel services for National Football League (NFL) teams, including two opportunities to speak at the NFL Pro Bowl.

Debbie Provencher has served as Executive Director of Lighthouse Pregnancy Resource Center since 2006. Lighthouse is a ministry in North Jersey that guides women, men and teens facing unplanned pregnancies toward life-enhancing choices. Debbie came to Lighthouse with a background in public relations, and a heart for serving young adults. Debbie has been instrumental in growing the center from one to four locations and forming creative collaborations to support under-resourced parents. Debbie and her husband, Fred, who serves as senior pastor of Cornerstone Christian Church in Wyckoff, have four adult children, a daughter-in-law, two sons-in-law, and a grandchild on the way! Ten years in youth ministry and nearly three decades of parenting and premarital counseling motivated the Provenchers to create a student curriculum called Sex Matters, which is now part of the pregnancy center’s REALife Relationship and Love Training. Debbie and Fred serve as REALife presenters, and also spend time together preparing couples for marriage. In their spare time, they enjoy walking their dogs, reading, gardening, and hanging out with their children. Debbie is currently pursuing a Master’s in Evangelism and Leadership at Wheaton College.

Mr. Van Ostenbridge served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Stewardship Financial Corporation and Atlantic Stewardship Bank from September 1984 until November 2019, when the corporation merged with Columbia Bank. He was instrumental in designing the former bank’s product and service portfolio while serving on several committees across the business. He previously served as a member of the Board of Directors at New Jersey Bankers and currently maintains involvement in several business and charitable organizations. Mr. Van Ostenbridge also serves as the Vice Chairman for New Hope Community Ministries.

Gian Paul Gonzalez, a high school teacher in Union City NJ, was asked to lead a chapel service for members of the NY Giants football team the night before their Christmas Eve 2011 game against the NY Jets. Playoff hopes were slim. To illustrate the concept of commitment, Gian Paul handed each football player a poker chip, instructing them to write their number on one side and what they wanted to be committed to on the other. He then shared the meaning behind the poker phrase “All In” and challenged them to fully commit to anything they take on, as a father, husband, son or even football player. Read more at https://newcanaansociety.org/bergen-county/team-member/gian-paul-gonzalez/

From 2010 to 2020, President Mathews was the Director General of Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the Telecom Communications Industry Association in India, leading a $36 billion advocacy group representing the industry in India and around the globe. His remarkable leadership background also includes various senior executive positions including Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, and Vice President-Controller of companies such as AT&T, Telargo Inc., Afghan Wireless Communications, Call Sciences Inc., Beatrice Foods International and Columbia Tri-Star Pictures. While at AT&T, Mr. Mathews was named President and CEO of Birla AT&T, then AT&T’s largest international investment. There he introduced digital mobile telephony services in India, building out and operating one of India’s largest Global System for Mobile Association networks. A licensed certified public accountant, his professional career began with Price-Waterhouse Coopers where he audited and consulted with Fortune 100 Companies such as Phelps-Dodge, IBM, Exxon, and Colboro. He has considerable expertise in international operations having managed and operated companies in England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Afghanistan and India. He has spearheaded fundraising initiatives resulting in more than $1 billion in public and private equity, debt, private placements and new venture funding. Mr. Mathews served as President of Woodstock School, a premier residential international baccalaureate world school in India, after previously serving as the school’s Finance Committee Chair. In the past several years, he has been instrumental in raising over $50 million for other schools and charities. Devoutly living out his faith and deeply involved with local churches, Mr. Mathews has also been a speaker at family and youth conferences in the United States and abroad. He holds board memberships with Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Far East Broadcasting Association. President Mathews and his wife, Grace reside in Manhattan. They are members of Stone Hill Church in Princeton, NJ where he is a board elder. They are the parents of two daughters—Kavita and Nithya, who is married to Jeffy Joseph and the grandparents of one grandson, Avi. Nyack College currently serves more than 2,000 students in its undergraduate, graduate, doctoral degrees programs offered on site and online. In addition to its main campus in New York City, an extension site is located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Nyack is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and is chartered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York. Nyack’s Alliance Seminary is accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada.

Darryl Donlin, LCSW is a Christian-based counselor who specializes in working with men who are dealing with the enormous challenges facing them as a husband, father, and man of God. By combining the principles of psychology with a Faith-based approach Darryl enables clients to understand the issues that drive behavior and replace the “quick fix” mentality by inviting Jesus to bring long-term healing and change. Darryl recently launched his private practice; This Is Now Counseling. Darryl has 20+ years of extensive clinical and executive management experience in behavioral health including private practice, in-home family treatment and managed care corporate settings. He has a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Marywood College (now Marywood University) in Scranton, PA. In addition, he earned a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Healthcare Delivery Systems from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ. He is also a Certified Trauma Treatment Professional (CCTP) utilizing EMDR, CBT and Somatic based interventions.

Colonel Patrick J. Callahan was sworn in on October 31, 2017, as the 14th Colonel of the New Jersey State Police. He has served more than 26 years with the New Jersey State Police and as the State Director of the Office of Emergency Management, also serves as a member of the New Jersey Coronavirus Task force established by Governor Murphy in February of 2020. He previously served as the Deputy Superintendent of Operations overseeing nearly 1,800 road troopers assigned to State Police stations throughout the State. Prior to this assignment, Colonel Callahan served as the Deputy Superintendent of Administration. Previous assignments also included him serving as the Commanding Officer of the Emergency Management Section as well as the Recovery Bureau Chief in the wake of Super Storm Sandy. In this role, he was responsible for working with FEMA, all State Departments, county, and local government entities, as well as the Governor’s Office of Recovery and Rebuilding to administer and oversee the $1.5 billion in FEMA Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation funding awarded to the State. Colonel Callahan has also served as the Chief Financial Officer for the New Jersey State Police and has held various assignments in the Administration Section overseeing budget and fiscal responsibilities associated with the Division. He was also assigned to the Homeland Security Branch and assisted in the planning and distribution of the federal homeland security funding awarded to the State and its 21 counties in the wake of 9/11. Prior to this assignment, Colonel Callahan served as a station detective and general road duty Trooper. Colonel Callahan earned a Master’s Degree in Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University and earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Villanova University. He is a graduate of the 243rd FBI National Academy Session where he was elected Session President. Colonel Callahan also served as the Chairman of the State Police Retirement System Pension Board of Trustees until his recent appointment to Colonel on November 1, 2017. He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Linda, for 32 years and they have four children.

Jinu’s story begins in Calcutta, India where he was born to missionary parents. After completing his engineering & mba, he spent 20+ years in manufacturing, technology and pharmaceutical industries and worked for 8 Fortune 500 companies. ​​He is currently serving part-time as the Chief Growth Officer at Phos Creative and only recently founded his consulting firm, The Grit Room. As many of you know, he was the founder of Collyde and Rethink Creative. ​​Jinu is a strategic thinker and works companies and non-profits to develop vision, communications, strategy and culture. Jinu describes himself on his blog as a perpetual dreamer, cautious builder, passionate instigator and a struggling disciple of Jesus. He believes that the greatest story is the one in the making. He desires that all his friends, leaders, readers and family will see a reflection of the Perfect One through his imperfections, struggles and failures. ​​When Jinu is not working on a strategic plan or thinking up new ideas, he is relaxing at home with his wife, Ann, and their two sons, Joshua and Judah. Jinu loves listening to music or podcasts and is always up for a Starbucks run.

It’s a little strange compiling a biography to send to our chapter, since I’m the current individual who manages our digital content, so I won’t. I, Matthew Carpenter, am the Director of Communications for Star of Hope Ministries (as well as for our NCS chapter). Also, because this is North Jersey and I have a family, I have roughly 3 additional side hustles out of necessity. Now, some quick details: Adopted Grew up in a Pastor’s home Saved and baptized at a young age The US Military sent me to 1 year of Bible College and that relationship dissolved The NYPD sent me to a 2nd year of Bible College but God had another plan I was a pastor, in some capacity, for nearly 20 years but God had different plans once again Married for 17 years, 4 kids, living in Ramsey (trying to buy the house we are currently in) I have been through many things throughout my life. The fact of the matter is, we all have a story and within that story are crossroads where a man decides how to translate his identity in Christ. My story is a life in translation and, if you are planning to join us this week, I’ll share what I’ve learned about providence and identity through the lens of adoption.

Bob joined Crossmark in May 2021 as Chief Investment Officer (CIO), bringing over 40 years of industry experience to guide the investment process and serve as portfolio manager for multiple Crossmark large-cap strategies. He also utilizes his investment expertise to provide weekly and quarterly investment commentaries, as well as annual market predictions. Bob is a regular guest and contributor to multiple media outlets such as CNBC, Bloomberg TV, Moneywise, and Fox Business News. Prior to arriving at Crossmark, he held the roles of Senior Portfolio Manager and Chief Equity Strategist at Nuveen and Blackrock, President and Chief Investment Officer at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, and Chief Investment Officer at Oppenheimer Funds, Inc. Bob graduated from Lehigh University with a B.S. in Accounting and a B.A. in Economics. He later went on to earn an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) designation, as well as the FINRA Series 7 and 63 securities licenses. Bob dedicates his time as choir director at his local church and also serves on a number of boards including the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, Word of Life Fellowship, New Canaan Society, Kingdom Advisors, National Christian Foundation, Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, The Lausanne Movement, Movement.org, Cairn University, Christianity Today, and the Princeton Healthcare System. Bob and his wife Leslie currently reside in Princeton, New Jersey and have three children.

Dave grew up in the Mattapan neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. He attended Boston Latin School, where he played varsity football. He then attended Springfield College, where he earned a degree in education and played offensive tackle on the freshman football team. Gettleman has two master’s degrees: one in physical education from Southern Connecticut State in 1978, and another in sports administration from St. Thomas University in 1986. He began his football career as a teacher-coach at Spackenkill High School in Poughkeepsie, New York. As the head coach from 1973–78 and 1980–81, Gettleman led his teams to two league titles, competing against schools twice the size of Spackenkill. He spent a season as a volunteer assistant at Cal State Long Beach in 1979. Gettleman joined the faculty of Kingston High School in 1982 and became the head coach in 1984, leading his team to a Section I Bowl berth. From here Dave was hired in 1986 as a scouting intern for the Buffalo Bills. He spent the next seven years working in their scouting department before leaving to accept a scouting job with the Denver Broncos after the 1993 season. In 1998, he was hired as a scout by the New York Giants, who promoted him to Pro Personnel Director the next year. In 2012, he was given the title of Senior Pro Personnel Analyst. In January 2013, he was chosen to become the general manager of the Carolina Panthers and in the 2015 season, the Panthers started 14–0, before falling to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16. During Gettleman’s tenure as general manager the Panthers compiled a regular-season record of 51–28–1. In that 5-year timeframe the Panthers advanced to the playoffs 3 seasons and won 3 NFC South titles. On December 28, 2017, Gettleman was named as the new general manager of the New York Giants, returning to the Giants fold after six years. Dave has since retired following the 2021 season finishing his tenure with the Giants. While every team Dave worked for played in a Super Bowl and even though he was named the NFL Executive of the Year in 2015, his greatest accomplishments continue to be the loving marriage to his wife of 38 years, Joanne, and the blessing of their 3 children – Aaron, Sam, and Ana Jane. The Gettleman’s are looking forward to serving in whatever way the Lord will use them in the coming years.

Ken is a lifelong resident of the area. He ran a family-owned business for a number of years before passing it to his sons. He and his wife, Judy, recently celebrated their 51st anniversary. Their two sons and grandchildren live in the immediate area. He is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickenson University and Biblical School of Theology. He was ordained as a Baptist minister. In 1975, he began Applied Biblical Counseling which was a counseling center based on Biblical principles. It served multiple area churches, police departments, children’s homes, and prisons. He retired for a brief period in 2013, found himself taking naps in the afternoon, and realized retirement was not for him. He then worked as Executive Director and Counselor at Grace Redeemer Church as well as providing counseling advice to other ministries. Now he’s trying retirement a second time. So far his retirement/COVID interment have resulted in he and his wife painting the interior of their home and a few days at the Corvette race track.

This past week we were blessed to hear about a group of guys from our chapter who have taken things to the next level by organically starting to meet outside of a Friday AM for fellowship. We learned about this 3-year standing small group and hear how focusing on weekly Bible study, accountability, and support has continued to serve them through the highs and lows of life. Brothers, this type of friendship and accountability doesn’t happen on its own. It is this sort of natural progression that propels our walk with Jesus. Come and be encouraged and informed on what it might look like to take the first step … learn ways to get engaged in a group of your own

As a result of The Lord’s continuous Favor, Steve Wolf has been fortunate to experience a track record of demonstrated, continual business success within large and small organizations in the marketing research and consulting space. Over the years, God enabled Steve to excel in simultaneous, multiple roles (in the US and globally), creating/implementing vision and strategy, attracting/retaining/leading world-class talent – creating powerful teams, resulting in dynamic, sustained, and profitable growth for the businesses themselves and clients which included many of the Fortune 100 companies. He has revitalized several failing businesses, written articles and spoken at local and global conferences. On a more personal level, for 22 years, Steve has co-led and mentored men in areas of character enhancement, integrity, and accountability which includes spiritual, business, relational, and financial matters as well as mobilizing the group to tangibly assist others in need. For decades Steve and his wife have helped young people identify their life purpose, deepen their relationship with The Lord, and learn principles upon which to base their lives. They have worked with some of these same individuals later in their lives to help them discover and utilize their personal treasure trove of talent and gifts. Over the years Steve has been involved in virtually every church ministry and has financially supported scores of initiatives focused on those who are less fortunate. As a temporary, part time CEO for Crossroads Job Network in 2014, Steve and the Impact Paterson team helped individuals in need of a second chance, find employment. Steve has been on the ground in 47 countries to guide senior business associates and/or for Missions purposes. He commits time and resources to various organizations and outreaches including New Canaan Society, where he is a very active member and has presented on a number of occasions, to several chapters across the state of New Jersey, on the topics of disruptive discipleship and forgiveness. In educating the next generation of marketing researchers/consultants, Steve has guest lectured at Rutgers University Business School, at Eli Broad Graduate School of Management and at Michigan State University. He also served as both Faculty and Client Advisor for the Masters in Marketing Research Program at Eli Broad. At the present time he runs his own marketing research and consulting firm named Wisdom, Insight and Mojo (www.wisdominsightmojo.com) and also is a Certified Executive Coach for Five Capitals (www.fivecapitals.net), an organization that trains leaders in how God’s truth connects to both their personal and professional lives, creating greater levels of integration, wholeness and fulfillment. Steve and his wife Lynda have a blended family with four grown children, their spouses, and one delightful grandson.

Dr. Ron Walborn is the Vice President and Dean of Alliance Theological Seminary and Nyack College in New York City and San Juan Puerto Rico. He has a B.A. in History from Nyack College, an M.Div. from Alliance Theological Seminary, and a DMin from Fuller Theological Seminary. ​​Dr. Walborn has planted and pastored churches in Connecticut and California. He has authored one book and numerous articles and chapters for other publications. He has lectured and spoken at churches, conferences and other events both nationally and internationally. ​​Dr. Walborn was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania in a Ministry focused family. Ron and his wife, Dr. Wanda Walborn have four married adult children and four beautiful grandchildren.

Pastor Matt Andersen serves as the Executive Director at Star of Hope Ministries in Paterson, NJ. Over the past 20 years, Matt and his family have served in various ministry capacities such as teaching posts in Okinawa, Japan, leading worship at Calvary Chapel Okinawa, and as church planters in Paterson, NJ. In addition to his work with Star of Hope, Matt currently serves on several teams including the board and national leadership team of City Advance, The Social Justice League of Passaic County, and “Ecclesia” a city Gospel movement in Paterson, NJ. For years, Matt has been obsessed with the concept of TEAMS. From sports teams growing up, to coaching, to working with a team of teachers, or a team in business and ministry, he’s been on amazing teams, as well as teams full of dysfunction. From seasons of thriving to periods where things…JUST. SEEMED. STUCK. But why do some teams thrive, and others get stuck? Even if have the right people “on the bus”, it’s easy to get caught feeling guilty, or judging others when things aren’t going well. This led Matt to discover Patrick Lencioni’s WORKING GENIUS model, and he and his wife now serve churches, organizations, executive leadership teams, and city movements as Certified Working Genius Facilitators. Wherever you find a group of people working together towards a common goal, The Working Genius Model can help ensure each person is “in the right seat on the bus”. Join us as we discover how The Working Genius model can help you, 1) Instantly gain a deeper understanding about yourself and how you are “hard wired, 2) Know better the kinds of work you should do and not do, and 3) Learn how your team can get much more done by tapping into the diverse skill sets of each member. Not only is there an application for TEAMS, but there are a multitude of BIBLICAL parallels for the Body of Christ as we strive together towards UNITY. Some of Matt’s greatest passions are spending time with his wife and three children, teaching the Word of God, playing and watching basketball, and riding his motorcycle. His favorite verse is Galatians 6:9 – “’And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

As a member of Generation “Z”, Jordan is uniquely positioned to impact his Generation with the Gospel. Jordan has grown up in a multi-generational ministry family. He is a graduate of Liberty University, with a Bachelor’s in Religion: Biblical and Theological Studies, and is an ordained reverend. As a frequent speaker at churches and conferences, Whitmer challenges both young people and adults to join Jesus in fulfilling His Great Commission. He has been the subject of numerous local and national media appearances for radio, television, and print. Jordan is passionate about mobilizing student leaders around the world to impact their generation for Christ. Jordan is the host of the Gen Z Today Podcast. He travels frequently, and can often be seen at Starbucks mentoring and encouraging young people to boldly lead for Jesus.

Pastor Anthony Fleming was born and raised Aussie, has a passion for God, people, and life. From the young age of 19, Anthony believed he was called to preach the word of God. He earned a tennis scholarship to Liberty University and represented the school during college while earning a Bachelor of Business of Science in Business Marketing. It was here that he also met his beautiful wife Miriam. They have 3 beautiful children and together they founded and currently serve as the Senior Pastors of Church Alive in northern New Jersey. From a basement with 8 people at the start of the church, Church Alive has grown to over 1300 people in attendance, and is known for its passion for God, love for people, and generosity in the community. Wanting to practically equip people to have a fresh, real, and powerful walk with God, in 2018, Anthony launched Transform. Through a dedicated focus to develop men, he continually sees to it that men find genuine faith and continue to get unstuck and flourish in all areas of life. What started as a men’s group at Church Alive grew in 2021, when Anthony Fleming released his first book, Transform. He is now the President of Transform the Movement and continues to coach leaders throughout the nation and empower men to rise up and transform their lives.

Josiah Haken is the Chief Executive Officer with City Relief, a non-profit organization that creates connections for the homeless community to hope and resources that can improve their lives. Growing up in Yaoundé, Cameroon, as well as working as an advocate and an outreach leader in the streets of New York City since 2010. Josiah has a unique perspective on the complexities of urban poverty and homelessness and believes that our unhoused neighbors deserve our best, not just our leftovers. Josiah often leads workshops and webinars to equip and empower people to see their homeless neighbors and engage them with intentionality and compassion. He holds a Masters Degree in Ministry, Leadership, and Culture from Fresno Pacific University and currently resides with his family in New Jersey.

Paul Pettit serves as Director of Career Services and teaches in the departments of Spiritual Formation and Leadership and Pastoral Ministries. Dr. Pettit and his wife, Pamela (a Neo-Natal Nurse Practitioner) have five children and live in Rockwall, Texas, where they are involved in their church and a local Christian school. Paul’s background includes experience as a sportscaster, author, and speaker. His books include Dynamic Dads: How to Be a Hero to Your Kids, Congratulations, You’ve Got ‘Tweens, Congratulations, You’re Gonna Be a Dad!, which he coauthored with his wife, and Foundations of Spiritual Formation. Paul holds degrees from the University of Kansas, Moody Bible Institute’s Advanced Studies Program, and both the Master of Theology and Doctor of Ministry from Dallas Seminary. He enjoys coaching emerging leaders.

Ken has been a believer since the Lord opened his heart at a very young age. At his core, Ken has always been and will always be a teacher. With his unique insight into God’s people and His Word, Ken began preaching at the age of 16. A natural, albeit humble leader, Ken has had a variety of ministry responsibilities – church elder, itinerant preaching, chairing the board of the Ezekiel Project, youth leader, Bible study teacher, and youth leader. Known as Mr. Barrett in his position teaching at Tenafly High School for more than three decades, Ken has worked in a variety of content areas including Africa and Asia, European, and American History. He currently is teaching African and Asian Civilizations and Cultures both honors, Debate, and Sociology electives as well as the American Experience Honors course for seniors. Ken has been married to his best friend, Rose Barrett, for 35 years. Together they love and deeply enjoy their two adult children, their wonderful spouses, and their soon-to-be grandchild!

Bob served for 31 years in the U.S. Army in a wide variety of command and staff positions culminating in his last three assignments as Assistant Division Commander for Operations, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault); Commander, Second Infantry Division, United States Forces Korea; and as Deputy Commanding General, V (US/GE) Corps in Europe, concurrently serving as Commander, US-Israeli Combined Task Force for Missile Defense. Commissioned a second lieutenant after graduating from West Point in 1972, he is also a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and Royal College of Defense Studies in London, England. Following military retirement in January 2003, Bob served as Executive Director, Defense Strategies, Microsoft Corporation; followed by leadership of a non-profit outreach to the military. While authoring The Resilience Trilogy (Resilient Warriors, Resilient Leaders, and Resilient Nations), he pioneered resilience programs for the military and beyond as Associate Vice President for Military Outreach, Adjunct Professor, and Director of the nation’s first Institute for Military Resilience at Liberty University. Bob subsequently served as National Security Advisor and Campaign Chairman, Dr. Ben Carson for President 2016. His primary endeavor now is leading the National Center for Healthy Veterans at Valor Farm near Liberty University, with the mission of “Returning Healthy Veterans to America.”. Bob speaks at numerous seminars and conferences, as well as commentary on national security, Resilience God Style, and cultural topics in numerous media venues, churches, military bases, and business organizations across America. He was featured as one of 30 “Master Leaders” in America by noted author George Barna. You may recall him from his tour-of-duty as speaker at the 2017 NCS Metro NYC Regional Retreat, as well as his “Resilient Aging” talk to our group a year ago! Bob has been married to the former Kathleen Robinson of Houston, Texas, for 48 years. They have two children and nine grandchildren, and are currently moving to the National Center for Healthy Veterans at Valor Farm in Virginia. General and Mrs. Dees are grateful for the privilege of serving God, Nation, and others during these critical times.

Mark Whitacre is an Ivy League Ph.D. and is considered the highest-ranked executive of any Fortune 500 company to become a whistleblower in U.S. history, and was responsible for uncovering the ADM price-fixing scandal in the early 1990s. Mark wore a wire for 3 years for the FBI in the early 1990s. Mark’s website has further info about this ADM case: www.markwhitacre.com Mark Whitacre is Executive Director of the t-factor initiative at Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. since December of 2019. Mark had served as COO of Christian Business Men’s Connection (CBMC) from 2013 to 2019. Mark was the COO and Chief Science Officer from 2006 to 2013 at Cypress Systems, Inc., a California biotechnology company where Mark still serves on their advisory board today. After completing his B.S. and M.S. degrees at Ohio State University, Mark earned his Ph.D. degree at Cornell University in biochemistry. He worked as an executive for three Fortune 500 companies, including Ralston Purina (now Nestle), Degussa (Evonik), and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). He was recruited at ADM, number 56 on the Fortune 500 in 1989, when he was 32 as the President of the Biotech Division. Mark has extensive international business experience, having lived in Germany for four years working for Evonik at their world headquarters in Frankfurt. Mark and his wife Ginger have been married over 42 years and have three adult children.

Pastor Tim is the Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel North Jersey in Passaic, NJ. Prior to that, he was an Assistant Pastor and Worship Leader at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Manhattan for 12 years. In 2003, the Lord lead him to start a Bible Study in North Jersey which quickly grew and CCNJ was founded later that year. In 2006, he left his career as an IT Professional and Project Manager with a large multi-national insurance company to serve at the church full time. Tim believes strongly in raising up leaders and has taken dozens of men through 2-year mentorship cycles. In addition to serving at CCNJ, several of these leaders have planted churches, become missionaries, and started other ministries. He and his wife, Michelle, have been married for 33 years and work together in facilitating pre-marital sessions for young couples at the church. In his downtime, Tim practices Shorin-ryu Karate and enjoys periodically performing in a local cover band.

Brendan Da Silva is the Founder and CEO of Da Silva Team, a residential real estate team that sold 90M in volume and 216 homes in 2021. Brendan graduated with a degree in pastoral ministry from Nyack College in 2016 but no more than a month after graduation served six months in jail. When he was released he could not find suitable work so upon the encouragement of family and friends, he began pursuing a career in real estate in April of 2017. Over the past several years, Brendan and The Da Silva Team have earned numerous accolades within their industry, been featured on Fox News for their generosity during the COVID-19 pandemic, and shown a commitment to building an impact-driven business. In 2016, Brendan joined The Plant Church in Mahwah where he would be mentored by Rob Parker for 5 years and lead a young adults group for 4 years. He married his wife Debora in 2019 and they currently reside in Jersey City. They are hoping to have their first child this year. Brendan’s story is one of resilience, redemption, and restoration.

Fred Provencher has been the Senior Teaching Pastor at Cornerstone Christian Church since February 1996. Before coming to Cornerstone, he was the Youth Pastor at Hawthorne Gospel Church, where he was ordained in 1994. He has also served with churches in Colorado Springs and Somerset, NJ. Fred has a B.A. in history from Rutgers University, an M.Div. from Denver Seminary and a D.Min. in preaching from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Debbie, have been married since 1986. They live in Hawthorne with their four children. Jim has been the Men’s & Family Ministry Manager at Lighthouse Pregnancy Resource Center for a little under a year. His move to a full-time ministry position is a story that will encourage and inspire your heart. Lighthouse PRC is a faith-based, non-profit organization that provides free, confidential services to lovingly guide and support women, men, and teens facing unplanned pregnancies and related concerns toward life-affirming choices. Jim brings his experience of over 20 years as a Sales and IT Management Vice President where he developed, trained, and mentored leaders as well as his more recent experience in the life sciences and healthcare industry.

John Rivera began working with local nonprofit organizations during the late 1980′s and continues serving throughout the northeast to this very day. Over the years, John also enjoyed the opportunity to serve in a variety of volunteer leadership positions with numerous organizations. Some of those roles included that of board member and adviser. John has an extensive background as a trainer and consultant in organizational and leadership development. Through his work, John has helped many nonprofit organizations grow, define their vision and execute in excellence. His primary tools have been coaching, training, and comprehensive assessments that have consistently led to positive and lasting change for his clients. Most recently, he added his new book: “The Climb” to his cache of effective leadership and organizational development tools. He earned his bachelor’s degree in communication from William Paterson University of New Jersey. He graduated with high honors (Summa Cum Laude). He also received the Excellence in Interpersonal Communications Theory Award. Senior faculty members select one student each year based on academic performance, leadership and overall command of the subject area. Today John continues to use his years of experience and education to assist area business and nonprofit leaders with their communication, organizational and leadership development needs. In this journey, he is committed to encouraging, equipping and empowering leaders to accomplish their mission as well as creatively multiply their impact and footprint. John strongly believes that “individuals and organizations can all ascend to a higher level of excellence as they pursue their personal and organizational mission in life.” To learn more about John’s leadership work, book or to schedule a speaking engagement, send your inquiry to: Jrivera.vive@gmail.com or call 704-594-0815.

Tom Lane is Vice Chairman and a founding partner of ECP. ECP is a private equity firm that invests in the energy infrastructure sector and has $20 billion under management. He serves on the boards of Wisconsin Energy, Sendero Midstream and US Development Group. Prior to helping establish ECP in 2005, Tom worked for 20 years in the Energy investment banking group at Goldman Sachs. Tom has extensive experience in financing and merger related transactions and helped to source a number of Goldman Sachs’ principal investments within the energy sector. He has testified before the House Energy Subcommittee on energy related matters. Tom has a BA in Economics from Wheaton College and an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago. Tom serves or has served on a number of nonprofit boards including Place of Hope, Street2Street, New Life of NYC, Urban Youth Impact Foundation and the New Canaan Society. Tom is married, has four children and nine grandchildren.

David Sutherland is the Chair of the Board for International Care Ministries, a charity that focuses on the ultra-poor in the Philippines through 10,000 slum churches. ICM has designed a four-month anti-poverty training program called Transform. At the end of this four-month program, ultra-poor participants experience a 146% increase in income, a 27% reduction in illness, and a 46% increase in an index of Hope. ICM has graduated 1.2 million Filipino family members from the four-month Transform program. ICM is now one of the largest charities in the Philippines. Until early 2013, David was Morgan Stanley’s Chief Financial Officer in Asia Pacific, responsible for the company’s financial affairs in countries from China to India, from Korea to Australia. Before his role as CFO, David spent more than a decade as a Morgan Stanley Managing Director, overseeing its tax department in Asia. Since 2013, David has been full-time with ICM. But he has also held two other part-time roles as Chief Operating Officer of Pacific Andes (one of the largest fishing companies in the world) and Senior Advisor to FountainVest (a US$4 billion private equity fund that invests in China). Prior to Asia, David worked for Arthur Andersen; Cadwallader, Wickersham & Taft; Caplin & Drysdale; and the U.S. Department of Treasury where he was the Associate International Tax Counsel. In the later capacity, he represented the U.S. Government regarding tax issues with most countries in Asia, including successful tax treaty negotiations with Thailand and Indonesia. In addition to his role with ICM, David also serves as the board chair of Asian Charity Services (which provides pro bono management consulting services to hundreds of other charities), Friends of Hong Kong Charities (which processed nearly $100m of donations from US citizens living in Hong Kong to benefit dozens of Hong Kong charities) and the Lion King Project (which assists street children in North Bali, Indonesia). David has a law degree from the University of Virginia, a Master of Taxation from the American University, and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Louisville. David was the national intercollegiate debate champion in the United States in 1982. David and his wife, Deanna, have three adult children who grew up in Hong Kong and are now working and living in the United States.

Aaron us the Senior Pastor at Grace Church of Ridgewood.  His main responsibilities are setting the vision and direction of the church along with the elders, leading the staff, preaching, and shepherding the congregation. Aaron’s passion and burden, which God has increasingly stirred in his heart over the past five years, has revolved around the gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed and applied in the lives of young men and women through the context of the local church.

Ron Hutchcraft is a 40-plus-year veteran of youth and family ministries.Ron presents the Gospel across North America and around the world, through city-wide evangelistic “Community Impact Weeks,” parenting seminars, singles’ events, youth outreaches and business/professional dinners. He is the author of several ground-breaking books, including his most recent –Living Peacefully in a Stressful World. Ron hosts three radio programs, including the popular daily short feature “A Word With You.” Ron is s also the founder of “On Eagles’ Wings,” a Native American leadership program.

Jesse Kroeze is a passionate innovator, a lover of culture, and a coffee connoisseur. He is known for being a deep-thinker, a peace-making leader, an avid entrepreneur, and an eternal student. Jesse and his wife, Andrea, are a power-team full of enthusiasm related to global missions, adoption and living out the Kingdom of God. A New Jersey native, Jesse traveled around Central America after graduating from Taylor University seeking adventure, mastery of the Spanish language and God’s leading on his life. It eventually brought him back to the Northeast where he took a position with Touch the World managing a coffee-house ministry. It was here that his path crossed with the woman who would become his wife and their combined passions eventually carried them across the Atlantic to begin a ministry in Uganda, Africa. After five years exploring the intricacies of community development as the Country Director of Touch The World – Uganda, Jesse was asked to return to lead the future path of the mission organization, Touch The World as Executive Director. Along with his wife and three children, their oldest adopted from Uganda, Jesse seeks to partake in sharing the global perspectives of missions we have been called to as Christ’s ambassadors.

George Verwer is the Founder and former International Director of Operation Mobilization (OM), which is a ministry of evangelism, discipleship training and church planting. George led Operation Mobilization for over 40 years before stepping down in August 2003. Saved at the age of 16, George returned to his school in northern New Jersey and within a year about 200 of his classmates had found a relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ. He also started with distribution of Gospels of John in Mexico in 1957, which continued during summer vacations. Attending Maryville College after high school, he transferred to Moody Bible Institute where he met, Drena, who would later became his wife. They went to Spain in 1961, and the work of OM was born: to get to know God together in discipling young Christians while concurrently carrying out a rigorous program of world evangelism. Today OM reaches across the world through over 6,100 people working in over 110 nations to make Christ known in the lives of all they meet. For many years George served as International Director of OM and helped raise up dedicated leadership to pursue this task across the world, freeing him to travel and speak, helping many find their role in extending the Kingdom of God. George and his wife are now involved in Special Projects Ministries (still part of OM) full-time. They have three adult children;five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren and make their home in England.

Woody is the founder and President of Street 2 Street, a ministry reaching underprivileged and neglected youth via unique sporting events. Street 2 Street began with street ball tournaments in the boroughs of New York City, but has garnered national attention for its innovative approach and remarkable results and is expanding throughout the U.S. The success of the street ball tournaments revealed a dearth of discipleship partners for the teens making spiritual commitments, so Woody and several colleagues have now created Street 2 Street University, an initiative to equip youth workers with ministry skills and theological training. Woody’s entire adult life has been devoted to helping young people in crisis. A long time staff member with Athletes in Action, the athletic outreach of Campus Crusade for Christ, Woody and his family moved to New York City in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Woody is the Co-Founder of NCS-Bergen County with his best friend Tom Lane and serves on the board as its Secretary. He also serves on the board of Game Day International. Woody is a graduate of Tennessee Temple University (B.A., Communications) He lives in Hawthorne, NJ with his wife, Renee, and together they have 3 children, Abbey, Allison and Will, “the Thrill”.

What does community mean for you? Who do you want to spend more time with? Who are you waiting to encourage? Your heroes didn’t wait, mine didn’t either In this race our active discipline and faith is required. We need community, we need to be held accountable, in order to flourish. Will you be remembered as one of these great heroes of the faith? Like my grandfather and my best friend were? Are you ready To lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely- Dig deep and weed out and do the work that is required no matter what it means you have to give up or sacrifice? Are you ready to run with endurance this race that is set before us no matter the challenges ahead?

Fast-Starting a Career of Consequence: A Providential Book Journey I. My Faith Journey Not Raised in a Worshipping Family My Mystical Adolescent Experience An Enduring Faith & Desire to Learn More Retired Early to Pursue a Life-Long Dream II. Retirement Pursuits Spiritual Development (Yale Divinity School) College Teaching (Fairfield University) Board Service (5 Non-profits & 2 For-profits) Mentoring Young executives Wrote 3 Books III. The Genesis & Themes of My 3 Books God Revealed Genesis: Dinner with Daughter Dena Theme: My Encounters with God Grace Revealed Genesis: Compelling Stories on Book #1 Promo Tour Theme: Surviving Serious Crises Through Faith Fast Starting a Career of Confidence Genesis: Tips to My Daughter Dena Theme: Launching a Career of Consequence IV. God’s Presence on the Journey My Daughter’s Request 5 Tips of great value to her Wrote & published an article MarketWatch.com (Tip#5) My Literary Agent My Passion has been to positively impact others by speaking and writing about my faith & my business experience It’s now a calling This book was a blessing to write: it integrates my faith and my business experience The Publisher’s Surprise Concession The Unexpected New York Life Request The Even More Surprising CNO Request MarketWatch.com Strikes Again Providential Market Expansion: Christian College Students Veteran’s & Those Coming Off Childrearing Years COVID-19 Furloughs Non-Christians V. Biblical Principles & Business Tips from, Fast-Starting a Career of Consequence: Practical Christ-Centered Advice for Entering or Re-entering the Workforce Chapter 1: Identify & Utilize Your Spiritual Gifts at Work Chapter 2: Always Act in Concert with Your Values and Beliefs Chapter 3: Jesus as a Workplace Partner Chapter 4: Pray Often for Guidance from the Holy Spirit Chapter 5: Apply the Golden Rule with Coworkers & Customers Chapter 6: Demonstrate Commitment Chapter 7: Understand & Embrace the Company’s Mission Chapter 8: Develop Cultural & Organizational Awareness Chapter 9: Develop & Demonstrate Strategic Thinking Capability Chapter 10: Understand the Financial Underpinnings of the Business Chapter 11: Take Charge of Your Own Development Chapter 12: Overprepare for Every Meeting Chapter 13: Make Every Presentation a Command Performance Chapter 14: Demonstrate Integrity and Earn Trust Chapter 15: Balance Faith, Family and Career

Kingdom-Minded Business Leader Parable of the Sower Not a 2x impact, a 30x, 60x, 100x impact What are 3 ways a leader can have a Kingdom-Minded Impact? How can God use you? Love others the way Christ loved us Story of Daryl Bennett It’s starts by being there for them Share the Good News It’s a tricky thing to do Google “Why are Christians…” - as a Christian leader you are under a microscope How? Wisely take opportunities when they present themselves Invest in Kingdom-Work Inspire other people to do the same All of us have influence, how do you spend your influence? None of this happens without intentionality Energy Group Questions: How are you trying to make an impact for the Kingdom of God? What are you doing in 2021 with your gifts?