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ACMNP STAFF
Dick has served as ACMNP Executive Director since 1996. He joined the ACMNP team with Virjean, his wife of 50 years, after retiring as Chaplain of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Dick’s leadership is fueled first by his pastoral background and secondly by his love for nature. His vision for ACMNP has attracted many new Board Members and continuously inspires the National Office, National Park Communities, and our Ministry Staff Members to approach the ACMNP mission in fresh ways.
Spencer is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church USA and comes to ACMNP from a highly selective Doctor of Ministry program at Asbury Theological Seminary where he visited cutting-edge ministries in the US and around the world as part of his doctoral research. Prior to his D.Min. program Spencer served for six years as an Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Marietta, GA where his involvement focused on a 300 member youth group, family ministries, and creating new worship services. Having worked at Cargill, Inc. as a sales representative before graduating from Princeton Theological Seminary, Spencer finds joy in helping people make deeper connections to their faith in the workplace, while also creating unique environments in which people can further their growth in Christ. Spencer is enthusiastic and well prepared to serve A Christian Ministry in the National Parks in the leadership role as Executive Director. Spencer is joining ACMNP with his wife, Melissa, and two daughters, Lauren and Kelsey. They are expecting another child this fall.
Gordon has been involved with ACMNP since 1988, when he first served as the Ministry Staff Director in Grand Teton National Park. For the last twenty years Gordon has been a consistent presence in the ACMNP National Office, offering his knowledge, experience, and insight. For the last 10 years Gordon has been the ACMNP Deputy Director, responsible for maintaining relationships with various National Park Service constituencies and overseeing the programs of the ministry. During the summers Gordon visits ACMNP Ministry Teams in the parks, providing pastoral attention to the field programs and Staff Members.
Christen is the newest addition to the ACMNP National Office, joining the team in May 2007. Christen is a New Englander at heart, who grew up in Tennessee, and now lives just outside of Portland, ME. Christen is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine, where she earned a degree in English. She also holds a degree in Business Administration from Southern Maine Community College. One of Christen’s life goals is to draw closer to God through each of her experiences. She feels that working at ACMNP offers her an obvious opportunity to build upon that goal. Christen is responsible for managing the office, coordinating staff meetings, recording financial contributions, and assisting the Executive Director.
Kimberly's involvement with ACMNP is extensive. Kimberly worked in Glacier National Park in 2002, where she had friends on the ministry team; and later served with ACMNP in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Though Kimberly is an enthusiastic native of Minnesota, she attended Pacific Lutheran University in Washington, where she earned her degree in Business Administration. Since 2005 Kimberly has been the ACMNP Administrative Coordinator, responsible for reviewing applications, offering placements, and maintaining communications with the Human Resource departments of park concession companies.
Also a proud native of Minnesota, Sarah has spent the last few years traveling across the country recruiting for ACMNP. She spent the summers of 2005 and 2006 as an ACMNP Ministry Staff Member in Acadia National Park, and now works directly out of the National Office as the Recruiting Coordinator. Sarah formulates and organizes the six-month ACMNP recruiting schedule, from October through March, and maintains year-round contact with the Career Services and Spiritual Development departments of over 100 schools nationwide. She is a 2005 graduate of Bethel University in Minnesota, having earned degrees in Biblical/Theological Studies and Psychology.
Rob first became involved with ACMNP in 2005 when he accepted a ministry placement in Glacier National Park in Montana. The following summer Rob served as the ACMNP Staff Coordinator, a position that took him to many of ACMNP’s park locations to observe, advise, and encourage the Ministry Staff Teams. Rob attended the University of Mobile in Alabama where he earned a B.A. in the Humanities. He furthered his education at Beeson Divinity School of Samford University, earning a master’s degree in Theology. Rob moved to Maine to join the National Office as the Development Coordinator in 2007. He is married to Leah Hanacek Foley, who is also an ACMNP alum.