Gabe Valencia serves as the Board Chair for CCCA. He was born and raised in Boyle Heights, a suburb east of Los Angeles. In fifth grade, he was given a scholarship to attend a Christian summer camp where he met Jesus.

Gabe led a quality assurance department at a biopharmaceutical company for 18 years before being led into Christian camping ministry in 1998. He is currently the Executive Director of Mile High Ministries, a multi-site camp in Southern California. Over the past two decades he has served on the board of several non-profit organizations including the California Collaboration for Youth, the Passion Center for Children in Malawi and the Barton Flats Camp Association in the San Bernardino National Forest. He has actively engaged with advocacy for Christian camps and youth organizations with the California Governor’s office and on issues related to water rights, wildfires, child protection and insurance underwriting. He has also served as president in CCCA Pacific Southwest Section and as Region Rep on the CCCA National Board.

Gabe married his high school sweetheart, Rosemary, in 1981. They have five children, and four “in-loves”, who have all served at camp. Gabe is the proud Pops to 19 grandchildren.