Originally broadcasted: April 10, 2024
Speaker: Carlos Whittaker
Author and speaker, Carlos Whittaker shares encouragement for helping others feel seen and known especially those we disagree with.
Helping Others Feel Seen & Known
Author and speaker, Carlos Whittaker shares encouragement for helping others feel seen and known especially those we disagree with.
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Many CCCA member camps and conference centers offer rental facilities for churches, nonprofits, schools and organizations. These facilities provide welcoming spaces for retreats, meetings, events and group gatherings of all sizes.
Rental guests benefit from group lodging, experienced staff and environments designed to support connection, focus and hospitality — often in scenic, distraction-free settings.
Family camps provide opportunities for parents and children to unplug, reconnect and create lasting memories together. Shared activities, flexible programming and relaxed schedules allow families to spend quality time strengthening relationships.
CCCA member camps offer family-focused experiences that balance fun, rest and meaningful moments — creating space for families to grow together in healthy, supportive environments.
Camps and conference centers serve adults through events designed for rest, learning and renewal. Whether attending a weekend retreat, a professional conference or a ministry gathering, adults benefit from intentional space away from daily demands.
CCCA member facilities offer settings that encourage connection, reflection and meaningful conversation — often combining comfortable accommodations with nature-based experiences that support both personal and professional growth.
Teen camp experiences provide space for growth, challenge and meaningful connection during a formative season of life. Through shared experiences, leadership opportunities and guided reflection, teens are encouraged to build confidence, develop character and strengthen relationships.
CCCA member camps offer programs that meet teens where they are — creating environments that foster belonging, encourage healthy decision-making and support spiritual exploration alongside adventure and fun.
Christian camps offer children an engaging environment where they can explore new interests, build friendships and grow in confidence. Through age-appropriate activities, caring adult leadership and time spent outdoors, kids are encouraged to learn, play and discover who they are.
At CCCA member camps, programs for kids are designed to support social, emotional and spiritual development. Camp experiences often help children step away from screens, try new things and develop resilience — while being supported by leaders who care deeply about their well-being.
Event Planner & Hotel Liaison
Von Sommerville serves as the event planner and hotel liaison at CCCA. She is responsible for researching and securing venues across the country for CCCA’s national conferences and working with hotels and Convention Visitor Bureaus (CVB) to ensure a great experience for our members. Prior to joining CCCA, Von worked as an administrator for a home education organization and in the corporate events planning industry. She has a Bachelor of Science from Howard University in Washington, D.C. In her spare time, Von enjoys traveling, serving through local homeless organizations, and convincing youth that math and science are fun!
Marketing / Communications Specialist & Editor Flint & Steel and Section President’s Briefing
McKenna Reding serves as the marketing/communications specialist; editor Flint & Steel and Section President’s Briefing for CCCA. In this role, she provides project management and content development and is the editor of Flint & Steel, Section President’s Briefing and Inside CCCA. McKenna is also the photo editor for InSite magazine. Attending and serving at Riverside Bible Camp developed a passion for camping ministry in McKenna. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from the University of Northern Iowa and currently lives in Cedar Falls, IA with her husband, AJ. In her free time, McKenna enjoys drinking a good cup of coffee, playing the card game Dutch Blitz and spending time with friends and family.
Business Relations Specialis
AJ Reding is the business relations specialist for CCCA. He oversees the business relations within the membership of CCCA and develops and maintains the vendor and advertising relationships between CCCA publications and its business members. AJ has a background in sales and marketing and is passionate about making meaningful connections with family, friends and those he works with. In AJ’s free time, he loves to work out and ride anything with a board and wheels, although, his favorite is snowboarding in the Colorado mountains. He also enjoys reading and watching TV shows with his wife, McKenna.
Director of Member Engagement
Emily Hughes serves as director of member engagement at CCCA. She communicates daily with members, providing information, encouragement and excellent service to Christian camps and conferences across the country. She also helps lead CCCA’s member recruitment and retention efforts. Prior to joining CCCA, Emily worked at an animal hospital in Chattanooga, Tenn. She has a liberal arts degree from Bryan College in Dayton. One of the things that prepared Emily for her role at CCCA was working at a high ropes challenge course, because it taught her the joy of serving as a camp staff member. In her spare time, Emily enjoys cycling, skiing, traveling and photography.
InSite Magazine Editor
Jen Howver serves as the editor of CCCA’s flagship publication, InSite magazine. She is also CCCA’s training manager, planning the EIT webinars, RoundTables and seminars offered at the National Conference. Jen was a camper and later worked on staff at Camp Paradise (Newberry, Michigan), where she met her future husband, Jay. Jen and Jay live in Colorado with their daughters, Noelle and Chloe, and way too many pets.
Member Development Specialist & Traffic Controller
Kelli Craft serves as member development specialist and traffic controller at CCCA. She loves to talk to camp leaders about the value of being involved with CCCA and she plays a significant role in keeping things moving behind the scenes for CCCA. Kelli’s experience includes counseling, administrative duties, leading women’s retreats, helping CCCA members with various needs and leading and supporting various ministries in a church setting. After transferring from Vanguard University in Southern California, Kelli completed her degree at New Hope Christian College in Eugene, Oregon in Pastoral Studies with a Counseling emphasis. Kelli married her best friend in 1990, has 5 children, 12 grandchildren and a sweet golden doodle named Tozer. When she is not working you will find her joyfully serving at her church as a lead pastor’s wife, taking a ride with her husband on his Harley Davidson, facetiming with one of her amazing grandkids, reading a book or doing a puzzle. Kelli loves the whole world of Christian camping and conference centers and the impact that they are making in the lives of so many.
Finance Coordinator
Bensie Cheney serves as the finance coordinator at CCCA. Bensie has lived in Colorado since January 2017. She and her husband of 15 years and their two children (ages 8 and 11) love the outdoors and the beauty of the Colorado mountains. Bensie has a bachelor’s degree from the University of California and has more than 11 years of office management, finance and accounting experience working in a variety of accounting and real estate offices.
Executive Assistant
Emily Barnes serves as the executive assistant to Gregg Hunter. Emily manages and implements all administrative duties and responsibilities of the executive office. Emily also serves and supports the CCCA Board of Directors in their roles within CCCA. Originally from Ohio, Emily holds her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Ohio State University. She is a die hard Buckeye football fan! Emily is formerly a classroom teacher and has served as a mission trip coordinator, youth leader, and Royal Family Kids big camper and mentor. She has lived in Colorado Springs for the last eight years and loves hiking, reading, traveling, and woodworking. Having been involved in various camps since childhood, and now as an adult volunteer, Emily has experienced first hand the impact camp can make in a person’s life.
President/CEO of CCCA
2023-2025
In his role as president/CEO of Christian Camp & Conference Association, Gregg Hunter is responsible for the overall strategic direction of CCCA in its efforts to maximize ministry for its members. He is passionate about Christian camping because of the life-changing impact it had on his own life. At 17, he committed his life to Christ on his first trip to a Christian camp.
Before joining CCCA, Gregg served as vice president of public affairs at Georgia Family Council, where he spearheaded all aspects of the nonprofit’s communications and fundraising efforts. His diverse background in communications, marketing and development includes six years at The Boeing Company and five years at Young Life, where he was a member of the President’s Cabinet as the organization’s senior communications officer. He has served as adjunct faculty at Colorado Christian University and University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, where he has taught upper-level courses on Strategic Communications and Organization Development.
At-Large member of the CCCA Board of Directors
2023-2025
Aucretia Carey serves as an At-Large member of the CCCA Board of Directors. Formerly she served as the Senior Kentucky Operations & HR Director for Barefoot Republic, as well as a member of the Barefoot Republic Executive Leadership Team. Through her role at Barefoot, she was able to witness, as well as participate firsthand in the life transformation that occurs as a result of the Barefoot mission of reconciliation manifested through their camping programs.
Previous to her service at Barefoot, Aucretia worked in a variety of manufacturing, government and healthcare corporations serving as a senior accounting and operations professional. Additionally, she has an extensive ministry background serving churches domestically and globally by providing financial training, administration and specialized programming to diverse audiences. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, as well as, a Master’s Degree in Accounting & Finance.
Aucretia is an adept problem-solver, experienced in staff management, human resource processes and employee relations, dedicated to reviewing and streamlining operations to reduce organizational costs and promote efficiency.
Currently she deploys her decades of practice as a results-driven finance and operations professional as an independent contractor assisting clients with a variety of needs. Aucretia also serves in the foster care community serving as a foster parent and developing initiatives to help youth in the foster care system.
At-Large member of the CCCA Board of Directors
2023-2025
Cathey Prudhomme serves as an At-Large member of the CCCA Board of Directors. She believes Christian camping is a dynamic tool for impacting lives. She has been involved with Christian camping her entire life and spent most of her childhood in a camp ministry founded by her parents.
Cathey is President/CEO of Eagle Village Inc., serving at-risk children and families through residential treatment programs, specialized summer camps, foster care and adoption services, prevention and intervention services, and more. Cathey is a licensed professional counselor.
She has been involved in CCCA for over 25 years, serving as a speaker and a member of curriculum councils and has worked for over 15 years with many camps and Christian ministries in an organizational consultant role. She has also worked with her husband, Steve Prudhomme, former board chair of CCCA, in a denominational camp setting and was employed by the State of Michigan as a camp licensing consultant.
Cathey stays active with her children and grandchildren, enjoying many sporting events.
Central Southern Region Rep.
2023-2025
Paul Biles serves as the Central Southern Region Rep. on the CCCA Board of Directors. Paul is a Jesus follower, husband to Kelli and father to Isaac, Christian, Silas, Julia and Thaddeus. Life is full!
Paul serves as the executive director at Tejas in Texas. He has been involved in various roles at Tejas since 1999. Paul was attracted to Tejas because of the focus on serving others and being discipled. He is passionate about furthering Tejas’ mission of setting the stage for Jesus to transform lives.
CCCA was an important connection for Paul when he got into camp ministry. His first national conference was in San Antonio back in 2005, and from there he was hooked on the networking, educational resources and all-around support for Christian camping. Paul has served on the Texas Section cabinet since 2011 in various roles such as treasurer, president-elect and president. Getting to know many of the camp staff across the state and beyond, he has found value and brought his skills to the table to further ministry beyond the walls of Tejas.
Outside of life at Tejas, Paul is an elder at his local church, loves to read, run and spend time at the local coffee shop.
Southeast Region Rep.
2023-2025
Chip serves as the Southeast Region Rep. and is in his 17th year as president of Bonclarken Conference Center, the conference center of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, in beautiful Flat Rock, NC. After 10 years in collegiate athletic administration, God called Chip to the place where he worked six summers in special needs ministry.
Building relationships, networking and simply learning from his peers in the Carolinas-Virginias Section of CCCA has been such a blessing for Chip and his team at Bonclarken. He has served on the cabinet of the Carolinas-Virginias Section and Bonclarken has hosted both the sectional and super-Southeast sectional several times.
He and his wife Cynthia just celebrated their 30th anniversary and are blessed with two children, Emma and Joseph. Chip is a 1989 graduate of Erskine College with a degree in business management and earned a master’s degree in athletic administration from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1996.
North Central Region Rep.
2023-2025
Steve Pinkley serves as the North Central Region Rep. Steve has dedicated over a decade to Hidden Acres Christian Center in Dayton, Iowa, where he has served as the executive director for the past eight years and previously as ministry director for four years. Before his work in camp ministry, Steve accumulated a wealth of experience, including roles as a youth pastor and successful restaurant owner, and managing food service operations, sales and marketing at an amusement park for 14 years.
His unique blend of business, hospitality and a passion for Christian ministry enables Steve to connect with people and foster a welcoming environment at the camp. He met his wife, Dana, at Cedarville University in Ohio, and they have been married for 41 years. The couple has four adult children — three of whom are married — and enjoys spending time with their nine grandchildren.
An avid sports enthusiast, Steve played basketball and baseball in college and enjoys fly-fishing. Recently, he took a memorable trip to Bozeman, Montana, to fish and hike with his son. Steve is eager to serve, support and connect with camps in the North Central Region while promoting the Christian Camp and Conference Association (CCCA) to nonmember camps.
Northeast Region Rep.
2023-2025
Jon Bisset serves as the Northeast Region Rep and is the president of Peter and John Ministries (PJM) and the executive director of River Valley Ranch (RVR), a Christian camp and retreat center located in Maryland. With a B.A. in history and communications from Towson University and an M.A. in communications from Wheaton College, Illinois, Jon has dedicated his career to impactful leadership in nonprofit and community-focused organizations.
Jon‘s career began in community organizing with Outreach Community Ministries in Wheaton, Illinois, where he worked directly with low-income neighborhoods outside Chicago to support community development. In 1997, he returned to Maryland to lead RVR, which has since become a thriving year-round camp, outdoor education provider and retreat destination. Under Jon‘s leadership, RVR serves over 8,000 guests annually, including youth, school groups and retreat participants, offering transformative experiences that inspire faith, encourage personal growth and empower each individual to reach their full, God-given potential. Since its founding in 1952, RVR has welcomed over 700,000 guests.
Jon‘s commitment to service also extends to board roles, including a decade on the Maryland State Board of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and his current position on the board of Curium Outreach Ministries, which aids impoverished communities in Nogales, Mexico. His insights have been featured in the Christian Camp and Conference Association‘s InSite magazine and Our Daily Bread, and he is a regular presenter at ACA Tri-State and CCCA National Conferences. Outside of work, Jon enjoys gardening, competitive chess, running with his dog Sadie and climbing the Peloton leaderboard. He lives in Maryland with his wife, Courtney, and their two adult children, Anna and Aidan.
Southwest Region Rep.
2023-2025
Dan Faulkner serves as the Southwest Region Rep. on the CCCA Board of Directors. Dan is the Executive Director of Camp Elim in Woodland Park, Colorado where he has served a total of 48 years, 15 as a volunteer and 33 as Director. Those 33 years have been accomplished in two stints with a nine-year break when he served as Pastoral Ministries Coordinator at a church in Colorado Springs. Dan served as treasurer of the CCCA Rocky Mountain Section for six years.
Dan and his wife, Teri, have been married for 41 years and have three lovely daughters, three granddaughters and two fine sons-in-law. Teri has served alongside Dan in church and camping ministry. They are both committed to a discipleship model of Christian camping and love seeing multiple generations of campers and staff growing in the Lord. Outside of camp and the local church, family time, travel, riding e-bikes, and theater are Dan’s passions.
Great Northern Region Rep.
2023-2025
Jane Schmidt serves as the Great Northern Region Rep. Jane has served at Camp Tapawingo for the past 26 years. Working with her husband Brad, in all areas of camp ministry, she loves creating a place where guests can call home. She desires to actively demonstrate the love of Jesus through conversation and hospitality. Most recently, Jane has worked on grant writing, fundraising and advising design elements for three major new building projects at camp. Jane has served on the planning committee for the Northwest Section, completing terms as secretary, president-elect and president. In 2020, Jane collaborated with other camp leaders to develop a Camp Alliance Committee to advocate and create guidelines for the reopening of camps in the State of Oregon.
Jane is a graduate of Western Oregon State with a bachelor’s degree in Education and has taught in private and public schools for over 25 years. Working alongside 2 public school districts and several private schools, Jane has developed a successful outdoor school program at Camp Tapawingo.
Jane met her husband Brad while they served as camp counselors at Eagle Fern Camp. Married for almost 36 years, they still enjoy traveling and adventuring with their 2 grown sons and daughter-in-law.
Great Lakes Region Rep.
2023-2025
Jordan Morris serves as the Great Lakes Region Rep. He has been the Camp director at Indian Creek Baptist Camp, Bedford, IN since 2010. He and his wife Mindy met as campers and served together as volunteers and staff for many years before marrying and have since welcomed 3 sons to their ministry too.
Jordan is passionate about camping ministry and uses their Camp mission statement as his own, seeking to Connect-Refresh-Grow with Jesus and others. He is also passionate about the connection and sharing in ministry found through CCCA. He has been an active part of Indiana CCCA since 2011, currently serving as Co- Section President after completing his president- elect term. Jordan seeks to relate to other ministries through CCCA with experience, and focus on growing smaller camps into highly impactful ministries.
Board Secretary / Treasurer
2023-2025
Doug McClain serves as the CCCA board secretary/ treasurer. Doug grew up in the camping and outdoor world. He has a B.S. in Recreation Resource Management, Commercial Recreation, and Tourism from Colorado State University and has used the camp and outdoor environment for the learning experiences and ministry growth of others since 1984. Doug joined the ministry of Sky Ranch in 2004. Throughout his time at Sky Ranch, Doug has had the privilege of serving in numerous roles at each of the four Sky Ranch locations. Doug has a passion for sharing what he’s learned with others in the camping profession. Doug and his wife, Julie, who serves at Sky Ranch Horn Creek, reside in Westcliffe, Colorado with their two children.
Vice-Chair
2023-2025
Ed Covert serves as Vice-Chair for the CCCA board. He is a committed Christ follower, husband to Maryann, dad to Taylor and Claire, and son to Salvation Army officer parents. He loves to surf, fly-fish, watch baseball and eat ice cream, and not always necessarily in that order, but there is always ice cream. His journey in Christian camping began in the pots and pans sink at Camp Elephant Rock where the Lord captured his heart for the ministry, power and influence of camp. Ed currently serves as executive director at Redwood Glen in California and has enjoyed the privilege of being involved with the Salvation Army’s camping ministry for a long time. His journey has afforded him the opportunity to lead the ministry team at three of the Army’s west coast camps and serve as the Army’s national camp liaison. Ed shares that serving with CCCA colleagues in both the Northwest and Sierra Pacific Sections to bless, encourage and equip camping leaders has been, and continues to be, a very meaningful part of the journey as he takes steps toward Jesus each day.
Board Chair
2023-2025
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.