Kevin Smith
Director Plant Services for Conference/ABC

History has a way...
Kevin has so much history around this camp it's only fitting that he works as the Campground Director here at Gladstone Park Conference Center. He delivered ice to the camp meeting attendees when he was 9, learned to drive on the grounds, attended Rivergate School and attended Camp Meeting for more years than his age. The camp ground has had a major impact on his life.

Kevin was married on the grounds here in 2004 to Monica. They were blessed with their son in March 2007. Monica gets to be a stay at home mom while Kevin manages the campground. Kevin continues to enjoy basketball as well as a multitude of out door activities.

Kevin is a hard worker and come Camp Meeting time you will see him working non-stop, wearing his trademark grin and I-can-do attitude, tearing around the grounds on his green gator. He is fulfilling one of his life goals, to be head caretaker here, where his history has led him.

Matt Ballard
Director Plant Services for Campus                 

Oregon...why Oregon?
In December 2005, Matt came to us from Michigan where he was in charge of Property Maintenance which included 30 or more conference owned houses. Matt is has been in the construction trade since 1976 and has been a great asset to the team and ministry here at Gladstone.

Matt has been married to Trish since 1996. Trish works as an Administrative Assistant in the Ministerial Department of the Oregon Conference Office. Matt also has a daughter who is living in Michigan and working at the ABC. Matt and Trish moved to Oregon to be closer to Trish's parents, but left behind many friends and family.

Matt is into outdoor sports such as kayaking, canoeing, horseback riding, hiking and climbing. Every time they get a chance, Matt and Trish are taking off for the hills or lakes to enjoy the world around them. They are enjoying the chance to discover the treasures of Oregon.

Bob Wytcherley
Assistant to the Director

Serving God mechanically...
Bob came to join the team in May, 2007. He's the mechanic of the crew, but hasn't always worked with mechanical things. Bob grew up in Southern Oregon and worked in the lumber industry for 15 years. He went back to school and received his certification in Diesel Technology. With this certification, Bob worked for Laidlaw Transit for over 12 years.

Tired of the grind and wanting to do something more of service to God and the community, Bob pursued a job opening with the Oregon Conference office. Once on board, he and Geri, his wife of 30 years, packed up everything and headed north. Being nearer their 2 sons and young grandson has been an added blessing.

While living in Grants Pass, Bob was very active in the local church. He's been involved with Pathfinders off and on for 25 years and has volunteered in different capacities through the years. He enjoys camping, hiking, biking and whatever else sounds adventurous. He is thoroughly enjoying being a part of the Gladstone Park Conference Center Team.

Jayne Johnson
Director of Events and Catering

Never liked talking on the phone…
Jayne moved here from Canada where she completed a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Science with a minor in Outward Pursuits. She started working with the Locations Department in June 2005 and then took over the Event’s Coordinator position in September of 2005. After a 6-month leave at the end of 2007, Jayne is back working with the staff at Gladstone Park Conference Center.

Ever since Jayne was young, she has been a planner. She liked to call all the neighbor kids and set up times to hangout, play tag, or jump on her trampoline. However, she was not a typical girl, she would rather be out riding her motorbike or horse then talking on the phone. Although her mom gave up getting her to clean and organize her room when she was young, she has found that organization is actually easier than it looks.

Jayne married her husband Jason in 2004, and quite fittingly had their rehearsal dinner here in the Holden Courtyard. She enjoys outdoors activities including horseback riding and exploring the Oregon Coast. She recently passed the Oregon Motorcycle License exam and is enjoying the curving roads in the area.

Kara Wetterlin
Assistant to the Events Coordinator, Locations

Avoiding a desk at all costs...
Kara joined the team in the fall of 2008. Growing up in a small logging town in Northern Idaho, moving to California for college and landing here in Portland has been an adventure to say the least. Kara holds a BS is Photography and an AS in Interior Design, both of which help in the creative side of her job here at GPCC. Kara's goals and dreams have included photography and design, but also working with people, and while here she is getting to hone her natual people skills.

Kara has held jobs such as Swimming Facility Manager, worked in retail as both a salesperson and manager and various other jobs. She has never wanted a job where she has to sit behind a desk and thus far, she has mostly managed to avoid that fate. Kara wears many hats here, from janitorial, to set-up, to hosting events, to photographing events, to handling locations at camp meeting. Kara enjoys art, photography, traveling, driving and working with people in a customer service setting. She is enjoying the experience and opportunity at Gladstone Park Conference Center.

Debee Givens
Grounds Care/Housekeeping

I'm never going to have a garden...
Famous last words.  Having grown up on a 3500+ acre farm in Northern Minnesota, she vowed to her mom that she would never have or keep a garden again. As soon as Debee and her husband Randy bought their first home, the urge to have a vegetable garden got the best of her, and she never looked back.  Debee started in 2002 working part time here on the grounds, pulling weeds and prepping the beds for spring planting. She started full time as the official Landscape gardener/Housekeeper on April 1, 2006. A dream come true. 

Debee has a diverse background, including teaching, retail, self employed, apartment manager, advertising executive,  and Childrens' Ministries director.

She has a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics and a minor in Education from Loma Linda University.  In 1979 she married Randy Givens who is a Nursing proffessor at Clark Community College in Vancouver Wa.  They currently live in Vancouver and have 1 very old dog, 1 old cat,  a very large vegetable garden,  way too many flower beds; apple, pear, cherry, necterine, and plum trees, grapes, blueberries, raspberries and a fabulous thornless blackberry. 

Her friendly outgoing attitude has created many friendships with the community as people discover our grounds.  She is full of great gardening advice and loves to help non-green thumbs make their own gardens a work of art.

Jason Johnson
Grounds Crew, Security Supervisor, AV Tech

Info coming soon!