On Call with Zim Ugochukwu

John Darby MBA, CAE

Executive Director

John Darby has served last 25 years working in non-profit management and achieved the prestigious Certified Association Executive awarded by the American Society of Association Executives and is a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute of Organizational Management.

He was honored by the Business Examiner’s inaugural “40 Under 40” Emerging Leaders list and to The Olympian’s “Leader’s for the 21st Century”.

He earned his Master in Business Administration from Concordia University and is a 1997 graduate of the University of Washington. He was nominated to the Austin Business Journal’s “Best Non-Profit CEOs” in 2016.

John is the Executive Director of a state-wide trade association as well as serves as the President/CEO of Mercy House, his family owned company that operates seven Assisted Living Facilities across Texas. John and his wife of twenty-five years, Liz, reside in Austin TX.

steve wilson executive team at apostolic chamber of commerce

Dr. Eugene Wilson

Director of Education

Dr. Eugene Wilson has over thirty years of pastoral ministry, including senior pastor. He presently serves as the executive pastor of The Pentecostals of Katy, located in Katy, Texas.

Dr. Wilson is the founder Equipping Leaders, a leadership coaching and consulting non-profit organization that focuses on the development of Christian leaders within the church and workplace, at home and abroad.

He earned his Master in Business Administration from Concordia University and is a 1997 graduate of the University of Washington. He was nominated to the Austin Business Journal’s “Best Non-Profit CEOs” in 2016.

He is also an adjunct professor at Urshan College and Urshan Graduate School of Theology. He earned a Doctor of Strategic Leadership at Regent University’s School of Business and Global Leadership, a Master of Arts in Human Relations from Liberty University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Jackson College of Ministries.

The author of Realign, Seventy, and Leading Growth, he has been published in multiple languages. He and his wife, Kerri, have two children.

Brenda Orffer, CAE

Director of Events

Brenda is also Mayor for the City of McCleary, Washington, where she and her family live and attend church at Olympic Christian Center (OCC).

At OCC, Brenda serves as music director and supports several departments. She volunteers at the church’s school, Olympic Christian Academy, and she also volunteers at community and civic events.

Brenda is a graduate of Kent Christian College where she and her husband of 25 years, Colin, met. Together, they have served in district roles including Ladies Ministries Committee, Youth Committee, and Brenda is currently the Junior Bible Quizzing Coordinator and Content and Design Editor for the district newsletter, The Washington Word.

In her free time, Brenda enjoys traveling, reading, running—she completed two half marathons in 2018—spending time with her family, and doing random acts of kindness.

Seth Frances

Marketing Director

Seth currently attends McNeese State University, and plans to graduate in 2021 with his bachelors in Marketing management. At McNeese he spends his time working both in and out of class while still being apart of the CMI that is on campus. When he is back home from college he spends time working within ministry at New Life Austin. At New Life he is heavily involved with children’s ministry and youth ministry.

For fun Seth is currently working on a Sunday school curriculum project for daughter work churches in the Austin area, and plays softball with the church team. Other things he enjoys are Hyphen events, baseball, golf, and spending time with family and friends.
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Stephen Drury

Chairman of the Board

Stephen Drury serves as the Chamber’s Chairman of the Board. He also currently serves as the founding Director of the UPCI Stewardship Group, established in 2002, whose mission is to build trust and provide solutions based on Biblical stewardship principles for various ministries, churches, and individuals.
In 2009 he co-founded LifeSprings Ventures, a group of business leaders & professionals who are passionate about creating new business ventures to fund UPCI ministries. LifeSprings has since invested in sixteen companies across the United States. In 2017, he co-founded Impact Junkie, a for-profit social change engine.

Steve also served 26 years as the President of Tupelo Children’s Mansion, and where he and his wife Evelyn founded New Beginnings International Adoption Agency.

Steve is an alumnus of Apostolic Bible Institute, a board member at Faith Tabernacle UPC in Manchester, Connecticut, and maintains a UPCI Ordination in the Arkansas District. He holds a Certificate in Fundraising Management from the School of Philanthropy at Indiana University.

Steve and his wife Evelyn live in St. Louis, Missouri, where they attend church at New Life St. Louis in Bridgeton, Missouri.

Randy Fluitt

Vice Chair

Randy Fluitt is an exceptionally skilled executive with a distinguished career in the banking industry. He retired in 2016 as Executive Vice President with Fidelity National Information Services, where he led numerous acquisitions and played a key role in taking the company public. Prior to this, Randy held senior leadership positions with different companies, including serving as Bankline, Inc. President and CEO.

Randy is widely recognized for his contributions to the online banking industry, and many of the conveniences we enjoy today (such as mobile deposit) can be attributed to the teams he led. His visionary leadership has earned him a reputation as an innovator and a pioneer in his field.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Randy is also deeply committed to his community and his faith. He is an alumnus of Texas Bible College, where he now serves as the Chairman of the Alumni Association. He is one of the founders of LifeSprings, a division of UPCI’s Stewardship Group, and a champion for Apostolic entrepreneurship.

Randy is an active member of the First Apostolic Church in Dripping Springs, Texas, where he serves as a board member and key leader under Pastor Christopher Green. His dedication to his community and his faith has earned him the respect and admiration of many in our chamber of commerce. We are proud to have Randy as a valuable member of our community, and we invite you to learn more about his many contributions to the banking industry.

Delano Sherley, CPA

Treasurer

Delano Sherley is a highly regarded CPA and the owner/president of Delano Sherley & Associates, Inc., a Cincinnati-based accounting firm. He is also the Chamber’s inaugural treasurer, bringing his extensive expertise to bear on behalf of our members.

Delano has over thirty-three years of accounting experience, with a particular focus on non-profit, engineering, and construction industries. He has served as controller and CFO for numerous closely held businesses. His areas of expertise include business plans, financial reporting, financial forecasting, bank financing, cash flow management, and accounting systems development.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Delano is also an active member of his community, volunteering his time and expertise to several non-profit organizational boards. He currently serves as a financial consultant for Compassion Services International and Purpose Institute, as well as a board member of the United Pentecostal Church Stewardship Foundation. He also serves as treasurer under Pastor Tom Ellis at The Calvary Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Delano is a sought-after speaker on topics related to personal finance, financial management, accounting, ministerial taxes, and stewardship. As a speaker at state and national conferences throughout the United States, he shares his expertise with audiences from a variety of industries and backgrounds.

Delano holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Cincinnati. His commitment to excellence earned him the respect and admiration of many in our chamber of commerce. We are proud to have Delano as a valuable member of our community, and we invite you to learn more about his many contributions to the accounting profession.

Dr. A Lea Culver

Board Member

Dr. Lea Culver is an exceptionally talented business leader with over thirty-five years of experience in federal information technology and intelligence services. As a founding members of Creek Technologies Company (CreekTech), Lea serves as owner, president, and CEO. Under his leadership, the company has consistently reported significant increases in size and revenue, exceeding 100% year-over-year since 2012.

Lea is also a respected leader in academia, serving as the director of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) master’s degree program at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS). Recently, the program was ranked the #1 graduate school program for homeland security in the nation.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Lea has a passion for supporting under-resourced North American Mission churches, providing administrative and organizational integration, strategic evangelism, and management of church administration. He held various ministry roles, including pastoral associate, evangelist, outreach director, foreign missions director, Sunday school teacher, youth pastor, family ministry pastor, and Ohio District Sunday School board member.

Lea holds a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership, two Master’s degrees (MBA and Master’s in Homeland Security), and is a Ph.D. candidate at Franklin University. He serves on numerous boards, including Franklin University, The Kritērion Group, LLC, Dover Real Estate Investment Group, LLC, and ACC Property Management, LLC.

In addition to his professional and academic pursuits, Lea coaches and mentors Apostolic small business owners, helping them navigate different phases of startup and learn the principles of stewardship that form the organizational culture of business operations.

Bryan Bootka

Storybrand Consultant

Bryan Bootka uses a proven story-based framework along with almost thirty years of marketing and sales experience in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) business. He helps customers clarify messaging the make their marketing dollars engage the ideal customer and better impact more lives.

Bryan’s career includes experience in retail, sales organizations, and acting President of electrolyte brand Ultima Replenisher. His knowledge of different brands and situations combined with the proven StoryBrand framework provides you and your brand a clarified messaging that allows you to sleep well and see sales growth.

Jason Staten

Chairman of the Board

Jason Staten is an accomplished leader and entrepreneur, well-known in the community for his expertise in leadership and personal development. He is a certified John Maxwell trainer and the founder of Jason Staten Leadership Solutions, a company dedicated to helping individuals and organizations achieve their full potential.

Jason is also the founder and owner of FOWNTN, a vibrant community of creators that provides a library of content and learning platforms for like-minded artists and content creators. FOWNTN’s mission is to educate, entertain, and empower individuals to improve their personal and professional lives.

In addition to his business ventures, Jason is a senior pastor at Living Hope in Lexington Park, MD, where he shares his passion for community building and inspiring others to live their best lives. He is a sought-after conference and youth speaker, drawing on his extensive experience as a former Air Force service member to inspire and motivate audiences of all ages.

Jason’s leadership podcasts are available on popular platforms like Spotify, Apple Store, and Google Play, as well as on the FOWNTN website. His commitment to sharing his knowledge and expertise with others has earned him the respect and admiration of many in our community. We are proud to have Jason as a valuable member of our chamber of commerce, and we invite you to explore his many offerings through FOWNTN and Jason Staten Leadership Solutions.

Jenn Warren

Director

Jenn Warren is a creative and multi-talented wife, homeschool mom, lifelong learner, and entrepreneur. Her passion is serving in her church, helping small businesses thrive, and creating more ideas than anyone can implement.

She switched her college major from science to marketing after accepting a temporary job that exposed her to the world of advertising and publications. At twenty-two years old, she became the managing editor of a twice weekly newspaper. She now has twenty-five years of experience in print design, magazines and periodicals, marketing, advertising, public relations, customer service, and event marketing. She learned digital marketing as it evolved and became a force in the marketplace.

In 2007, Jenn launched Crazy Dog Creative–a graphic design and marketing agency where she works with a wide variety of clients. Two of her favorite accomplishments are creating a viral social media image for the homeschool world and putting together a whole-house marketing plan that helped to double the size of an event taking it from one of brand’s top 50 events in North America to the number eight spot with over $900k in gross revenue over the course of 2 years. In 2022, Jenn taught students in a virtual life-skills camp a 15-minute workshop about marketing basics and accidentally started another business, Kids Business Academy. Its goal is assisting parents in making entrepreneurship part of their child’s educational journey. Jenn works as a marketing coach while her business partner does business coaching. They teach children and teens how to launch a thriving business where they track goals, meet objectives, and know their numbers. In fall 2022, Kids Business Academy released “Launch and Beyond: Business Fundamentals for Rising CEOs.” This is a 30-lesson workbook and video course on entrepreneurship.

Although Jenn loves to geek out over marketing strategy and graphic design, her first passion is the Kingdom of God. Jenn serves wherever needed at her local church and always ends up helping with marketing, outreach, and printed materials too. She has a passion for Sunday school, especially for students in upper elementary through high school. She loves music and volunteers on the praise team at her church, The Pentecostals of Wappapello, a rural church plant. Jenn believes that no matter how big or small your church is, effective outreach starts with good marketing, and good marketing starts with caring about your community.

Family is a priority for Jenn. She is a city girl who married a country boy. He taught her to love rural living and the outdoors, but she still feels at home in a cozy coffee shop, enjoys perusing downtown shops, and easily gets lost for hours in a bookstore. Jenn and her husband are raising two entrepreneurial teenagers. They agree that the toddler years were easier to navigate, but the teen years are more fun. She homeschools her children and is thankful for the freedom and flexibility this offers their family.

Krisann Durnford

Marketing Team

Krisann Durnford is the executive director of a local Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce where she serves a business community of 250 members in a city of 27,000 people. Since 2015, her goal has been to offer quality, streamlined processes to the organization while actively supporting both local and global business members. In partnership with the board of directors, Krisann guided the organization’s growth from 3,000 to 12,000 attendance at their annual community event, introduced and continues to support a thriving workforce development initiative within their school district, and oversees the daily operations of their local office.

Krisann brings a variety of experience and skills to the team. Early in her career, she completed quality control certification in the insurance industry and was employed as company trainer at the home office of a national insurance agency. After marrying her husband and starting a family, she left the professional environment to homeschool her children and work in the ministry of her local assembly. She volunteered with the county homeschool educators as Honor Society facilitator and activity leader while serving her church as treasurer, children’s ministry director, and in the music ministry. Her love for music and teaching led to thirty years as an entrepreneur teaching private music lessons. In the past decade, Krisann served alongside her husband in ministry as they began a daughter work and became North American Missions church planters. In addition, she is a Field Editor for the Division of Publications of the United Pentecostal Church, International.

Her passion for community participation, volunteerism, and Apostolic leadership in the business world led her to volunteer with the Apostolic Chamber of Commerce. Her desire in both secular and Apostolic chamber organizations is to make a difference in lives and share the gospel.

Kenneth Stewart

Board Member

Kenneth Stewart is an accomplished Security Professional with a wealth of experience in the electronic security industry. As the owner and CEO of Integrated Security Consultants, based in Tampa, Florida, Kenneth has built a reputation for excellence in the sales, installation, and design of IP Video systems.

Kenneth’s expertise is sought after by many high-profile clients, including the NFL for Super Bowl XLIII & XLIV & XLVI, the Republican National Convention 2012 Citywide Wireless Mesh Camera System in Tampa, and Walt Disney World in Orlando.

In addition to his successful career in the security industry, Kenneth is a respected member of his community. He is the founding pastor and bishop of Tabernacle of Hope in Tampa, Florida, where he has provided spiritual guidance and support to his congregation for many years. Today, Kenneth continues his lifelong commitment to serving others as the Director of Promotions for the United Pentecostal Church, International’s North American Missions Department.

Kenneth’s combination of technical expertise and community leadership make him a valuable member of the Chamber of Commerce community. We are proud to have him as a member, and we invite you to learn more about his many achievements and contributions to both the security industry and the community at large.

Zim Flores

Board Member

Zim Flores is an entrepreneur, speaker, traveler, and advocate. In 2013, She founded Travel Noire, a boutique travel company that quickly gained critical acclaim and reached 2 million travelers each month before it was acquired in 2017. Her ability to solve complex problems and build communities both online and offline has garnered her numerous accolades, including being recognized as a Forbes 30 under 30 awardee and one of Glamour Magazine’s 25 Young Women Changing the World.

Zim’s entrepreneurial spirit has continued to thrive. She now serves as the CEO and founder of Italicist, a platform that utilizes computer vision technology to help women discover modest clothing. Zim partners with her husband in acquiring, growing, and selling small online businesses. Additionally, Zim hosts The Bloom Podcast, a column-style podcast that explores what it means to live passionately for God in today’s world.

Beyond her business ventures, Zim is a champion for diversity and inclusion in the tech industry. She actively advocates for underrepresented groups. Her dedication to making a positive impact on the world led to her being hand-selected by Oprah for SuperSoul 100, a collection of inspired leaders using their talents to elevate humanity. Zim’s unwavering commitment for inspiring others to live out their purpose and make a difference is truly remarkable.

Mark Wolford

Marketing Team

Mark Wolford is a content creator and digital marketing specialist who is focused on helping clients tell their stories and build their brands. He has experience serving small businesses, corporations, and nonprofits across a variety of industries. While executing marketing strategies across digital and traditional media, Mark always comes back to ensuring the written word is clear, concise, and carefully chosen.

When not behind a laptop, Mark spends time with his wife of seven years, Hannah, and their three children. He is involved in their local church as youth leader, and takes great joy when investing in people and watching as God makes everything beautiful in its time.

Tae Warren

Virtual Assistant

Tae Warren is the chamber’s virtual assistant.

As Young Professionals we can find ourselves in a position of leadership outside of the church. Our question now is, how do we effectively lead in a secular environment while maintaining our biblical principles?

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Useful Links

Don't Go It Alone

John Darby MBA, CAE

Executive Director

Dr. Eugene Wilson

Director of Education

Brenda Orffer, CAE

Director of Events

Seth Frances

Marketing Director

Stephen Drury

Chairman of the Board

Randy Fluitt

Vice Chair

Delano Sherley, CPA

Treasurer

Dr. A Lea Culver

Board Member

Bryan Bootka

Storybrand Consultant

Jason Staten

Chairman of the Board

Jenn Warren

Director

Krisann Durnford

Marketing Team

Kenneth Stewart

Board Member

Zim Flores

Board Member

Mark Wolford

Marketing Team

Tae Warren

Virtual Assistant

As Young Professionals we can find ourselves in a position of leadership outside of the church. Our question now is, how do we effectively lead in a secular environment while maintaining our biblical principles?

Similar Posts

Useful Links

Don't Go It Alone

John Darby MBA, CAE

Executive Director

Dr. Eugene Wilson

Director of Education

Brenda Orffer, CAE

Director of Events

Seth Frances

Marketing Director

Stephen Drury

Chairman of the Board

Randy Fluitt

Vice Chair

Delano Sherley, CPA

Treasurer

Dr. A Lea Culver

Board Member

Bryan Bootka

Storybrand Consultant

Jason Staten

Chairman of the Board

Jenn Warren

Director

Krisann Durnford

Marketing Team

Kenneth Stewart

Board Member

Zim Flores

Board Member

Mark Wolford

Marketing Team

Tae Warren

Virtual Assistant