Randy M., CEO 
Randy is the founder and CEO of Covenant Community Services Inc. Randy’s passion is to coach people and organizations for growth of the Kingdom and in service to King Jesus! Randy’s mission is transforming communities and generations through services and supports to foster children, emancipated youth, and families. Randy has been involved in social services since 1986 and has served as Kern County’s Royal Family Kids’ Camp Director for 14 years. He serves on several other committees/board of directors and the Canyon Hills Assembly of God Leadership Team. Randy is a licensed minister, organizational consultant, and an expert witness in foster care. Under Randy’s direction, Covenant currently has 7 diverse programs that serve abused and neglected children and their families. Randy is married to Kim and they have two biological children, Zachary and Shelby and a foster son, Jovan.
Kim M., Manager of Operations 
Kim and her husband have been involved with Royal Family Kids Camp since 1995. After serving for 1 year at camp as a counselor her passion in life became foster children. Her goal is to see them become whole and to succeed in life regardless of the unfortunate circumstances that placed them in the foster care system. Kim and her husband became directors of the camp in 1997 and are still serving as directors today. In 1999 Kim and her husband founded Covenant Community Services Inc. where they serve foster children, foster youth and foster families. Kim is married to Randy and they have two biological children, Zachary and Shelby and a foster son, Jovan.
Leah G., Director of Family Services
Leah has been with Covenant since November 2006 when she and her husband, Dan, moved to Kern County from Ventura, CA for Dan to take a position with Kern County Teen Challenge. Leah serves as the Director of our Family Services which include Foster Care, Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS), the CHOICES THP+ Program, and our Building Blocks program. She has extensive experience working with at risk youth and their families and has a passion for helping to bring change and hope to broken youth and families through the love of Christ. Leah has a B.A. in Psychology from U.C. Berkeley and an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from National University. She is currently gaining hours to pursue Licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist. Leah is happy to call Bakersfield home, but never passes up a getaway back to the beach. She enjoys spending time with her husband – Dan, 3 step-children – Madison, Dylan & Greta, anything outdoors and adventurous, and loves raising & showing their 200 lb Mastiff, Samson.
Mark W., Building Blocks Manager
Mark joined Covenant Community Services on June 1, 2007, and he is very proud to be part of the team. Mark has gone through teen challenge and the teen challenge institute, which led him to minister in the Compton, CA area. Eventually, he and his wife, Stephanie, took over a church/outreach in Venice Beach, CA. Mark and Stephanie have two children, Matthias who will be 3 in May and their newest edition Naomi Elizabeth who is 10 weeks old.
Mark and Stephanie relocated to Bakersfield 3 years ago and became an active participant in ministry at Canyon Hills Assembly of God. They ran a ministry for the homeless at Central Park in Bakersfield and services Covenant as the Building Blocks Manager. Building Blocks is a residential program that teaches emancipated foster youth the skills they need for successful, independent living. Building Blocks is a 6 unit complex that houses a total of 12 youth. They will learn to search for and maintain a job, budgeting, home maintenance, personal health and safety—and much more. They skills they learn will enable them to become self-sufficient and productive members of society. Building Blocks was extremely run down and there are many things that still need to be worked out, but Mark is trusting that the Lord will provide the resources needed to get these youth the message that they have a hope and a future—in Jesus Christ! Mark has recently been recognized by the Modern Woodmen of America as a “hometown hero” for his work with Building Blocks!
John P., Jeremiah Mentoring Coordinator
John is a Bakersfield Native. He graduated from Bakersfield High School. For three years he went to school in Phoenix Arizona. After an encounter with Christ in 1979, he went back to school and got his undergraduate degree in Philosophy and religion with a minor is Psychology. He then went to Fuller Theological Seminary and received his Masters of Divinity Degree in 1995.
John has been working with children for over two decades. He started as an intern in Youth Ministry in 1980 at First Baptist Church in Bakersfield. He has counseled many youth through the basics of life. He is also a foster parent of two and adopted one. John and his wife Jennifer have been doing foster care for nine years. In 2002, after stepping down from church ministry John came to Covenant Community Services as a social worker. John has extensive experience with foster children and the foster care system. He is currently coordinating the Jeremiah Mentoring Project. John loves the interaction with families and feels he can help abused and neglected children find hope a healing in homes that show the love of Christ with determination and dedication.
John still has his hand is formal church ministry. He is the worship leader and choir director at Parkside Church in Bakersfield. John is an avid Golfer. He says his handicap is his driver, but he is about a 14. He also plays guitar. He has been playing since he was in 3rd grade.
Kevin C., Building Blocks Asst. Manager & CARE-NET Coordinator
Kevin comes to Covenant from Teen Challenge. He spent over 5 years counseling and discipling young adults with addiction problems. He has been involved with ministry for 10 years and has a passion to see the lives of hopeless and hurting people become transformed by the love of Jesus Christ. Kevin has been on board at Covenant for a year and a half, and is a vessel of hope for families and foster youth in transition.
Jonah L., Choices Case Manager/Family Support Counselor
Jonah is from Bakersfield and a graduate of Centennial High School. After finishing his bachelors from Western Illinois University, he moved to Charlotte North Carolina to serve with a Sports Ministry called Missionary Athletes International (MAI), while playing professional soccer for the Charlotte Eagles. After a few years he served in the same capacity overseas with Ambassadors in Sport (AIS) in Australia, Iceland, and Africa. This also included short term works all over the world communicating the message of the gospel through sport to kids and teammates from all walks of life.
He is one of our CHOICES Transitional Housing Program – Plus (THP+) case managers that work to enable emancipated foster youth to establish permanence. His heart is for the emancipated youth of Kern County to reach a state of wholeness enabling them to succeed and influence others in a positive manner.
Lindsay L., Choices Case Manager/Family Support Counselor 
Lindsay joined the Covenant team in June 2009 after volunteering to be a camp counselor at Royal Family Kid’s Camp the same summer. Her eyes were opened as she realized her passion for people and her heart for the abused and neglected went together. She joyfully accepted a job at Covenant as one of one of our CHOICES Transitional Housing Program-Plus (THP+) Case Managers working to enable former foster youth to establish permanence. She also works as a Therapeutic Behavioral Services Family Support Counselor (TBS) and helps with community development by creating the monthly newsletter, assisting with grants and media relations.
Lindsay graduated from Biola University with her B.A. in Journalism Public Relations and a minor in Biblical Studies, in 2006. After college, she worked with a few different non-profits doing a variety of public relations work, and she also coached soccer. Lindsay combined her passion for sports ministry and for people while serving with Missionary Athletes International and Sports Outreach Ministry, using the game of soccer to communicate the good news of the gospel all over the world including Japan, Mexico, South America, and Africa.
Lindsay is a recent newlywed. She married Covenant employee, Jonah Long, in March, 2010. Lindsay is happy to call Bakersfield home and loves serving the people of Kern County through Covenant.
Becky C., Family Services Social Worker
Becky moved from northeast Oklahoma to Bakersfield in 2007 with her husband, Brent, and their four children to plant a church in the northwest part of Bakersfield. Becky began working at Covenant in February of 2009. She has worked with children in the foster care system since 1994 and has a desire to see youth experience the love of Christ through caring adults who model that love. She received her bachelor’s degree in behavioral science in 1995 at Oklahoma Wesleyan University and has worked as a child abuse investigator, court social worker, foster care social worker and adoption social worker for the State of Oklahoma. She also has experience training foster and adoptive families for the National Resource Center of Youth Services. Becky likes calling California home and enjoys being in Bakersfield with its small town feel but closeness to so much activity. Becky and her family enjoy going to Disneyland and going to the beach. One of her new favorite activities is ocean kayaking.
Jill V., Administrative Asst.
Jill is from Bakersfield and has five beautiful children. She has served in many areas of ministry, including nursery, children’s, junior high, high school, choir and worship team. Jill has been with Covenant since April 2009 and her job is continually changing!
Richard A., Choices Case Manager 
Richard is a native of Bakersfield, Ca. and has lived here for most of his life. Richard comes to Covenant from Teen Challenge in Shafter, Ca. where he graduated in June of 2009.
Richard lives on-site at our Building Blocks Facility where he encourages twelve former foster youth to stay focused on gaining employment, obtaing their GED, or high School diploma, and attending lifeskill classes such as cooking, and bible studies.
Richard is also a Case Manager with our THP- Choices program where he guides and motivates former foster youth to be sucessful and advantageous in their lifes and in their community.
Richard’s greatest joy in life is spending time with his handsome son Nevada, who is 17 years old, and is a Junior at Highland High School where he is a member of the Highland Scots golf team.
Isaac D., Covenant Coffee Coordinator
Isaac comes to us from Charlotte, North Carolina where he had been apprenticing in the art of coffee roasting. Isaac attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he majored in Biology with a minor in Sociology. Isaac developed a love for troubled youth through working in youth groups, speaking at youth camps, and spending time with orphans in Africa. Isaac has come to Bakersfield to lead Covenant’s brand new coffee ministry where will be roasting fresh coffee and teaching and mentoring youths/young adults in the business of coffee from roasting to serving.
Tim C., Covenant Media Director
An award-winning journalist, Tim Calahan joined the Covenant Community Services Team in March 2010 as the Creative Media Director.
Tim comes to us from KGET-Channel 17, where he was a general assignment reporter for the past 2.5 years. With a passion for telling the story, Tim’s expertise includes writing, live and in-studio reporting as well as shooting and editing videos. With a focus on human interest stories within our community, Tim won the Kern County Press Club Award in 2009, for journalism excellence in a serious feature story.
Within Covenant Media, Tim will use his storytelling talents to give a “voice to the voiceless” and capture the untold story of former and current foster youth through media production. Covenant Media will produce unique and artistic videos, with thought-provoking storytelling elements to promote foster youth awareness within the community. Covenant Media will partner with local youth to teach the art of video production, journalism, storytelling, marketing, and self-confidence to benefit youth working at Covenant Media and the entire Covenant Team.
Originally from Bellevue, Washington, Tim’s enthusiasm for broadcast journalism and telling the story began in his senior year of high school. Tim’s “senior project” was an extensive year-long effort to study all the aspects of broadcast news operations, working with and guided by the professional staff KING-5 in Seattle. Tim attended Bellevue Community College and Bates Technical College, where he studied broadcast communications.
In his free time, Tim enjoys spending time with his family, and exploring his faith. Tim is excited to be part of the Covenant team, and the Bakersfield Community.
Joe J.
, Community Development Director
Joe recently joined Covenant in April of 2009 as our Community Development Director and will take on the tasks of building Community Relationships and enhancing our general awareness, while promoting our mission and purpose.
Born and raised in Bakersfield, Joe graduated from East Bakersfield High School and studied at Bakersfield College and CSUB and holds a degree in Business. Joe has worked with and around non-profits for several years and is currently a Regional Director for the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. Joe is the immediate Past Chairman of the Board for the Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and in the year 2009, filled in as their “Interim CEO.” Additionally, Joe serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Kern County as their Public Relations Chair.
Stephanie W., Covenant Horse Program
Stephanie grew up in Munich, Germany where she dreamed about working with horses. Stephanie moved to Bakersfield with her husband Mark Williams in 2005, and her dream started to become reality. Stephanie finished her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology at CSUB with a minor in Communications. Driven by a passion for former foster youth and horses, Stephanie became the program director of the Covenant Horse Program. She has received much of her training from Lifesaver’s Wild Horse Rescue and local friends that practice natural horsemanship. Stephanie uses horses through the Covenant Horse Program to empower former foster youth for healthy relationships.
Michael M., Family Support Counselor
Covenant Board of Directors
Wendell V., Chairman of the Board
Wendell and his wife Lynda have been the Senior Pastors of Canyon Hills Assembly of God Church since May 1983. During these years, Canyon Hills has grown from a small group of people meeting in northeast Bakersfield to one of the leading churches in the region. Wendell’s passion is to serve with other pastors in his community to impact the culture of their city. This has resulted in hundreds of pastors and leaders effectively working together on strategies for both evangelism and city transformation.
Supporting this effort, they have carried out a strategic plan in their congregation. Over these twenty-two years, Wendell and Lynda have led the Canyon Hills congregation through a major relocation of the church facilities and numerous building programs. The design and development of the 42-acre Canyon Hills Church campus, Florence Gardens Senior Living Community, and Frazier Woods Conference Center has been driven by the priority of creating environments that invite and include the “un-churched”.
Wendell and Lynda serve on numerous local and national boards for Christian ministries serving to engage the faith community in reaching beyond the walls of the church. Wendell also serves or has served as a member of the board of trustees for Vanguard University (Costa Mesa, CA), We Care America (Washington DC), Covenant Foundation of California, Convoy of Hope (Springfield, MO), Covenant Community Services (Kern County, CA), Stand for Israel (Chicago, IL), and The Jerusalem Prayer Team (Dallas, TX).
Russ U., Board Treasurer
Russ is the Treasurer on the Board. Russell G. Unruh is Owner and Broker of The Russell Group, a real estate company he founded in 1992. Russell oversees the complete operation of The Russell Group. As owner, broker, and manager he establishes company direction and policies, while maintaining a hands-on approach to the management of day-to-day activities of the company. With over 19 years of extensive experience in the local real estate industry, Russ understands the needs of both buyers and sellers of all types of real estate.
Russell is a native of Bakersfield and holds a California Real Estate Brokers License, the Certified New Home Sales Professional (CSP) designation from the National Association of Home Builders, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Real Estate. Russell has been dedicated to serving foster children and has been a counselor for Royal Family Kids’ Camp for several years.
Todd G., Board Secretary
Todd is the Secretary of the Board. Todd is a trial attorney who represents people and businesses when they have been harmed by others. Todd is a 1995 law school graduate and has been representing accident victims since 1995. He also provides legal counsel and advice to non-profit groups/ministries in the legalities of non-profit formation, operation, and management. Todd is a member of the California State Bar, The Kern County Bar Association, The Christian Trial Lawyers Association, the Consumer Attorneys of California, the American Trial Lawyer Association, and the Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles. Todd was elected by his peers to a leadership position in the Consumer Attorneys of California as a representative on the Board of Governors.
Todd and his wife, Heath, have three children. One of their children was brought to them through Covenant Community Services as a Foster Child. Todd was a founding board member of Jesus Shack and served on the Board for the first eight years of that ministry’s existence. Todd has a passion for serving and protecting children in foster care. A highlight of Todd’s community service each year is acting as a counselor at Royal Family Kid’s Camp, the summer camp for foster children hosted by Covenant.
Bob C., Director
Bob is a Director on the Board. Bob is a Water Resource Analyst for three large water districts in Southern California. He holds three degrees from the Colorado School of Mines: Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Master of Science in Geology, and a Ph.D. in Geophysics. Bob has spent his entire career in energy/mineral exploration and ground water development. Bob serves Covenant because he believes God has called him to serve by providing basic gospel outreach to remote parts of the world, supporting families and children in the community, and donating his time to teach others.
