Our People

Our Board of Directors

My name is Jon Sullivan and I am the current board chair and director of the Family Development program of FamilyWorks! Ministries. I hold a Master’s degree in Family Counseling from George Fox and have several years of experience working with both individuals and struggling families.

If you are going to invest your time and efforts into something, why not make a difference in the lives of others? That guiding principle has stuck with me since my childhood as I watched my father and mother love the hurting, forgotten and left behind. They were foster parents for 55 years!

As I watched them reach out to so many young people (over 200 foster children) it also became apparent to me that those who were being impacted would in turn impact others.

FamilyWorks! lives and breathes this idea. We strive for excellence everyday because we know that through this work we touch the next several generations as we impact families today. In doing so there is a ripple effect felt not only within the family tree, but socially as well.

Although I am grateful for the tremendous job they do, I believe we have hired enough police officers. As a society, it’s time we stop dealing with the symptom and start dealing with the root issue. That is why it is a priviledge to team up with such a great team who share this same passion for strengthening families and offering hope at the “ground level” of society.

My name is Carlos Baca, I was born and raised in Portland Oregon. I graduated from Roosevelt High School in North Portland, served in the military for 8 years, then spent the majority of my adult life serving in youth development. I started working with youth as a young adult by voluntering for the Boy Scouts after coming through the program myself and achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. After serving in the US Army for 3 year of active duty I began volunteering again as a basketball coach. I eventually started to work for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland for 8 years. After that I began to work as a professional youth mentor for an organization called Friends of the Children. I am currently still working there and have been there 15 years.

In 2009 I began working on developing FamilyWorks! Ministries. I became interested in this work for several reasons and among them are: After years of working directly with youth I have learned experientially that kids always do better in life when their family is supportive and have healthy relationships with each other. Second, I had a rough childhood myself due to many of the same reasons I saw as I mentored youth over the years. Third, I walked into my first marriage with good intentions, but was severely illequiped to make that relationship successful. Lastly, my relationship with Christ has taught me to see how faith in God’s word is a useful guide in building relationships that will survive the trials of life. So with that in mind, I wondered what I could do to be a part of the solution that would give families a fighting chance to reverse the circumstances I have been combating my whole life. FamilyWorks is simply the product of this desire and I am now devoting my time to seeing it become a source of hope for families everywhere!

Pastor Phil Hawk

My name is Phil Hawk. I am the pastor of St Johns Wesleyan Church and serve on the FamilyWorks! Ministries (FWM) board as a representative of the church board. I am also committed to help with “Lions of Judah”, one of the programs of FWM. I have chosen to serve with FWM because I am passionate about strengthening the family in ways that will help the family to succeed. I have confidence in the tools that FWM offers to bring about that success.

Fidel Gonon

My name is Fidel M. Gonon. I am a current Board Member of FamilyWorks! Ministry. I am also the Director of the soccer program. It is an honor for me to join this ministry in the heart of St. Johns. This is a ministry to fulfill the need of our community in North Portland.

Ric Spady

My name is Richard Spady. I serve as Interim Secretary and Director of Human Resources. Family isn’t a concept dreamed up by man, but a reality created by God. It is my prayer that through this ministry I feel we can help families, in all their forms and configurations, to build a strong foundation through information, compassion, and modeling Biblical principles through our ministry’s programs.

Lee Lower

My name is Lee Lower. I am a current board member of FamilyWorks! Ministries. I have lived in Portland since I was in grade school and in north Portland, where my son attended middle school and high school, since 1999. My years in the public sector, working to serve children and families, convince me that community needs will always far exceed available resources and that there is a strong role for community-based, faith organizations to play in addressing those needs. I am especially pleased to be a part of FamilyWorks! because its ministry strategy includes a coordinated effort to reach out to the whole family.

My name is Yelitza Roberts. Since I was a little girl my Father taught me the importance of family. Now that I have been blessed with a family of my own I want to share that positive message with my community and those in need. Family Works! seeks to help those that need it most and I am honored to be a part of such a wonderful team.

Our Program Staff

Program Director – Carlos Baca

Family Development - Branch Director – Jon Sullivan

Marriage & Parenting Workshops

Director – Jon Sullivan

Youth Development – Branch Director – Carlos Baca

Lions of Judah

Director – Carlos Baca

Sr. Adult Adviser - Fred Schriever

Sr. Adult Adviser - Mike Madden

Sr. Adult Adviser - Phil Hawk

Jr. Adult Adviser – Matt Shea

Girls Program – In Development Status

Educational Support – Branch Director – Carlos Baca

ESL Program

Director – Open

Spanish Translator – Fidel Gonon

Social Recreation – Branch Director – Carlos Baca

Soccer – (Pilot Program Status)

Director – Fidel Gonon

Family Game Night – (In-Active, in Development Status)

Webmaster for FamilyWorks

Director – Grant Wartnik

Check out Grant’s Blog at grwduck.blogspot.com