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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2008 - 2010
 David Ris
PresidentDave, a professional television editor, works for Small World Productions in Seattle, WA. When he isn’t working into the wee hours to make a deadline for a television show, he is volunteering at Hope Foursquare as a volunteer youth leader, helping teenagers through their mental, emotional and spiritual struggles and giving them guidance. In addition, he uses his considerable talents as a gifted writer, filmographer and editor to craft numerous documentaries for the Foursquare Church Conference, informing congregations about their missionaries and various ministries. After learning about Small Beginnings Ministries and its work with those struggling with mental illness and spiritual issues, Dave wanted to support the ministry, to keep it alive and growing into the future. In addition, he and his wife often give up several weeks each summer to support church camps. Dave uses his filming and editing expertise to document the events at camp and produces full camp videos on-site complete with exciting music for the kids to remember their experience by. He is married to Kimmer and they have one daughter, Lindsey. He enjoys eating challah, listening to all kinds of music, and is an avid reader of books on faith as well as science fiction. The occasional Disney Cruise with his hard-working family doesn’t hurt either.
 Danielle Rowland
Vice President
Enrolling in the Foundation and Transformation Class in 2001, Danielle found Small Beginnings played an integral role in her journey out of a severe and lengthy depression. The ministry has since provided a context in which she can “comfort others with the comfort she herself has received from God” as an intern with the Monday Night Healing Prayer group. Since first connecting with Small Beginnings, Danielle married her biking buddy, Dan, in 2005, attended graduate school at the UW Information School for two years, and now works as a Reference and Instruction Librarian at the UW Bothell/Cascadia Community College Library. In her spare time, Dani reads, bikes, tidies, weeds her too-large yard, watches birds, and passionately enjoys a good nap.
 Doug Humphreys
Treasurer
Doug is the Administrator for Mill Creek Foursquare Church,
doing tasks from handling the finances to running the usher/greeter ministry
for the church. Prior to this position, he spent much of his time serving as a
volunteer youth leader with the church youth group, often working with
struggling teenagers. Along with serving with the youth he spent three years
teaching high school business, computer, and math class for Marysville-Pilchuck High
School. He has a degree in Business and Marketing
w/ a minor in Math from Eastern
Washington University.
After hearing about the work of Small Beginnings Ministries and its mission to
provide help for the disadvantaged, Doug was interested in becoming more
involved. With his excellent organizational abilities and financial acumen, he
is a great addition to the team. Doug is married to Darla and they have a
daughter, Kaya. He enjoys spending time with family, hiking, camping, and
competing in anything from a pickup basketball game to a good game of Blokus
(which if you have not played, you should  Kimmer Collison-Ris
Secretary
Kimmer, a Nurse Practitioner, has been a medical
professional since 1991 and has had her own practice with a specialty in wound
and ostomy care. She has a great deal of experience with the disadvantaged as
they struggle to receive appropriate medical care. In addition, she and her
husband have devoted themselves to serving the youth in various congregations.
Currently, they operate as youth leader volunteers at Hope Foursquare
Church in Snohomish.
Kimmer also gives up several weeks each summer to provide professional medical
care for church camps, being the sole medical professional for over 400 junior
high and high school kids around the clock. Several times a year, she leaves
her practice to provide medical care and construction assistance on mission
trips to Rancho de Sus Ninos, an orphanage and school in Tecate, Mexico.
Through all this, Kimmer has seen that many under her care have also suffered
from various degrees of mental illness and a need for a solid spiritual
foundation. Her support of Small Beginnings Ministries has caused several
students to enroll and receive the support they need. She desires to take a
more active role in assisting this ministry to grow and be available into the
future, therefore she accepted the role of Secretary. Kimmer has been happily
married to Dave Ris for sixteen years and they have one daughter. She loves
chocolate, talking over peppermint tea and long walks.
Steve Sprague
Board Member
Steve is co-founder of Small Beginnings Ministries along with the late Bob Peers and Maya Sprague. President of the Board of Directors since 2005, he remains on the board for one more year to guide the new board members as they become accustomed to their new positions. Steve's contributions to Small Beginnings Ministries are too numerous to count, involving, but not limited to leading small groups, providing remodeling services for the new office suite, networking with fellow ministers on behalf of the organization and supporting his wife, Maya, so she can volunteer her time for the ministry. He and his son, Andrew, also provide worship with guitar and drums for Mill Creek Foursquare's Children's Church on alternating Sunday mornings. Steve works full-time as a Pre-Construction Services Manager for PugetWest, a commercial construction firm in Arlington, WA and has years of experience in both residential and commercial construction. Married to Maya for twenty-two years, they have two sons, Andrew and Jonathan and also care for Maya's father who suffered a massive stroke in 1998. Steve enjoys playing his guitar and songwriting, fixing up old cars, building things and spending time with his family as much as possible.
Molly Buhler
Board Member
Molly enrolled in the Foundation and Transformation Class
after receiving one-on-one care from our founder, Bob Peers, during a critical
time in her life. As she recovered from severe depression, she desired to
continue learning all she could not only to benefit herself, but others. She
enrolled and graduated from the two-year Lay Ministry Training Program and also served as intern for one year, totalling a commitment of four years to Small Beginnings Ministries.
Molly has a degree in Special Education and has acted as a
foster parent in the past with her husband, Craig. Recently, they were
re-certified as foster parents in the Sequim area and will be providing
short-term respite care for children as needed. Even though Molly and her
husband live in Sequim, they feel so strongly about Small Beginnings’ mission
that they committed to being on the Board and making the trip in whenever necessary.
She is caregiver to her mother and is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Biblical
Counseling. She enjoys her dog and cats, hiking, taking trips with her husband
and working in her garden.
Craig Buhler
Board Member
Craig, a professional musician and gifted music teacher, lives in Sequim with his wife, Molly, their dog, Buddy and their three cats. They have both served as foster parents in the past and were re-certified to work in Sequim, offering short-term respite care for foster children in the surrounding area. In 2000, when still living in the Seattle area, Craig enrolled in the Foundation and Transformation Class when his wife, Molly, showed interest in the program. He had witnessed her descent into a deep depression only to watch her recover through Small Beginnings’ assistance. After seeing the healing effect on his wife and how the content of the class and small group time also helped him, he continued on, completing the two-year Lay Ministry Training Program. Craig feels very strongly that Small Beginnings Ministries must continue and wishes to assist in any way he can. Craig loves swimming, hiking, being out in nature and, of course, music. |
