Mesa, Arizona, United States
I am a creative and operational leader with more than 40 years of experience serving churches, ministries, and mission-driven organizations. For three decades I served in senior leadership roles within the local church, helping organizations build strong teams, clarify strategy, and communicate their mission more effectively. My work sits at the intersection of leadership, story, and live experience. Throughout my career, I have helped organizations translate vision into experiences that inspire people, strengthen communities, and advance mission. I work with both faith-based and corporate organizations to design conferences, leadership gatherings, and large-scale experiences that align teams, communicate vision, and move audiences to action. I am known for building high-performing teams, simplifying complex systems, and aligning creative, operational, and technical disciplines around clear strategic goals. My leadership has spanned Creative Arts, Operations, Digital Strategy, Visual Storytelling, Finance, IT, Marketing, and Communications. ⸻ Selected Impact • Produced and directed national conferences and leadership gatherings serving 100,000+ attendees across multiple large-scale events • Executive Producer of the PlanetWisdom Student Conference (2004–2018), a national event engaging tens of thousands of students and leaders • Directed general sessions for the National Youth Workers Convention (Youth Specialties) from 2012–2017 • Produced national leadership gatherings and conferences for organizations including Compassion International, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Christian Camp and Conference Association, The Barna Group, and MVMT.org • Led major national events for Youth for Christ, including multiple DCLA conferences and multi-year content development • Author of leadership resources published by Zondervan ⸻ Areas of Focus • Organizational Leadership and Team Development • Strategic Planning and Ministry Leadership • Conference and Live Event Production • Experience Design and Visual Storytelling • Creative Direction and Program Development • Operational Systems and Organizational Alignment ⸻ Today my work focuses on helping organizations design experiences that align people, strengthen culture, and communicate mission with clarity and impact.
Bringing Vision to Life – Elevating Events to Unforgettable Experiences As Chief Operating Officer at Velocity Productions, I partner with CEO Brian Pirkel to transform big-picture vision into actionable strategies and measurable results. My role focuses on ensuring operational alignment, empowering our team, and delivering high-impact event experiences that drive success for our clients. By leading day-to-day operations and aligning our teams, systems, and processes, I enable Brian to focus on vision and growth while I ensure the execution happens with precision and excellence. Together, we’re evolving Velocity into a full-service event experience firm that designs and delivers unforgettable moments. What I Focus On: ✅ Operational Leadership – Driving processes, systems, and teams to execute projects seamlessly and efficiently. ✅ Strategic Execution – Turning vision into clear, actionable plans that produce results. ✅ Team Empowerment – Building a culture of collaboration, accountability, and creativity to deliver world-class events. ✅ Client Success – Ensuring every event exceeds expectations by aligning execution with mission, audience goals, and storytelling. At Velocity Productions, experience matters. I’m here to ensure every detail contributes to events that engage, inspire, and leave a lasting impact.
At Authentic Management & Creative, we specialize in providing comprehensive organizational leadership and management solutions, and creative consulting and event planning services as needed tailored to a diverse clientele. With a robust skill set encompassing team development, creative strategy, event management, conference coordination, organizational consulting, event production, church administration, church growth strategies, and visual storytelling, we offer a multifaceted approach to meet our clients' needs. Our team assumes various roles to ensure the success of our clients' initiatives: Strategic Consultant: Offering expertise in church, non-profit, and for-profit sectors, we provide strategic guidance to optimize organizational performance and achieve objectives. Live Experience Producer: We curate unforgettable live experiences that engage audiences and leave a lasting impact from conception to execution. With a track record of excellence, our current clientele includes esteemed organizations such as Compassion International, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Christian Camp and Conference Association, and Movement.org. Communications and Marketing Support: Collaborating closely with our clients, we assist in developing effective communications and marketing strategies to enhance visibility and engagement across multiple platforms. Financial and Administrative Management: Our services extend to budget planning, accounting, accounts receivable and payable management, payroll, human resources, legal coordination, benefits administration, IT infrastructure development, billing, hiring, and staffing, ensuring smooth operations and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Provide executive strategic and creative leadership for all weekend services and teams across all six campuses. Includes service planning, worship, tech & production, integration, digital strategies, communications, and visual storytelling. Oversee all major AVL projects on all campuses, including concept development, design input, and installation coordination. Sun Valley Community Church is a multi-site church in the East Valley of Phoenix, AZ. With six campuses, the church averages around 10,000 each weekend, not including digital reach.
Responsible for day to day operations of all key organization functions. Leadership of National Youth Workers Conventions, regional training events, PlanetWisdom Student Conference, and one day Listen events. Developed and launched YS Job Bank, On-line Resource Center, YS Coaching Network, YS Texting Tool, and YS Network. Revamped weekly e-mail news.
• Expanded weekly attendance from 1,700 to 6,500+ in four years. • Managed a $6M budget and a $12M facility expansion, adding 3,000 attendees in two years. • Oversaw HR, finance, facilities, communications, IT, creative arts, and production departments. • Built a successful event team for concerts, conferences, and community events. • Led weekly staff meetings to promote prayer, celebration, and alignment. • Grew staff from 18 to 52 full-time employees by hiring and developing top talent. • Launched a Saturday night service, reaching 1,700 attendees in one year. • Implemented key infrastructure improvements, including hiring processes, budget planning, financial dashboards, communications, rebranding, database development, employee handbook, audits, worship planning, AVL design, campus improvements, and ECFA membership.