Joe & Debbie Jo White
Joe and Debbie-Jo maintain highly active roles at Kanakuk and live on the K-2 property during the summer months. While Joe speaks at all the Kamps, he spends most of his time speaking to, coaching and counseling the teenage Kampers at K-2 where he is the director. Joe and Debbie-Jo’s oldest daughter, Jamie Jo, is married to Andy Braner, and together they founded and currently direct Kanakuk Colorado. Andy and Jamie Jo's three children, Hays, Maggie, and Dax, keep their parents and grandparents focused on what makes Kanakuk a great place for kids. Daughter Courtney and her husband Tom, along with their son, Jack, are living in Overland Park, Kansas. Tom is pursuing a degree in law at UMKC and Courtney is on her way to becoming a National Vice President with Arbonne International. Their oldest son Brady is an active worship leader and has produced 4 music albulms on which he is the lead guitarist and vocalist. Brady and his new wife, Jennafer live in Branson, MO where Brady serves as a computer analyst for Kanakuk Kamps. Jennafer serves as a personal assistant to Joe. Their youngest, Cooper, and his wife, Missy, also live in Branson, MO. Cooper directs Kanakuk Klassic and Missy is a stay at home mom with Lilly Anne. They are expecting their 2nd child, a boy, this spring.
Kris & Diane Cooper
Kris Cooper is the Executive Director of Personnel and the Co-Director of K-1. Kris began working at Kanakuk as a counselor in 1978 and became a part of K-1's leadership team the following year. Along with his wife, Diane, Kris has been running K-1 since 1995. Diane began her career at Kanakuk as a kamper in 1968 and was a princess in 1977. The following year Diane came to work at Kanakuk as a counselor and became a member of the K-1 leadership team in 1981. Kris and Diane have six children: Conner, Kristen, Lucas, Rebecca, Claire, and Caleb.
Doug & Dee Goodwin
Doug Goodwin is the Executive Director of Kanakuk Operations and the President of Kanakuk Ministries. Doug was a teacher and a coach for 6 years and then became the Associate Dean of Second Baptist Middle School and High School in Houston, Texas, where he worked for two and a half years. Doug began working for Kanakuk as a counselor in 1984 and then became a member of K-1's leadership team in 1987. He then joined Kris Cooper as the Co-Director of K-1 from 1996 to 2004. Doug, along with his wife, Dee, have four children: Kylee, Kale, Karis, and Kade.
Will & Cindy Cunningham
Will Cunningham is the Director of K-Kountry. Will began his Kanakuk career as a kamper at K-1 for three years and followed his kamper summers with four years as a counselor. Will spent two years on the leadership team at K-2 and joined the full-time Director’s staff in the summer of 1997. Prior to working full-time for Kanakuk, Will graduated from seminary and spent 12 years doing marriage and family counseling. He has written four books and continues to write. Along with his wife Cindy, who was a Kanakuk counselor for five years, he runs K-Kountry. Will and Cindy have two sons: Wesley and Peter.
Trish Helsel
Trish Helsel is the Women’s Executive Director of Kanakuk Kamps, Inc., and the K2 Women’s Director in the summer. Trish worked with high school teens for 14 years as a teacher and coach before coming on full-time with Kanakuk. Trish began working at K2 in 1990 and became the Women’s Director of K2 in 1995. In 1998, she was hired to her current position. Trish and her husband John, have 2 teenage sons, Bo-18, and Taylor-15. They also have a daughter, Shayla, who is 9.
Matt & Melissa Houston
Matt Houston is the Director of K-1. Matt began working at Kanakuk as a Counselor in Training in the summer of 1991 and became a counselor the following summer. He became a part of the K-1 leadership team in 1993. Matt was the Area Director of Kansas City K-Life before he began working full time for Kanakuk in 1997. His wife, Melissa, has been working at Kanakuk since the summer of 2000. Matt and Melissa have 2 daughters, Hadley and Holland.
Ward & Beth Wiebe
Ward Wiebe is the Director of K-West. Ward started at Kanakuk as a counselor in 1981 and has been a part of the Kanakuk leadership team since 1982. Ward’s wife, Beth, began counseling at Kanakuk in 1983, became a part of the Kanakuk leadership team in 1985, interned for Kanakuk in 1987, and is now the Women’s Director of K-West. Ward was the K-Life Area Director in St. Louis and Little Rock until he and Beth joined the full-time Kanakuk leadership team in May of 1992. Ward and Beth have two boys: Michael and AJ.
Pete & Katie Newman
Pete & Katie Newman are the Directors of K-Kountry. Pete began working at Kanakuk in 1995 as a counselor and then became a part of the K-Kountry leadership team in 1998. After graduating from Auburn University, Pete was brought on full-time in 1999 and started the Kanakuk Father & Son Retreats. Katie, also an Auburn graduate, has been working with Kanakuk since 2003. Pete and Katie have a daughter, Rylie.
Keith & Karen Chancey
Keith Chancey is the Director of K-Seven. He began working at Kanakuk in 1979 where he met his wife, Karen. Karen began working at Kamp in 1978 and became a member of the Kanakuk leadership team the following summer. Together, they ran K-Life in St. Louis and in Dallas, and then Keith became the Youth Pastor at Denton Bible Church. The Chanceys began directing K-Seven in the summer of 1993 and joined the full-time Kanakuk staff in 2001. Keith and Karen run the Kanakuk Institute and they have two children: Callie and Cameron.
Andy & Jamie Jo Braner
Andy Braner is the Director of Kanakuk Colorado. He began working as a counselor in the summer of 1994 and then started the original Kanakuk Colorado in the summer of 1996. Andy, along with his wife, Jamie Jo, began working full time for Kanakuk in 1997. Jamie Jo began her Kanakuk experience as a 12-year kamper in 1980. She was a counselor in 1994 and is currently the Women’s Director of Kanakuk Colorado. Andy and Jamie Jo have three children: Hays, Maggie and Dax.
Paul Fryant
Paul Fryant is the Director of the Kanakuk Golf Kamp. Paul graduated from Mississippi College where he majored in Political Science. He came on staff with Kanakuk in the summer of 1997 and spent the next seven summers serving in many different capacities at K-West. Paul was the Assistant Director at the Kanakuk Golf Kamp in 2004 and 2005, before becoming the Director in the summer of 2006.
Joel and Callie Dolloff
Joel Dolloff is the Men’s Director/Assistant Director of K-1. Joel began working at Kanakuk as a Counselor during the summer of 1998 and then became part of the K-1 leadership team in 1999. After graduating from Kansas State University in 2001, he spent a year teaching and coaching in Branson before he became part of the full-time Kanakuk staff in 2002. His wife, Callie, was a 9 year kamper and was on staff four summers while attending OSU. Joel and Callie were married in March of 2005.
Ashley Robbins
Ashley Robbins is the Women's Assistant Director of K-2. Ashley began working at Kanakuk as a counselor during the summer of 2000 and then became part of the K-2 Leadership Team in 2002. After graduating from the University of Arkansas in 2003, she spent a year interning for Kanakuk and then the following year became the full-time Assistant Director at K-2. Her husband, Shay, completed the Kanakuk Institute and is the Taney County K-Life Area Director. Shay and Ashley were married in December of 2006.
Todd & Bronwyn Rapp
Todd Rapp is the K-West Men's Director. Todd began coming to Kanakuk as a kamper in 1982 and became a counselor in 1986. Todd interned with Kanakuk in 1990 and then worked for Dallas K-Life for 6 years. He was the Interlinc Tour Coordinator with DC Talk and Audio Adrenaline before coming to Kanakuk as a full-time Director in 1998. His wife, Bronwyn, has worked for Kanakuk since 1996. Todd and Bronwyn have four sons: Hunter, Connor, Carter, and Colton.
Collin & Rachel Sparks
Collin and Rachel Sparks are the Assistant Directors of K-Kountry. Collin was a kamper for 6 years and has served on the Kanakuk staff since 1997. He grew up in the Dallas area, graduated from TCU in 2002, and attended the Kanakuk Institute prior to becoming full-time staff at Kanakuk. Rachel, a 2001 Baylor graduate and St.Louis native, was also a kamper for 4 years and has been working at Kanakuk since 1996. Collin and Rachel met at Kanakuk and were married in August 2002. They have a daughter, Ella Grace.
Chad & Catherine Hampsch
Chad Hampsch graduated from Greenville College with a BA in Business Administration in 1999. Chad went on to attend and graduate from the Focus on the Family Institute in Colorado Springs, CO. He started working for Kanakuk in 1996, and became full time in 2001. He currently serves as the Assistant Director of K-7 and the VP of Operations for the Kanakuk Institute. In 2002, Chad married Catherine, who joined him in working for Kanakuk, and is also on staff with the Kanakuk Institute. Chad and Cat have one daughter, Mylee, who was born in November.
Cooper & Missy White
Cooper and Missy White are the Directors at Kanakuk Klassic. Cooper literally grew up at Kanakuk, watching his Dad, Joe White impact kids through life changing summer Kamp experiences. Cooper began working with Kanakuk Klassic in 2002 as a counselor and when he graduated from Wheaton College began full time Director duties for Kanakuk. Missy started attending Kanakuk in 1996 as a kamper. Missy finished out her Kanakuk Kamper career as a princess at K2 and went on to serve on staff at Kanakuk Colorado and Kanakuk Klassic before she became the Women's Director. Cooper and Missy have two children, Lilly Anne and Hayden.
Geoff Todd
Geoff Todd is the Men’s Director of Kanakuk Klassic. He began his tenure with Kanakuk in 1992 at K-1 where he was a long time Leadership team member who became the 13-day Assistant Director. Geoff will also serve as the Director of Marketing for Afterdark and Pure Excitement. Geoff graduated from the University of Kansas. He is married to Lindsay who is also part of the Kanakuk Klassic Leadership team. Lindsay was a long time kamper and counselor at K2. She attended Baylor University. Geoff and Lindsay joined the Kanakuk Family full-time in Spring ’06.
Tracy Ashcraft
Tracy Ashcraft is the Women's Director of Kanakuk Klassic. Tracy began working at Kanakuk in 2002 and joined the Klassic leadership team in 2003. After graduating from Oklahoma State University, she attended the Kanakuk Institute. She recently graduated from the K-Institute in the Spring of 2006 and joined the Kanakuk full time staff.
Marissa Olson
Marissa is the Women's Director at K7, the Dean of Women at the Kanakuk Institute, and hails from the great state of Texas! She graduated from Texas A&M University with a BA in Spanish and a Secondary Education license. During college, Marissa spent a year studying in Spain and student taught in London, England. She then attended the Kanakuk Institute as a part of the Class of 2003. Marissa was a K7 Kamper and never wanted to leave. She then started working for Kanakuk (K-7) in 1998 and became full time staff in September of 2003.
Jennifer Farley
Jennifer started attending Kanakuk Kamps as a kamper at the age of 11. After graduating from the University of Oklahoma in 2000, she spent one year working at the OU before joining full-time K-Life Staff in Searcy Arkansas. Jennifer began working as a counselor at Kanakuk in 1997 and has been on staff with K-1 every summer since that time. In 2003, she joined full time staff at Kanakuk Kamps as the K-1 Assistant Women’s Director. Jennifer married Lee Farley in September of 2005. Lee was a kamper at Kanakuk for 5 years and has been on staff for the past 7 years. Lee is currently on staff with K-Life Ministries in the national office.
