Board of Directors
Brandon Hendriks - EGM President
Brandon became a Christian and felt called into full-time ministry in high school. He met his wife, Melissa, in college and was married in 2001. They both graduated with bachelor's degrees from Simpson University in Redding, California, in 2003. Brandon went straight into full-time ministry and has held a variety of positions over the past 18 years, including student ministries pastor and family ministries pastor. He earned his Master of Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary in 2018. In 2021, Brandon answered the call to become the president and CEO of Every Generation Ministries. He and his wife, Melissa, have had four children, Xander (2008-2016), Uzziah, Tytus, and Brexlyn.
Jennie Mann - Board Chairperson
Jennie has been married to her husband Elliot for over 18 years and is mother to Celia and Ellie. She graduated from Purdue University in Electrical Engineering while playing Division 1 soccer. She attends church at Pacific Coast Church in San Clemente. Jennie worked full time in engineering for over 10 years before cutting back her hours to spend more time volunteering in various ministries. Over the years, Jennie's ministry involvement has been focused on teaching preschool and elementary aged children about Jesus. Jennie is an avid athlete (Ironman, National Powerlifting Champion, Crossfit Masters Athlete) and continues to workout 5-6 days a week. Jennie and her family live in San Clemente, CA.
Hope Hokama - Vice Chair
Hope has been married to her husband Michael for over twenty years and is mother to Chase, Mathias, and Lucas. Hope has a background in Human Resources and has spent time volunteering in junior high and high school ministries. She is a graduate of California State University Fullerton. Hope and her family live in Ladera Ranch, CA, and attend Pacific Coast Church in San Clemente, CA.
David Sanger - Secretary
David and his wife Andrea have lived in Palm Springs, CA since 1997. In 2016 they started a new ministry in downtown Palm Springs called LIVE 180 designed to provide a safe place for those in the Recovery and LGBT community to explore their relationship with Christ. Until 2016, they were both on staff at Our Savior’s Palm Springs, where he was the Associate Pastor and she was the Director of Prayer Ministries. They met and married while attending Concordia University in Irvine, CA, where he completed his BA in Elementary Education. He served at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Seattle, WA, (Andrea’s hometown) as their live-in Christian Halfway House Director, and Director of Children’s and Outreach Ministries from 1985-95. While there, they adopted their son who was nine-years-old. The family then moved to Pasadena, CA, (David’s hometown) to finish his Masters of Divinity at Fuller Theological Seminary. David served on the first EGM board and has traveled with the ministry to Poland, Hungary, and Chile. His greatest joy in ministry has been teaching children and youth each Sunday for the last 30 years.
Shireesh Verma - Treasurer
Shireesh began serving with EGM through John Byers. After attending bible studies together, John asked Shireesh to join EGM's Administrative Committee. He faithfully continues to serve in this position in addition to his new service on the Board of Directors. Shireesh is a senior investment strategist with extensive global experience in financial markets across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Africa. 7+ years of advising multi-strategy hedge funds and family offices to establish and manage bespoke fixed income, derivative, equity, multi-asset, and multi-sector portfolios. He has broad expertise in quantitative and fundamental research, credit analysis and modeling, financial statement analysis, asset allocation, portfolio construction and management, hedging strategies, risk management, performance attribution, manager due diligence analysis, global macroeconomics/monetary policy, and investment infrastructures.
Brent Long - Director
Brent is an international airline captain, instructor, and evaluator pilot for a major U.S. airline. He received his training in the U.S. Air Force where, as an Air Force officer, he learned the importance of mission focus, operational integrity, leadership, and oversight. He hopes God will use these learned skills to help EGM continue to accomplish its mission of teaching children around the globe to know and follow Jesus, “transforming children in Christ through His Church.” Brent has served the local church over the years in various roles with the focus of exhorting and encouraging the local Body of Christ. The opportunity to join EGM and expand this focus worldwide is a source of excitement and passion for him. With over 35 years of worldwide aviation experience, Brent looks forward to bringing not only passengers but the Gospel of Christ to every corner of the earth! Brent has been married for over 30 years to his beautiful bride, Christa. They have two grown daughters, a son-in-law, and two grandsons. Brent and Christa live in San Clemente, CA, and serve together at Pacific Coast Church.
Rick Fortier - Director
Rick was born in Chile and moved the US in 1971 and has resided in Newport Beach since the late seventies. After receiving a business and a law degree, Rick commenced his professional career working for Oasis Petroleum as an oil trader. In 1987, he founded Bravo Energy Trading N.A. in Long Beach California. Over the next 25 years, the company expanded to Chile, Argentina and Mexico. Rick is married to Gaile, and together they have 4 boys: Ross, Chance, Carter and Will. The family has been involved with EGM since its beginning. During this time, Rick has traveled with EGM on several occasions to Chile, Argentina, Mexico and Peru where he has participated in teacher training conferences. Rick served on the founding board of EGM-Chile and was involved with the translation of EGM teaching materials into Spanish. His wife and children have also traveled with EGM to Latin America. In addition to EGM, Rick has served on several boards for Christian organizations as well as church committees mostly dealing with global outreach and missions.
John Nicholas - Director
John has been married to his wife, Jennifer, for over 30 years and is the father of Jack, Katherine, and Abigail. They attend Mariners Church in Irvine, where they were married. John has spent over 25 years in the real estate and finance industry developing and designing technology solutions. As Chief Executive Officer of Channel, LLC, he built a transaction management system and an online real estate marketplace. He designed a technology platform transacting over $8 billion of online real estate sales annually. In 2015, he sold his company and began focusing on business and consumer apps for the real estate industry. His business and technology background have provided a foundation to streamline business processes with technology. Currently, he is the Chief Executive Officer of a technology company, Auction Soft, and is also developing commercial real estate part-time. He is a graduate of Westmont College in Santa Barbara. He resides in Corona del Mar with his family.
Ashley Neff - Director
Daniel Watts was, once upon a time, Ashley's Sunday School teacher. She's been a long-time friend of the ministry and first traveled with EGM back in 2001 to Chile with her dad and Daniel. Most recently she loved her time in India with Brandon, Krysten, and Alex. Ashley grew up in Newport Beach, CA, and still calls it home, although the mountains are always calling. Every day is an adventure for her, whether it's locally loving on her nephews, a neighbor, a friend, or off traveling and spending time with other friendships around the world. At the moment, she is pursuing writing and planning retreats around the country for anyone who's been touched by cancer. She longs to create a space for people, like herself, to come together and find the hope, humor, and healing that their minds, hearts, and spiritual souls need from having traveled down cancer's road. Next career steps might be unknown, but God is still in the middle of writing her story.
Kyle Schneekluth - Director
Kyle was introduced to EGM at the annual Spring Swing event by his friend, mentor, and former EGM board member John Nicholas. "My wife Alycia and I witnessed the incredible heart and love EGM has for discipling children around the globe and we just had to partake in what God is doing in and through this ministry." Kyle has been married to his wife Alycia since 2020. They have been friends since attending Corona del Mar High School and reconnected several years later through "rooted" at Mariners Church. In 2023, Kyle and Alycia welcomed their first child, a girl - Camden. Kyle and Alycia call Mariners Church their home church and have been Shepherding Elders since 2020. Kyle attended Chapman University where he played soccer and graduated in 2010. For his career, Kyle has specialized in commercial real estate finance since 2010 and currently works as a Vice President at JPMorgan Chase & Co. Kyle and his family enjoy quality time together enjoying all of God’s Creation.