Paul Benthem: [Chairperson & Public Relations Officer] Paul has been married to his wife Brenda for 42 years and have five grandchildren.  All four children all married. He is a Vietnam vet. Paul was in the meat industry for about 30 years and is now a service manager for automotive equipment service for over 12 years. He has been with Project Canefire for about 8 years and has made a number for trips to the Dominican Republic. Paul is one of the well team and has helped build the hand pumps since we started putting in hand pumps. Paul knows God has a plan for us and  thinks that God wants him to use his gift to help those how are in need so he must go. Email Paul at chairman@projectcanefire.org

Tom Bosscher: [Director of Engineering]
Email Tom at engineering@projectcanefire.org

Dr. Raymond Brinks: [Global Liaison Director] Raymond was born on a farm near Vogel Center, Michigan in1933. He attended Calvin College and Seminary from 1951 to 1958 and was ordained as a minister in the Christian Reformed Church in 1958. As a missionary he served for that church in church planting and youth work in Argentina from 1959 to 1979. In1980 he was called to serve as missionary in the Dominican Republic and worked with both Dominican citizens and Haitian immigrants in establishing La Iglesia Christiana Reformada de la Republican Dominicana. This church now has some 15,000 members in the Dominican and has spread into Haiti where it numbers 27 church groups and 3000 members. In 1989 he received the Doctor of Ministry degree from Westminster Theological Seminary. After retiring from ministry in 1996 he has participated in promoting volunteer teams and founding Project Canefire which continues to minister to the needy and marginalized in the Dominican Republic. He lives in Falmouth, Michigan.  Email Ray at liaison@projectcanefire.org

Gladys (Primus) Brinks: [Director of Evangelism] Gladys was born and raised on a farm near Steamboat Rock, Iowa in 1936. She attended Calvin College where she earned a teaching degree. She accompanied Ray as a missionary in Argentina and the Dominican Republic.  In Argentina she was involved in work amongst the children and women besides home schooling their four boys in English. In the Dominican Republic she began a network of Christian Schools amongst the poor and marginalized people with whom they worked. That organization COCREF has grown to 22 schools with an enrollment of 5000 students. She continues to support the volunteer ministry work of Project Canefire and Northern Christian School especially in the Dominican Republic. She lives in Falmouth, Michigan.  Email Gladys at evangelism@projectcanefire.org

Max Fenby:  [Quality Assurance & Purchasing Manager] Lives near Lake City, Michigan with Teresa, his wife of over 30 years. Max is a retired Conservation Officer, and was first introduced to Project Canefire by Mark Mortensen some years ago when Mark told what they were doing in the Dominican Republic and that they were short on the crew. Max said he would go and has always been glad he did. It was a great experience. Max had never seen such need and was glad to be of some help having built a few houses and a saw mill, he also did some welding. It has been good to use these skills to help others. To see such need, and not be moved to want to help in doing what you can, would take a hard person. Email Max at quality@projectcanefire.org

Mark Mogan: [Vice Chairman & Secretary] He and his wife Carol, are originally from Minnesota but have made Cadillac, MI, their home for the past 24 years. They have four grown children and two grandchildren.  His career has been in the dairy food processing industry for over 30 years with the last 25 years as Process System Engineer for General Mills/Yoplait USA.  Mark’s leisure time is spent fishing - bass, salmon, and walleye. He was convicted on his first mission trip to the Dominican Republic several years ago that providing fresh drinking water and God’s hope to the people of the DR is the service He wants him to perform.  Mark’s favorite quote is Abe Lincoln’s response to some confederate gentlemen when they stated that God was on their side.  His response was “Isn’t it better to ask...if we are on God’s side?”  Email Mark at vicechairman@projectcanefire.org

Mark Mortenson: [Chief Marketing & Sales Manager] Mark has been married to his wife Patti for 36 years and they have been blessed with 4 children and 2 grandchildren. Mark spent his first 25 years in retail sales and management with the past 13 years as the director of a Christian Community Development Organization called Friends Ministry in Lake City, Michigan. Mark came to Christ at age 30 and is still in the Holy Spirit’s transformation process of changing from a self-absorbed consumer to a servant of God. In that process God led him to Project Canefire in 1989 and through the short-term mission trips has greatly enlarged his view of, and heart for His worldwide Church. From there God led Mark to work full time with low-income families at home. Jesus has used his business background to learn to love his neighbors in many practical ways. It thrills Mark to watch God get a hold of someone and see them light up with joy at finding their purpose and place in His kingdom. He dreams of many thousands of Christians from hundreds of cultures coming together to share our gifts and purpose in unity. Mark says, “I am blessed to see and participate in His kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt.6:10).  Email Mark at marketing@projectcanefire.org

Ben Pearson: [Well Training Manager] Ben was born and raised in the Cadillac area, graduated from Northern Michigan Christian School and went to Kellogg Community College for two years. Currently he is working for his dad at Pearson Drilling Company. Ben has worked summers all-through high school helping drill wells and has worked full time for about three years. Ben is a certified Michigan well drilling contractor and felt God's call to use his well drilling knowledge and skills to help less fortunate people to have clean drinking water. He has been on five different trips to the Dominican Republic and every time God has blessed us as we serve him and help those in need. Ben looks forward to returning each year and seeing how the wells we have put in have benefited the communities and how the people remember us and are so appreciative of our gifts and talents. In his spare time Ben enjoys hunting, fishing, running and playing soccer.  Email Ben at training@projectcanefire.org

Dave VanHouten:  [Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer]  Dave is a Cadillac Michigan native.  He is married to Linda and they have three grown chrildren: Luke, Gabe adn Mica
Email Dave at treasurer@projectcanefire.org