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Our Board of Directors
Earl Royse
Chair
 Earl
Royse has served on Advent's Board of Directors
for the last 5 years. He is the current Board
President and also sits on the Finance, Executive
and Golf Committees. He first learned of Advent
while attending Saratoga Federated Church. His
initial interest in getting involved with Advent
was simply to "give something back"
to the world that had been so good to him and
his family. After visiting one of Advent's group
homes and witnessing the ministry, however, he
was "hooked."
"There is a saying that
goes 'people don't give to causes, they give to
people who believe in causes,' Earl says. "Everyone
I've met at Advent passionately believes in this
cause and demonstrates their care every day not
only through words, but through deeds."
Earl is a life-long businessman,
having served as an executive management consultant
and board member for various for-profit, non-profit,
public, private, government and military organizations.
Having failed twice at full retirement, he now
considers himself semi-retired.
Earl and his wife, Marilyn,
have four children, three wonderful in-law children,
and nine grandchildren ages 3 through 18, who
live in California and Oregon. Earl's primary
hobby is golf, but he also enjoys big game hunting,
fishing, working with horses and learning new
things. He wonders if spoiling grand kids can be
considered a hobby. We think so.
Archie
Robinson
Vice-Chair
 Archie
Robinson is a Bay Area attorney who has been involved
with Advent for more than 20 years. He initially
met Mark Miller, Advent's Executive Director while
serving as City Team Ministry's Chairman of the
Board. When Advent (then Arbutus Ranch) broke
from City Team, Archie left to help form and grow
the fledgling Advent Group Ministries.
Archie states, "I respected
the integrity of Advent's mission and its leadership.
Their work is vital and results in changed lives."
Since that time, Archie has
been one of Advent's biggest supporters. He has
served as an Advent board member since 1986, continues
to be a major supporter of Advent's annual golf
tournament and has lent countless
hours of his legal expertise to the agency.
Archie
is married with four adult children. He attends
Calvary Church and enjoys golf and reading.
Robert
Leonard
Treasurer
Robert
Leonard graduated from Purdue University as a
mechanical engineer. After college, he served
in the Navy for two years. He then began working
for Trane Air Conditioning in San Jose, where
he went on to manage the Industrial and Commercial
Division.
He has
served on Advent's Board of Directors since 1985,
when Arbutus Ranch broke from City Team to become
Advent Group Ministries (see Our History). Since
that time Bob has been an active supporter on
many levels. He is the current Treasurer of the
Board in addition to serving on the Finance Committee,
Executive Committee and Golf Committee.
Gary
Johnson
Secretary
 Introduced
to Advent through his Kiwanis Club, Gary initially
became a Friendship Family volunteer and took
a place on the board 10 years ago. He currently
serves as board Secretary. Gary continues to work
very closely with the teens Advent serves and
brings a thorough understanding of their Advent
experience to the board.
When asked why he is passionate
about being an Advent volunteer, he said, "I
love the kids. They are a true joy to be around,
and if I can help them, even just a little bit
in their recovery, I want to do that."
A former San Jose Police Officer,
Gary also volunteers his time working with an
urban ministry center run by his church, Hillside
Evangelical Fee Church, and serves on short-term
missionary trips. His missionary work has taken
him to Kosovo, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan,
New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina relief and Galveston
for Hurricane Ike relief. He continues to be an
active member of Kiwanis Club as well.
Mike
Elder
Board Member
Mike Elder has been a member
of Advent's Board of Directors for nearly 15 years,
serving as its President for three of them. His
desire is to support and encourage Advent's staff
in their faithful mission of bringing hope, healing
and Christ's love to the lives of children, young
adults, and families dealing with the life threatening
dysfunctions created by alcohol and drug addiction.
Mike has a history of non-profit
service. He started the Northern California Chapter
of the California Highway Patrol 11-99 Foundation
in 1985, participating as a volunteer for 15 years.
He now serves the 11-99 Foundation in the role
of Special Advisor to the President.
Mike also currently sits on
the Council of Elders at Saratoga Federated Church,
where he and his wife Jan joined in 1981. He has
previously served on the Board of Trustees, as
President of the Men's Fellowship, and has taught
Sunday school for many years. Mike holds a Masters
in Ministry Degree from Western Seminary. His
life's service is motivated by Hebrews 10:24,
"Let us encourage one another on toward love
and good deeds."
Eric
Leonard
Board Member
Eric Leonard first heard about
Advent through his father, Robert Leonard, Board
Treasurer. After hearing the teens' testimonies
at Advent's annual BBQ, Eric, a long time supporter,
decided to get more involved and joined the board
in 2006.
Eric is the President of CleanSweep
Services, Inc., an exterior cleaning company.
He has attended Saratoga Federated Church since
childhood, where he serves as a deacon, teaches
in the youth and Sunday school programs and serves
on various committees.
Eric has been married to his
wife Tracy since 1989 and has three beautiful
school-age daughters. He coaches his daughter's
soccer team and volunteers at their schools. He
enjoys playing soccer and spending time with his
family.
Kenneth
Love
Board Member
 Kenneth
has been involved in ministry for almost two decades.
Most recently, he was an addictions counselor
and case manager for troubled youth and their
families at Advent Group Ministries for two years,
prior to becoming a board member in 2008.
Kenneth Love is a licensed and
ordained Christian minister who currently serves
at Abundant Life Christian Fellowship as Director
of Recovery Ministries. He graduated from Bay
Cities Bible Institute in Oakland, CA in June
1992 and from Bethany University in Scotts Valley,
CA in May 1996.
Kenneth is a Certified Alcohol
& Drug Counselor (CADC II), International
Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor (ICADC)
and Basic Certified Relapse Prevention Specialist
(BCRPS). He is considered a specialist in the
field of chemical addiction, 12-step recovery
and relapse prevention.
He and his wife Marsha are the
parents of five children, and reside in San Jose,
California.
Sherri
Stuart
Board Member
 Sherri
Stuart has served on Advent's board since 1995.
After working for the San Jose Housing Commission,
she founded her own one-woman grant writing company
and has written grants for many local not-for-profits.
Sherri's has donated untold
amounts of labor and expertise to help Advent
secure hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding
and continues to be a staple of the fundraising
that goes on at the agency.
She has shared her wisdom through
being a mentor for troubled kids in her home town.
She also serves as a key volunteer for St. Joseph's
food program in Gilroy, and is a member of Gilroy
Arts Alliance. In 2008 her dedication and singular
value to her community was recognized through
her being named Woman of the Year for the City
of Gilroy.
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