The Goehner Group

Don Goehner is the Founder and President of The Goehner Group. Since 1982, Don has specialized in providing consultation services to client organizations in the areas of management, capital campaigns, major donor fundraising, marketing studies, long range and strategic planning, executive search and training for boards of directors.

He has conducted numerous workshops and retreats for organizational boards and has been a regular presenter at national and regional conferences and conventions on a variety of topics. Don served as a faculty member of the Meyer Institute for Stewardship Leadership of the Christian Stewardship Association and had a regular column on boardsmanship in the Christian Camp and Conference Association Journal.

Prior to starting The Goehner Group, Don served for eight years as a college administrator and director of development at two Southern California private colleges. He was responsible for major development projects, including the first capital campaign in the history of Westmont College in Santa Barbara. His professional career of 48 years includes youth ministry, adjunct faculty in higher education, lay leadership, administration, fund development and consultation, all with ministry related organizations.

Don received his BA from Westmont College in Sociology and his MBA from Pepperdine University with an emphasis in entrepreneurship. He is a Trustee at Westmont College and a former President of the Westmont Alumni Association. He also serves as a member of the Young Life Capernaum National Committee and was the founder and a board member for Next Step Ministry Services.

Dennis provides churches with pastoral and executive leadership development; executive and pastoral search services; and consultation for ministry transitions.

Dr. Dennis Baker is a graduate of Biola University—BA; Western Seminary—MDiv; Denver Seminary—MA; and Talbot School of Theology—DMin. He also completed additional doctoral studies at Bethel Seminary.

Since 1997 Dennis has been deeply involved with ministry consulting and coaching for churches, Christian leaders and Christian organizations as Senior Consultant with The Goehner Group and “Summit Bound.” In addition, he serves as Director of Placement, Transitions & Coaching with EFCA West. He is the author of a widely used and quoted Pastoral Search Manual and has personally equipped and worked with over 400 Pastoral Search Teams and resourced hundreds of Associate Searches.

Dennis serves on a number of Boards for Christian Ministries and with Leadership Journal on the Editorial Advisory Board.

Ordained in 1972, Dennis spent his first ten years of ministry as an Associate Pastor in Christian Education and Youth Ministry in Oregon, Colorado and Massachusetts. The second decade of his ministry was as a Senior Pastor in Minnesota. From 1987-1993 he served the wider Body of Christ as the Regional Executive Director for an association of churches, CBA of Southern California. He ministered as the General Director of CBAmerica, the national association of 1200 CBA churches from 1993-1997.

Dennis recently celebrated his 41st wedding anniversary with his wife, Lynette, who is a registered nurse. They have three adult children: Suzanne Baker of Bend, Oregon; Rachelle (and son-in-law David) Trigueros of Arvada, Colorado, and Meredith (and son-in-law Tom) Wilson, who live in Long Beach... and four grandchildren who enrich their lives.

Ed McDowell has spent his entire life surrounded and involved in Christian ministry. Growing up at Warm Beach Christian Camp in the state of Washington, he returned to serve as Executive Director in 1995. Prior to directing this successful camping ministry (serving approximately 90,000 people annually) Ed served as Senior Pastor of a Free Methodist Church and as a Dean of Students at Central College in Kansas. These roles have given him extensive experience in overseeing and directing ministry organizations, including fundraising, personnel management, organizational management, facilities management, marketing, etc.

Ed also has experience with many different types of boards. In addition to his involvement with the Warm Beach Camp Board, Ed and his wife, Bev, are founding board members of “Families of Hope,” a foundation created to help Christian families with the expenses of adoption. Over the years, he has also served on boards for the Rocky Mountain Free Methodist Conference, Central College in McPherson, Kansas, Tillicum Retreat Center in Newberg, Oregon, and Colorado Helpline, a crisis call-in ministry. Because of his commitment to Christian camping he is currently serving on the CCCA (Christian Camp and Conference Association) Board of Directors.

In addition to his work at The Goehner Group, Steen is the Executive Director of Elings Park, a 230 acre private, non-profit park in Santa Barbara, CA. His responsibilities include major fund development in addition to other operational aspects of park management.

Prior to his current position, he served for five years as the Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission. During this time the Rescue Mission earned national recognition from Dr. Westley Clark, director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment in Washington, D.C., and was also lauded by their State licensing agent as a model treatment program.

Other significant development experience was gained during his time as Special Assistant to the President at World Relief, an international NGO providing disaster relief, long-term solutions to poverty, AIDS care and education, and refugee resettlement. Steen spent these five years helping build organizational support and profile through fundraising and speaking.

He is active in several service organizations and has acted as a consultant to a number of non-profit organizations serving those in crisis, including Care Corps International and Life Network.

For the past eight years, Steen has been an adjunct faculty member of the Perspectives Study Program of the U.S. Center for World Mission in Pasadena, CA. He speaks on global experience in transformation and development.

Maxine holds over 17 years of fundraising experience in the Pacific Northwest, which extends to feasibility studies, campaign management, grant and proposal writing, and cause-related marketing. While her professional experience ranges from human services to arts and culture projects, her passion lies with faith based ministries. Maxine's expertise researching and writing grants to meet the capital, annual or special project needs of non-profits has resulted in cumulative awards exceeding $10 million in recent years. Before stepping into consultancy, she served as Development Director for the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery in Spokane, Washington.

Maxine is a member of the Inland Northwest Development Council and a presenter at Gonzaga University's annual Non-profit Excellence Conference. She is an active 22-year member of the Presbytery of the Inland Northwest and serves on the Executive Committee of its camp, Clearwater Lodge and Camp Spalding.

Mike brings a wealth of experience in Christian ministry management to The Goehner Group Team. He specializes in assisting churches in fundraising, estate planning, management, church and ministry planning and development. Mike is a Certified Specialist in Planned Giving (CSPG), receiving his training at California State at Long Beach.

For the past nine years, Mike has been working in the Development area of CityTeam Ministries in San Jose, California. Prior to his work at CityTeam, he served as the Business Pastor for South Valley Christian Church in San Jose, where he managed the human, financial and physical resources of the congregation. During this time he successfully led the church through the design and execution of several multi-million dollar capital campaigns. Mike also has experience in the world of radio broadcasting where he worked in sales management and then as general manager of major market radio stations in Oklahoma City and New Orleans.

A graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, Mike has received post graduate training at Midwest Christian College in Oklahoma City, Bethany Nazarene College in Oklahoma City and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in New Orleans.

Fred assists clients with capital campaign feasibility studies and financial reviews, as well as heading up TGG's administrative and operations functions.

Fred Miller serves as the Director of Operations for The Goehner Group, located in San Jose, California. Drawing on thirty-seven years of experience as Director of Business Services at Mount Hermon Christian Camp and Conference Center, Fred brings a variety of services to The Goehner Group Team that are unique and provide great benefits for our clients.

Fred specializes in financial and organizational reviews as well as other business planning and administrative consultation. His career has given him extensive experience in organizational structure and administration, finance, accounting, budgeting, pensions, investments, government relations, risk management, project planning, short and long term business planning, human resources and personnel policies, board and staff relations, and charitable annuity and trust administration.

Fred has served on numerous boards, including the Santa Cruz County Hospice Board, the Christian Camping and Conference Association (CCCA) Board (Secretary/ Treasurer), Stewardship Insurance Company (President), Trinity Guardian Foundation and as President of a local school board.

He and his wife, Marilyn, have three adult children and five grandchildren. In addition to spending time with his grandchildren, he enjoys skiing, antiques and tennis.

Linda handles the many details involved in providing resources for clients during their work with The Goehner Group. Primarily involved in Congregational Studies, Feasibility Studies and Capital Campaigns, she is the person to call when a client has questions or needs materials or other administrative support. She oversees the majority of the company's publishing, marketing, and website material. In addition, she maintains Don Goehner's schedule, arranging client meetings and follow-up and coordinates communication, travel and other details for TGG consultants along with a myriad of administrative details.

Terri's primary role is with executive/pastoral search endeavors, working with the entire TGG team of consultants and associates, as well as our clients. Terri has more than 15 years experience working in HR and executive management capacities with a wide diversity of non-profit, government, education, church, and business clients. She is particularly skilled at conducting interviews in the executive and pastoral searches the company does for its clients. She also provides resources and materials for clients and serves as the receptionist for the San Jose office.

She is involved at her church with the hospitality ministry, women's ministry and special events.