"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go..." Psalm 32:8

Meet the dedicated team who serve faithfully through leadership at Bethany, overseeing operations across the U.S. and around the world.
 

William J. Blacquiere
President and Chief Executive Officer of Bethany Christian Services

William J. Blacquiere has served as President of Bethany Christian Services since January 2006. Previously, Bill served as Bethany’s Michigan Director of Operations for 15 years and Bethany’s Chief Operating Officer for five years. He also has ten years of experience with the Michigan Department of Social Services. Bill graduated from Calvin College and earned his master’s degree in social work from Western Michigan University. He serves on the boards of the National Council for Adoption and the Christian Alliance for the Orphan.

Mervin Auchtung
Chief Operating Officer of Bethany Christian Services

MervAuchtung is responsible for Bethany Christian Services’ operations and client services. He received his BA from Eastern Michigan University following his career in restaurant management. Merv brings more than 25 years of senior management experience to Bethany Christian Services. Prior to coming to the agency, he served in leadership roles in industry. His professional experience includes a long history of applying computer technology to increase efficiency without sacrificing quality and service.

Marc Andreas
Vice President of Marketing and Communications of Bethany Christian Services

Marc Andreas has been leading Bethany’s marketing efforts since 2005 and is the father of seven children, including three adopted through Bethany. Marc attended Dordt College, graduated from the University of Iowa, and has an MBA from the University of Iowa. With ten years of corporate marketing experience prior to joining Bethany, he now leads Bethany's efforts in advertising, Internet marketing, print and electronic communication production, public relations, and church partnerships. Marc is a member of the Leadership Alliance of Pregnancy Care Organizations and serves on the national board of Safe Families for Children as well as the board of the Orphan Ministry Alliance, West Michigan.

Pete Knibbe
Vice President of Advancement of Bethany Christian Services

Pete Knibbe began working for Bethany in 1988. His extensive experience in Bethany’s ministry includes foster care case manager, older child adoption specialist, Associate Director of Advancement, and Vice President of Advancement. Pete has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Calvin College and a master’s in social work from Grand Valley State University. He has served on the Education Committee of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, West Michigan Chapter. Pete provides leadership for raising funds for Bethany’s global ministry through major gift development, direct mail, multichannel appeals, capital campaigns, annual fund and deferred gift development, and donor engagement campaigns. Pete is the father of six children, three of whom are adopted.

Jim Cameron
Director of Human Resources of Bethany Christian Services

Jim Cameron began his career with Bethany Christian Services in 1984. With more than 25 years of experience in human resources, Jim leads a team in a number of areas, including employee relations, succession planning, performance evaluations, compensation, human resource policies, and legal compliance.

Gary Kuyper
Chief Information Officer of Bethany Christian Services

Gary Kuyper joined Bethany Christian Services in 1995 as Director of Information Technology. In 2005, he was promoted to Chief Information Officer. Gary oversees all technology and communication support and development for Bethany. Prior to joining Bethany, Gary spent 15 years at Meijer, Inc. in various technology support and implementation positions, culminating in his promotion to Technology Manager for Advertising and Marketing. He holds an associate degree in Electronic Engineering Technology and a bachelor’s degree in business management from Cornerstone University. He recently completed an MBA at Cornerstone University. Gary is also a Principle Certified Lotus Professional (CLP). An important factor in Gary’s life and leadership is that he is a husband and proud father of eight children, three of whom were adopted through Bethany.

Pamela Harrington
Director of Bethany Christian Services International, Inc.

Pamela Harrington began working at Bethany as an MSW intern and joined the Bethany staff in 1987 upon graduation from Western Michigan University. Using her expertise in foster care licensing and training, domestic infant adoption, and older child adoption, she worked in Romania directing Bethany’s USAID-funded Child Welfare Project from 1997 to 2001. Pam was the Social Work Program Director at Cornerstone University from 2001 to 2005. She then worked in Sri Lanka with a UNICEF-funded project aimed to help children who lost one or both parents in the Asian tsunami by upgrading the country’s child protection system. Pam has consulted in many countries as a program developer, educator, and evaluator, and she brought this rich experience back to Bethany in 2008, when she took the international leadership role.

Marjorie Dood
Chief Financial Officer of Bethany Christian Services

MarjieDood joined Bethany Christian Services as Chief Financial Officer in 2009. Her professional experience includes a variety of roles in public accounting, banking, and treasury management. Marjie received a BBA from the University of Iowa and a MM from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Business. As the Chief Financial Officer, Marjie is responsible for the financial management and internal control structure of Bethany. Marjie is a mother of three and enjoys spending time with her family and church.