Our Staff

Executive Director - Peter Vanacore

Peter began ministering to youth in 1978 through Youth for Christ on Long Island. In 1981 he joined the staff of Long Island Youth Mentoring and worked as an Area Director for mentoring ministry. He helped develop a mentoring ministry with incarcerated juveniles and later served as the Field Staff Supervisor. In 1996 Peter moved to Massachusetts to become the New England Director for Straight Ahead Ministries. In 2000 he became the National Field Director where he helped develop the School of Juvenile Justice Ministry.

Peter returned to Long Island in 2003 to direct the Christian Mentoring Institute. Along with his duties at CMI, Peter is also a part-time faculty member of Gordon College where he teaches courses in counseling and at-risk youth. He has a Masters in Social Work from Fordham University.

Contact Peter Vanacore
Phone : 508-870-9278

Director of Operations - Christine Diasio
Christine has been with us since 2007. She comes from a retail management background having been the General Manager of Macy's Furniture Gallery. Along with her work here at CAYM, Chris and her husband Frank run Bible studies in a juvenile detention facility for girls. They also run a nursing home ministry through their church. We are thankful that God has led her to our team. Contact Christine Diasio
Phone : 508-870-0876

Southeast Regional Director - Hal Clark

Hal Clark oversees mentoring ministry development for the Southeast. Hal became involved in mentoring ministry when he saw the growing need of fatherless children in his church. Although Perimeter Church has extensive ministries for almost every conceivable group, there was nothing that specifically targeted the needs of fatherless boys. Hal’s background as a businessman along with experience in growing up in a fatherless home propelled him to take action. He attended CAYM’s Christian Mentoring Institute to learn the basics of safe and effective mentoring. After building a team of volunteers to run the ministry, Perimeter Church’s mentoring program became one the most effective church-based mentoring initiatives. Hal and the Perimeter mentoring team received CAYM’s Mentoring Ministry of the Year in 2007. We were privileged to have Hal join our staff part-time in 2009.

Contact Hal Clark

Regional Partner - Donnovan Karber

Donnovan is the Mentoring Director for Youth Horizons, a respected ministry to fatherless children in Wichita. Donnovan began his work at Youth Horizons in 1997 as a house parent in a group home and moved into the mentoring program a few years later. His experience includes being a recruiter, mentor coach as well as being a mentor himself. It is a privilege for us to have him on our teaching staff.

Contact Donnovan Karber

Regional Partner - David Parsons

David Parsons is a missionary with the North American Mission Board /MSC in North Carolina. He networks in the community with churches challenging and training them to develop a mentoring process for school-age boys and girls called One Kid. He also works in the marketplace and church community with businessmen's discipleship program called Operation Timothy. David coordinates mentoring for CAYM throughout North Carolina.

Contact David Parsons

Regional Partner - Juergen Kneifel

Juergen Kneifel is the founder and director of Mission2Mentor in partnership with his church, Calvary Chapel in Washington State. Juergen has over 30 years of service as a nonprofit leader and a volunteer. He served as Director of Marketing and Recruitment with Big Brothers Big Sisters Of King And Pierce Counties from 1999-2004 and is a current board member of BBBS Snohomish County. He is a regular presenter at regional and national trainings and serves as a consultant for the Department of Social and health Services in Washington State.

Contact Juergen Kneifel

| | | | | | | |