About the Leadership Team

Peter Vanacore
Peter has been in the mentoring field since 1981 working with juvenile offenders and children in the Child Protective Service system in New York. He moved to Massachusetts in 1997 where he helped Straight Ahead Ministries develop a national training program. He has been with CAYM since its founding in 2005.

Donovan Karber
Donnovan began working with youth through Youth Horizons in Wichita, Kansas in 1995, first in a group home and then as the manager of their mentoring program. Donnovan attended one of CAYM's first training events. He started helping train other ministries through CAYM in 2007 and joined CAYM's team in 2008.

Ken Merrifield
Ken founded the Appalachia Mentoring Project (AMP) which serves children living in the region where Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee meet. Ken continues to support AMP through CAYM while pastoring Living Grace Church in Tyler, TX. Ken and his family lived for ten years in Romania working with HIV positive children.

April Karber
April has been with CAYM since 2016. Although her passion is acting in Shakespearian dramas, she was also a school teacher and Librarian. Because of this background, April brings considerable skills in managing and organizing to our ministry. She spends much of her time now mentoring Noel and Heidi, her daughters.

David Parsons
David serves with CAYM through the North American Missions Board. His focus is on helping churches engage with youth and families in some of the most difficult public housing communities in North Carolina. David's expertise is in mentoring young men through sports and having them volunteer for their communities