Inspired Calling Board of Directors
Inspired Calling is a non-profit ministry dedicated to assisting churches in ministering to those in job transition
Board of Directors..
Gary Hansen
Inspired Calling was founded by Gary Hansen. Gary is a career Human Resource professional having worked in both corporate America and para-church ministry.
Gary’s first love is recruiting and hiring. He has done that successfully for over 20 years, bringing success and stability to two national organizations. Gary knows the mindset of a hiring manager in tough times. He knows the pressures of managing the staffing levels of a large organization as revenue declines. He also understands cash flow and managing head count to ensure the organization remains stable.
Gary was the Human Resource Director at Little Caesars Pizza for the Rocky Mountain Region for nine years. In his role, Gary was responsible for staffing the greater Colorado market with management as they grew to over 54 stores in the late eighties. Gary recruited, hired and trained a management staff of over 200 restaurant professionals.
In the fall of 1994, Gary was hired by a new para-church organization called Promise Keepers Men’s Ministry in Denver to start the Human Resources department. For the next fourteen years he provided oversight of all aspects of the HR function for Promise Keepers. In the first three years the ministry grew from fewer than 100 to over 650 employees. The last ten years the ministry experienced a slow decline in revenue, resulting in the process of dismantling the organization through a series of lay-offs. During this time, Gary saw first-hand the trauma colleagues experienced in being forced to leave their jobs, as well as how taxing the process of working through multiple downsizings was to the organization. The impact of this experience is what led Gary to start Inspired Calling.
Gary has been married to his high school sweetheart, Kathy for 43 years. They live in Denver, Colorado and have two married children who have given them three wonderful grandchildren.
Cindy Johnson
Cindy Johnson serves as Women’s Ministry Pastor at Denver First Church of the Nazarene. She has written a women’s Bible study and has taught a number of Bible studies over the past eight years, including studies on Women of the Bible, Joshua, Hebrews, Prayers of the Bible, Seven Churches of Revelation, the Holy Spirit and most recently Women of Significance.
As Pastor of Women’s Ministry she oversees a Mom’s Ministry, a Single Mom’s Ministry, Widow’s Group, Prayer Groups, a Book Club, and many inspired events throughout the year featuring well known speakers and artists. She also co-leads a networking group for men and women who are unemployed as an outreach to the community.
Cindy was born and raised in Boulder, Colorado. She met her husband, Barry, while attending the University of Colorado. She graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in Education. Cindy and Barry have two sons, Erik and Tyler. Erik is married to Shantel and they have two small children.
Before going into fulltime ministry, Cindy’s background includes being a training coordinator for Mobil Oil. At Mobil she trained managers of all levels; conducting seminars on speaking, writing, teaching skills and career development.
Prior to a lay off in 2008 she served 8 years as Adult Ministries Pastor where she oversaw all educational programs, including Adult Sunday School Classes, Small Groups, Women’s Ministries, Prayer Ministries and Marriage Enrichment.
Cindy was ordained in June, 2010.
Dr. Gordon England
Gordon is the son of two teachers who raised him in Denver, Colorado. Early ethnic and urban experiences lead Gordon to a life of multi-cultural and international experiences.
Gordon began his adult career teaching music at all levels from elementary through the University level. He then spent eight years as a missionary in the Philippines. When he returned to the United States, Gordon spent the next fourteen years as the Senior Pastor at Calvary Church in Broomfield, CO.
In 1990 Gordon was an original member of the Board of Directors of Promise Keepers Men’s Ministry in Denver. Gordon left the pastorate in 1994 to become a full-time staff member of Promise Keepers as the Director of Evangelism for the next fourteen years, leaving in 2008. Gordon now serves on the Pastoral staff of Crossroads Baptist Church in Northglenn, CO.
Gordon brings an extensive knowledge of the faith-based non-profit world, a network of muti-cultural non-profit contacts throughout the country and a strong working knowledge of a non-profit board.
Gordon received his EdD from the University of Northern Colorado.
Gordon is married to Karen, his bride of 43 years. They have two children and two grandchildren.
Karre Ann Wakefield
Karre Ann Wakefield is a dynamic motivational speaker; worship leader and life coach for over 15 years and has received awards from the Gospel Music Association for her songwriting. She is the President of Women with a Mission, a non-profit organization. WWAM encourages, equips and energizes women to live their faith day-to-day, moment-by-moment.
One of the unique qualities of Karrie Ann as a speaker is her ability to authentically communicate truth in such a way where her audiences leave believing they can confidently take the next step in their journey using the principles she has taught. Karre Ann uses her own life experiences to “connect the dot’s” in her listeners mind and they gives them practical ways to apply what they’ve learned to their own life.
Karre Ann is married to her high school sweetheart, Rohde. They have three children and three dogs. They reside in Arvada, CO.
Rick Wright
Rick has over 25 years of experience in new business development, consumer advertising and ministry marketing, both as a client and as an agency representative.
His wide array of experiences qualifies him with the insight and knowledge of what “works” in our media-saturated culture. In marketing and new business development, Rick has designed successful marketing plans, implemented “financially accountable” marketing processes, developed dynamic sales teams and focused business development efforts toward advantageous and profitable prospects.
Rick has been responsible for the branding direction and marketing for numerous non-profits and businesses. He is an effective communicator and an insightful visionary when it comes to maximizing marketing and promotion budgets.
Most recently, Rick envisioned and directed the marketing program for a new event ministry to men from Church Communications Network (CCN): Ignite.
Prior to launching Ignite, Rick has been responsible for branding direction and strategic marketing positioning of Promise Keepers. He oversaw the tactical direction and management of the ministry which included developing and maintaining ministry partnerships with international ministry partners.
Rick also has extensive experience in business outsourcing which includes marketing strategy, business processes and fulfillment. As Vice President of North American Business Development for an international outsourcing organization, Rick oversaw sales and marketing management for all United States and Canadian sales efforts.
Rick also has extensive advertising agency which includes media, creative concept development and public relations.
It is one thing to understand the principles of marketing in a particular segment of business...it is quite another to be experienced in bridging the span between effective marketing and closing the sale—whether in secular business, or non-profit organizations.
Denise Washington Blomberg
I am the daughter of a career military man, as a result I have lived in a number of different places and countries around the world. That background is responsible for my cosmopolitan outlook on the world and a natural curiosity.
That said, it was inevitable that I would be drawn to news, information, and communication. I began my career in the electronic media with a twenty four hour news radio station, KDEN in Denver. I was in college at Metropolitan State at the time, and excited about the industry. As is my habit, I immersed myself in my new found passion. While working at KDEN I also interned at KWGN Channel Two Television on the Assignment Desk, which later would work into a full-time position.
I left KDEN to work full time on the Assignment Desk at KWGN TV. While I found that position most rewarding I still had time left in the day, and applied for and was hired to produce local news, and co-anchor Channel 8, the City of Aurora’s Community Access Television Station. I missed radio. I had worked a morning show for KWGN TV’s sister broadcaster KOSI Radio, both Tribune owned entities. I missed writing for the theatre of the mind. Presenting news and information and community affairs programming that had to stand on its own. No make-up, special hair styles or clothing. Just quality writing and presentation, and an anonymity I still enjoy in my present position at AM91/KPOF Radio Station.
I stayed with Channel 8 in Aurora, left the Assignment Desk at KWGN TV and went to work for a former employer I worked for when in college, KUVO Radio. I was hired as News and Public Affairs Director, and hosted NPR’s Morning Edition.
It took awhile, but I was finally hired to work at KWBI Christian radio as an afternoon announcer and newscaster. I worked for KWBI until it was sold, when I went to work for KBDI Channel 12 as their producer of local programming.
It was a little into my second year as the producer for KBDI 12, when God presented me an opportunity to work in Christian Broadcasting again. I have been with AM91/KPOF since then, which was ten years ago.
Steve Harling
For the past 28 years, Steve, along with his wife, Becky, have been actively involved in pasturing churches in Sudan, New York, Arizona and California. Steve is currently Lead Pastor for Foothills Community Church in Arvada, CO.
The son of former missionaries to Africa with SIM, Steve has had long-time connections with the missionary enterprise and has a deep passion to help churches be effectively involved in the ministry of taking the gospel across cultures both globally and locally. Steve also has a strong commitment to help the emerging generation be empowered and equipped for its significant contribution to the cause of global evangelism.
Having served in both smaller and larger churches, he understands the diverse challenges related to mobilizing churches and individuals for the worldwide task of Kingdom ministry. As Senior Pastor, he has led initiatives to partner with international ministries in areas such as translation, church planting and compassion ministries.
The Harlings have four grown children and currently reside in Arvada, CO.
