Our Team
Meet the Hearts Behind the Mission
Our team is driven by faith and a heartfelt desire to see millions of children experience the transformative love of Jesus. Each member brings unique gifts, but we share one heart: to reach the next generation with hope, joy, and the Gospel.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Sheri Young
Sheri’s passion is to be aligned with God’s will to save as many souls for Jesus Christ in the most efficient and effective way, having a material, eternal impact on God’s eternal kingdom. Sheri is extremely grateful to be part of CCI’s extraordinary and dedicated international team focused on bringing the good news of the Gospel to as many children as possible at the lowest cost. The Holy Spirit utilizes CCI Bible camps to transform children and their families, increasing local congregation membership and making a positive impact on communities, cities, and countries in the mighty name of Jesus. Sheri became a spirit-filled Christian at a youth bible camp near Ottawa, Ontario, when she was 13 years old. Sheri is married to Larry and has two adult children. As CCI Chief Executive Officer, Sheri brings more than 35 years of senior executive experience as an entrepreneur, senior federal public servant, published author and professional speaker to the CCI leadership team. Sheri holds a BA (Political Science) from Carleton University, as well as a post-graduate BAA (Journalism) from Ryerson University. Sheri also holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. Sheri loves writing, boating, speaking on leadership, and spending time with her family at dog shows with her beautiful, health-tested purebred SurThrive Samoyeds.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dave Thiessen
Dave has spent more than 30 years in leadership roles, starting in the corporate world and, for the past 18 years, working in the charity sector. In 2016, he joined Children’s Camps International as the National Director for Harvest for Kids. Since then, he has taken on a number of roles to help share the Gospel of Jesus Christ both here at home and in other parts of the world. One of Dave’s greatest joys is seeing people in North America discover the purpose God has given them and begin to live it out with passion. He also treasures the moments when children in developing countries come to know Jesus as their personal Saviour and join together in worship. Outside of his work with CCI, Dave enjoys being in God’s creation and loves spending time outdoors. He has been married to his wife Jan for more than 40 years, and together they’ve raised two amazing kids. These days, Dave especially enjoys spending time with his grandchildren and being a part of their lives as they grow.

CCI CO-FOUNDER
Antony Samy
Antony Samy is the Co-Founder of CCI and a passionate missionary leader with a heart for evangelism. Born and raised in a Catholic family in India, Antony felt called from a young age to share the message of Jesus in a country where Christians make up less than 3% of the population. After beginning his journey in a Catholic seminary, Antony realized that his true calling lay in Gospel-centered outreach rather than humanitarian service alone. He transitioned to an Evangelical church, where he embraced his calling to become a missionary. He went on to serve among tribal communities in the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal. At the age of 22, God opened the door for him to serve as a Bible camp counselor at Winkler Bible Camp in Southern Manitoba, Canada. There, he discovered the transformative power of camping ministry in reaching and shaping young lives. Inspired by this experience, Antony returned to India and began establishing Bible camps across the country and beyond. Today, Antony continues to equip and inspire leaders through CCI, using camping as a powerful tool to share the Gospel and disciple the next generation.

OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Nelli Neumann
Nelli has been serving in administrative roles since 2008 and brings a wealth of experience and heart to her work. She spent nine years supporting new immigrants as they integrated into the community, a role that deepened her passion for helping others feel welcomed and cared for. Today, she plays a vital role at Children's Camps International, managing the Winkler office and assisting with donation processing and event coordination. Outside of the office, Nelli enjoys reading, staying connected with her church, and spending time with her large extended family. She is a proud aunt to 15 nieces and nephews, whom she loves to spoil, and is always ready to lend a helping hand wherever she is needed. In early 2018, Nelli felt God prompting her to take a step back and wait on His direction. She took a six-month break from work, trusting that He was leading her into something new, even though she didn’t know what that would be. In June of that year, she joined Children's Camps International for the World Record Harvest fundraiser and has remained with the organization ever since. She has continued to use her administrative gifts to support CCI’s mission. On her very first day with the team, she experienced complete healing from carpal tunnel syndrome, which confirmed to her that she was exactly where God wanted her to be. Nelli is deeply committed to her faith and values being part of a ministry that sees God move in powerful and personal ways. She looks forward to all He has in store for CCI and continues to trust Him for wisdom and provision for the team and donors alike.

H4K REPRESENTATIVE
Rob Garland
Rob is a man of faith, a natural leader, and a lifelong farmer. Involved in agriculture his whole life, he brings deep passion and purpose to everything he does, driven by a desire to fulfill God’s calling on his life. Through prayer, preparation, and obedience, Rob plays a vital role in advancing the Kingdom through Harvest for Kids. At CCI's Harvest for Kids, Rob oversees the promotion and coordination of agricultural input sales and manages Grow Projects, crop fields that generate funds to send children to camp in developing countries. He also helps with building community teams for harvest events, securing donated supplies, and negotiating with suppliers and partners to stretch every dollar further for the mission. He is a key liaison for partners, including PhycoTerra, AlgaEnergy, Trinity Bio Chem, grain bag providers, and hail insurance companies. Rob also prayerfully explores new product partnerships that align with CCI’s vision. Rob’s favorite moments happen in the fields, when communities gather with combine harvesters to work, eat, celebrate, and witness God’s presence in powerful ways. A standout awareness initiative that he promotes at farm shows is the 2018 Guinness World Record harvest in Winkler, MB, where 303 combines worked together to harvest one field, an event featured on our website. Rob graduated from the University of Saskatchewan’s School of Agriculture, which led to research roles in both public and private sectors, including work in Chile and Argentina. He later entered agricultural retail, gaining hands-on experience across Western Canada. Based on a farm near Moose Jaw, SK, Rob lives with his wife Andrea, a teacher at a local Christian school, and their two teenage children, who serve in ministry at Dallas Valley Ranch Camp. He regularly exhibits at farm shows, speaks at farmer breakfasts, churches and mission groups, and loves sharing agricultural parables and stories of faith in action. Rob’s life is grounded in the Great Commission, especially the words of Luke 10:2: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.” Other favourite scriptures: John 4:32, Matthew 13:1-9, and Matthew 24:30. Interested in learning more or inviting Rob to speak? He’d love to connect and share the most impactful ministry you’ve never heard of.”

H4K VOLUNTEER REPRESENTATIVE
George Klassen
George grew up on a small farm in southern Manitoba as one of eight siblings in a Christian family. Farm life and chores were a regular part of his childhood, but they were rarely a burden. He enjoyed life in a village setting, especially the friendships, sports, and community that came with attending a two-room elementary school. During his high school years, George recommitted his life to the Lord and felt a growing desire to serve Him. After graduation, he began working at his local Co-op and quickly found joy in connecting with people through his role. Over the next several decades, George moved into management and eventually worked for the Co-op for a total of 47 years. Throughout that time, he remained active in both his church and his community, and in 2017, he was recognized as Winkler’s Citizen of the Year. After retiring in 2017, George began volunteering with Children’s Camps International. He helped lead the Guinness World Record harvest event with 303 combines harvesting in one field, and now continues to serve as the Harvest for Kids Coordinator for Manitoba. George still enjoys farming part-time alongside his son and brother, staying close to his roots. George is happily married to his wife Mary Ann. Together, they have two married adult children and are proud grandparents to three wonderful grandchildren.

B4K REPRESENTATIVE
Marv Letkeman
Marv has had the privilege of serving with Children’s Camps International since 2007. With a background in both pastoral ministry and construction, leading the Build It For Kids ministry has been a natural fit. Over the years, he’s met countless people and shared the vision of CCI, always with the hope of seeing more children encounter Jesus for the first time. Marv finds great joy in witnessing lives transformed through the ministry and is passionate about helping children and families around the world come to know the one true God, Jesus Christ. He looks forward to continuing his involvement wherever he can to support the ongoing mission of CCI. Outside of ministry, Marv enjoys spending time with his family. He has been happily married to his wife Deb for 41 years. They have two adult sons, both married and living in southern Manitoba, and they’re proud grandparents to five wonderful granddaughters. In his spare time, Marv enjoys motorcycling and working on construction projects.

MARKETING MANAGER
Cindy Salinas
Cindy brings creativity, contagious joy, and a deep passion for storytelling to the Children’s Camps International team. Her strong sense of empathy fuels her gift for communicating powerful messages that connect hearts. As the architect behind many of CCI’s communications and marketing strategies, she works closely with the CEO and the broader team to help bring the message of Jesus to millions of children across Southeast Asia, Cambodia, and Brazil. With over eight years of experience in communications, marketing, journalism, social psychology, and community engagement, Cindy is dedicated to sharing the incredible things God is doing through CCI. Her mission is clear: to use her gifts to glorify Jesus and serve others. Originally from Colombia, Cindy moved to Canada in pursuit of both personal and professional growth. Her faith journey began when she discovered the joy and beauty of walking with Jesus, even in life’s challenges. Her favourite Bible verse is: “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good?” – Numbers 23:19 Outside of her role at CCI, Cindy treasures time with her husband and their two young children. Together, they enjoy traveling, cooking, and worshipping God. Their family stands firm in the belief that “a family that prays together, stays together.”

MARKETING COORDINATOR
Brenton Penner
Brenton joined Children’s Camps International in 2024 and serves as the Marketing Coordinator. With a passion for creativity and storytelling, he enjoys finding new ways to share what CCI is doing around the world. His background in video production, editing, photography, and film has been a great fit for helping tell meaningful stories that highlight the impact of the ministry. Brenton studied music and theology at Hillsong College in Sydney, Australia, where he developed a deep heart for worship and ministry. That experience continues to shape the way he approaches both his creative work and his faith. Outside of his role at CCI, Brenton enjoys playing drums and spending time with his dog, Charlie, who brings a great deal of joy to his life.

JR. MARKETING COORDINATOR
Samuel Reimer
Sam joined Children’s Camps International in 2025 as a marketing intern. After graduating from the Graphic Communications program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, he stepped into the role of Junior Marketing Coordinator. With a passion for photography and design, Sam enjoys working behind the scenes, supporting the team, building resources, and helping ensure everything runs smoothly. His favorite part of the work is knowing that every piece of content, every design, and every detail helps bring attention to Jesus. He finds encouragement in Romans 8:18, which reminds him that “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed.” This truth inspires him to serve the Lord faithfully through his creative skills while helping advance global ministry. Outside of his role at CCI, Sam enjoys exploring new creative projects, spending time outdoors with a camera in hand, and spending time with friends and family. Since moving back to Martensville, Saskatchewan, he’s excited to settle into this next chapter of his life.
