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Daryle Doden
Daryle Doden is a lifelong entrepreneur who founded Ambassador Steel Corporation in 1974. When he sold the company in 2008, it was the largest independent distributor and fabricator of rebar in the United States with annual revenues surpassing $500 million. Ambassador Enterprises is a part of Daryle’s vision to invest in leaders to pursue business excellence through building communities of trust and healthy relationships.
Daryle has served on the boards of Cedarville University and his alma mater, Moody Bible Institute and he is currently a member of the DeKalb County YMCA Board. He regularly gives of his time to teach Bible classes, provides business consulting and public speaking, and meets with couples in marriage counseling sessions. Daryle received a diploma in Sacred Music from Moody Bible Institute and a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies and Music Performance from Bethel College, Mishawaka, Indiana.
Daryle and his wife, Brenda, have been married over 40 years and share a passion for spending time with their five adult children and their eight grandchildren. |
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Garrett Cooper
Garrett (Gary) Cooper holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and came to Ambassador Enterprises from Taylor University. Prior to that, Gary was at the Lincoln Financial Group where he led a team responsible for the investment and risk-management of portfolios exceeding $40 billion
At Taylor University, Gary served as a faculty member in the business program. He was also Director of the Institute for Organizational Effectiveness, a program designed to increase the capacity of leaders in the nonprofit sector. He currently serves on Taylor’s MBA Committee and on their Community Advisory Board. In addition, he currently serves on the boards of the Cell Therapy Foundation and Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company.
Gary received his MBA from Arizona State University and his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, graduating magna cum laude. He and his wife Jennifer have been married for 32 years and have 3 grown children.
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Matt Lesser
Matt Lesser brings many years of business ownership and operations experience to his role with Ambassador Enterprises. Prior to his work at Ambassador, he served as general manager for a chain of sixteen Quick Lube stores located throughout central and northern Indiana, overseeing operations and 135 employees, and grossing $12 million in revenues. He also co-owned and operated a wholesale oil distribution company.
Matt graduated summa cum laude from Indiana University with two Bachelor of Science degrees: Business Management and Business Marketing. He received his MBA from Taylor University in November 2009.
Before entering the business world, Matt served as a Youth Pastor. He has served on the elder board with his local church, as a speaker and small group teacher. Matt has also served in various consulting roles with non-profit organizations in the Fort Wayne area. He is a certified Myers-Briggs Temperament Inventory trainer and is also qualified in the DISC assessment tooI. In addition, he and his wife Tiffani are certified personality consultants with Personality Insights and directors of REAL Marriage Ministry. They have been married 12 years and have 3 children
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Pete Rathbun
Pete Rathbun serves as Ambassador Enterprises General Counsel and has both law and business management experience. He served as Vice President of California Federal Savings in the area of information technology. Pete’s legal experience began with Gammon and Grange, P.C. in McLean, Virginia, where his focus was nonprofit religious organizations. He came to Ambassador Enterprises from New York City where he was Vice President and General Counsel for the American Bible Society.
Pete graduated cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, D.C. and received a B.A. in Management from the University of Redlands in California. He has been admitted to the state bars in Maryland, New York, Virginia, and Indiana, and to various federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.
Pete serves as Director and President-Elect of the Christian Legal Society and is a past trustee for the Museum of Biblical Art. His pro bono legal services include work for the Bowery Mission and the Salvation Army. Pete and his wife Peggy have been married for 27 years. |
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Bruce Smith
Bruce Smith is a certified public accountant with experience in operations, finance and accounting, mergers and acquisitions, and tax management. He currently provides accounting expertise and financial and operational analysis for Ambassador Enterprises.
Before joining Ambassador Enterprises, Bruce worked in financial and operational management positions with Ambassador Steel Corporation, Invisible Technologies, Inc. and Ernst & Young. He obtained his Bachelor of Science with honors from Indiana Wesleyan University, majoring in Accounting and Business Administration.
Bruce is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Indiana CPA Society. He is a former board member of the Entrepreneur’s Alliance of Northeast Indiana and serves as church coordinator and instructor for the Crown Financial Ministries program at his local church. Bruce has been married for nine years to his wife Cara. They have four children.
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Zach Lesser
Zach Lesser is responsible for the coordination of Ambassador Enterprises’ information technology and also assists with legal administration. He has worked in various management positions in the automotive and oil industry, gaining experience in both retail and wholesale operations. Prior to working at Ambassador Enterpries, Zach serves as a manager at the Northern Quik Lube Group, LLC. While employed with the Northern Quik Lube Group, LLC and Master Petroleum Products, Inc. for six years, Zach worked in various positions such as Account Manager, Administrative Manager, Accounting, Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable, along with Vendor and Customer Relations.
Zach is currently a student at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, studying in the field of Business Management and Information Systems. Zach was a Youth Worship Director at Dayspring Community Church, as well as a Small Group Leader, until 2008. Now he serves on the REAL Marriage Ministry team as a retreat Worship Leader. He also composes and records music in his spare time. |
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Eric Doden
Eric Doden brings strong critical thinking skills and a broad business background in general operations to the Ambassador team. Prior to joining Ambassador Enterprises, he led the distribution and fabrication arms of Ambassador Steel Corporation.
Eric graduated from Valparaiso University School of Law and from Hillsdale College with majors in Business Finance and Christian Studies. He is an active member of the Fort Wayne Chapter of Executive Forums and serves on the boards of his local church and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He enjoys leading a small group Bible study and mentoring inner city teenagers.
Eric’s wife Maci is also an attorney. They have been married for 11 years and have 4 children. |
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Curt Brown
Curt Brown spent 30 years in the banking industry. As part of the founding executive management team of Tower Bank in Fort Wayne, he served as Chief Lending Officer and Chief Operating Officer before ultimately being selected to serve as its President. Curt also held a variety of positions with Indiana National Bank, the National Bank of Detroit, and First Chicago NBD. Curt recently played a pivotal role in the reforming of Cartridge City, Inc.
Curt graduated from Taylor University in Business Administration and from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking. He is also a certified facilitator of Steven Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.”
Community involvement is important to Curt, who serves on a variety of nonprofit and educational boards, including Junior Achievement of Northeast Indiana, the MBA Advisory Committee for Taylor University, and as Finance Chair of the Christian Foundation of Northeast Indiana. . A Fort Wayne native, Curt and his wife Sue have been married more than 30 years and have grown triplets – 2 sons and a daughter. |
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Paul Gilbert
Paul Gilbert brings 29 years of manufacturing operations and financial leadership to the Ambassador team. As an executive with Cooper Standard Automotive, Inc., he ultimately served in concurrent roles as President of Cooper’s NVH Control Systems Division and VP of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, where he managed product development and manufacturing operations in four countries, including launching a manufacturing plant in China.
Paul oversees the financial health of all entities within Ambassador Enterprises. He also serves on the Board of Directors and as the liaison of the holding company to Correct Craft, Inc., one of Ambassador’s operating companies headquartered in Orlando, Florida. Paul graduated from Tri-State University and holds the designation of Certified Public Accountant.
Paul enjoys investing in the lives of others through individual mentoring and counseling. He volunteers his time as a board member of his local church and serves as Board President at RISE, Inc., an agency serving mentally disabled adults. Paul and his wife Sharon raised their five children on his family’s historical farm in Pleasant Lake, Indiana. They have been married over 29 years. |
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Arlan Friesen
Together with Steve Longbrake, Arlan Friesen leads the Ambassador Leadership division of Ambassador Enterprises. His 21 years of corporate experience with Lincoln Financial Group and Mutual Security Life included positions as Vice President of Employer Sponsored Annuity Operations, Chief Information Officer, Director of Information Technology Planning and Architecture and Director of Information Security.
Arlan graduated summa cum laude from Taylor University with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Systems. He obtained his MBA from Indiana University. Arlan is a member of the Life Management Institute and has been a Registered Representative and Principal with the National Association of Securities Dealers.
Arlan was born and raised in Japan, where his parents served as missionaries. He and his wife Linda have been married over 24 years and have 4 children. They co-lead a small group at their church. Arlan is an elder at Blackhawk Ministries and a member of the board for Blackhawk Christian School. |
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Steve Longbrake
Steve Longbrake is an experienced personal coach, teacher and facilitator. Together with Arlan Friesen, Steve leads Ambassador Leadership and also serves as a retreat facilitator for MasterPeace Retreats and as a relational manager for ministry partners in Africa.
Steve served as an executive coach for Ambassador Steel Corporation, for Taylor University Fort Wayne’s Institute for Organizational Effectiveness, and for Race to Win, where he was also a consultant. Steve has been a minister and has held the positions of superintendent, teacher, and director of pupil services at private schools. He has coached a variety of sports, including basketball, baseball, golf and cross-country and was a children’s social worker with the YWCA. Steve serves on the boards of his local church, New Hope Uganda Childcare Ministry in Uganda, Africa, Bethesda Outreach Childcare Ministry in South Africa, Africa, and Leadership Resources International, Chicago.
Steve graduated from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. He holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Political Science and Comprehensive Social Studies. He and his wife Nanci have been married 12 years and have four children.
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Pam Gilley
Pam Gilley holds the Senior Professional Human Resource designation and has over 15 years in executive leadership roles within the nonprofit sector, including a private university, a public foundation and the national headquarters of a 900,000-member veterans’ service organization. Pam also spent nearly four years on active duty with the United States Army, serving in the Medical Corps as a behavioral counselor and individual and group therapist. She graduated with honors from Cincinnati Christian University with a Master of Arts degree and from Ozark Christian College with a Bachelor of Education degree. Pam is a certified Myers-Briggs Temperament Inventory (MBTI) trainer and is also qualified in the DISC assessment tool.
As a part of the Ambassador Leadership team, Pam participates in strategy development and implementation planning and execution. She also works directly with clients providing coaching, training and consulting.
Prior to joining the Ambassador Leadership team, Pam oversaw the Ambassador Corporate Services team responsible for human resources, general and global administrative support, real estate and property management, risk management and business continuity planning, and hospitality and event planning.
Pam volunteers as an Admissions Field Representative for the United States Military Academy at West Point, with the USO, and with Operation Support Our Troops, which provides ongoing support to military members stationed in both Afghanistan and Iraq. She has one daughter, Sarah, who is a military intelligence officer in the U.S. Army.
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Jeff Ostermann
Jeff brings financial, operational, administrative and strategic planning expertise to his role at Ambassador Leadership. Jeff is responsible for the operations of MasterWorks Foundation and has also lead various Ambassador projects including the development of Ambassador Leadership's engage! experience. He has previously served as the Director of MasterPeace Retreats and Manager of Administrative Services for MasterWorks Foundation. Prior to coming to Ambassador Enterprises, Jeff worked as a Financial Analyst for Medical Protective/GE Insurance Solutions in Fort Wayne and Nortel Networks in Texas. Jeff serves on the board of Kumveka, a nonprofit marketing agency focused on supporting ministries around the world.
Jeff lettered in varsity swimming at Indiana University, where he earned a BS in Finance and International Business. He earned his Masters in Business Administration from Taylor University.
Jeff and his wife Kelly have been married for seven years and have a one year old daughter. Together they serve as pre-marital counselors and lead a small group Bible study and Crown Financial classes through their church. They have also been involved with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, outreach to local Burmese refugees and served as part of the Serbia mission team with their church.
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Dave Walters
Dave Walters draws on his skills of communication, counseling, teaching and strategic planning to serve leaders through Ambassador Leadership. Along with Jeff Ostermann, he is responsible for product and service development. He also meets with ministry partners to assist them in developing high-trust, high-care, high-performance teams..
Before coming to Ambassador Enterprises, Dave served as a local pastor, planted a church and worked extensively in parachurch ministries. He also has held roles that involved strategic planning, launching initiatives, and leading and coaching various ministry and corporate staffs and executives. Along with his ministry experience, Dave has worked in manufacturing and real estate.
Dave is Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certified. He also coaches basketball for elementary-age students and leads a small group Bible study in his home. He has taught Sunday school, served on the elder board and various church leadership teams, preached Sunday sermons and mentored young people. He holds a degree in psychology from Purdue University and is close to completing a Masters of Divinity from Grace Theological Seminary. Dave and his wife Jayne have been married 20 years and have three children. |
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Steve Gardner
Steve Gardner is an experienced author, curriculum writer, speaker, trainer and recording artist.. Prior to joining Ambassador, Steve worked for Crown Financial Ministries, where he developed the curriculum for international expansion that is now printed and used in many nations and languages around the world. Steve began writing curricula in 1996 as a Vice President with Emerging Young Leaders and has written or edited 20 published books as well as dozens of study curricula for projects based on other books and movies.
Prior to 1996, Steve and his wife, Maria, were full-time concert and recording artists, performing more than 4,000 concerts and 1,000 TV appearances. As an instrument-rated pilot, Steve flew his own plane to appearances in North America and the Caribbean. Fifty of Steve’s original songs are included in Steve and Maria’s sixteen recorded albums.
An avid tennis and racquetball player, Steve organizes and manages a year-round tennis league. He is a graduate of Wheaton College with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology. He and Maria have been married for 41 years and have 1 daughter and 3 grandchildren. |
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Laurie Doden
Laurie Doden travels worldwide connecting with ministry partners of MasterWorks Foundation. Laurie began leading MasterWorks Foundation in 1998 and is responsible for the strong relational and leader development pillars that have influenced its strategic direction. She also plays a major role in training, partner evaluation and cross-cultural education. Prior to leading Master Works Foundation, Laurie was a manager for Master Sports, a former subsidiary of Ambassador Enterprises.
When not traveling abroad, Laurie leads Bible studies for area women and volunteers her time in various ministries and activities with her local church. Laurie serves on the board of Leadership Development International (LDI) in China and is a former board member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She also spent a summer in Indonesia and a summer in the Philippines doing mission work.
Laurie is a graduate of Hillsdale College, where she majored in French and English. She spent a semester in Avignon, France and a summer studying at Oxford University.
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