Rev. Mark Burnham
Pastor and Head of Staff

The Rev. Mark Burnham has been the senior pastor at PCLG since 1999. Before coming to Los Gatos, he served churches in Florida and Alabama. He is currently working on a Doctor of Ministry degree on the Missional Church, which includes his deep interest and passion in how the church can engage God’s mission in and to the world in our local context. Mark is married, has two teenage children, and has coached in numerous youth leagues over the years. He now enjoys being an enthusiastic and sometime verbal spectator at his children’s lacrosse and basketball games. He also greatly enjoys reading both fiction and non-fiction books and caring for the family pets—a dog, two cats, and a rabbit. Mark is a recent recipient of a sabbatical grant from the Louisville Institute and will be on leave during the summer of 2008. The theme of his sabbatical is “Exploring The Rule of Benedict: Comfortable Rest, True Work”.

Rev. Kent Smith
Associate Pastor

The Rev. Kent Smith has been in pastoral work for over 30 years and a spiritual director since 1998. Kent’s heart and skill is in helping individuals and groups become aware of God’s presence and activity in their lives and learning to follow God’s lead. Every human soul is unique in the way they experience God and that requires individualized attention. He brings this approach to worship, pastoral care, teaching, and leadership. To complement his contemplative side Kent is actively involved in community leadership through Rotary International, board membership in the Santa Clara Valley Metropolitan YMCA, and co-founded Soul Work Studio (a spiritual direction practice for individuals and faith-based organizations). He is married, has three adult children, and for additional pleasure runs, skis (snow and water), sails, and autocrosses (when he can afford the tires).

Martha Wills , Co-Director, Children’s Ministry

Martha Wills' strong conviction that all children benefit from learning to love God and neighbor is her constant motivation and inspiration. She is also an enthusiastic advocate of the rotation model of Christian education, which provides a variety of ways for both learners and teachers to experience major Bible stories and themes. A member of PCLG since 1993, as well as an ordained elder, Martha has held this position since 2003.

Steve Fainer
Director, Youth Ministries

Steve Fainer was born on his father's 26th birthday on the 26th of December. From this auspicious birth on St. Stephen's Day, Steve mastered the green belt of Shotokan Karate and the concrete drainage ditches of Santa Barbara with his skateboard. A basketball quitter and volleyball star, Steve received a high school diploma and went on to a BA in Religious Studies from Westmont College. At Westmont, he fell in love with a girl named Jane after he spent an evening telling her about the four girls he had a crush on all at once. None of the four were Jane. He has spent more time (7 years) as the Director of Youth Ministries at the Presbyterian Church of Los Gatos than the combined total of his time in junior and senior high. Steve is presently pursuing an MA in Communications and Leadership Studies through Gonzaga University. In the continued pursuit of outlandish dreams, Steve and Jane are thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from April to October 2008. Obviously, they don't have kids yet.

Michael Gibson, Director,
Music Ministries

Michael Gibson has been the Director of Music Ministries since August 1, 2004. Michael held his first professional choir directing post at age 14 and is now in his 46th year directing choirs. Michael is also the Music Director and Conductor of the Silicon Valley Symphony which he founded on March 28, 2001 (two years before Symphony Silicon Valley, the professional orchestra in San Jose came into existence). The SVS is a community orchestra of 60 members who rehearse and perform at PCLG. Gibson is also Music Director of the Bay Area Music Foundation, and Bay Area Little Symphony. He was the founding Music Director of the Menlo Park Chorus and conducted the group from 1998 - 2005. Gibson founded and was Music Director of the Foothill Orchestra at Foothill College for 5 years. While in the US Air Force, he founded the Colorado Springs Chamber Music Society and conducted numerous public performances, one TV show on KRDO television, and several FM radio broadcasts. He has created many electronic music compositions and arrangements. He played trombone in the Denver Symphony, Air Force Academy Band, Bohemian Club Orchestra, and the San Francisco 49ers Band. He also offers expertise in business, operating his own company, BACH to Music.

Norma Rose
Handbell Director

Norma has been a Presbyterian her whole life. She was born in the Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital and at the age of five moved to Los Gatos where she started attending the Los Gatos Presbyterian Church located on Church Street. She joined the Church in 1952. She married George Rose in November of 1966 and they are the parents of three grown children: Julie, Jonathan, and Jennifer. They are also the proud grandparents of four grandsons. After learning to ring handbells in our church's handbell program in 1975, she returned to school and completed her underdivision credits in music. In 1990, she applied for the position of Handbell Director and at present directs the two adult handbell choirs and oversees the children's handbell choir. On Sunday mornings, she teaches music to the children during Chapel time.
She organized CoveKnit Group, reflecting her interest in knitting, sewing, needlepoint, and cross stitch. She also enjoys gardening and cooking. She is the Reception Co-ordinator for memorial services as well as Moderator of Presbyterian Women Fellowship Group.

Cory Mullins, Director,
Growing FootPrints Preschool

Cory Mullins is the director of Growing FootPrints, an early childhood education preschool and junior kindergarten. The program also offers children the opportunity to grow in faith and to learn the importance of a value centered life. Growing FootPrints has been Cory's home since 1995 and she has been dedicated to the field of ECE for thirty years.

Diane Sanders
Church Administrator

A lifelong Presbyterian, Diane joined the staff of PCLG in 1997 as Church Administrator. She enjoys the task diversity in her job and most of all, the opportunity to work with so many people including PCLG staff, church members, and the community at large.  Her favorite things are spending time with her family, including three grown children, traveling, and sailing.

Kristy Cole, Financial
Secretary/Bookkeeper

Kristy Cole has been a member of the church since 2000. She joined the staff shortly thereafter and fulfills the role of the financial secretary. As a member of the church Kristy is involved as a volunteer and also leads a Bible study on Sunday mornings. Kristy brings her skill as a bookkeeper, spiritual support for her coworkers, and compassion to the PCLG staff.

Shirley Harned Kelley
Publications Coordinator

Shirley Harned Kelley, Publications Coordinator, has been combining her interest in music and graphic design nearly since infancy. Born in Kentucky, she was raised in the Panama Canal Zone. After receiving a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the University of Kentucky she worked in graphic design. Later she fell madly in love with the idea of opera after singing her first aria — she had found her true calling and a career that lasted thirty years. Now, happily married to Roger L. Kelley, a retired psychologist, who is also from the Panama Canal Zone, she has returned to work in graphics and desktop publishing. Through all this she has come to realize God gifted her with a life over which she had no control so she could learn complete reliance on Him. Shirley has been a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ for as long as she can remember and a Presbyterian since 1966. She was introduced to PCLG by Margaret Kvamme and Joyce Strandberg. At PCLG she felt at home, joined the church, the choir, and the staff in that order. Shirley is beginning her third year as Publications Coordinator.

Bob Ekstrand
Facilities Specialist

Bob has been a member of PCLG since 1989 and has served as a Trustee and as a member of the Facilities and Grounds committee.  With a background in Forest Engineering and Geography, he has been a remote sensing image interpreter and aerial photogrammetrist for 40+ years.  Bob’s construction and infrastructure abilities were developed while he built a house in the Santa Cruz Mountains in which he lived for ten years.  He currently owns and manages 13 acres in the Santa Cruz mountains as well as three parcels near Bear Valley.  He joined the PCLG staff in 2002 providing facilities maintenance and repair services for our campus.