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Don Barkley has served as the area director for SEARCH in Orange County, California since 1985. Don has led hundreds of discussions in homes, businesses, country clubs and colleges, as well as on recreational retreats to ski mountains, tennis clubs and fishing expeditions. For several years Don served on the board of the Alliance for Spiritual Community, an inter-faith movement providing educational events, including the Religious Diversity Faire at San Juan Capistrano Catholic Mission, and at the University of California Irvine. He also has led weekly open forums at an Orange County treatment center for alcohol and chemical dependency. Don has taught courses as an adjunct instructor at Biola University and Talbot School of Theology. Before SEARCH and after college, he served on the pastoral staff of a church in his hometown of Laramie, Wyoming. He has degrees from Wheaton College and Dallas Theological Seminary. Don and his wife, Ann, live in Laguna Niguel and have four adult, married children and three grandsons.

Chad Blankenburg joined Search in 2017, bringing with him a history of sharing what he’s found in Christ in a comfortable & relational way.  A Wake Forest University graduate, prior to teaming up with Search, Chad’s work history included time on Capitol Hill, in banking and investments, and 15 years in the insurance industry.  Chad and his wife, Debbie, a Charlotte native, have called the Queen City home for 25 years.  He is active with F3 (Fitness, Fellowship & Faith) and helps to establish and encourage "3rd F” groups.  Chad and Debbie have two adult sons - Griggs and Kent.

The Burketts—Matt, Leah, Radford, and Tysinger—are Greensboro natives. Matt was first introduced to Search in 2014. In short order, Matt fell in love with the relational model of evangelism Search uses and began leading Foundation groups. In 2019, Matt and Leah responded to God’s call in Greensboro and sold their business to come on staff with Search full-time. Their family of four is always on the go and makes use of their hobbies and interests to invite others into conversations about life and faith.

Brian joined Search staff in 2019. He is a graduate of Luther College with an MS in Physics from Arizona State University and an MS in Technology Management from the University of St. Thomas. Brian has worked with Aerospace and Technology firms as a Physicist, Metrologist, and Senior Manager. In the summer of 2018, Brian completed the Oxford Center for Christian Apologetics Business Programme. He and his wife, Kimberly, have two adult daughters and make their home in Chaska.

Nate Echelberger embodies Austin's vibrant and eclectic spirit! However, his journey here began in the heartland of Iowa. A proud alumnus of Iowa State University, Nate's time at the university instilled in him a strong work ethic, intellectual curiosity and a thirst for adventure. After earning a business degree from Iowa State, Nate's life has been a tapestry of diverse experiences and accomplishments. He was a founding member of Gateway Church and served as the men's pastor at Hill Country Bible Church, guiding and inspiring others on their spiritual journey. Additionally, Nate was an entrepreneur in the car wash industry, is a black belt in jiu-jitsu, loves to ski and backpack, and is a competition BBQ chef. Nate finds strength and support in his family life. He has been happily married to his wife, Sarah, since 2003. Together, they have four children Breck, Ridge, Eve and Stone.

Bill came on board with Search as the area director in the Raleigh and Triangle area in 2019. He has been in ministry since 1983, mostly as a lead pastor. Bill volunteered and led teams with Young Life for nine years. He planted a church in Charlottesville, Virginia, pastoring that church for fourteen years. Bill comes to Search from pastoring a church he planted in North Raleigh in 2015. Bill enjoys helping people take their next steps with God by finding creative ways to connect their stories with God’s great story. He is passionate about seeing lives changed by the gospel, helping people discover their purpose in life, and developing high-level leaders. He is excited about taking God’s story outside church walls into the marketplace as a part of the Search team. Bill is married to Cindy, and they have seven children. He is passionate about Jesus, his wife, and his family. He loves being outdoors, his relationships with F3 men, and reading about U.S. history, European history, and great leaders.

As Event and Reach Coordinator for Search, Bailey Greenlees manages all the organization’s national events such as staff conferences and training, and she assists with local events as needed. 

As Reach Coordinator, Bailey oversees the registration process of Search’s Reach training program and its in-person conference. Reach is a 22-week course – much of it in a group cohort with a Search staffer – for individuals who desire to learn and apply the relationship evangelism that is the hallmark of Search’s ministry.

Bailey graduated from the University of Texas with a bachelor’s degree in Youth and Community Studies and a minor in Social Work, and she previously worked as a Young Life Area Director in Austin.

When a friend joined Search, Bailey found the ministry resonated with her and joined the team in 2021. “We share the same heart,” she said.

Bailey, her husband, Trey, and their daughter, Hallie, live in Fort Worth, Texas.

Before joining SEARCH in 2016, John spent 16 years as a pastor in Houston and worked in a family real estate business in California. He has always enjoyed helping people think through their questions about God and life and is the author of “Questioning God?: Answers to Questions Worth Asking.” Along the way, he has earned degrees from Trinity University (B.A., Economics), the University of Houston (M.Ed.), Bethel University (M.A., Transformational Leadership), and Biola University (D.Min.). John also enjoys working up a sweat, especially on the tennis court.

Justin joined the Oklahoma SEARCH staff in 2021 and currently is the acting area director. After serving over a decade with Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he transitioned to serve as an executive pastor of ministry in a local church for the next five years, earning a BA in theology from Hardin Simmons University and an MA in Biblical Studies from Knox Theological Seminary. Justin and his wife, Lindsey, have been married since 2009, and they have 3 children: Kaden, Harper and Crew. He loves running and anything sports-related with kids.

Bruce was the first-round pick in 1983 for the Houston Oilers. He was later selected as guard on the NFL’s All-decade team of the 1990s. Bruce’s NFL career spanned 19 seasons with 296 games played, he had nine All-Pro selections with 14 consecutive Pro Bowls, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007. His number 74 jersey is retired by the Tennessee Titans. Bruce considers the privilege of serving men on their spiritual journey to be more important than any of his impressive accomplishments. Bruce and his wife, Carrie, have seven children.

David joined Search staff in October 2020. David attended the University of Texas at Arlington, earning a BS in Physical Education. After 16 years of teaching Spanish and coaching basketball, he worked for Young Life for another 16 years. He went on to attend Dallas Theological Seminary, graduating with a master’s in biblical and theological studies. David has been married to Carol for 36 years and has three adult children (Austen, Andi, and Abbie) who are all married. David and Carol were blessed to add their first grandchild, Calvin, in March of 2023. David loves all things outdoors, but most of all, golf and riding his bike.

John joined the Search staff full-time in April 2019. Originally from Longview, Washington, John attended Lee University at Charlotte, where he earned a BS in Christian Education and Pastoral Ministries. While at school in Charlotte, he met his wife, Melissa. John has served in ministry for more than 30 years, most of those within the local church. His most recent ministry role was a church plant in Columbus, Ohio, that he co-founded in 2011.

Prior to joining SEARCH in Lubbock in 2019, Randy was a serial entrepreneur, founding and running several businesses for over 25 years. He also worked in corporate America for a decade before launching out on his own. A finance graduate from Angelo State University, Randy and his wife, Robin, have been married since 1989, and they have two children and two grandchildren. An avid golfer, Randy also loves fishing, hunting and all things outdoors.

David Wilson is a graduate of The University of California, Berkeley (undergraduate) and Southern Methodist University (MBA). He won gold and silver medals in swimming in the 1984 Olympics and went on to have a successful 25-year career in commercial real estate development before joining SEARCH Nashville full time in 2012. His passion is to help men and women get answers to their tough spiritual questions. Dave and his wife, Dru, are graduates of the prestigious Colson Fellows Program, where they studied Christian Apologetics from some of the world’s best teachers. They have been married since 1988 and have three grown children.