Our Board

Jeffrey was founder and CEO of Metagenics Inc., a nutrigenomics and lifestyle medicine company, from 1983 to 2010. Under his leadership, the company expanded internationally with manufacturing and distribution facilities in 46 countries. During Jeff’s tenure, Metagenics employed over 1,000 people and offered over 1,200 products to more than 75,000 healthcare providers and millions of consumers. In 2009, Jeffrey sold Metagenics.

 

He is an investor in Kindex Therapeutics, a biotech spin-off from Metagenics, and serves on that company’s board of directors. In 2010 Mr. Katke founded Katke Holdings LLC to make private equity investments in early stage growth businesses. Through Katke Holdings LLC, Jeffrey is one of the principals of Avistone LLC, a commercial real estate investment company, Intefusion LLC, a medical insurance billing company, and JCK Designs LLC, a residential real estate investment company. Mr. Katke serves as Chairman for each company and provides management consulting.

 

He is actively involved in two Christian philanthropic programs, Blessing of the Father Ministries, which is focused on helping orphans, widows and broken families and Harbor Hope Center, serving homeless students and those facing hunger and other life crises, where he serves as President.

 

His areas of expertise include: executive management, strategic planning, operations, financial review and reporting and regulatory compliance.

Daniel attended Northwest University in Seattle and graduated from North Central University in Minneapolis, MN with a bachelor’s degree in Pastoral Studies. After college he founded a youth drop-in center in Tacoma, Washington then served as an associate pastor, executive pastor and then founding pastor of a non-denominational church. He also created Next Leadership Association to train and mentor emerging leaders. In 2015, he helped establish a home for at-risk girls. Daniel serves as Executive Director of Harbor Hope Center.

 

Daniel has written dozens of articles and posts as well as editing and ghostwriting several books on topics as diverse as habit formation and the brain to an autobiography. He has spoken over 800 times on topics ranging from spirituality to culture and leadership. He has helped form several organizations and currently consults in the areas of PR, marketing & branding, nonprofits, fundraising and business development.

Gino Grunberg is founding and lead pastor of Harbor Christian Center in Gig Harbor for the past 24 years. He is a community leader and popular columnist in the Puget Sound area. He is married to Mardel and they have two children and four grandchildren. Gino was instrumental in the creation of Harbor Hope Center and the vision of ensuring every neighbor in the peninsula had their basic needs covered.

Jesse Young represents the 26th District in the Washington State House of Representatives. Raised in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood, Jesse’s childhood was marked by periods of homelessness and poverty.

 

Upon graduation from high school he attended University of Notre Dame. In 1999, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems (BBA-MIS) from the Mendoza College of Business.

 

Jesse’s career as an IT consultant has put him in the board room of major corporations. He is a member of the House Transportation, Commerce and Gaming and Technology and Economic Development Committees.

 

Jesse is married to his high school sweetheart, Jennie. They reside in Gig Harbor and have five children.

Dennis graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Law, Science, and Justice. While at the University of Washington, he played football under renowned coach Don James.

 

Dennis has been Program Manager for Homeless Veterans at Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs for over 20 years. He has executive management and organizational development experience building his department from 1 to 19 people at the VA facility in Bremerton, Washington. He has experience with strategic planning, budget planning and budget administration. He also has considerable experience addressing health issues troubling many of those experiencing homelessness, including treatment of alcoholism, drug addiction, mental and physical illness.

 

Dennis serves on other not-for-profit boards including North Ridge, which specializes in building tiny homes for those experiencing homelessness.

Dawnita Parkinson has 12 years active duty in the U.S. Air Force and served as both a Public Affairs Officer and Russian linguist. She has five years’ experience as an administrative/executive assistant and also worked as a private middle-school teacher. Dawnita has a bachelor’s degree in journalism, a master’s degree in theological studies, and 19 college credits in elementary education. Her other training includes the Charles Colson Fellows Program, Public Affairs Officers Course, Defense Information School, Airman Leadership School, and the 47-week Russian Basic Course at the Defense Language Institute.

Kit Kuhn served as Mayor of the City of Gig Harbor from 2018-2022. Prior to that he owned a small business and created and sold jewelry to three generations of customers for 29 years on the Gig Harbor waterfront. Along with two others he started Peninsula Hands On Art where students learned the history of a type of art, then created it. They worked independently, formed a nonprofit and recruited hundreds of volunteers with the support of the district. Today tens of thousands of students have created art. He is past board member of Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce and past President of Greater Gig Harbor Restaurant and Retail Association.

Charlie Davis is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties. Prior to accepting this post he served as Executive Director at the Mel Korum YMCA in Puyallup, the Lakewood YMCA and the Tacoma Center YMCA which he opened in 1983. Charlie is known throughout Puget Sound as a loved and highly sought after leader in the nonprofit sector. He has been a supporter of Harbor Hope Center for many years and has encouraged a mentoring partnership between both organizations.

Shelly brings a diverse range of professional experience to the board. She has most recently been an elementary school teacher. Prior to that she served as Social Service Specialist III, CFSW, in the Adolescent Unit and Adoption Unit of the Department of Youth & Families in Bremerton, Washington. She has also worked as a Case Manager at the Washington Youth Academy. Shelly also values health and has been both a health and wellness coach (YMCA) as well as a Physical Fitness Program Coordinator (Portland Police Bureau). She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Washington and is finishing a Masters Degree in Elementary Education at Western Governors University.