Board Members
Cheryl Bachelder
Russ Baker
Russell D. Baker (Russ) is a native of Hillsdale County, growing up just a couple of miles from where Crossroads Farm is located. He is a 1977 graduate of Reading High School.
Russ is a graduate of Huntington (IN) University and then received his master’s and doctoral degrees from Kent State and Ball State Universities. He has worked in higher education throughout his professional career, beginning with a position in the admissions office at Huntington University, spending 18 years in various academic administrative positions at Indiana Institute of Technology in Fort Wayne, and the last five years working at Ivy Tech Community College. As of July 1, 2011, Russ accepted the position of Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at Ivy Tech’s central administrative office in Indianapolis.
Russ is married to Dolly, whom he met while they were students at Huntington College. They have two children, Brianna and Bryant, and are members of Blackhawk Ministries in Fort Wayne.
It has been a great honor to get involved as a board member with Crossroads Farm. I vividly remember when it was a working farm owned by Harold and Ruth Ashton. Nearly 35 years later, it is exhilarating to experience first-hand the impact of the Farm on kids from Hillsdale County.
During my teen years, the only exciting thing to do on weekends was go to a teen dance club in Reading! I wish there had been a Crossroads Farm ministry to give positive alternatives for kids back then. One of the biggest things that seems to have changed in the last 30 years is that economic opportunities are fewer and therefore, poverty and despair seems deeper. While there are certainly exceptions, family structure seems more broken. Crossroads Farm is playing a vital role in giving students hope through a personal faith in Someone and something that transcends the grim realities of their lives.
Mark & Ann Bortz
Mark and Anne Bortz live in Brentwood Tennessee. They both have been involved in mentoring children to live a life according to biblical principles. They both believe the youth of today are in need of direction, reasoning, and guidance… and getting youth involved in Christian activities and surrounding them with compassionate mentors is fundamental to keeping them on track. Mark says “For the youth in the lower-mid-Michigan community, the Crossroads Farm project is a superior option to attract and engage these youth.” Mark has 3 children ages 22, 14 and 12. Guiding these 3 children has and is an important part of his life. Anne was never able to have children of her own, which has caused her to love all children as her own. Anne says “We enjoy working with the leadership team at Crossroads Farm to grow and improve the relationships that are established through CRF… and continue to attract those who are searching for truth.”
Stephen Hallgren
Stephen is Lead Engineer for Virb and is passionate about furthering CRF’s influence and impact on the internet. Stephen, his wife Julie and their 4 children live in Albany, NY.
Jeff Miller
Dawn Routledge
Read more about Dawn over on the Staff about page.
Doug Routledge
Read more about Doug over on the Staff about page.
Mike Skupin
