Pastor Nominating Committee

On Saturday June 28 the PNC, select VPC Staff, & VPC Elders attended a workshop hosted by Chris Lawson from Slingshot Group. This workshop detailed and explained the Slingshot process of selecting candidates.

Krista Braden

Krista, along with her husband and sons, age 17 and 19, have been proud members of VPC since 2016. She has served as an Elder and for the past three years on Student Ministry’s Vision and Support Team (VAST). She’s also volunteered at Vacation Bible School (VBS) and Sunday School. Krista enjoys leading small groups and is involved in VPC Women’s Ministry. Krista grew up in California and attended Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing. She worked in nursing for 15 years before relocating with her family to Arizona. She was a stay-at-home parent while her boys were young and now works at Arcadia High School. She enjoys being with her family, staying active, and is always seeking a new adventure. She is dedicated to work with the Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) to discern God’s plan for VPC’s next Senior Pastor, knowing this position is critical to the life and future of our church.

Stephanie Dehaven

Stephanie is a wife, mother, aunt, daughter, sibling, and corporate executive who loves giving back to her community and sharing her gifts with organizations and philanthropic groups that are close to her heart. Stephanie has spent more than two decades as a Managing Director at a global consulting firm exercising her skills to unite people and technology in order to facilitate significant, global transformations. She is wife to Jeff, a local architect, and mom to Morgan, an active freshman at Arcadia High School and club soccer player. Morgan and Stephanie are actively involved in National Charity League where they serve philanthropically throughout the Valley. She is the Arcadia High School Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) President. Stephanie has taught Sunday School for over 10 years, is a current Elder on the Mission Committee, has served as a Deacon and Vice-Chair and Chair of the All-Church Nominating Committee. She is excited to be a part of the team to help guide the way for VPC’s next Senior Pastor.

Phil Eaton

Phil grew up in Phoenix, received his undergraduate education at Whitworth University, and completed his PhD in literature at Arizona State University. For 17 years he was a professor of literature and culture before joining his father in Phoenix as a commercial real estate developer mid-career. Phil and his wife, Sharon, have been married for 60 years and have three boys with thriving families.
Phil then became the President of Seattle Pacific University, joyfully serving for almost 20 years. He has also authored two books: Engaging The Culture, Changing The World: The Christian University In A Post-Christian World and Sing Us A Song Of Joy: Saying What We Believe In An Age Of Unbelief. He is a writer, teacher, reader, consultant, and mentor. In 2021 Phil and Sharon returned to the Valley and
rejoined VPC, where Phil had served as an Elder and Sharon as a Deacon in the late 80s. They are delighted to discover how deep their roots are, both in the community and in our wonderful church. Phil is honored and thrilled to serve as a member of the Pastor Nominating Committee.

Mike Ek

Mike’s family has been blessed to be VPC members since 2017, finding a sense of community and spiritual growth within this congregation. After moving to Arizona in 2016 with his wife, Monica, and two sons, Carson (18) and Henrik (16), they quickly found a welcoming home at VPC. Mike has served on VPC’s Session, chairing the Planning & Organization Committee, and leading the All Church Nominating Committee. He regularly volunteers with Family Promise and has participated in Sunday School. Mike is Vice President of Tax at Carlisle Companies, a global manufacturing firm headquartered in Scottsdale. He previously lived and worked for 17 years in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he was actively involved in his church and served on a PNC at First Presbyterian Church of Charlotte. He enjoys traveling with his family, hiking with their rescue dogs, Bryce and Harper, swimming, and playing golf. He is honored and eager to serve on the Pastor Nominating Committee.

Jon Kyl

Jon Kyl and his wife Caryll have been VPC members since 1997. He served as the Stewardship Committee chair as an Elder and chaired the VPC 2.0 Committee, which explored how VPC could best serve the congregation and community in the future. One VPC 2.0 recommendation was to be gracefully dismissed from the PCUSA and affiliate with a new denomination. Jon and the VPC 2.0 Committee negotiated terms for dismissal and prepared for affiliation with ECO, a Covenant Order of Presbyterians, in 2024. After graduating from the University of Arizona in 1966, Jon practiced law in Phoenix. In 1986 Jon was elected to the United States House of Representatives, representing Arizona’s 4th Congressional District for four terms. In 1994, Jon was elected to the United States Senate and reelected twice thereafter. He was unanimously elected by his colleagues to the position of Assistant Republican Leader (Whip) for the last five years of his Senate term, where he retired in 2013. During his last term in the Senate, Jon led the search to replace the retiring Senate Chaplain Dr. Lloyd Ogilvie and also chaired the Congressional Prayer Breakfast. After his Senate retirement, Jon affiliated with the American Enterprise Institute, a law firm in Washington, D.C., and Arizona State University. At ASU he teaches both in the Law School and the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership. Jon also advises ASU’s Kyl Center for Water Policy at Morrison Institute and does work with Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.

Lisa Lafon

Lisa and her husband Jasen have attended and been active members at VPC since 2009. She is involved in several areas at VPC, including Bunny Business, Trunk or Treat, Outreach, and is currently a part of the Women’s Ministry team. Lisa has served as an Elder and is a past President of the Valley Day School Board. Lisa is committed to her family and professional life, always trying to balance work and home. After spending much of her career in public relations and marketing within the sports and entertainment industry, Lisa is now the President of Amalgamated Food Brokerage. She and Jasen have two children, Andrew (9) and Abbie (7), who keep them quite busy with swim team, basketball, and various other activities. Lisa loves their church family and the lifelong friendships she has made and is honored to be a part of the Pastor Nominating Committee.

Casey Ratlief

Casey has been a member of VPC since 2020. Since joining VPC he has served as a Deacon and a Student Ministry High School volunteer. Originally from Buckeye, Arizona, Casey grew up working in alfalfa fields. Today he is a lobbyist representing Arizona’s rural electric cooperatives at the Arizona State Legislature. In May of 2025 Casey will graduate from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business with an MBA. Casey and his wife Katie are avid Arizona Wildcats fans, attending as many football and basketball games as possible. Additionally, Casey enjoys reading, gardening and playing fetch with his dog, Betsy. Casey and Katie have been married since 2020 and live in central Phoenix.

Jim Unruh

Jim and his wife, Candice, moved to Paradise Valley from Philadelphia in 1998 and joined VPC soon thereafter. Jim has been active in several areas at VPC, including Elder, Valley Presbyterian Foundation Trustee, chair of an Interim Senior Pastor Search Committee, and chair of the Master Plan Committee, which led into the A New Heart for the Valley Capital Campaign, which he co-chaired. Jim was also a member of the VPC 2.0 Committee and Chair of the Pastor Nominating Committee that called current Senior Pastor David Joynt. In addition to his service at VPC, Jim has also served as a Trustee on the Princeton Theological Seminary Board, and as a member of the PCUSA Pension Board. He is currently on the Board of Urban Promise International and chair of the Macedonian Ministries Board. Professionally Jim is the Gainey Business Bank Board Chair and Founding Principal of Alerion Capital Group, LLC, a private equity firm.

Kristen Will

Dr. Kristen Will has been a VPC member since 2000. She joined with her husband, Dr. Anthony Will, after they were married in the Chapel in 1999. Their two daughters, Sophia and Bella, were both baptized and raised up in the church, being active members themselves. Dr. Will has contributed to VPC in many ways-playing the cello in both the traditional and contemporary worship services for over 25 years, regularly volunteering with Children’s Ministry teaching Sunday School and supporting other events. She is also a past member of Student Ministry’s Vision and Support Team (VAST). Professionally, Dr. Will serves as the Associate Dean of Clinical Initiatives and Accreditation within the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University and is a Clinical Professor in Health Systems Science. She also is the newly appointed Associate Dean of Interprofessional Education and Community Engagement for the ASU School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering. She also holds a joint faculty appointment as Clinical Professor in the School of Medicine. Prior to her tenure at ASU, she worked clinically as a senior Physician Assistant in the Division of Hospital Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona and the Program Director of the Mayo Clinic in Arizona Post graduate PA Fellowship in Hospital Internal Medicine and Assistant Professor in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. Kristen obtained her PhD in Healthcare Innovation at ASU, Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation in 2001. She completed her undergraduate work in Biomedical Sciences at Western Michigan University in 1995, her Physician Assistant training at Midwestern University, Downers Grove Campus, in 1997, and obtained a Master’s in Health Professions Education in 2001 at Midwestern University, Glendale Campus.