Advisory Board

Melinda Cathey (CEO and Co-Founder) and Alex Krutov (Co-Founder) represent The Harbor on its 11-member advisory board. Having met in St. Petersburg in 1997, both Melinda and Alex were moved by compassion, burdened with the Lord’s mandate to love the orphan, and convicted to address the issue of orphans leaving the state system unprepared for successful adult life. To follow their hearts and meet this need, the two began The Harbor in St. Petersburg in 2001.

The following individuals make up our advisory board, volunteering to serve as consultants in areas of finance, development and fundraising, child care and development, and public relations.

Melinda Cathey
Melinda has lived in St. Petersburg since 1997 with her husband, Mark, and their three children. Prior to their time in Russia, Melinda lived in the U.S. and practiced individual, family, and marriage counseling in a variety of settings. Her caseload has included victims of incest, adult children of alcoholics, addiction, depression, and numerous family and marital issues. She received her MA in Counseling Psychology from Trinity International University in 1985.

Alex Krutov
Abandoned by his mother when he was just a month old, Alex was placed in the Russian state orphanage system. His tumultuous childhood included adoption, abuse, running away, living on the streets, and a return to the orphanage system. Since that time, Alex has earned an AS degree in Business Administration Management. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Franklin University (Columbus, OH) in 2005.

Leslie Brereton
Leslie delights in her 37+ years as a wife, mother, and now grandmother. She has many years of experience in ministry, teaching Sunday School, leading Bible Studies, and countless hours in personal lay counseling. Her focus has been on sexual and related types of abuse. She currently serves in a number of capacities at Meadowbrook Christian Fellowship in Dublin, OH, teaching Sunday School, leading a Women’s Mentoring Group, facilitating ministry to incarcerated teen girls, and volunteering at the C.R.A.C.K. House Ministries in Columbus, OH. She is a passionate supporter of The Harbor, where she led a small team to visit in 2010. She and her husband, Mark, live in Powell, OH, and have 3 grown married sons and 5 grandchildren.

Mark Brereton, Chairman
Mark has broad bi-vocational experience in both ministry and business. He is one of the founders of Meadowbrook Christian Fellowship in Dublin, OH, where he chairs the board of elders and is a frequent speaker. His business experience spans 38 years, with companies ranging from Fortune 200 to small, closely-held corporations. He has been with TECSYS, a Canadian public company, since 1993, serving in senior management positions, until 2005, when he moved to a Regional VP Sales position to provide more flexibility for ministry. He also chairs the board of a private equity firm. He and his wife, Leslie, live in Powell, OH, and have 3 grown married sons and 5 grandchildren.

Karen Kutz
Karen joins the board as a writer and public relations expert. She worked for 17 years as a newspaper reporter/editor and holds a Bachelors degree in English from Wittenberg University, a Masters degree in Journalism from the University of Maryland, and secondary teaching certification (English and Journalism) from North Central College. Her newspaper credits include the Chicago Daily Herald, the Boston Herald, The Washington Post (freelance), and the Fairborn Daily Herald. She has also written for numerous national magazines. In addition to her career in writing and editing, Karen spent several years in public relations at Boston’s Beth Israel Hospital. She is currently a full-time mom and serves as Director of Discipleship, Women’s Ministries, Woodinville Alliance Church, Woodinville,WA. She and her husband, Kevin, live in Redmond, WA, with their three children.

Kevin Kutz
A director of public affairs for Microsoft, Kevin brings to the board extensive experience in politics and public relations, including stints in Chicago with Burson-Marsteller and Accenture, in Boston with Massachusetts Governor William F. Weld, and in Washington DC as a legislative assistant for U.S. Representative Steve Gunderson (R-WI). Kevin earned a Bachelor’s degree in Policitical Science from Wittenberg University and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He began his post-college life in missions, serving in World Relief in the Philippines. He and his wife, Karen, live in Redmond, WA, with their three children, and attend Woodinville Alliance Church where Kevin is an elder.

David Lee
For the past 25 years, David has worked in advertising production. After graduating from Gustavus Adolphus College with a degree in Business Administration, he joined Professional Litho, a media production company. For the past 18 years he has been a partner in the business.  In 2002, David and his wife, Dagni, adopted two girls from a Russian orphanage. They both have a passion for kids that don’t have the opportunity to grow and thrive in a loving family.  He has served on his church council as well as various other committees at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church. He lives in Woodbury, Minnesota with his wife, their two daughters and three sons.

Bill Navrides
Bill has been in the fundraising industry for 11 years currently as the Director of Development for Sharp Grossmont Hospital Foundation where he raises money for Grossmont Hospital and Sharp HospiceCare. Bill has volunteered for over 20 years for the Greek Orthodox Church which is where he met his wife Stephanie. They have been married for 14 years and have 2 beautiful children, John and Marina, who they adopted from Russia. It was through their adoption agency, Nightlight Christian Adoptions, that Bill and Stephanie met Alex Krutov and learned about The Harbor. Bill was so moved by Alex’s presentation that he knew he wanted to help The Harbor and all the young adults that graduate from the Orphanage System. Bill hopes to bring much needed funds and awareness to this wonderful ministry.

Scott Tongen
Scott is an MD who works for Allina at United Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Minnesota, Duluth in 1981 and his Medical Doctorate from the University of Minnesota in 1988. Scott initially began his practice as a family physician in a clinical setting. Currently he is working as a hospitalist, coordinating all care for patients during their stay in the hospital. He also serves as the hospital administrator for United Hospital where he is in charge of quality control among other things. In 2005, Scott was able to provide medical service to our Harbor participants, staff, and poor Russian believers. His passion for medicine and serving were abundantly clear. Both Scott and his wife, Patti, are eager to serve the Lord through the ministry work at the Harbor.

Patti Tongen
Patti joins the board bringing over 14 years of experience in the accounting field. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a Master’s degree in Business from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN.  Patti has worked in both the public and non-profit sectors.  She has much experience in taking organizations to the next level by building necessary infrastructures and setting up proper controls.  Patti is an efficiency expert and has also used her skills to turn around several under functioning businesses/organizations. Patti, her husband Scott, and their three daughters were able to visit the Harbor in 2005. Patti brings much passion and skill to the Advisory Board.