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 Evangelical Divinity School 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.

Stephen Campbell
Steve has broad expertise in human resources, with a 25-year career as both an internal practitioner and external consultant in the field. Currently serving as Global Talent Leader for the consulting segment of Hewitt Leadership Group at Hewitt Associates, he leads workforce planning, leadership development, succession planning, talent development, and talent acquisition. A graduate of Taylor University, he has also led several short-term medical mission trips to Guatemala. He and his wife, Barbara, live in Lincolnshire, IL, with their two teenage children.

John Dalley
A national sales manager for Office Coffee and Vending (Chicago, IL), John has significant experience in business and sales/marketing. Armed with a degree in Business Administration from Illinois State University, his career began at Proctor & Gamble (Cincinnati, OH), where he spent more than two decades in sales and management. John and his wife, Kim, reside in Palatine, IL, and are involved in ministry at Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington.

Heather Godfrey
Heather brings to the board much experience in writing and child/adolescent development. With degrees in both Journalism and Psychology from Indiana University, she currently works part-time at a company called “Signs By Tomorrow,” while also raising three young boys at home and participating in various ministries at Elmbrook Church in Milwaukee, WI. She and her husband, Steve, previously served for 10 years as missionaries in Siberia with Church Resource Ministries (CRM). They now reside in Milwaukee.

Steve Godfrey
A software analyst for Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, Steve has considerable financial expertise and fundraising knowledge. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business, with distinction and honors in Marketing, from Indiana University. He and his wife, Heather, share a passion for ministry to Slavic peoples, having served for a decade as missionaries with CRM in Irkutsk, Siberia. Steve currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Biblical Leadership Training Center (BLTC), based in Krasnodar, Russia, and leads the Russian Focus Group at Elmbrook Church (Milwaukee, WI). He and Heather live in Milwaukee with their three sons.

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 Bachelor’s degree in English from Wittenberg University, a Master’s 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’s currently a full-time mom and serves in various ministry capacities at Bear Creek Church in 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 a part of Woodinville Alliance Church in Woodinville.

David Williams, Chairman
Serving as chairman of the advisory board, David brings considerable experience in business, finance, and fundraising. He currently works for a private investment company in Chicago, Illinois, overseeing various real estate investments and loans of the company, and he previously worked for six years in St. Petersburg, Russia, with Jensen Group, a Chicago based Russian real estate developer. His love for and knowledge of Russia originated with his founding of the first sub-sandwich restaurant in St. Petersburg. A graduate of the University of Illinois with a degree in Business, David attends Grace Pointe Church and lives in Naperville, IL, with his wife, Sarah, and three children.

Sarah Williams, Secretary
An educator with expertise in child care and development, Sarah serves as secretary to the advisory board. Since working as a middle- and high-school teacher at the Anglo-American School of St. Petersburg, she has a practical understanding of Russia. Her teaching career also includes several years instructing Math and Language Arts as well as coaching track at various schools in Illinois. A graduate of Illinois State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Education, Sarah keeps busy raising her three young children and participating in a parenting ministry at Grace Pointe Church of Naperville (IL), where she lives with her husband, David, and their children.

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 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.