(former) President

Chris Carmichael

Chris joined Royal Family KIDS in 2012 and served as our President until June, 2018. He handed off the reins of the organization and will stay involved as a volunteer and advisor. While at RFK, he set the vision for our organization, raised funds, increased public engagement, and created and expanded partnerships with churches, foundations, corporations, and individuals who are motivated to help change the life trajectory of children in foster care.

Chris and his wife, Jami, are still very active in Royal Family KIDS! You can email Chris at chrisc@royalfamilykids.org.

V.P. Training

Jeff Juhala

Jeff is one of six of our team members who has directed one of our camps. Before becoming Vice President of Training at the national office, he directed the Concord, CA, camp from 2001 to 2005. Jeff has a 15 year background in safety and risk management training in the construction industry where he also taught leadership development. He was a member of Toastmasters for 4 years and holds a B.A. in Business Management from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA.

In addition to developing ongoing training materials and overseeing the training program for Royal Family KIDS, he raises personal support for the organization. He is a licensed minister and also volunteers extensively at his church. He has been married to Janet for 21 years and is the busy father of four children.

V.P. Finance

Tony Choi, CPA

Before joining Royal Family KIDS, Tony spent close to three years serving as the CFO for Opportunity International China, part of a worldwide network of micro-financing organizations focusing on serving the rural area of China. Tony was responsible for Opportunity International China’s finance, administration, risk management and IT operations in China. Before he served in China, Tony was a partner at Folkers, Choi & Associates, a public account firm and an adjunct professor at Vanguard University of Southern California in Costa Mesa. Prior to that, he served as Director of Finance for Vanguard University of Southern California. He has also worked as an accounting manager for the Southern California District Council of the Assemblies of God and for Balser, Horowitz, Frank & Wakeling Accountancy Corporation.

Tony was born in Hong Kong but studied, worked and lived in the US since 1976. He received his bachelor’s degree from Vanguard University and an MBA from Chapman University. He is currently certified by the State of California as Certified Public Account and is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the California Society of CPAs. Tony had been involved with Royal Family KIDS Camp Newport Mesa as volunteer in various positions for 20 years, including Director for seven years. Tony is married to Kim for 33 years and has a son Tyler (married to Priscilla) and a daughter Tiffani. The entire Choi family serves at Royal Family KIDS at Newport-Mesa Church in different functions. Tony and Kim are also brand new grandparents to Peyton.

Camp Growth Coordinator

Kerry Rhodes

Kerry joined Royal Family KIDS in 2007 as Camp Growth Coordinator. Kerry is a graduate of USC with a B.S. in Business and Pepperdine University with an M.A. in Education. Prior to coming to Royal Family KIDS, she was in Group Employee Benefits Sales for 7 years. She has also taught preschool and was a Classroom Aide while her family was young.

As Camp Growth Coordinator, Kerry follows up all incoming contacts to determine potential churches to launch new camps. Once their interest is established, Kerry guides contacts through the decision process to attend Director Training Institutes prior to launching their Camp. We lovingly refer to her as “Kerry the Closer” because since focusing on our recruitment data base, Kerry has consistently filled our projected training classes for the past three summers.

Kerry has been married to her husband, Ken, for 23 years and they have three sons. Her hobbies include learning about youth baseball, tennis and soccer – and she’s a “Master Organizer of Carpools.”

Want your church to start a camp? Contact Kerry! 

Director of Communications

Maryann Somma Rousseau

Maryann’s professional background includes twenty years with tech companies, ranging from fast-growing startups to established companies, such as Unisys Corporation and Rockwell Automation. She is a passionate team leader and has held several management positions in marketing, communications, and enterprise-level sales.

Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, Maryann has been living in Orange County for a long time and calls it “home.”

Maryann enjoys travel, playing tennis, music, volunteer work, and spending time with friends and family.

Training Coordinator

Summer Mavis

Summer has been the Training Coordinator at Royal Family KIDS since 2010. She is responsible for organizing and coordinating all Directors’ Trainings, Passing the Scepter Trainings and Club Trainings as well as helping to create and sustain new training tools for our Camps and Clubs to use. She is a Southern California native, was a nationally ranked rock climber and attended DeVry University. Using her EMT & reserve firefighter skills, she worked as a Marketing Manager in the Healthcare industry.

Summer enjoys traveling, snorkeling, cooking and relaxing with her husband and dog Cherry.

Director Liaison

Linda Chenot

Linda has served as Royal Family KIDS’ Director Liaison for the Eastern United States since 2007. She first learned about Royal Family KIDS by volunteering for 5 years at her local church’s camp as a Counselor, and then as Activities Coordinator. Linda assists Directors with any issues and questions they might encounter, processes product orders for them and works with vendors to procure new product samples, following through to completed production. Linda loves helping the Camp & Mentoring Club Directors succeed in their efforts on behalf of children of abuse. She has been married to Steve for 30 years and they have three grown sons. She and Steve are currently in training to lead mission trips from their church and Linda also is a Teaching Leader for Bible Study Fellowship. Linda holds a B.S. in Home Economics from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA.

Director Liaison

Robyn Freeman

Robyn started serving as Director Liaison in March 2016. She first began volunteering with her local church’s RFK as a camp counselor and also a club mentor. Robyn helps serve the Camp and Mentoring Club Directors with issues and questions that arise throughout the year. She also assists with the online store and helps process orders.

Robyn loves working for an organization that gives back to kids, especially those who have been hurt, abused, and neglected. She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from USC, and graduate degree in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary.

Donor Relations

Debbie Lyon

Debbie joined Royal Family KIDS in 2013 as our Donor Relations Specialist. She has a passion for the kids we serve and is a great fit with our team! Debbie has a degree and extensive background in accounting. She is very blessed with two wonderful daughters (Christina and Shaene) and one awesome grandson (Brady).

Development Coordinator

Emily Ferrell

Emily joined Royal Family KIDS in 2017 as Executive Assistant and now serves as Development Coordinator. Emily and her husband, Vincent, live in Santa Ana. They just moved out of “Newlywed” status as they have been married for a little over a year. They are the proud fur-parents of a small rabbit named Jolene and a puppy named Cash. In her free time, Emily enjoys drawing and painting.

Emily graduated from Vanguard University where she received her bachelors in Business Administration in December 2014.

Since graduating, she has worked for a film production company in Los Angeles fulfilling roles managing the office and as a Producer Assistant, but felt called to come work for Royal Family KIDS. You can reach Emily through email at emilyf@royalfamilykids.org.

Director of International Programs

Joanne Feldmeth

Joanne has been a lifelong advocate for abused children and has thirty years of experience in the non-profit sector. At Royal Family KIDS she serves as Director of International Programs. Prior to joining Royal Family, she was Executive Director of Child SHARE, a program supporting foster and adoptive homes through a church network in Southern California.

Joanne speaks on, and has co-authored two books on abuse recovery: Child Sexual Abuse—The Clinical Interview (Guilford Press) and We Weep for Ourselves and our Children: A Guide for Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (Harper-Collins). She and her husband, Dr. Nathan Feldmeth, have two adult daughters and two granddaughters.

Joanne has a Master’s Degree in Global Leadership from Fuller Seminary’s School of Intercultural Studies.

Legal Counsel

Glenn Howard

Glenn has been the Legal Counsel for Royal Family KIDS since 1997.  Earlier in his career he was a practicing CPA, an attorney with the IRS, a partner in a business law firm in San Francisco, an Associate Professor of Business Law at Howard University in Washington, DC, and now devotes all his time and efforts to assisting nonprofit organizations.  At Royal Family KIDS he oversees the legal matters for the organization.

Regional Ambassador

Scott Murrish

Scott serves as a National Field Representative/Ambassador for Royal Family KIDS. His role is to travel and speak nationally to recruit,  train and sustain camps, clubs and mentoring programs, as well as raising personal and organizational support. Scott studied music education at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and earned his BA degree in Biblical Studies and Sacred Music from Central Bible College in Springfield, MO. He has served in pastoral ministry since 1988 until coming to Royal Family KIDS full-time in 2006.

He and his wife, Tricia, have 4 children ages 22-11.  They launched their first Royal Family KIDS Camp in Manhattan, Kansas after becoming foster parents.  Currently, Scott produces the Royal Family KIDS Leadership Podcast,  an inspirational talk show designed to help leaders create “Moments that Matter” for children of abuse.  The Murrishes are involved as volunteers leading music and chapel at the Kearney, NE RFK Camp.

Support Scott’s work Here

Regional Ambassador

John Schwider

John first became involved with Royal Family KIDS as a volunteer at a Camp hosted by Stone Church of south suburban Chicago in 1996. He became a Field Representative with Royal Family KIDS in 2005, expanding the number of camps in the Midwest region and raising support for the organization in addition to his own salary.  John works nationwide presenting churches with opportunities to begin Camps and Clubs.

Prior to coming to Royal Family KIDS, John had worked in children’s TV production and later as an Associate Pastor in Wisconsin and Illinois. John holds a B.A. degree from North Central University in Minneapolis, MN.  He and his wife Marlene have three grown children and five grandchildren.

Regional Ambassador

Laurie Fenneuff

Laurie serves as a Regional Ambassador for Royal Family KIDS in New England. Her role is to recruit, train and sustain camps and mentoring clubs in the area, as well as raise personal and organizational support.

Prior to joining Royal Family KIDS USA as an Ambassador, Laurie has been involved on a local level for over 20 years. She served as a counselor at the local camp in Agawam, Massachusetts for three years and as the Recreation Director for two years. Through this time, she fell in love with the kids and became convinced of the need to reach more abused and neglected children. In 2005, Laurie founded and directed a camp from Liberty Church in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, which was also linked to the New England Dream Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. With the help of these two organizations, she and her husband directed this camp for 11 years and loved every minute of it.

Laurie and her husband Ron have been married for 36 years and they are blessed with two children, Elisha & Luke, and three wonderful grandchildren.