ORGANIZERS
& FOUNDERS
& FOUNDERS
Bob Hake
Bob and his wife of 28 years, Lori, have raised 3 children and currently live in Phoenix. Originally from Prescott, Arizona Bob moved to Oklahoma City in 1981 to begin his education and ministerial career. His first pastoral assignment was as a youth pastor in Enid, Oklahoma in 1984. From there he accepted another youth ministry position and continued his education in New Mexico. In 1988 he returned to Arizona and began a 20 year relationship with Orangewood Church where he has been the lead pastor for the last 11 years. The nine years prior, he served as the youth pastor at Orangewood, where his passion for serving and outreach took shape through dreaming and organizing nation-wide youth events such as The Hope Project which raised over
100,000 for orphans in Rwanda. Bob's passion to serve the under-resourced has been a trade-mark of his ministry for over 20 years.
It was out of this passion that the dream for LifeBridge Community Alliance was birthed. Watching the community undergo dramatic changes in so many areas, Bob organized a group of leaders to assess local needs and how they could more effectively serve the children and families those needs represented. By partnering and combining their resources into one central location, the vision for community revitalization began to take shape. In May of 2007, LifeBridge Community Alliance opened its doors and its opportunities to the community. Bob continues to serve as lead pastor of the Orangewood Church, and executive director of LifeBridge Community Alliance.
Mark Mertel
Mark Mertel is the Chairman of Diversified HealthCare Services (DHS). He leads the senior management team and is responsible for the strategic planning and development of industry partner relationships. Originally from Buffalo New York, Mark graduated from Alfred University with a BA in business and spent 2 years in the army as 1st Lieutenant. Moving to Phoenix in 1973, Mark started an insurance career, which included owning a benefit consulting firm. In 1994, Mark founded Diversified HealthCare Services. Today, DHS is comprised of several companies encompassing areas such as marketing, consulting and software.
Mark credits the success of these companies to a highly motivated and skilled management team and superior strategic plans supported by operational excellence.
In 1996, Mark and his wife of 28 years, Mimi, founded All-Star Kids Tutoring, a non-profit organization that works with 2nd and third grade students to improve their reading skills. They have 4 children and 8 grandchildren and reside in Phoenix, Mark brings his business expertise in the areas of strategic planning and his heart for transformation in lives and communities to LifeBridge where he serves on the LifeBridge Board of Directors.
Special Thanks To
BLUFISH DESIGN STUDIO for their generous contribution!