Our Leaders
Showing the Way
Good leadership is vital in guiding the vision, direction and culture of an organization. At Lifeline, we’re proud to have a leadership team that is passionate about their commitment to Christ, the teams that they serve, and their desire to help families and children in need.
Mark Terrell
Chief Executive Officer
Mark Terrell graduated from Taylor University in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Systems. Mark started his career with Northwestern Mutual as a retirement and estate planning specialist. In 1994, he left his chosen career to serve as the CEO of Lifeline Youth & Family Services and has since founded two other nonprofits. He serves as the as the CEO of Lifeline Youth & Family Services, Crosswinds, and Lasting Change. When Mark started, Lifeline had 17 employees, a budget of $600,000 and served around 200 people a year. Now, it is one of Indiana’s largest and fastest growing nonprofits with nearly 700 employees, a budget of $54 million, and is on track to serve 40,000 people. Mark has testified before Congress on two occasions, received the distinguished Alumnus for Personal Achievement award, The Vitality Award for prevention, is the 2018 Ambassador Enterprises SEED Challenge winner, and is a governor appointee to serve on the Allen Superior Court Judicial Nominating Commission. Mark’s favorite roles are those of husband of 34 years, father to three sons and one daughter, and grandfather to four grandchildren.
Todd Jacobs
Chief Financial Officer
Todd joined Lifeline and Crosswinds from Equity Investment Group where he was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Todd has a B.S. in Finance with Distinction in Business from Indiana University. He is married with three sons and enjoys biking and other outdoor activities. He serves on the board of Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne and chairs its investment committee. In addition, he is a board member and vice chair of the AWS Foundation.
Kent Castleman
Chief Development Officer
Kent joined the organization in 2019 after 19 years of nonprofit leadership as an executive director and training in nonprofit governance. His last directorship was with Fort Wayne Trails where he helped develop the trail system and worked to have private and public dollars dedicated to growing trails. Kent helped found the Cornerstone Youth Center in Monroeville, IN, which continues to operate today. He serves as the President of the NewAllen Alliance, a community and economic development organization, where he helped lead seven communities in the East Allen region to earn the coveted Regional Stellar Designation in 2018 from the Office of Rural and Community Affairs under Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch. He is appointed by the Allen County Commissioners as a trustee for the Allen County Public Library. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Indiana University and is a Certified Fund Raising Manager by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. He is also a certified Dream Manager® with Floyd Consulting and a Renewal Guide with The Journey, a Lilly Endowment funded renewal organization for Indiana Youth Workers. Kent’s family includes his wife Heather, daughter Ellie, and their dog Coco. His hobbies include singing, gardening, volunteering, and DIY home improvement projects.
Nancy Steigmeyer
Chief Human Resources Officer
Nancy joined Lifeline and Crosswinds in 2018. She brings a diverse business background with a combination of organizational development, talent management, academics, and community leadership. She spent much of her career in academic curriculum development, instruction at several universities, and as Senior Director of Graduate Programming at Trine University. She has developed and trained many participants in various leadership and human resource-related fields. With more than 16 years in staffing, recruiting, and human resource management, Nancy has managed regional offices for employment/staffing firms and consulted with hundreds of companies and organizations to provide solutions for their HR needs throughout Northeast Indiana. Her undergraduate degree is from Central Michigan University, and she holds a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Indiana Tech. With a passion for community engagement, Nancy serves on the board for the Women’s Bureau and Northeast Indiana Human Resource Association. Nancy’s passion is family, faith, health, and helping others. She resides in Fort Wayne with her husband of 15 years, Steve.
Tim Smith
Chief Innovation Officer
Tim Smith joined the organization in 2020 as Chief Innovation Officer. After graduating from IPFW (Purdue Fort Wayne), Tim and his wife, Angela, moved to Indianapolis where he attended the IU School of Law. Upon graduation and admission to the Indiana Bar, Tim and Ang returned to Fort Wayne where Tim joined MedPro Group. After 25 years and many different leadership positions, Tim retired from MedPro Group in 2019. His last position was as SVP of Operations & Technology where he led close to 350 employees and contractors who, together, were responsible for assuring all company stakeholders had a “best-in-class” experience. Tim has been active in local politics and has served on numerous boards. His passions include spending time with his family (five adult children and more than nine grandchildren…all under age 3), woodworking and hunting. He and his family have been active members at Grace Gathering Church for their entire lives.
Gordon Haines
Executive Vice President
Gordon Haines joined the Lifeline and Crosswinds team in 2016 and serves as the Executive Vice President of Lifeline. Gordon graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1983 with a mechanical engineering degree. After his active duty service, he joined Procter & Gamble where he ran a variety of manufacturing operations; he has a broad background in local and international business and manufacturing operations. Gordon feels blessed to be a part of the Lifeline team helping individuals succeed, families thrive, and communities prosper. His wife Kathy is a clinical pharmacist at the VA in Fort Wayne. Gordon enjoys spending time with his family, as well as being involved with his church and community.
Joe Gough
Vice President - Residential
Joe started with Lifeline in 1999 as a volunteer and began employment four years later in February 2003. He previously served as the Director of Programs and Services in Lifeline’s residential program. He holds two bachelors’ degrees from Grace College — one in Graphic Design and one in Religious Studies. One of Joe’s favorite things about working at Lifeline is that every day is different, bringing new challenges and blessings every step of the way. In addition to his title at Lifeline, and his proud role of husband to his wife, Rebecca, and father to his three children, Joe could also be described as an Apple nerd, tinkerer, technology enthusiast, and mountain climber.
Liz Day
Vice President - Home Based Services Operations
Liz joined Lifeline’s home-based services team in June 2005. Liz has held many different positions in Home-Based Services during her time at Lifeline. She enjoys Lifeline’s diversity of programming and the opportunities the organization brings to its employees, clients, and communities. Liz attended Trine University where she completed her Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology, in addition to being an active member of the softball team. Being part of a strong team is very important to Liz, and she is proud to be part of the Lifeline and Crosswinds family. After hours, you will find Liz spending time with her husband, Kevin, and her sons, Hudson and Owen, or watching funny movies.
District Managers
Jeremiah Brown
Michael Patrick
Regional Managers
If you are looking for a program for your family or teen not involved with the legal system, please visit the website of our sister organization, Crosswinds. Crosswinds provides family counseling and a teen residential counseling program to everyday families struggling with serious issues.