Who We Are

DAVE BUEHRING

Founder and President

Dave is a devoted follower of Jesus who serves as the founder and president of Lionshare. Over the last four decades, he has served as a missionary, pastor and leader, using his gifts to teach and model the ways of God. Dave has a lifetime commitment to making disciple makers, shaping leaders and equipping the Church. He’s the author of Welcome to the Kingdom, A Discipleship Journey, The Great Opportunity: Making Disciples of Jesus in Every Vocation and his latest, Discipleship Journey Kids. He and his wife Cheryl reside in Franklin, Tennessee.

DARREN BEARSON

Executive Director

Darren serves as the executive director of Lionshare He worked for more than 20 years in government and politics on Capitol Hill, at the White House, at the U.S. Department of Energy, and also for state parties in his home state of Minnesota, as well as Ohio. He also worked at the bipartisan Campaign to Fix the Debt and an energy trade association.

CHERYL BUEHRING

Care Coordinator

Faithful, steady, sweet and wise – that is how people who know Cheryl describe her. Following her years as a missionary in Hawaii and Thailand with Youth With A Mission (YWAM), Cheryl has given herself to her work as a wife, mother and grandmother. She invests in discipling young women and leader’s wives. Cheryl is also a gifted artist who enjoys coffee painting.

LAURA HIBMA

Director of Operations

Laura serves as the director of operations. Among her many responsibilities, she is the lead on organizing Lionshare’s initiative and discipling event, The Leadership Games. She has spent her career in education, working as an administrator and teacher at True Light Christian School in Minnesota, a Spanish instructor with Upward Bound and as lead teacher at the International Christian School of Lima, Peru. She excels in administration, problem solving and strategy and is excited to bring those skills to promote discipleship. Laura studied educational leadership at Southwest Minnesota State University and elementary education at Northwestern College in Iowa.

LAURI JARVIS

ADJ Kids Coach

Lauri is a musician, principal, and author. She walked with her husband, Kent, for more than three decades in ministry. They served as pastors of Akron First Assembly for nearly 20 years. As a school administrator, she has mentored many educators and children. Lauri served alongside Dave as one of the visionaries for A Discipleship Journey Kids, and was on point for the book and Facilitators Guide. She serves with Lionshare as the ADJ Kids Coach for families, churches and children’s ministries.

Joe Mansfield

ADJ Coach

Joe has served for over twenty-two years as a pastor and twenty years in corporate sales. He and his wife Beth recently retired to their cattle farm in Middle Tennessee. They have two married children and four grandchildren. Joe holds a Master of Divinity Degree from Oral Roberts University and a Doctor of Ministry Degree from St. Paul School of Theology. Joe spent the last few years leading groups through ADJ and most recently was part of the church vocational group at the inaugural Leadership Games. Joe serves with Lionshare as the ADJ Coach for churches and families.

SONYA BEARSON

Wisdom Unlocked Podcast Co-Host

Sonya is a former broadcast journalist who co-hosts Lionshare’s podcast Wisdom Unlocked: The Ways of God with Dave Buehring. She is a former broadcast journalist who also helps with the ministry’s communication and marketing efforts. Sonya is the daughter of Christian missionaries to South Korea who began her career in broadcasting at the age of 16. She has worked for many media outlets including NBC News, ABC News, NBC Los Angeles and in public radio. Sonya graduated from Stanford University with degrees in political science and communication.

JAMES BAKKE

Director of International Relations

James is defined by his unwavering commitment to business innovation, philanthropy and international outreach. With more than four decades of experience in various fields, he has left an indelible mark on the business world and the global community. He has a profound commitment to overseas missions, dedicating his time, resources and expertise to communities around the world for over 40 years. He is the liasion for all of Lionshare’s international efforts to disciple nations and generations.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

GREGORY CAMPBELL

Gregory Campbell, PhD, is Vice President of Law Enforcement and Government for TalentSmartEQ®. Gregory is a progressive thought leader in emotional intelligence, DEI and leadership who fosters collaboration in consulting, training and facilitation sessions. Previously, he spent more than 25 years in federal law enforcement with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, leading highly complex criminal investigations (domestic and international) from case agent to the executive level. He also served as a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES) for over 13 years.
Gregory has a BA in Sociology and an MA in Behavioral Science from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and a PhD in Management from Walden University. He grew up in the church and has been involved in ministry for over 30 years, including serving as youth pastor and lead for men’s, marriage and youth mentoring ministries.

LAURIE FREY

Laurie is an entrepreneur and live entertainment executive who produces and general manages U.S. residencies and international tours of David Copperfield, VeggieTales Live, Blue Man Group, and Tape Face. She is also the co-creator of the musical, Unbeatable, and the author of Unbeatable: The Whole Story. Her passion is getting things done for Kingdom purposes with joy and laughter.

JONATHAN GRAHAM

Jonathan Graham is Vice President, East Coast of Mastermedia overseeing various aspects of the ministry in Georgia and the New York City area including one-on-one counsel to media influencers and executives, discipleship groups, facilitating large group gatherings, and connecting like-minded individuals.

A native of Delaware, Jonathan earned a BA degree in Political Science from University of Delaware and holds a Master of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. Prior to joining Mastermedia, he spent more than a decade working in the media as a television news producer. He also spent 15 years in ministry as a local church pastor and as a chaplain to professional baseball players.

Jonathan lives in the Atlanta, Georgia area with his wife Carly and their sons Daniel and Micah.

CHERIE HAMMOND

Cherie began her accounting career in public accounting with the Nashville office of Ernst & Whinney. From there she worked for a number of blue-chip companies including Jacques-Miller, HealthAmerica and Berol Corporation before taking a leave of absence to raise three children and invest herself fully into the non-profit arena. That included serving in public office as a Williamson County School Board member. During those years, she helped her husband form three successful publishing related companies. After a brief time in financial services, she formed her own company, Cherie Hammond Consulting, and then in 2017 joined Bill and Karen Kreager as CFO of Storage Systems Unlimited. Cherie has served on numerous boards in the community including The Refuge Center and Feed America First.

She graduated with degrees in accounting and finance from Miami University (Ohio). Her personal passions include dance, exercise, reading and spending time with family and friends, especially at the beach.

CHET INGRAM

Chet is one of the pastors at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada and has served there for over a decade. Prior to pastoring, he was on staff with Youth With A Mission for 12 years, discipling, teaching and leading worship. His passion for intentional discipleship has grown over the years, and it’s his greatest ambition to help others know God, His ways and to participate in God’s mission. Chet is married to his wife Lindsey and has two children.

GEORGE KEHOE

George has spent his professional career in sales and marketing. Prior to starting his own business in the food industry, he held key management positions with several national companies. George is an active member of his church, serving as a leader in guest services and men’s discipleship. Besides leading A Discipleship Journey small groups for men, George helps facilitate d4 conferences, assists with Lionshare’s leadership intensive called A Leadership Journey, and is an active participant at every National Disciple Making Forum. He and his wife Debbie live in Wexford, Pennsylvania.

MEL MILLS

A man after God’s own heart, Mel Mills is a communications strategist and designer who serves and consults ministries, entrepreneurs, and professionals. He has served as a communications director for multiple ministries, leading digital communication and evangelistic strategy to engage believers and non-believers alike. Mel enjoys working with youth as a mentor, minister, and teacher. Mel co-founded a radio station in Flint, Michigan and worked as a talk radio host. He is a graduate of Wayne State University where he now leads digital communications for the college full-time. Mel is a passionate fitness advocate, movie critic, wrestling fan, motivational speaker and co-owner of the God Be Goddin’ apparel brand whose mission is to declare who God is to our world.