The Team
DOMINIC BALLI
PASTOR / ELDER – Vision & Worship Life
FUN FACTS: I was tone deaf until I met Jesus at age 16. I see the world in perpendicular lines and patterns. My band and I once (unintentionally) started a church among a bunch of Rastafarian drum makers in Ghana, Africa who had never even heard the name of Jesus before and only listened to me because I had dreads.
BILLY HUNTER
PASTOR / ELDER – Student & Family Ministry
FUN FACTS: I love the outdoors and adventure (hiking, backpacking, family road trips, etc). my family illegally immigrated to North America from England in 1620. I once worked for Dreamworks SKG where I spent much of my time there interviewing and cataloging testimony of Holocaust Survivors for a documentary series.
CHAD AMICO
PASTOR / ELDER – Community Groups, Global Ministry
FUN FACTS: My birth name is Chadwick William which is much too proper for those who know me. My first concert was seeing KISS in 5th grade (my dad dropped me and my friend off while he waited in the parking lot). I worked on the O.J. Simpson case (ask me “If he did it”). My kids say, “I’m kind of a Big Deal”, although they say it sarcastically.
BRIAN BUFFON
DIRECTOR OF MUSICAL WORSHIP AND CREATIVE ARTS
FUN FACTS: My family has lived in America since the 1600’s, I am 89% British (the average person who lives in the UK is only 69%), I have worked/served in the Reality Ventura building since 2007, and before that I worked across the parking lot at Proctor making surfboards (even though I don’t surf).
ANNA HERRING
KID’S DIRECTOR
FUN FACTS: I have battled cancer five times (not so much of a “fun” fact), genuinely love public speaking, and can solve the Rubix Cube in four minutes.
DAVE BESANCENEY
YOUTH DIRECTOR
FUN FACTS: I like to tell my baristas that my name is Mclovin becauseI think it’s funny and it usually makes them smile (I love smiling. Smiling is my favorite). I’m hyperactive (seriously) and was held back in first grade but didn’t figure it out until a few years later (funny story). I am a chronic morning person and waking up early to watch the sun rise is my thing.
KELLY AMICO
WOMEN’S MINISTRY DIRECTOR
FUN FACTS: I write poems. I am a very terrible singer (for real) BUT I love to pretend I can sing opera and am known by my kids to break out in sudden bursts of operatic singing (mostly to annoy them). And I’m Irish but I cook like an Italian, says my family and friends that gather for our “Spaghetti Sundays”
LEIGH ANNE TSUJI
WOMEN’S MINISTRY CO-DIRECTOR
FUN FACTS: When I’m not helping women discover who they are in Christ, I’m coaching business executives. I was also once a part of the team that created “Jack” of Jack In the Box. And I really hate bats.
JENNIFER WEIR
GLOBAL MINISTRY COORDINATOR
FUN FACTS: I swing dance for my cardio. Spanish is my second language. I spent my high school and college years filing up my passport with missions trips. My family and I often find ourselves hiking with grizzlies and occasionally being rushed by moose.
LOURI DEPALMA
MINISTRY OPERATIONS COORDINATOR
FUN FACTS: I am from the Pacific Northwest and find that my greatest times with God are in his creation. I enjoy camping, fly fishing, and a good camp fire. My husband offered to book a vacation anywhere I wanted to go for our 20 year anniversary. True to form, I chose a 1,200 mile road trip from Ventura staying in Yosemite, Mammoth, Bishop, and Mt. Whitney. We hiked and fished for two weeks and it was heaven on earth.
JOHN HUGHES
ACTING DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
FUN FACTS: I enjoy being goofy with my wife and four kids. I am a national award-winning homebrewer and am passionate about bringing a smile to people’s face through good food and drink. I spent five summers on staff at Hume Lake Christian Camps during my college years, and six years on full-time staff as the Chief Financial Officer.
CHRISSY HIRSH
BOOKKEEPER
FUN FACTS: Mary Queen of Scotts (Bloody Mary) is my ancestor. However, being from Oklahoma, I have more redneck in me than royalty. I also play the trumpet (well, kinda).
