The Christian Family Care staff is made up of over 245 paid and volunteer individuals who lovingly serve children, families and the community. A few names that you may have already met and whom are leaders for the Agency are as follows.
Mark Upton
President / Chief Executive Officer
Prior to becoming the President of Christian Family Care, Mark Upton, served as Executive Vice President/Provost of Phoenix Seminary. In October of 2007 he assumed the role previously held solely by CFC founder Kay Ekstrom.
Mark has served this community for many years as a business professional, church and community ministry leader. As well as the CFC board, Mark serves on the Governor’s Arizona Serves Task Force, No Child Waiting Executive Committee, CWLA, and the Scottsdale Bible Church Elder Board. He brings a deep and abiding love for our Lord, a love for children and families, and a passion for excellence to the ministry of CFC.
Mark Upton is married to Lorraine and they have a son and two daughters, as well as ten grandchildren. They have lived in the valley for over thirty years.
Pam Giardina
Chief Programs Officer
Pam Giardina holds a Master of Science in Special Education with a Major in Rehabilitation Counseling. Pam became a licensed professional counselor in January of 2006. She also has a Bachelor of Science in Music Education and was formally a certified Teacher in New York. Since 2003, Pam has been a Peer Reviewer for COA (Council on Accreditation).
Prior to working with Christian Family Care, Pam and her husband Sal were in the ministry full-time. Before that she worked as a Substance Abuse Counselor in a residential treatment center for adolescents, and with St. Joseph’s Medical Center in their drug program.
Since 1989, Pam has served as a Pregnancy and Adoption Services Counselor, a Foster Care Ongoing home worker, she did Children At Risk Emphasis, Family Counseling and was Coordinator over the PAS Program. In 1998, in collaboration with CFC, Catholic Social Services and Arizona Baptist Children’s Services, she coordinated the Abstinence Education grant for all three agencies. More recently Pam was the Social Services Program Manager and then Director of Social Services, until May 2006 when she assumed responsibilities of VP of Programs in Southern AZ.
In August 2008, Pam returned to Phoenix to work with CFC President Mark Upton to oversee program operations statewide.
Danielle Mowery
Chief Financial Officer
Danielle Mowery received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Arizona State University, and is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Arizona. Prior to joining CFC, She worked at The Salvation Army Southwest Headquarters as the Controller. She oversaw the financial operation of The Salvation Army in Arizona, New Mexico, Parts of Nevada and El Paso, Texas. Danielle has been an active member of the Phoenix chapter American Society of Women Accountants and served on the board for many years. She served as the Phoenix chapter president in 2005-2006.
Danielle and her husband, Ken, have two children. Danielle is an active member in her church and very involved in the youth ministry there. She has a passion for working with youth and has a heart for the ministry of CFC.
Martin Parsons
Human Resources Director
Marty Parsons joined CFC in 2010, and brings over 30 years of experience in the field of personnel administration and human resources management, in both for-profit and non-profit settings. Marty holds B.S. degree in Business Administration and a Master of Education degree in Counseling & Guidance. He has maintained certification as a PHR (Professional in Human Resources) since 2002. He has been an active member of the Society of Human Resources Management since 1978.
Marty and his wife, Noralie, reside in Gilbert and have three children and seven grandchildren. With one son serving in the mission field as a global worker. They are active members in their local church in the East Valley. A former high school teacher and married to a teacher, Marty and Norie have a heart for children, missions and global outreach of the “good news” to all peoples and nations.
Susan Dudley
Statewide Director of Pregnancy and Adoption
Susan Dudley serves as the Director of Programs and Operations for Christian Family Care. Susan earned her Masters degree in Social Work from Arizona State University in 1984 and soon after graduation joined the staff of CFC. She became a Licensed Master Social Worker in 2004.
Susan has worked in many CFC programs. She started in the Foster Care program, having previous experience in foster care in the state of California, but soon moved to Pregnancy Counseling where she remained for several years. In 1989, CFC took the opportunity to open the Southern Arizona branch of CFC when she and her family moved to Tucson. Susan was the first CFC social worker in Tucson to provide Pregnancy Counseling, Adoption and Foster Care services to the community. Her roles have changed over the years, but she is now providing oversight to the programs and operations of the Southern Arizona branch and oversees the Pregnancy Counseling and Adoption programs statewide.
Susan is married to Willie and they have 3 children.
Stephen Browning
Statewide Director of Foster Care
Russell Yost
Director of Counseling
