As Bob said himself, “I have enjoyed working at FPCN for 6 years and counting.”  For all this time, Bob has been the shortstop at Church; he has fielded many balls to all the other church players.  Prior to entering church service, Balkcom spent over 20 years in diversified IT and Business operations. If keeping up with his church duties was not demanding enough, Bob has two boys he has to keep up with too-Rawleigh and Gus.

Lelia has visited Disney theme parks more than 150 times since she has resided many years in both California and Florida. She says that her family loves Disney parks, movies, character, and musicals; all of this helps her with her responsibilities of Associate Children’s Director. She uses her teaching experience to manage the educational program and activities for children ages birth through 6th grade. Children’s programs include the church nursery, Sunday School programs, and finding and creating the content of the church’s annual
Vacation Bible School. Included in her domain is the Children’s choir, annual Easter Egg Hunt and fall Trunk or Treat. She divides her work time between the church and teaching seventh grade English and serving as the English Department Chair for Sierra Vista Junior High School.

Some people have a calling to sing or to become a doctor or to be a lawyer, but Sharie Dunn Telles knew at an early age her calling was to be an Early Childhood teacher. And now she directs First Presbyterian Church’s Little Shepherd’s Nursery School in its mission to nurture, teach and care for the children enrolled in the preschool. She has had a lifetime of care giving to young children in mostly private school settings, and currently has six years of teaching at Little Shepherds. Now she holds the leadership role in the school, which is located on the church’s campus and is a ministry of the church.

She began her Early Childhood career with the Burbank Children’s Centers after which she ran a successful home day care business when her 2 boys were young and has since worked for private church related preschools both in Burbank and in Santa Clarita. She directed a preschool in Burbank prior to moving to SCV and then taught at a local preschool for 25 years during which she served as a mentor teacher for many years through College of the Canyons Early Childhood program which allowed her to share her passion for teaching in her classroom with practicum college students. She was also part of a transition team for the preschool and served as director assistant until she retired. Shortly after her retirement she was called to serve at Little Shepherd’s Nursery School and has been serving this wonderful preschool ever since that calling. In addition to a college degree she holds an Early Childhood Site Supervisor Permit with the State of California. She has also helped with preschool startups in navigating the licensing requirements. She now has competition in her passion for Early Childhood as she is blessed with grandchildren.