KENOSIS PROJECT - Key Persons

Bob was employed at Heman G. Stark Youth Training School (YTS) for 29 years 6 months. He worked in the capacity of a Group Supervisor, Youth Counselor, Therapist, Trainer for Small Group Therapist for the Department of the California Youth Authority. Additionally, as a gang investigator, coordinated intelligence for the safety of institutional housing units. He later became a part of the California Department of Corrections and the Division of Juvenile Justice as a Parole Agent.

Derek C. Finks is a devoted humanitarian that has dedicated most of his life to effectively assisting youth and adults how to adjust from being unaware and immature into a place of maturity and awareness. He has specialized in investing in the intellectual, social and spiritual well being of individuals. He is an alumni of CSULB and ULV studying philanthropy and psychology. This brought him to dedicate over 30 yrs of service to the L.A. County dept. of Probation and State of California dept. of Corrections and Youth Authority, retiring in 2009. While in that capacity he worked in the areas of counseling, training.program development, implementation and administration. He was responsible for writing several treatment programs which continue to be in use today. Additionally, he was involved in staff development and training in a variety of counseling and treatment modalities. These methods of counseling were established to structure and/or restructure clients and staff to guide them on a successful path for the complete wellness of an individual beginning with their innermost being to the fullness of adulthood. Mr. Finks enjoys family, traveling, outdoor activities, golf and studying the Bible from its original written language.

In September 1988, Lavernis Martin accepted a Group Supervisor position with the Department of the California Youth Authority at Fred C. Nelles School for Boys. Within a year, he was promoted to the position of Youth Counselor where he spent ten years counseling, supervising, coaching youth in sports, and managing various living units that housed up to more than 100 youthful offenders. In 1999 he was again promoted to a Senior Youth Correctional Counselor until the Department of the Youth Authority became absorbed by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in 2010. During this transfer to the Adult Division he worked as a Correctional Counselor I until his retirement in 2014. His experience totaled 26 years.