Meet the Founder
Jeff Runyan started working in the travel industry in the year 2000 as a freshman in college. He has bachelors degrees in Spanish, Political Science, and a Certification in Latin American Studies from Colorado State University. As a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, he studied in a graduate program in International Relations at the Pontificia Universidad Católica in Santiago, Chile. Jeff was also awarded a World Peace Fellowship from the Rotary Foundation through which he earned a Certification in International Peace and Conflict Resolution while studying at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.
Jeff worked with FOCUS, the Fellowship Of Catholic University Students for 17 years where he served as a missionary at the United States Air Force Academy for two years and subsequently directed FOCUS Missions for another 10 years. Following this Jeff served in international relations capacities and helped found FOCUS 153 which is FOCUS’ initiative to promote and equip outreach to all cultural, ethnic, and racial demographics on campus and beyond. Jeff helped found FOCUS in Europe and managed all the European campuses for three years as well as founding FOCUS in Monterrey, México.
Jeff met his wife Emily on mission and later proposed in the Brazilian Amazon asking her if “she would go on mission with him for a lifetime.” They married and now reside in Denver with their four children. He is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese and Italian.
Jeff has extensive international travel experience and through the years he has taken hundreds of groups abroad. He would be delighted to take you on your next adventure!
Mission Leaders and Associates
-
Garrett Bernardo
Mission Leader and Associate, Encounter Sports Camps
Garrett is the Cofounder and CEO of NOVUS. Headquartered in Albany, New York, NOVUS is a fast-growing brand specializing in high-quality, purpose-driven, custom apparel for athletes, teams, and professionals nationwide. As a mission-based company, NOVUS’ mantra, “Claim Your Crown,” is rooted in living a life of passion, conviction, and perseverance. A former collegiate baseball player at the University of Maine and Anderson University, he is passionate about his faith, sports and building relationships. He is the proud husband to his wife Briana, and father to his son, happily living in upstate NY.
-
Nick Bernardo
Mission Leader and Associate, Encounter Sports Camps
Nick is the Cofounder and COO of NOVUS. Headquartered in Albany, New York, NOVUS Clothing Company is a fast-growing brand specializing in high-quality, purpose-driven, custom apparel for athletes, teams, and professionals nationwide. This includes collaborations with notable figures like three-time Super Bowl Champion Harrison Butker. Nick is a former collegiate baseball player and Business Management graduate of University of Maine and MBA graduate of Anderson University. He met his now wife, Kirsten, in 2015 and proposed to her in 2017. They are joyfully married with 2 children in Saratoga Springs, NY.
-
Dr. Carlos Moas
Mission Leader and Associate, Encounter Medical Missions
-
Augustin Leray
Mission Leader and Associate
Augustin is a French-British citizen, residing in Fontainebleau (France) with his wife and three children. After working for financial organizations in Europe and NGOs in Mexico, he has worked for the Emmanuel Community as the Director of the International Youth Mission, and has extensive mission and pilgrimage experience in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In parallel, Augustin has founded an association supporting visually impaired people and helping with the definition of more handicapped-inclusive public policies in France. With this mission, he has been called by the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life to participate in the Synod for disabled Christians in Vatican. Involved in academic research in Theology, specializing in interreligious dialogue, he has given several pastoral talks around the World. He is fluent in French, English, Spanish, Italian, German, and Portuguese and is now learning Arabic.