LEADERSHIP
EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR
Mike and Denise Gilmartin have been serving at Teen Challenge of the Dakotas since 1995. Mike is our Executive Director and Denise is our Business Administrator. They have led this ministry side-by-side for nearly three decades. In Mike's words, "TCD would not be the ministry it is if it were not for Denise and I being in it together."
Mike was born and raised in southern New Jersey, about 30 minutes from Philadelphia, PA. Despite being married with children and owning his own construction business, Mike still struggled to overcome his own life-controlling addictions. He eventually went to Teen Challenge in Philadelphia, PA, where God drastically changed his life forever.
A few years after finishing the program, Mike, his wife, Denise and their four children, moved across the country and began serving full time on staff with Teen Challenge in Cape Girardeau, MO. A few years later, Mike and Denise moved to Brookings, SD to serve together on staff at Teen Challenge of the Dakotas.
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."
PROGRAM
SUPERVISOR
Dustin Caldron has been serving at Teen Challenge of the Dakotas since 2006 and is our Program Supervisor.
Born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin, his parents divorced when he was 4 years old and by the time he turned 8, his father committed suicide, devastating he and his sisters. Dustin's depression turned to anger and violence, and he found himself involved in gangs, drugs and a life of crime.
He came to Teen Challenge at the age of 18 hopeless, suicidal and completely lost. But it was here he found healing from his pain, forgiveness for his sins and a relationship with Jesus Christ. He learned how to be a man and care about and treat others, and learned character, integrity, value and purpose.
After completing the program and graduating from Re-Entry, Dustin ended up in Kansas City, Missouri doing ministry training. He met his wife Rachel and they settled down to have a family. Their first child passed away a week after he was born. They struggled but came through that situation closer than ever with God's help. It was during this season he felt the call of to return to TCD to serve on staff.
Since coming on staff in 2006, Dustin has served in many capacities: Work Study Coordinator, Learning Center Supervisor, Re-entry Supervisor and Program Supervisor. His wife, Rachel is also on staff, as Administrative Assistant since 2010, and they have two beautiful children. God is faithful!
DEAN OF
MEN
Dustin Walker has been serving at Teen Challenge of the Dakotas since 2001 and is the Dean of Men, overseeing the staff and students.
Dustin was born and raised in Northern California, Silicon Valley. In his early teenage years, he was introduced to drugs by his friends, which started a decade of drug addiction.
Fed up with that lifestyle, Dustin turned to Teen Challenge of the Dakotas for help, where he was introduced to a real relationship with Christ.
Now many years later, Dustin has a growing passion to see men break free from the lifestyles that once held him in bondage.
Dustin and his wife Stephanie have been married since 2003 and have two beautiful daughters and a home of their own. Dustin still marvels at what the Lord can do to people who surrender their lives over to Christ.
RE-ENTRY
SUPERVISOR
Ian Patterson has been serving at Teen Challenge of the Dakotas since 2013 and is the Re-Entry Supervisor, helping men transition back into the community from the highly-structured first portion of the program.
Ian was born in Seattle, WA and spent his early years between there with his mom and eastern Wyoming with his dad. He was successful in academics and sports and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington. Shortly after that, his life was overtaken by bipolar disorder, where suicidal depression and manic episodes wreaked havoc for many years, coupled with addiction issues. He ruined all the opportunity his early life had afforded him.
At the end of his rope, he cried out to God in a jail cell and was led to come to Teen Challenge of the Dakotas for help. Here, God brought healing to his mental illness and freedom from addiction. He built a strong relationship with Jesus, and ultimately sensed the call of God on his life to give back to people whose lives had been broken like his. He’s been serving ever since, and has a strong desire to help men experience the peace of God and the inner freedom that comes from living a holy life following Jesus.
Ian married his lovely wife, Meaghan, in 2021 and they are raising three wonderful children together. The goodness of God toward him is something he’ll never get over.
LEARNING CENTER
SUPERVISOR
Tyler Rochester has been serving At Teen Challenge of the Dakotas since 2015 and is the Learning Center Supervisor.
Tyler was born and raised in Sioux City, IA. His parents divorced when he was in elementary school, and he began to use alcohol, drugs and other things to numb his feelings. By the age of 22, he was freshly divorced, a raging alcoholic and severely suicidal.
With no hope in sight, some of Tyler's family recommended Teen Challenge of the Dakotas and Tyler agreed that something needed to change. He came into the program skeptical, but truly broken and open to being shown a new way of life. Through the love and care offered to him at Teen Challenge, Tyler developed his own relationship with the Lord that helped him feel real peace, joy and purpose for the first time in his life.
Now over 10 years later, Tyler has a real desire to help other men find the same relationship with the Lord that has helped set him free and has given him purpose in life.
Tyler and his wife Kendra have been married since 2020 and have two beautiful children. Tyler knows full well that if God had not intervened in his life, none of this would be possible, and he will forever be grateful to the Lord.