Our Board of Directors
Ericka Gates
Executive Director (Interim)
Ericka married Jason, her high school sweetheart, in 2008. They are currently raising four fun farm kids in Lillington, NC. Growing up a city girl, Ericka fell head over heels in love with the outdoors in high school and college while working as an assistant park ranger at a local park. She has also worked in many roles with children and families with special needs and has a great passion for individuals with Autism. Late in college, Ericka came to Christ. Slowly, He began to take hold of all areas of her life. By 2014, Ericka and Jason joined staff with Cru and began serving with FamilyLife as stateside missionaries in Arkansas, Florida, and North Carolina. In 2023, she assumed interim leadership of the Milk & Honey Acres Board as Jason completes his final season at FamilyLife. Ericka enjoys almost anything outside in the sun; especially nature walks while talking to Jesus, gardening, and studying nature. She loves cooking homegrown nutritious food for her family and all the people who often find themselves around her table. Milk & Honey Acres was truly a vision birthed by God to intersect the Gospel, Hospitality, and Reconnection, some of Ericka’s favorite things!
Jason Gates
Board Chair (Interim)
Jason married his best friend, Ericka, in 2008, and they are now raising four amazing kids. Their family is the 4th generation to steward 150 acres of Gates family land in Lillington, NC. Jason began his career as a CNC machinist, then as a Mechanical Engineer, and ended his tenure as an Engineering Manager in 2014. During his ten years at Worth Products, he was mentored spiritually and professionally by both the owner and through C12 involvement. He also began hosting lunchtime small groups for the employees and organizing local marriage conferences. In 2014, Jason answered the call to full-time ministry with Cru to serve with FamilyLife and relocated his family to Arkansas. He currently serves as an Event Planner Manager for FamilyLife and helps give leadership to a team responsible for Weekend To Remember marriage conferences all around the country. Jason will step away from FamilyLife after the Spring 2024 season of conferences to officially give leadership to Milk & Honey Acres. Jason enjoys creating things both physically and digitally from scratch. He enjoys the outdoors and working with his hands as well as a good spreadsheet. Jason has an uncanny ability to see a vision all the way through to reality.
Spence Evans
Treasurer
Spence met his wife, Suzanne his first weekend in college at Campbell University. Knowing he had a good catch, they quickly began dating until they married in 2012. In 2023, they welcomed their 3rd child, a daughter, to add to their other children, a son, and daughter. Spence and his family live in his grandparent's home they remodeled on a farm that has been in his family since the early 1900s. He received his Undergraduate and Master’s degrees from Campbell University and has worked in the Wealth Management industry since graduation. Currently serving as the Director of Relationship Development and a Senior Trust Officer for a family-owned Trust Company based in NC. Spence is also an Assistant Chief with his local fire department and is involved in various local non-profit boards. Spence and his wife early on identified that the biggest impact they would have on the Kingdom would be through their family. Knowing this, they strive to be purposeful in how they raise their children and how they work to make Christ the center of their Marriage. The Evans are involved in leading small groups with their church as well as teaching within the children’s ministry at church. Spence enjoys time with his family playing games and spending time outside on the farm enjoying all the natural blessings God has given us. Spence decided to become involved in Milk & Honey Acres to help families center on the Lord and to equip spouses and parents to lead their families in creating a legacy for many generations.
Bonnie Beck
Board Member
Bonnie is the mother of two adult sons and resides in Sanford, NC, but originally hails from Minnesota. Bonnie works in Investment Savings Operational Support near RTP and has previously worked with nonprofits. Bonnie can be found spending her free time pouring into the people God places right around her. She is quick to offer a kind word and a helping hand. Her love for the Lord is clear in her actions. Bonnie has enjoyed being a leader in women's ministry and running Bible studies. With an eye for detail and perseverance to see it through, Bonnie is an excellent home decor designer and seamstress. When asked why Bonnie is serving as a board member with Milk & Honey Acres, she said, “After my broken marriage and divorce, I turned to God, who will never leave nor forsake me. We have a mighty, merciful God we can trust with our problems, emotional wounds, and pain. Having a safe setting like Milk & Honey Acres to get away to connect with our creator and to heal and reconcile is precious and essential.”
Ken Letchworth
Board Member
Ken and his wife Renee were married in 1985. They became high school sweethearts, bonding over their love for music while being heavily involved in their high school music department. They have two adult children, Ryan and Maegan. Ken and Renee have deep roots in Eastern NC. They attend Union FWB Church in Walstonburg, NC, where Ken is a Deacon, and they both sing in the choir. The Lord has blessed Ken with the gift of designing and building. His lifelong dreams became a reality in 2003 when he opened Worth Products, a CNC machining and metal fabrication shop. While owning this business, Ken and several of his employees were significantly shaped by their participation in C12, a ministry that encourages business owners to share Christ with their employees and customers. Ken mentored Jason both spiritually and professionally as they worked together for ten years. He sold the business in 2018 but still enjoys working with the new owner. Ken has chosen to serve on the board of Milk & Honey Acres because he is excited to use his experience from C12 and decades of service in the Church to impact marriages and families with the gospel truths.
Carlos Santiago
Board Member
Carlos and his wife, Tanya, were engaged at her high school prom and married in 1995. They raised a daughter and son into adulthood and currently live in central Florida. Carlos spent 20 years in investment banking technology support, working on business process improvement, software asset management, operational transparency, and metrics analysis. In 2008, God called Carlos to use the pain he experienced as a child of divorce to help other families through marriage ministry and gave him a vision of building a marriage retreat center. Carlos then transitioned from the tech industry, returned to school, and completed his bachelor’s in psychology-Christian Marriage Counseling and master’s in Pastoral Counseling while providing marriage support services to local churches. To increase their reach, Carlos and his wife joined FamilyLife in 2015, where Carlos served as a senior writer and has written and contributed to numerous articles, e-books, and devotionals. His wife served with him as a coordinator for marriage cruises, day retreats, and ministry leader training events. Together, they have reached over 1 million people with the message of Christ. Carlos enjoys gardening, music, and shooting sports. The marriage and family focus of Milk & Honey Acres is a natural fit and a fulfillment of the vision God originally gave them.