Staff

About Executive Director Carl Gonder

Hometown & Education
Carl grew up in Cedar Rapids and attended Garfield Elementary, Franklin Middle School and Washington High School. He majored in journalism and communications at Augustana University (SD) and received his masters degree from the University of Western Australia.

Family
Carl has been married to Sheralee (an Australian citizen) for 28 years. They have two children. Carl’s father, Ron Gonder, was a longtime local sports personality on WMT-radio and play-by-play voice of the Iowa Hawkeyes for over 30 years.

Sports Background
Carl was an All-American at Washington HS in basketball. He played collegiately at Augustana University (Sioux Falls, SD) where he became the school’s all-time leading scorer. He then played professionally in France, England and Australia. His #11 jersey was retired in Australia. He is a member of the Washington High School, Augustana University and Iowa High School Hall of Fames.

Work History
Carl spent almost 20 years in Australia working as a professional basketball player,  development officer and coach for basketball clubs, and then on staff at a large non-denominational church where he served the Lord in a variety of ways. He also was the first-ever Area Director with Eastern Iowa Fellowship of Christian Athletes for 15 years.

Fun Fact
Carl Gonder has size 17 shoes and is 6-feet 8-inches tall.