Jeremy Deweerdt
Senior Pastor // City First Church

Jeremy DeWeerdt serves as the Senior Pastor of City First Church, a church focused on introducing everyone to Jesus and teaching them to follow Him. Jeremy, along with his wife, Jen, were placed in leadership of the church in April of 2007. Previously, they had been on staff at City First Church for 16 years in the role of Student Ministries Pastor and Founder/Director of the post-high school ministry, Rockford Master’s Commission (now City First Leadership College). Jeremy holds an M.A. in Ministerial Leadership from Southeastern University and a DM in Semiotics, Church, and Culture from Portland Seminary at George Fox University.

Jeremy and Jen have been married since 1995 and have three amazing sons, Caden, Connor, and Paxton.

Derek Staaland
Wealth Management Consultant

Derek is a wealth management consultant and has worked with Edward Jones branches since 2002. For the last five years, he’s held the title of the #1 wealth management consultant in the firm and holds the record for the highest production ever done in any territory across the U.S. Derek excels in teaching others how to strategically improve their business practices.

Derek has been married to Kari for 24 years and they have three children. Together, they oversee the Marriage Ministry at City First Church and Derek co-leads the Legacy Team at City First Church.

Dusty Gardner
Managing Partner // Schooner Bay Realty/Builders

Dusty has been happily married to his wife, Desiree, since 2008. They are proud parents of their thirteen-year-old daughter, Iris, who is currently in the eighth grade. Dusty has held his real estate license with Schooner Bay Realty, Inc. since 2004 and in 2010 he became the brokerage's Director of Operations. Dusty is proud to help lead a company that is deeply rooted in the local community. Through decades of active civic participation and leadership, Schooner Bay Realty has become one of the most recognized and respected brokerages in the region. Adding greater depth to Schooner Bay’s services, Dusty and partners began Schooner Bay Builders in 2018 offering residential home construction and full remodeling services. To further enhance their client offerings, Dusty and partners launched Floreo Resorts & Villas in 2022 which caters to homeowners with short-term property management needs.
Dusty encourages you to lean into the Business of U Event to help Ignite Your Potential!