About Us

Horizons Team

Horizons International is a volunteer organization made of students and members from the community. Some of the current steering committee members are listed below.

Clay Grondahl grew up on a farm in Staples, MN. He attended Northwestern University in Chicago and then served in the US Navy on a nuclear submarine. He has retired from GE is now working to develop and market a patent of his. He has served in ministry as church elder, Sunday School Teacher, etc. He enjoys working outdoors, household renovations, socializing with people, and doing anything mechanical.

Dr. Doug Nelson is currently a pastor at Grace Fellowship Church. He has also been a leader in churches in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Doug and his wive Bev, met in college and have been married for over 40 years. They have lived in Puerto Rico and Viet Nam, travelec in Central America, Europe and the Middle East and have conducted marriage seminars in Thailand and India. The Nelsons have a son, a daughter and four grandchildren.

Edee Silva was born near Sacramento, California and received an MBA degree from UC Berkeley. She is a homemaker and a substitute organist at area churches and a synagogue. She has travelled in Europe and in China and enjoys music, gardening, and studying Chinese. She and her husband, Jim, have three children, all in college, and are members of First Presbyterian Church, Schenectady.

Erna Ormsby was born, grew up and still lives in the town of Glenville, NY. She is retired from the pharmacy at Ellis Hospital, Schenectady. Her hobbies are quilting, photo preservation, and being with international students, her home is always open to them. She attends Saratoga Chapel.

Katherine Barnes lives in Cohoes, NY. She graduated from Syracuse University and SUNY at Albany with degrees in Geography and a specialization in Cartography. She currently works for the Department of Environmental Conservation in downtown Albany where she is a GIS specialist. Katherine is a member of the Roman Catholic Church. She also volunteers as an ESL instructor at Pineview Community Church. She is the Horizons webmaster. In her spare time, Katherine likes to read, do crafts, walk and snowshoe. She has discovered digital scrapbooking and loves it.

Margaret Grondahl grew up in this area. She graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh with a degree in Education, Permanent School Nurse Teacher Certification, and Registered Nursing training. She worked as a school nurse before and after raising two sons. She is active in church music as a member of the choir, soloist, and accompanist. She has also participated in Women's Bible Studies and outreaches. She enjoys reading, a bit of quilting, traveling, and her grandchildren.

Mark Harkness lives in Troy, NY. Mark grew up in Clifton Park, NY and is an alumni of RPI. He currently works as an environmental engineer at the GE Global Research in Niskayuna. Mark enjoys hiking, fishing, and camping and attends Loudonville Community Church.

Mark Kuo was born in Taiwan, but grew up in Ohio. He lives in Amsterdam and works as a home health aide. Mark likes to play basketball and restore old cars. He is currently working on a 1957 Chevy. Mark attends church at Grace Fellowship.

Rick and Robin Van Luik live in Niskayuna, NY. Rick was born in the area and attended Syracuse University and Nyack College where he got his theology degree. Rick and Robin married in 1989 and Rick got a M.Div. at Gordon-Conwell Seminary. They worked for seven years on the mission field in Hungary, working with a variety of internationals. Robin also grew up locally and has an English degree from Salem State College. She has worked in various public and academic libraries. Both Rick and Robin have served in many capacities with churches and community outreaches and are currently members of Loudonville Community Church. Rick enjoys music, reading, and home improvement. Robin likes reading, walks and gardening. Together they have four grown children and two granddaughters.

Any suggestions on this Web Site, please e-mail to: Web@Horizons-Int.org