Faith:

Terry made a decision to follow Jesus Christ when he was 10 years old. The ensuing decade fell short of a continuous path in faithful living. By early adulthood however due to the loving grace of God he returned to his commitment to live for Christ and has never looked back.

Terry has been a leader in ministry through churches, home bible studies, life groups and as a member of a leadership team that founded and directed a new community church. His passion has been to provide wisdom for his children, love and support for his wife and mentoring for the next generation.  One of the life guiding principles he’s adopted and used frequently when working with young and old is born out of his own life experiences: “Experience really is the very best teacher. However, if you can accept the information second hand, the tuition is a lot less.” His desire is to mentor the next generation using what he’s learned both academically and experientially fuels his ongoing passion for life.

Terry and his wife Linda have invested time and resources in building their marriage as one would build a business. The joys and sorrows, the honor and shame, the thrills and the agonies as well as the fears and hopes we live with all contribute to the dynamics of a successful and powerful marriage. Unlocking these dynamics in a marriage is a key to understanding God personally and transfering to the next generation a picture of who God is.

Business:

Terry graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Landscape Architecture in 1972 and founded Soter Companies, Inc. a design-build landscape architectural and construction firm in Oregon.  In 1982 he moved to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to serve as the project manager for the civil, landscape and irrigation contract at the King Kahled International Airport.  Working under Arabian Bechtel Company Ltd. Terry managed a 450 man multi-national workforce on the world’s largest landscape and irrigation contract at that time.  After three years in Saudi Arabia, he returned to Oregon as construction manager for Salinas Investments, Inc. developing upper-end, luxury apartment communities.  He founded Cook Development Corporation in 1988 to provide development and construction management services on housing projects throughout Oregon.

In 1990, Terry and his brother founded Sunmark Seeds International, Inc as a wholesale native grass and woody plant seed distributor concentrating on the Pacific Northwest and Asia. Six years later the company added a complete line of lightweight aggregates used in sports field; green roof and storm water filter applications. In 2005, the brothers expanded into the environmental field with new line of sustainable, green products and services. Today Sunmark Environmental Services is a leader in stormwater filter media development, stream bank restoration and biotic soil amendments. The company is the manufacturer and distributor of its products throughout the United States, Mexico and the Pacific Rim.