CYE Appoints Pedro Perez as Pathfinder Camporee Director
Posted: June 16th, 2026
The Center for Youth Evangelism (CYE) has officially appointed Pedro Perez as the new Pathfinder Camporee director. Perez steps into the role succeeding Ron Whitehead, who provided visionary leadership as both the CYE executive director and International Pathfinder Camporee director for 29 years.
Perez brings to the CYE a wealth of experience, most recently serving as the Pathfinder and Adventurer director for the Florida Conference since 2017. His extensive background in youth ministry also includes leading in the Florida Conference as Youth Ministries director (2010–2017) and previously serving as youth director for the Southern New England Conference.
“We are excited to have Pastor Pedro Perez as our new NAD International Camporee director!” NAD Youth and Young Adult Ministries director Tracy Wood eagerly voiced. “We look forward to collaborating with him and the CYE team in serving our vast network of club ministries leaders throughout the North American Division. Pedro brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in club ministries and has been part of the International Camporee for many years. We anticipate that our 2029 NAD Stand Strong International Camporee will be phenomenal under Pedro's leadership as we collaborate together in new ways!”
Perez brings vast leadership experience in youth and young adult ministries, having successfully served in both youth pastor and senior pastor roles. He holds a Doctorate of Ministry and a Master of Divinity from Andrews University, alongside a Bachelor of Theology from Union College (now Union Adventist University). Perez and his wife, Claudia, have two young adult children, Gabriella and Alexander.
“I am thrilled to welcome Pastor Perez to the CYE team as our new camporee director. He brings to the team extensive evangelistic youth ministry experience in addition to his creative and intentional way of building leaders for the church,” NAD vice president Wendy Eberhardt shared. “The international camporee is a monumental experience in the spiritual journey of a Pathfinder and I am confident that [he] will continue to move the camporee forward as a life changing space where Pathfinders grow their faith and build discipleship connections that will last an eternity.”
Center for Youth Evangelism
[Originally published in the Stand Strong June Newsletter 2026]