Zach Norman

Marketing and Program Development, Lake Williamson Christian Center and Midwest Christian Retreats
Carlinville, Illinois
Age: 24

Five years after what was supposed to be a three-month internship, Zach Norman is still at Lake Williamson Christian Center. Bringing a group there in college led to the internship that completed his degree from Eastern Illinois University in recreation administration. Norman proposed a blog and social media strategy for Midwest Christian Retreats’ network of six centers, of which Lake Williamson is the largest, and the leadership let him run with it. Today his social media efforts return 40 percent of the company’s leads. Success isn’t all business for Norman: He thrives on helping planners—most of whom are volunteers with their groups—grow attendance and surpass expectations. Being on the venue side of things is a slight variation from his original plans, but he fulfills his planning passion as a team leader for MVP Bolivia coordinating multiple 2- to 3-week mission trips to South America each year. “I get the urge every few months to leave the country, so I head to South America…no running water, it feels right,” he says. “I’m ready for a shower by the end of it, but it’s an incredible experience.” —J. Garrett