Tamminga, Don (2025)

Don Tamminga is a 1971 graduate of Central Christian who excelled as a runner. He had two excellent coaches, John Warners in Cross Country and Barry Koops in Track and Field. Don earned varsity letters in both sports, for all three seasons, at a time when Central Christian was only a three-year high school.

In Cross Country, Don set several course records and was State Champion his senior year. He was named to the All-State Cross Country Team in both his junior and senior years, as well as being named to the All-City and All-Region teams. Don appreciated Coach Warners’ approach to meets, as his pep talks were along the lines of “We’re going to talk with our legs today.” Don says that philosophy has been a good model for his life.

In Track, Don was a member of the 4x400 yard relay team and also did the mile run. The mile run was his best event, and he set a school-record of 4 minutes 17.6 seconds.  Don was named to the All-City Team in both his junior and senior seasons and was the State Champion in the Mile Run his senior year. Don modeled stamina and persistence as a runner, which set a tone for his teammates and carried over into his life outside of sports.

After graduating from Central Christian, Don earned a BRE degree from Reformed Bible College, an MA from Calvin College Seminary, and an EdD in Cross-Cultural Education from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.  As no running programs were available in any of his post-high school colleges or universities, Don did not compete at the college level. He did, however, run in many local and national races as an individual.

Don worked for 10 years at Calvin Seminary and CRC Home Missions as a leadership training coordinator on the Navajo Indian field, recruiting and training pastors and providing leadership training in the Native churches. He also served as a school substance abuse counselor in McKinley County (NM) school district, and then was a high school counselor at Rehoboth Christian School.      

Don has officially retired but continues with adventure-based counseling through Project Adventure.  He has built three ropes courses.  The high ropes course elements focus on individual challenges and learning, and the low elements focus on cooperation and group work. He presently serves as a facilitator and trainer. 

Don’s hobbies include mountain biking, wood working, making stringed instruments, backpacking, helping others remodel homes, reading, hanging out at the family cabin in the mountains, and making homemade pizza. 

Don and his wife, Jenny have five children: Kevin (Ethel) Tamminga, Emily Tamminga, Joshua (Katrina) Tamminga, Daniel (Natalie) Tamminga, and Timothy (Brittany) Tamminga, and seven grandchildren. Don and Jenny live in Gallup, New Mexico. 

Favorite Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11 (ASV)

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith Jehovah, 

thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope in your latter end.