During her senior year at California Baptist College (CBC), Chrystal McElfresh (’76) was on her way to becoming the first female police officer at the Corona Police Department. A handsome cadet named Harry Kern (‘82), also a CBC student, caught her eye. “We started working together, and he used to drive me crazy because he was messing up the time sheets,” she said. “He would go out on a crossing guard duty for seven minutes and then he would go to a property check for seven minutes. I would say, ‘you can’t do that because I have to put down 15 minute increments, and that’s double what you
special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Chrystal used her business degree to become chief financial officer (CFO) at APCO Worldwide, the fourth largest privately held strategic communication and public affairs firm in the world. During this time, she grew the organization from $25 million to $150 million in annual billings. Then, in 2007, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) contacted her to ask if she would become their managing director and CFO. “I was really hesitant to go, because it was a nonprofit, and I saw it as a Jewish
“There’s a delicate balance between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. Having that Christian balance really helped me make those right decisions.” actually did.’ And he would reply, ‘but if I say it’s anything different, then I’m lying.’” That commitment to truth would be apparent throughout his career. The couple began dating and eventually married. Harry progressed from patrol officer to detective to sergeant with the Corona PD, and then became a
organization,” she explained. “But when I began to understand the mission of AIPAC—a safe and secure Israel, and a strong U.S./Israel relationship—I began to feel like it was more of a ministry than a job.” As in her former role with APCO, Chrystal oversees all areas of the business side of AIPAC. “We were able to turn the organization around and make it run like a business,” she recalled. “We managed to cut $10 million out of the budget.” Harry’s first FBI assignment took the Kerns to Kansas City, Mo., where he investigated reactive crimes like bank robberies, kidnappings and extortions, also serving on the SWAT team. His next assignment was New York City, followed by Quantico, Va., where he served as a firearms instructor at the FBI Academy. There he also served as program manager for weapon/ ammunition testing and research, overseeing the Bureau’s first successful procurement of FBI-issued pistols.
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“A lot of the values that I learned at CBC carried over to that day,” Harry said. “When you get involved in testing
and contracts, there are a lot of pitfalls that you have to navigate through.” The pistol that he procured became the standard pistol for law enforcement throughout the country. “He was so exact on this contract that it was the first time they had never had a procurement protest,” Chrystal added. “A protest on a contract for the FBI costs millions of dollars.” In 2000, Harry became an instructor at the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit. The unit’s focus was on training and research, as well as consultation with state and local officials on actual cases involving violent crime. He became unit chief in 2005, a position he held until his retirement in 2008. “I consider it an honor to have served with the professional team of people that I had under me,” he said. “We had support personnel that included psychologists, criminologists, and agents all working together. It was exciting to work there.” As unit chief, Harry was the consultant on a proposed television program that became “Criminal Minds.” He also coached actor Mandy Patinkin on how to be an FBI Agent and is included on the outtakes of the first season’s DVD. The Kerns credit CBU with teaching them to “live their purpose.” “When you come out of the law enforcement academy, you want to enforce every law that’s on the books,” Harry said. “There’s a delicate balance between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. Having that Christian balance really helped me make those right decisions.” “It taught us leadership; it taught us to excel,” Chrystal added. “Certainly it taught us ethics. Over the years, you start to understand that what you learned back at CBU is the beginning thread of the tapestry of your life.”
15 | THE ROUNDTABLE | SUMMER 2014