Douglas Barkema
Douglas Barkema joined Compassion in 2025 as the Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, leading our diverse global legal team supporting the ministry across key areas, providing both strategic and operational legal advice, collaborating with Risk Management, and ensuring alignment with Compassion’s strategic priorities.
Prior to joining Compassion, Douglas served as Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ first in-house legal counsel. He was responsible for building out the legal, compliance, and risk functions, and providing strategic and practical advice to help advance FCA’s mission to lead every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His church. Douglas also spent several years in the food and agricultural industries - serving as Ardent Mills first General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Corporate Secretary, and serving as Senior Lawyer for Cargill prior to Ardent Mills, where he first developed the In the Boat approach for the in-house practice of law.
Douglas earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from Iowa State University and his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law. He also earned his Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, MN.
Douglas accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior as a child, but he says his faith journey really began when he was willing to live and serve like he believed Jesus Christ was indeed his Lord and Savior. Douglas believes strongly in caring for the whole child - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs - and appreciates being “in the boat” to help Compassion achieve its mission of releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name.
Residing in Denver, CO, Douglas and his wife, Summer, are parents to Norah and Quinn. Douglas serves on the Board of Trustees of Denver Christian School. In his spare time, he can be found mountain biking, trail running with his German Shorthair Pointers Woody and Izzy, snowboarding, gravel biking, motorcycling, or competing in endurance sports (mountain bike races, running, or triathlon).
