Majors John and Lani Chamness have received marching orders from The Salvation Army, and will be reporting in June to new positions as the Divisional Commanders of the Hawaii and Pacific Island Division of The Salvation Army.

The Chamnesses have been with The Salvation Army Kroc Center in Coeur d’Alene since its inception in 2006.

They helped lead the initial bid to bring a Kroc Center to Coeur d'Alene.

In a press release announcing the couple's upcoming departure, they were recognized for spearheading the planning and construction of the building. They have overseen fundraising, the planning of Kroc Church, the creation of the Advisory Board and more.

Together, the Chamnesses have been officers in The Salvation Army for 23 years, and have been assigned to many different locations including Kona, HI; the Marshall Islands; Seattle and Coeur d’Alene.

“Lani and I are excited for the opportunity to return to Hawaii and serve as Divisional Commanders. However, it is bittersweet—in the six years that we have lived in Coeur d’Alene, it has truly become our home," Chamness said, in the prepared statement. "We are sad to leave this wonderful community that worked hard to turn their dream of a community center into a reality that is 16,000 members strong."

Kroc Center Associate Officer Major Ben Markham will be stepping into the role of Kroc Center Executive Director. Major Ben and his wife, Major JoAnn Markham, have been officers of The Salvation Army for over 33 years and have been at The Kroc Center since March 2009.

Major Ben currently serves as The Kroc Center’s Director of Operations and Business, and his wife serves as the Associate Director of Women’s Ministry. Prior to their assignment at The Kroc Center, the Markhams served in Denver; Billings, Mont; Eugene, Ore.; Portland, Ore.; and Spokane.