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Peter Baldwin is owner and a project principal of AMDG Architects, a full-service design firm established in 1992 in Grand Rapids, MI. His passion stems from the belief that architecture is for people and has the power to build community and strengthen mission through the transformation of space. He enjoys creating collaborative teams and tailored processes that are focused on client needs. AMDG provides expertise in best practice educational planning and design in the K-12 sector through a team of 30 in-house architects, interior designers, and landscape architects.
AMDG focuses on partnering with private, faith-based school systems across multiple states to deliver a unique approach to educational design. The firm also designs custom residential, recreational and workspace environments that often inform their design work in educational environments. AMDG’s further differentiation comes through deep listening, commitment to designing for the client, and a well-honed process to solve complex design challenges within a collaborative teaming approach.
Steve Bult is an alumnus of Calvin College, where he received his B.A. He then received his M.A. from Governors State University. Steve began his career in education as a Social Studies teacher in California. He then went on to serve as a teacher, Assistant Principal, and Principal at Chicago Christian High School. During these same years, he was an Adjunct Professor at Trinity Christian College. In 2006, Steve accepted the position as Principal at Wheaton Academy in West Chicago, IL, and then transitioned into the role of Associate Head of School there in the fall of 2017. In August of 2018, Steve became the 39th Head of School at Wheaton Academy. With 28 years of experience in Christian education, Steve has used his spiritual gifts and passion to develop a Christ-centered learning community at Wheaton Academy. In doing so, Steve has collaborated with his colleagues to implement and embed the Professional Learning Community philosophy at the school. Also, his ability to communicate creatively and efficiently while integrating faith and learning has led to the development of the Living Curriculum Teacher Development Model (LCTDM™). The LCTDM™ is a teacher evaluation model combined with a system of strategic compensation for teachers.
It’s rare to meet a teacher qualified to teach as many subjects as Dr. Paul Cable. With a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature from the University of Georgia, a Masters of Divinity in Biblical Languages from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in New Testament from Wheaton College, Paul could easily fill the role of three teachers at GAC. So of all subjects why choose languages? “I fell in love with languages initially because I loved reading the Bible in the original text. I love the Scripture and the ability to be able to study it in depth. And along the way, I think the Lord molded me to love languages, which is his mercy to me as someone who didn’t love languages in high school and college.” Of the six languages that Paul can read, he teaches Latin to students at GAC and Greek and Latin to students enrolled in GAC’s online school, Ethos.
Paul has published a peer-reviewed article and book reviews in some of the leading academic and Christian theology journals. He has also given numerous lectures and academic paper presentations from topics as diverse as the literary function of the Babel narrative to the ecclesiology, ethics, and imitation of believers in Philippians. Before coming to GAC, Paul taught at the college level and for an online classical academy for middle and high schoolers. He has always known that he wanted to be in the classroom full time so the opportunity to come to GAC was a boon for him.
Matt Davidson has been at the helm of Timothy Christian Schools (PreK-12) for thirteen years. During that time, Davidson and his team have raised $60M for capital improvements, real estate acquisitions, existing programs, and new initiatives. During the same time frame, the school has also earned a National Blue Ribbon of Excellence from the US Department of Education and increased enrollment to record numbers and capacity. He has been at the helm of six major capital campaign projects. All along, Davidson has completed each campaign on schedule, under budget, and without debt. He frequently offers his consulting expertise on a variety of topics with other private schools, and in particular enjoys helping schools of all sizes maximize their fundraising and advancement efforts—thus advancing their mission.
Just finishing his 30th year, Davidson has been involved in Christian education for his entire professional career. Davidson started his career in 1993 as a teacher and coach. His experiences in the classroom and the locker room have provided him with a well-rounded perspective of Christian schools. Eventually, Davidson moved into administration as a Dean of Students and then a principal before assuming his first head of school position at age 35 in the largest private school in Arizona. For the last 13 years, Davidson has served at the helm of Timothy Christian Schools in the western suburbs of Chicago—the largest Christian school in Illinois and one of the largest in the country. The school was founded in 1911 and Davidson is only the third head of school in its history. He has successfully ushered in energizing change while maintaining a worthy respect of the institution’s history and foundation.
Davidson is also involved with nearly a dozen boards and committees, mostly in the nonprofit world. He is a husband of 30 years and a father of three children—all married and all graduates of Christian schools. He is also a proud grandfather.
Angel brings over 23 years of nonprofit fundraising experience to Mission Advancement. Angel served as Sr. Vice President with Resource Services, Inc., a fundraising consulting firm, where he worked with a variety of clients ranging from churches to independent Christian schools. For nine years, Angel served in the role of Sr. Director of Development at Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas. In this role Angel facilitated the work of the team that led all development-related activities and strategies for the school, including major gifts, planned giving, alumni relations, corporate partner programs, annual giving and capital campaigns.
Angel earned a BS from Baptist University of America, an MA from Liberty University, and an M. Div. from The Criswell College. Angel and his wife Paige live in Frisco, Texas. He enjoys working with his hands, reading and outdoor activities. Angel and Paige enjoy spending time with their son Aaron, his wife Maddie, and their grandsons Cooper and Brooks who live in the Austin area.
BS Education, Taylor University
Betsey Doebler joined Wheaton Academy’s Human Resources department in 2015 and considers it a privilege to support the school’s Living Curriculum faculty and staff so they can flourish in their ministry. She’s energized by the ever-changing nature of the human resources function – whether it’s developing new recruitment strategies, implementing methods to help employees with their development, or partnering with leaders to improve processes. Before coming to Wheaton Academy, Betsey worked in both undergraduate admissions and human resources at Wheaton College. She is a Wheaton Academy graduate and earned a B.A. in Elementary Education from Taylor University. Betsey is married to Dan and has two children – Josiah (17) and Charis (14).
Over the last 15 years, Crystal has worked with students in public and private schools in Maryland, North Carolina, and Georgia. Her training started at the University of North Carolina and the University of Massachusetts, where she obtained degrees in Psychology and Communication Disorders, respectively. At Massachusetts, she had the opportunity to work with the celebrated Dr. Harry Seymour in the area of child language disorders. She was part of the project to develop a dialect-sensitive language and learning assessment.
The re-establishment of the Academic Support Program in the elementary school brought Crystal to GAC where she has worked for the last three years. Her current position as K-12 Learning Advocate is endowed by the Williams Family Foundation and the Parker family, who saw the incredible value in having an Academic Support Program at GAC. She is grateful for the role and the opportunity to serve students. But she also supports teachers as well through her work as Instructional Lead Teacher. She works with the Director of Academics and Teacher Growth to identify learning goals for K-12 curriculum and curriculum development, assessing and adapting instructional approaches based on data, national trends, and the GAC mission. “We are always learning”. That is fitting for Crystal, her students, and GAC as a whole. “You never reach the level where there is not more to learn. We should always foster an environment of lifelong learning and excitement for discovering new strategies for growth.”
Doug Franklin is the founder of LeaderTreks, an innovative discipleship and leadership development organization focusing on students and youth workers. He and his wife, Angie, live in Wayne, Illinois. Doug grew up in Illinois and is a graduate of Wheaton College. His passion is using experiential learning to help students and adults grow as leaders. Doug writes about discipleship and leadership on the LeaderTreks blog at www.leadertreks.org.
A national leader in secondary Christian schooling, Gene is presently the Executive Director of the Wheaton Academy Foundation. Having extensive experience in both education and business, Dr. Frost played a pivotal role in turning Wheaton Academy from a struggling school to a market leader as a member of the board (1987-present) and as head of school (2006-2018). He speaks nationally and has published books and articles, most notably Learning from the Best Volumes One & Two, which have had wide circulation.
HIGHLIGHTS OF QUALIFICATIONS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Kori Hockett has been at Wheaton Academy for 23 years and began her career teaching social studies. She majored in political science at Wheaton College and went on to earn her master’s degree in teaching and her principal’s certificate from Aurora University. For ten years, Kori served as the Assistant Principal at Wheaton Academy and currently serves as the Principal. Her roles primarily focus on overseeing the day-to-day operations within the school, developing academic policies and curriculum, encouraging and guiding students and families, and encouraging faculty in professional development through observations, evaluations, and meetings.
BS Interdisciplinary Studies, English and Elementary Education
Amy was born in Des Moines, Iowa and grew up in the Des Moines and Sioux City areas. She attended public schools growing up and graduated from Sioux City North High School. Her dream as a young girl was to become an Elementary Teacher and to be able to invest in children during their time in her classroom. After graduating from the University of Texas, Arlington in 1994, she began her teaching career as a 4th grade teacher. After teaching for 4 years, she left the formal classroom to stay at home with her 3 boys. Since then, Amy has served with her husband Brian in full time ministry to students, and as the Women’s Bible Study Coordinator in her local church. In 2010, their oldest son began his high school career at Wheaton Academy and the other two boys followed in his footsteps. Their boys have now all graduated from Wheaton Academy and are pursuing their careers. In the Fall of 2020 Amy joined the Admissions Team and became the Admissions Director in the Fall of 2021. She loves meeting new families and helping students begin their high school experience! Her husband Brian also serves at Wheaton Academy as the Dean of Chapel and Spiritual Life and is a member of the Bible Faculty. They live in Winfield, IL, love being a part of the Wheaton Academy Community, and consider it a privilege to partner with families and students during this exciting season of high school.
Clint is the owner & director of the SchoolRIGHTGroup, which is focused on helping a variety of private schools worldwide through comprehensive data collection, analysis, and coaching to encourage, equip, and empower them toward greater mission success. Clint’s relational and visionary leadership has helped SchoolRIGHT to develop into a trusted and respected school partner through its banner programs, SchoolRIGHT Surveys, BeneFAQ (Affordable Financial Aid Qualification), and DevRx (Step-by-Step Essentials for Fund Development). Clint’s varied background includes Christian school leadership, teaching, coaching, major donor cultivation, Christian radio management, and on-air/voice-over talent. He was a founding board member and administrator of Front Range Christian School in Colorado, and also held Christian school leadership roles in Ohio, Wisconsin, and Florida. A graduate of Taylor University (B.A. Communications) and Grace Seminary (M.A Christian School Administration), Clint and his wife reside in Indiana. They enjoy traveling to see their three sons and six grandchildren.
Simon is co-founder and executive director of Christian School Management. CSM’s mission is For Jesus; Through Mission; With Students. Simon is passionate about ensuring that every seat in every Christian school is full and that every student in those seats is having a joyful, transformative experience.
He consults onsite and online with Christian schools across North America. He writes Entheos (the free CSM weekly advice and counsel letter), and works to extend God’s kingdom by coaching and training other Christian school leaders to transform the Christian School Movement.
Since co-founding CSM, Simon has worked with Christian schools in strategic health checks, strategic planning, strategic financial management, strategic academic planning, scheduling, management structure analysis, mission review, school by law review, enrollment recovery, inbound and word-of-mouth marketing, Board retreats, Executive Coaching, and website content review and development.
From 1977 – 2003, Simon carried out his vocation in Christian schools in Alberta and Ontario, Canada. He was a teacher, administrator, Headmaster, and school founder. He worked in residential, day, single-sex, co-ed, K-12 schools. He was a finalist in Canada’s Excellence in Teaching History Award.
From 2003 – 2017, Simon was a Senior Consultant for Independent School Management (ISM), an international research-based consulting company. In that context, he worked in five countries and in over 150 schools. He was a lead writer and author for ISM’s publications including being a major contributor to Ideas and Perspectives.
He continues to keynote, speak, and lead workshops at educational conferences that have included PNAIS, ERB, VAIS, AMS, CASE (2010, 2016 Stellar Speaker), ISAS, NJAIS, ACSI, CAIS, AISNE, NCAIS, ASB Un-Plugged, SAES, FCIS, CSI, LLI, CBOA, LEA, US Play Coalition, CESA, MACSA, IACS, Heartland Christian Schools, the Bluewater Conference. He partnered with ACSI as part of their LeadershipU Program for two years. He taught one class on Christian School Finances for Dordt University and really enjoyed it!
Simon earned his MA from the University of Oxford (School of Modern History), his BEd (Hons) from the University of Lethbridge, and his MEd (Educational Leadership) from Concordia University. As a believer in lifelong learning, he:
As a professional writer, Simon has written three books for CSM:
He co-authored a 4th book – The CSM Christian School Leader’s Devotional: A Journey of Challenge, Comfort, and Transformation (2019). He is currently working on The Stewardship of Sacred Time: Scheduling for Christian School Students.
Mr. Jeynes is married with four children, two dogs, a bird, and many bird feeders. He is delighted that three of his children are now at university. He attends The Gathering Place and occasionally preaches there.
He is proud to be a dual Canadian / American citizen.
Lindsey Judd, Ed.D. is the President of Ezell-Harding Christian School in Nashville, Tennessee, where he has served since 2017. Prior to coming to EHCS, he served as a High School Principal, teacher, and coach at Goodpasture Christian School. Lindsey earned his Doctor of Education degree from Union University in 2014 and earned his Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Bachelor of Science in Chemistry Education from Lipscomb University. He and his wife, Penny, have two children, Harper and Lincoln. They are members of Hendersonville Church of Christ.
Bruce Lockerbie is deeply concerned about how the Bible is taught in many Christian schools. Active in Christian schooling (all levels, K-12 through college/university/seminary) for more than 67 years, he has taught the Bible in formal academic settings and informal groups. As Dean of Faculty at The Stony Brook School, he required faculty to participate in biblical studies similar to what was being taught to students. Bruce is the founder of PAIDEIA, Inc., an international consulting team, editor of THE PAIDEIA LETTER, and author/co-author of more than 40 books. Besides leading a breakout session, Bruce will be available throughout the Conference for private or school-group counsel.
Sue Macaluso is celebrating 25 years at Wheaton Christian Grammar School serving as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. She graduated too many years ago from Gordon College with a degree in elementary education and holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instructional design from National Louis University. While Sue began her teaching career as a kindergarten teacher, she transitioned to work for the Ministry of Education in Japan to teach at the junior high level. Upon returning to the US, she taught several years in a public school as a math/science block teacher in sixth grade. Sue serves on the administrative team facilitating the evaluation and review process of academic programming, teacher credentials, training, and professional development, school improvement, and parent partnership. She finds great joy in energizing students, equipping faculty, and empowering parents by networking with other Christian schools.
Betty Morris is the Director of Academics and Teacher Growth for GAC and Ethos School. She majored in Mathematics Education at Southern Arkansas University and also earned both a Master of Education and a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Georgia. She has served as a math teacher, Math Department Chair, Dean of Girls, and Academic Dean at GAC prior to becoming the Director of Academics and Teacher Growth at GAC and Ethos. Dr. Betty Morris has been at GAC since 1988. In her current role, she has the blessing of working with PK-12 teachers in all content areas building Professional Learning Communities who collaboratively design, implement, and review the teaching and learning process in each course continually.
With Jesus as the example of the Master teacher, superb teaching is especially important in a Christian school. Dr. Morris feels emboldened by what she sees at GAC. “Here teachers thoughtfully align themselves with the profession’s ever-changing best practices. We serve our students best when we use the most up-to-date teaching methodologies, modalities, and technologies.”
Dr. Morris’s son, Tyler, graduated from GAC. She and her family attend North Atlanta Church of Christ.
Todd is passionate about serving others with the gifts and talents that he has been blessed with and enjoys collaborating with clients and teams to help realize a project’s full potential. Todd has over a decade of experience in the field of architecture, with a focus on 21st century education learning environments.
Todd’s unique design and technical skills put him at the forefront of educational environment design as he brings deep expertise in the delivery of flexible space, seamless technology, and agile furniture solutions. He has a passion for collaboration that leverages the talents and expertise of others to yield impactful designs that ultimately deliver more engaged learning and more powerful instruction.
As an educator for the last two decades, Brad Schultz, Ed.D., has focused on learning innovation in both primary and secondary education. He is currently the Head of School at Lipscomb Academy where he inspires students and faculty to look beyond traditional classroom learning to create the future of education. During his time at Lipscomb, the school has achieved both local and national recognition and most recently was named by Niche as the Best Christian School in Nashville.
Prior to joining Lipscomb Academy, Schultz served as the head of school at Cross Schools in Bluffton, South Carolina, where he embraced growth both with enrollment and capital expansion. He led the school to an increase in overall enrollment by 56 percent and student retention by 15 percent.
Prior to his role at Cross Schools, Schultz spent 17 years at Greater Atlanta Christian where he held the roles of teacher, assistant principal, principal, and chief innovation officer, as well as served on the executive cabinet for the entire K-12 school.
Bill Simmer, also known as “Wild Bill,” for his entertaining presentation style, and no-nonsense approach to Christian leadership, has been working with private/independent schools on both the secondary and post-secondary levels, for over 25 years. Bill has served as a faculty member, as well as in multiple administrative roles within schools. He has also been both a private school parent and student himself. For the last 14 years Bill has been a consultant and workshop leader to private/independent schools around the nation. He has served schools in the areas of Admissions, Enrollment & Re-Enrollment, Faculty Culture/Performance/Evaluation/Induction, Academic Leadership, Parent Relations, Advisory Program Development, Board Governance, and Head Coaching & Support. Through his relationship with multiple educational associations around the nation Bill has had the joy of teaching over 180 workshops nationwide.
Bill worked in the secular business context through his 20’s, with a focus on marketing, fundraising, and operational leadership. As he approached his 30’s, God called him into ministry. Through his 30’s, Bill taught and worked as a Dean of Students/Director of Student Life at two seminaries, International College and Graduate School (Honolulu HI), and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Wake Forest, NC). In both seminaries, as in his secular work prior to this stage, he made significant progress toward professionalizing programs, attracting and retaining quality personnel, and insisting on a level of excellence that drove the mission and outcomes of the institutions he served.
In the process of trying to help his children’s classical christian school professionalize its admission and re-recruitment efforts, Bill came to the conclusion that the K-12 Christian school was “where the action was.” He developed a growing desire to “reach them BEFORE they get to seminary” and to expand his ministry outside of the “seminary bubble.” His passion is to see spiritual formation programs move beyond chapel and some Bible classes to true program integration that leads to genuine life transformation in the lives of children. The end goal is to reach “the Head, the Hand, and the Heart” and to see children truly become a “co-laborer” and “friend” of God.
As a teacher, Bill’s background is in theology, philosophy, western thought, rhetoric, and logic. He created a worldview curriculum for 8th/9th graders that was highly successful and well received (even loved) by his students. Bill has taught students of all ages, from kindergarten to college. He has worked with both “gifted” as well as “at-risk” students, as well as both seminarians and convicts in penal institutions. He has taught on both the graduate and undergraduate level.
Those that have worked with Bill will tell you that Christian schools “run through his veins.” His life mission is to “Empower school leaders to enhance the student experience in ways that transform children’s lives and empower the coming generation to see God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.”
Sally Strzalka loves to combine her passion for friendships, celebration, and hospitality with her role as Parent Ambassador Coordinator. She earned a BSN from Rush University and is a registered nurse who occasionally subs for our school nurse. Sally’s hobbies are kayaking, hiking, fishing, and spending time with her family doing arts and crafts. Sally has been married for 26 years to Phil. She has three children, Alyssa, Kayla, and Josh.
Phil brings more than 25 years of experience as an attorney and a management consultant developing and implementing people and operational solutions at educational institutions and other not-for-profit organizations across the country. His deep experience includes 100s of projects involving strategic planning, performance improvement, organizational design, business process redesign, and talent/leadership development for administrators, faculty, and staff. He has grown to become a regular thought leader, author, and speaker.
“I strongly believe that Christian educators have never been so well positioned to make an impact. It is my honor to currently serve as the Institute’s Executive Director. Soli Deo Gloria!”
Josh Thomason, CPA, MBA, EdD is GAC’s Vice President of Finance and Operations and the Executive Director of Ethos School. He has been at GAC since 2011 during which time he also helped launch Ethos in 2017. Prior to working at GAC, he worked for The Home Depot and Grant Thornton in various capacities. He came to GAC because it offered a unique opportunity for him to directly impact the Kingdom through education. “We strongly believe in academic excellence grounded in faith. With academics and faith combined, we are truly preparing the next generation of servant leaders”.
Josh earned a Bachelor of Science in Management and a Master of Business Administration in Finance and Strategy from Georgia Tech and has completed his doctoral studies in Entrepreneurial Leadership in Education at Johns Hopkins University.
He and his wife, Ashley, have three children, Sam (GAC 2032), Canaan (GAC 2033), and Lizzie. His family attends Campus Church of Christ.
BA English, Wheaton College
MAT Instructional & Curriculum Leadership, University of Memphis
Brad is a 2007 graduate of Wheaton College and recently earned his MAT in Instructional and Curriculum Leadership from the University of Memphis. Prior to joining the Wheaton Academy team, Brad spent six years teaching English and coaching football and track at Evangelical Christian School in Memphis, TN. Brad and his wife Tara are originally from the Chicago area, and they are glad to be back to share their son, William, and three daughters Samantha, Nora, and Josie, with their grandparents.
Dr. Derek Wilson has been teaching at Greater Atlanta Christian School for 15 years. He currently serves as the Dean of Technology and Innovation as well as K-12 Instructional Lead teacher. His doctoral studies focus upon the integration of moral psychology and education in the field of bioethics. Derek is passionate about looking toward the future of education and implementing it today for the best outcomes for student achievement.
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