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Society for Classical Learning

Meet Our Leaders

Who Are We?

SCL is a community of classical Christian educators formed to strengthen schools, cultivate leaders, and sustain the tradition of a living classical education. We exist to serve member schools through shared resources, wise counsel, and a steady vision of human flourishing.

Find Out More

Mission, Vision, and Identity

Mission

Edistorest volor as eum in nobitat urepeqd que eos vellup taest alit molupti sintur simin vella dellor simet mod ut laborum nonemporiat ratur andemel omor sum quidunt venis andi con repratur mo elibusam fuga. Neque pre sit aut et arumquae ium res nem eos as es moluptatur, tem faccup tincia valorecatum nonem poneson sequi utem estiam conseditis num rerumqui doles etur? Ellesto quam ipsunto intur molluptas iderupt inctur?

Vision

Edistorest volor as eum in nobitat urepeqd que eos vellup taest alit molupti sintur simin vella dellor simet mod ut laborum nonemporiat ratur andemel omor sum quidunt venis andi con repratur mo elibusam fuga. Neque pre sit aut et arumquae ium res nem eos as es moluptatur, tem faccup tincia valorecatum nonem poneson sequi utem estiam conseditis num rerumqui doles etur? Ellesto quam ipsunto intur molluptas iderupt inctur?

Who is SCL

Edistorest volor as eum in nobitat urepeqd que eos vellup taest alit molupti sintur simin vella dellor simet mod ut laborum nonemporiat ratur andemel omor sum quidunt venis andi con repratur mo elibusam fuga. Neque pre sit aut et arumquae ium res nem eos as es moluptatur, tem faccup tincia valorecatum nonem poneson sequi utem estiam conseditis num rerumqui doles etur? Ellesto quam ipsunto intur molluptas iderupt inctur?

SCL roundtable discussion
Speaker at SCL event
SCL leader speaking at podium
Eric Cook

Our President and CEO

Eric Cook is the President and CEO of the Society for Classical Learning (SCL), an organization dedicated to fostering human flourishing through the advancement of classical Christian education. He provides executive leadership for SCL, overseeing the organization’s vision, strategy, thought leadership, and fundraising efforts. As President and CEO, Eric plays a pivotal role in the classical Christian school movement, seeking to revive timeless principles to reform education, renew culture, and promote human flourishing.

Eric received an Ed.S. in Classical School Leadership from Gordon College in 2023. He also holds an M.A. in Instructional Leadership from Northern Kentucky University and a B.A. in Education from Transylvania University. He started his career in public school as a history teacher and administrator before moving into classical Christian education as Upper School Head at Faith Christian School in Roanoke, Virginia in 2007. Eric and his wife, Liz, have six children and live in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Meet the Team

Starrla Fowler

Starrla Fowler

Director of School Improvement

Starrla Fowler

In her role as the Director of School Improvement for the Society for Classical Learning, Starrla is able to combine two big passions—developing leaders and expanding collaborative schools across the United States. Prior to joining SCL, Starrla and her husband were co-founders of Veritas Academy in Austin, Texas, and over the course of 18 years Starrla served in various capacities including Academic Dean, Academic Team Chair, Grammar School Head, and School of Logic Head. She continues to serve on the Veritas Academy School Board and its Governance and Nominations committee.

Sarah Spencer

Sarah Spencer

Director of Events and PATHway Services

Sarah Spencer

Sarah Spencer has been in education for almost twenty years. She has served in a variety of capacities: public high school history teacher, classical Christian fourth grade teacher, classical Christian Grammar School dean, and most recently homeschooling her own children in the classical Christian tradition. She is an army wife and mother of four. She enjoys hosting friends, family, and neighbors; reading and discussing great books; cooking and eating delicious food; spending time alone in the Word; and singing. She is energized by the good work being done in the classical, Christian movement, as we consider together what it means to raise up the next generation with a love for truth, beauty, and goodness.

Sara Hirschey

Sara Hirschey

Special Projects Manager

Sara Hirschey

Bio coming soon.

Marissa Yanaga

Marissa Yanaga

Executive Assistant & Registrar

Marissa Yanaga

Marissa has served as SCL's executive assistant since 2016. "I truly believe in SCL's mission and vision to help classical Christian education thrive, and how it is making an impact in the next generation and society as a whole," Marissa says. "SCL has ministered to my family and me in numerous ways, and it's been an honor to be a part of this movement in a small way." Prior to SCL, Marissa served as the program director for the Alec & Belle Waterhouse Lecture Series in Honolulu, HI where she organized conferences and seminars for nearly 10 years. She also has held administrative positions at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in the President's Office. Marissa is married to Shelby, and they have three children who attend Covenant Classical School in Fort Worth, TX. Born and raised in Honolulu, HI, Marissa enjoys traveling, reading, and volunteering in her daughters' American Heritage Girls' troop.

Lauren Key

Lauren Key

Director of Membership & Strategic Partnerships

Lauren Key

Lauren Key began working for SCL in the fall of 2022. She brings over 10 years of Administrative experience in Classical Education including Director of Operations, Director of Admissions, and Director of Fine Arts: The Habersham School in Savannah, GA. Lauren's focus on our team is operations, customer experience, sponsorship and membership. She enjoys combining her love of customer service with her love of Classical Education. She lives in Savannah with her husband and three girls.

Josh Dyson

Josh Dyson

Accreditation Team Lead / Program Coordinator

Josh Dyson

Bio coming soon.

Jenna Wood

Jenna Wood

Executive Assistant

Jenna Wood

Jenna Wood discovered classical Christian education in the fall of 2020 and quickly became immersed in the classical movement. She served as the 9th Grade Humanities Teacher, where she developed a comprehensive curriculum guide and as an Administrative Coordinator she managed a broad range of responsibilities, including Enrollment and Admissions support. Before transitioning into classical education, Jenna built a strong background in administration and event management. She worked as a remote Executive Assistant and previously served as an Event Manager at Towson University, where she oversaw the execution of 800+ annual events, coordinating logistics for audiences ranging from 10 to 3,500. A Towson University graduate, Jenna and her husband share a love for their alma mater. They live in Baltimore, Maryland, with their two children. In her free time, Jenna enjoys volunteering with nonprofit organizations, getting lost in a good book, and spending time along the Maryland and Delaware beaches.

Grant Wiley

Grant Wiley

Tech Lead

Grant Wiley

Bio coming soon.

Cat Hart

Cat Hart

Graphic Designer

Cat Hart

Catherine is deeply passionate about creating art and experiencing beauty even in the most mundane things. As a graphic designer at SCL, Catherine gets to create resources and initiatives that combine a passion for beauty and design with a deep love for classical education. Catherine holds a BFA from Mississippi State University and has a background in education and ministry. In addition to working as a graphic designer before joining SCL, Catherine was the college counselor and Art teacher at The Habersham School, a classical Christian school in Savannah, GA. She also served with Reformed University Fellowship, fostering spiritual growth in college students at Colorado State University. Catherine and her husband Chaston, who also works in classical Christian education, live in Anderson, South Carolina. In her free time, she enjoys reading and woodworking.

Dr. Brian Polk

Dr. Brian Polk

Director of Accreditation

Dr. Brian Polk

Brian has been in classical education for 17 years serving in various capacities ranging from "science" teacher to administrator and board chair. With a desire to grow as a professional educator, he returned to school in 2015 to pursue a doctorate in educational leadership at Vanderbilt University's Peabody School. Graduating in 2018, this work ignited a passion to study Classical Christian schools for the purpose of helping them to improve as they seek to build the Kingdom of God. In addition to his work with SCL, Brian directs the Center for Christian Classical Education at College of the Ozarks in Pointe Lookout, Missouri.

Adam Copetillo

Adam Copetillo

Digital Marketing / Content Editor

Adam Copetillo

Bio coming soon.

Elizabeth Perkins

Elizabeth Perkins

Director of Advancement

Elizabeth Perkins

Bio coming soon.

Board Members

Leslie Moeller

Leslie Moeller

Board Chair

Leslie Moeller

Bio coming soon.

Peter Baur

Peter Baur

Board Member

Peter Baur

Peter Baur has been involved in independent education for nearly 40 years and has held roles in several environments, including start-up Classical Christian schools and "elite" private schools with over 150 years of history. Peter has served in nearly every capacity, including PR/Marketing, curriculum development, head of school, development/fundraising, special events, college guidance, admission, advisory, teaching and coaching. In addition, Peter has led schools and churches in strategic planning, has presented at Circe, ACCS and SCL, and been a featured speaker at schools around the nation. Peter is known for his ability to articulate Classical Christian education in a simple, practical manner. Peter is the only SCL Fellow elected prior to becoming a head of school.

Kevin Clark

Kevin Clark

Board Member

Kevin Clark

Kevin Clark, DLS, is the founder and President of The Ecclesial Schools Initiative, Inc. He believes his vocation as a Christian educator to be in service of the Church and the family as they seek to train children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. For Kevin, education is not simply a matter of academic preparation; it's about seeing Christ's Church flourish as a new generation of men and women bring the wisdom, beauty and justice of New Creation to bear for God's glory and the life of the world. Kevin's Christian Classical Education experience spans 17 years, including 15 at The Geneva School, Winter Park, FL. During this time he taught broadly across the upper school—logic, classical guitar, Old and New Testament survey, New Testament Greek, rhetoric—though Christian philosophy and theology were his main interests and perennial areas of teaching. He later assumed a leadership position at the school, serving five years as academic dean of The Geneva School before leaving to found The Ecclesial Schools Initiative. Also active at the national level, Kevin has ten years of leadership as a fellow for The Society for Classical Learning, providing academic leadership to Christian classical schools throughout the country by hosting retreats and speaking at conferences. He also joined the Templeton Honors College at Eastern University in 2018 as a teaching fellow in their new Master of Arts in Classical Teaching program.

Russ Gregg

Russ Gregg

Board Member

Russ Gregg

Russ Gregg (B.A., Global Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison) is co-founder and has served as Head of School since Hope Academy's founding in 2000. He has been a resident of the Phillips neighborhood since 1994. In 1999, he was an administrator at a Christian School in Edina, and quit his job to help lay the groundwork for a Christian school for his urban neighbors. Russ and his wife Phyllis, who teaches 3rd grade at Hope Academy, live four blocks away from the school. They have three grown children. Russ serves on the Board of Directors of the Society for Classical Learning.

Travis Koch

Travis Koch

Board Member

Travis Koch

Travis Koch is headmaster of St. Stephen's Academy in Beaverton, Oregon, where he has served since 2016. He loves to repair and improve neglected things such as watches, cars, buildings, recipes, curriculum, and school policy manuals. He holds a B.A in history from Stanford and an M.A. from Yale. When he's not reading or answering school-related questions, you'll probably find him in the garden or kitchen with his wife, or in the garage fixing something, or in the field chasing bumblebees with one of his five children.

David Diener

David Diener

Board Member

David Diener

Dr. David Diener works at Hillsdale College where he is an Assistant Professor of Education. Previous experience includes fifteen years in K-12 private education, eleven of those in administration and eight as headmaster of classical Christian schools. He also is a Fellow on the Alcuin Fellowship National Council and Director of the Alcuin Fellowship Midwest Chapter, serves on the Board of Directors for the Society for Classical Learning and the Board of Academic Advisors for the Classic Learning Test, is a member of the National Council of Classical Educators, and offers consulting services through Classical Academic Press. He is the author of Plato: The Great Philosopher-Educator and has published articles on Plato, Kierkegaard, and various topics in philosophy of education. He also serves as the series editor for Classical Academic Press' series Giants in the History of Education and is an associate editor for the journal Principia: a Journal of Classical Education. He holds a BA in Philosophy and Ancient Languages from Wheaton College as well as an MA in Philosophy, an MS in History and Philosophy of Education, and a dual PhD in Philosophy and Philosophy of Education from Indiana University.

Derek Lewis

Derek Lewis

Board Member

Derek Lewis

Mr. Lewis co-heads the Business Services and Specialty Distribution Groups. He joined Harris Williams in 2000 and has advised clients on a variety of mergers and acquisitions and strategic advisory assignments. From 2002 through 2004, Mr. Lewis was in London helping launch Harris Williams' international efforts.

Neil Anderson

Neil Anderson

Board Member

Neil Anderson

Neil Anderson has been the head of school at Trinity Classical School (Houston) since June 2010. The school was founded in 2009 and Mr. Anderson was hired as its first head. TCS is a PreK-12th Christian, classical, and collaborative school with 700 students. Mr. Anderson has a genuine passion for education to the glory of God, through the liberal arts. After graduating from Wheaton College with a degree in Biblical Studies, he served as an associate pastor and worship leader at a church in west Chicago. With a growing family of four children, Neil and his wife Marian moved back to his hometown of Houston. Prior to joining Trinity Classical School, Neil worked at a local classical school, serving as a teacher, department chair, and Dean of Students. During these years, Neil developed a great zeal for classical education and completed a Master's of Liberal Arts degree at Houston Baptist University. Neil is passionate about poetry, classical literature, theology, carpentry, coffee, hiking, running, and children. He also has a dog that he is not passionate about.

Craig Hefner

Craig Hefner

Board Member

Craig Hefner

Craig Hefner serves as the Head of School at Covenant School in Huntington, West Virginia, where he has served since 2018. Craig has a Ph.D. in systematic theology from Wheaton College, an M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a B.A. from Cedarville University. Craig is the author of Kierkegaard and the Changelessness of God: A Modern Defense of Classical Immutability, published in 2023. He lives in Huntington, West Virginia with his wife, Rachel, and their sons, Elliott and Adler.

Elizabeth Butler

Elizabeth Butler

Board Member

Elizabeth Butler

Elizabeth Butler dedicated over a decade to Veritas School in Richmond, VA, serving as a parent of 2 students, a board member, and eventually as board chairman, leveraging her extensive experience in strategic planning from her tenure at McKinsey & Co. and WebMD. Because Elizabeth's prayer is that all children will be able to meet their God given potential in a country that keeps them safe and protects their freedoms, she is committed to strong conservative leadership at every level of government. She holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an engineering degree from Auburn University. Elizabeth and her husband, Ron, are active members of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

Hayden Johnson

Hayden Johnson

Board Member

Hayden Johnson

Hayden Johnson is a strong advocate for classical education. He was called into education fulltime in 2014 after a twenty-year corporate career leading technology and marketing teams around the world. He served for nine years on the Board of Directors at Grace Academy in Georgetown, Texas after which he was asked to serve full time as their Athletic Director. He also taught for several years in central Texas public high schools. Hayden and his wife Tracey began their careers as U.S. Army officers. Both of his children attended Grace Academy beginning in kindergarten providing them the classical Christian education not afforded their parents. Hayden holds a B.S. from the United States Military Academy, an MBA from The University of Texas and a Master of Information Technology from Virginia Tech. When he is not talking to parents, friends and patrons about the transformative power of classical Christian education, you can often find him preparing for Grace athletic events, training on his own or enjoying the Texas Hill Country with his family.

Arete Fellows

SCL’s mission is “to cultivate human flourishing by making classical Christian education thrive.” We believe classical Christian education is the most promising educational movement in the United States. Our organization provides needed leadership and support for schools to help them become healthy and thriving institutions. SCL is committed to the movement so that young men and women can become wise, godly influencers for the glory of God. We believe this work is essential to the needs of our nation, the cause of Christ, and the kingdom of God.

The Arete Fellows is a group of heads of school who act as advocates and advisors selected by the SCL President to provide insight, advice, and wisdom to the leadership of SCL. The Fellows are a thoughtful group of Christian men and women who utilize their experience, skill, and wisdom to support the classical Christian school movement through the mission of SCL.

The Fellows are strategic partners to the SCL leadership and ambassadors within their spheres of influence. All Fellows are Heads of School of SCL member institutions.

Arete Fellows in discussion

Current Fellows

Neil Anderson
Trinity Classical School (Houston, TX)

Peter Baur
Faith Christian School (Roanoke, VA)

Nathan Carr
The Academy of Classical Christian Studies (Oklahoma City, OK)

Kevin Clark
Ecclesial Schools Initiative (Oviedo, FL)

Eric DeVries
Westminster School at Oak Mountain (Birmingham, AL)

Josh Dyson
Classical School of Wichita (Wichita, KS)

Paul Fisher
Capstone Classical Academy (Fargo, ND)

Russ Gregg
Hope Academy (Minneapolis, MN)

Peter Hansen
Trinity Christian Academy (Lexington, KY)

John Heaton
New Covenant Schools (Lynchburg, VA)

Craig Hefner
Covenant School (Huntington, WV)

Jeff Hendricks
Providence Christian School (Dallas, TX)

Ron Hoch
Redeemer Classical Academy (Harrisonburg, VA)

Ralph Janikowsky
Westminster Academy (Memphis, TN)

Justice Kerr
Petra Academy (Bozeman, MT)

Jean Kim
The Cambridge School (San Diego, CA)

Travis Koch
St. Stephen’s Academy (Beaverton, OR)

Robert Littlejohn
The Covenant School of Dallas (Dallas, TX)

Leslie Moeller
Geneva School of Boerne (Boerne, TX)

Alison Moffatt
Live Oak Classical School (Waco, TX)

John Niehls
Coventry Christian School (Pottstown, PA)

Keith Nix
Veritas School (Richmond, VA)

Dan Peterson
Regents School of Austin (Austin, TX)

Brad Ryden
Geneva School (Orlando, FL)

Katharine Savage
Philadelphia Classical School (Philadelphia, PA)

Troy Schuknecht
Covenant Classical School (Ft. Worth, TX)

Matt Skinner
Heritage Preparatory School (Atlanta, GA)

Brent Stevens
Grace Academy (Georgetown, TX)

Howe Whitman
The Wilberforce School (Princeton, NJ)

Our Core Values

1

At SCL, we are committed to joyfully serving Christ as the core calling and purpose of our work.

2

At SCL, we believe the great work of CCE should be broadly accessible.

3

At SCL, we believe that our work is to serve the movement by showing grace, love, and tangible acts of hospitality.