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SPEAKERS

PLENARY


 
Joel Belz
Joel Belz is the founder of World magazine and of God’s World Publications Inc. in Asheville, N.C. In his current role, he writes a weekly column for the magazine, does original reporting, and speaks widely in educational, church, and publishing settings. After joining his present company in 1977, Mr. Belz pioneered the growth of the God’s World newspapers for children, with a weekly paid circulation now of about 175,000. In 1986, he launched World magazine, which now enjoys a weekly paid circulation of 135,000. GWP Inc. also includes the work of World Journalism Institute. The company has sales of about $12 million this year and employ a staff of 60.

Mr. Belz was born August 10, 1941, in rural Iowa. By 1951, his parents had established Cono Christian School, which left indelible marks concerning the importance of the right kind of education. They also launched a significant printing business in the basement of their home, dramatizing the importance of the printed page. All of Mr. Belz’s seven brothers and sisters are graduates of the school at Cono, and all learned the craft of printing.

Mr. Belz is a graduate (B.A. in English, 1962) of Covenant College at Lookout Mountain, Georgia, where he has served for many years on the board, and for much of that time as chairman of the board. He holds an M.A. in mass communications from the University of Iowa (1971). In 2004, Geneva College awarded him the honorary “Doctor of Humane Letters” degree.

After traveling for a charitable foundation in more than 40 different countries of the world, Mr. Belz became one of the early headmasters of what is now Chattanooga Christian School. In 1977, he was named managing editor of the Presbyterian Journal in Asheville, N.C., which organization later became God’s World Publications Inc.

Mr. Belz and his wife Carol Esther have five married daughters and 14 grandchildren. He has chaired the boards of Asheville Christian Academy and the Evangelical Press Association. He is an elder in his local church, and in 2003 was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America.


Oliver North
Oliver North is currently a political commentator and host of "War Stories with Oliver North" on Fox News Channel. He is a 1968 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and was a career officer in the Marine Corps, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel after twenty years of service. During combat service in Vietnam, he was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star and two Purple Heart medals.

North grew up in and graduated from Ockawamick High School, Philmont, N.Y., in 1961. He attended State University of New York at Brockport in Brockport, New York, for two years and then decided to enroll at the United States Naval Academy, from which he graduated.
North is married to the former Betsy Stuart, whom he met while attending the United States Naval Academy. They have four children: Tait, Stuart, Sarah, and Dornin and 11 grandchildren, some of whom are being classically educated with Veritas Press materials.


Douglas Wilson
Douglas Wilson is a Reformed and evangelical theologian, prolific author and speaker, pastor at Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, and faculty member at New Saint Andrews College. Many credit him as the key person in reestablishing the interest in and importance of classical Christian education.

Included among the many works he has written are Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning, Reforming Marriage, To A Thousand Generations, and Standing on the Promises. Additionally, he is the general editor of the Omnibus curriculum, a great books curriculum published by Veritas Press.

Wilson earned a B.A. in classical studies and a B.A. and an M.A. in philosophy from the University of Idaho. In addition to his role as pastor of Christ Church, he is a founder and Senior Fellow in Theology at New Saint Andrews College, founder and editor of Credenda/Agenda magazine, and founder of Greyfriars Hall, a three-year ministerial training program. He also serves on the governing boards of New Saint Andrews, Logos School, and the Association of Classical and Christian Schools. He and his wife Nancy have three children and thirteen grandchildren.

 

WORKSHOPS

Andreades, Sam & Mary K.
The Andreades have been long-time customers of Veritas Press. They were recently featured in WORLD magazine for their homeschooling efforts in New York City. Sam, a Yale graduate, has led a varied and exciting life. He pastors Village Church in Greenwich Village. Mary K., also a Yale graduate, is a highly talented artist currently focused on homeschooling their four very talented children.

Blakey, Patch
Patch Blakey is the Executive Director for the Association of Classical and Christian Schools and chairman of the board for Logos School, Moscow, Idaho. He is a ruling elder at Trinity Reformed Church in Moscow. He and his wife Deb have four children.

Bustard, Leslie
Leslie Bustard has taught in the classroom at Veritas Academy and has homeschooled three daughters for years. She is well-known for her love of literature. She lives in Lancaster, Pa., with her husband Ned and their daughters.

Bustard, Ned
Ned Bustard is an independent graphic designer substantially responsible for Veritas Press’s visual image. He has authored or edited several books, including Squalls Before War: His Majesty’s Schooner Sultana, Legends and Leagues, and It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God. He lives in Lancaster, Pa., with his wife Leslie and their three daughters.

Chapin, Deb
Deb Chapin is the second grade teacher at Veritas Academy. Her classroom management is a joy to behold. But the best thing we can tell you about her is what our son had to say ten years ago when she was his teacher: "Mom how do you get held back?"

Deen, Stan
Stan Deen has taught drama and a whole plethora of courses in his long and varied career. He currently teaches at Veritas Academy, Lancaster County, Pa. His career includes a lengthy tenure at Garden Spot High School, New Holland, Pa., where he was recently honored by having their performing arts auditorium named after him—and he didn’t give a cent for it. He also served as a writer and director at the Sight and Sound Theater, a 2,000+ seat theater in Lancaster.

Detweiler, Laurie
Well known for her creativity and the sense of wonder she brings to children in her educational endeavors is a vice president and owner of Veritas Press. She has authored and published numerous books and curricular products. She was instrumental in founding two classical Christian schools, The Geneva School, Orlando, Florida, and Veritas Academy, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In both instances she served as the curriculum coordinator for several years. Her involvement in classical Christian education, initially motivated to help her children, have made her a favorite speaker, consultant, and writer.She and her husband Marlin have four boys, Jameson (22), Brandon (20), Travis (19), and Parker (17).

Detweiler, Marlin
Marlin Detweiler is the president and founder of Veritas Press, a classical Christian education company. He and his wife initiated the founding of The Geneva School, Orlando, Florida, (1992), and later, Veritas Academy in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He graduated with a B.A. in Business from North Carolina State University, where he played golf. He and his wife, Laurie, are the parents of four sons: Jameson, Brandon, Travis, and Parker.

Donaldson, Nancy
Nancy Donaldson is the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Grace Academy, Georgetown, Tex. She graduated from Louisiana State University and has been involved in classical Christian education in numerous capacities for 16 years. She and her husband Bob (who serves on the ACCS board) have two children.

Duby, Tammy
Tammy Duby is well-known for her book The Ultimate Lap Book Handbook. She and her husband Mike own Tobin’s Lab, which specializes in unique and interesting items to make science fascinating. Tammy has taught and lectured on many different subjects over the years and has homeschooled their two children.

Etter, Bruce
Bruce Etter is the Administrator of Veritas Press Scholars Academy. He has also taught Omnibus and several other disciplines at Veritas Academy and has previously taught extensively at two other Christian schools. He holds a Masters of Religion and Bachelors in Bible from Columbia International University. Bruce and his family recently moved from Fredericksburg, Virginia, to Lancaster County. He and his wife Julie are the parents of four, soon to be five, children.

Etter, Julie
Julie Etter participated extensively in writing lesson plans for Veritas Press Scholars and currently assists with various duties in the Veritas Press Scholars Program. She has worked with multiple grammar school grade levels and has served as Foreign Missions Coordinator in Christian schools. Julie and her husband Bruce reside in Lancaster, Pa., with their four, soon to be five, children.

Fischer, Ty
Ty Fischer has been the headmaster at Veritas Academy since 1997. He graduated from Grove City College and holds a Masters of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Miss. He is a permanent member of the Board of Governors of the Association of Classical and Christian Schools. He is the Managing Editor of the Omnibus Curriculum Project from Veritas Press, and with his wife wrote the Veritas Press Bible curriculum. Ty and his wife, Emily, live in Lancaster County, Pa., with their four girls.

Garfield, Tom
Tom Garfield is the superintendent of Logos School, Moscow, Idaho, a position that he has held since the school was founded in 1981. Additionally, he has taught numerous courses, including art and American history. He serves as a founding and permanent board member of ACCS and has regularly consulted and advised dozens of ACCS schools. He and his wife Julie have four children—all of whom have graduated from Logos.

Glasgow, William
William Glasgow is board member of Regents School of Austin, which he helped grow from 70 to over 700 students. He is well-known for his entrepreneurial talent and business savvy, having established, run and or owned a plethora of businesses. Mr. Glasgow graduated Magna Cum Laude from Vanderbilt University and received an MBA from the University of Texas in 1985. He and his wife Kelly have five children.

Godawa, Brian
Brian Godawa is the author of Hollywood Worldviews, a book that teaches how to watch movies discerningly as a faithful Christian. He is the screenwriter for the award-winning feature film, To End All Wars, starring Kiefer Sutherlandand, showcased at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival Cinema for Peace. Brian’s scripts have won multiple awards. He frequently lectures on screenwriting, as well as the art of watching and writing movies.

Henriquez, Sidney
Sidney Henriquez is the headmaster of Stratford Classical Christian Academy, Stratford, N.J. He has served as a headmaster and teacher in classical Christian schools for over 14 years. He served as a writer and consultant for Veritas Press, and he frequently speaks on various distinctives of classical Christian education. He lives in Magnolia, N.J., with his wife and 8 children. 

Hensley, Joanna
Joanna Hensley, since graduating from the University of Minnesota with majors in Latin and Classical Civilizations, has been involved in classical Christian education for nine years as a teacher, curriculum writer, and homeschool tutor. She is the daughter of well-known author Gene Edward Veith and has served as the Editorial Coordinator and blog editor of WORLD magazine. She is married to Rev. Adam Hensley, a pastor to an Australian church. They currently live in St. Louis where Adam is pursuing a Ph.D. in Old Testament.

Karp, David
With more than a decade of service in the college planning field, Dave Karp has helped hundreds of families to make the right choices for their children’s higher education needs. He has saved his clients thousands of dollars in college costs and has helped hundreds of students to get into the right schools and has been featured in several publications, including Smart Money and The Patriot-News. A Virginia native (and avid golfer), Dave lives in the Hershey, Pa., area with his wife Michele. He enjoys spending time with his children and grandchildren.

Klicka, Chris
Chris Klicka has been the Senior Counsel for the Home School Legal Defense Association since 1985. He has intervened in courts, before state legislatures and before Congress on behalf of thousands of homeschool families across the country to establish the homeschooling liberties currently enjoyed. A popular national speaker, he is the author of The Right Choice: Home Schooling, The Heart of Home Schooling, and several other books. Chris and his wife Tracy educate their seven children at home in rural Virginia.

Lichtenstein, Pixie
Pixie Lichtenstein has been a homeschool mother for fifteen years. She is co-founder of a classical education co-op and has taught for eight years. She has been a speaker at conferences hosted by Blackburn Study Center and the Veritas Teacher Training. Pixie has used and instructed the Institute for Excellence in Writing program for the last eight years.

Liechty, Gene
Gene Liechty is development director for Cary Christian School, Cary, N.C. His expertise and success in fundraising and development have enabled the school to grow meteorically. He also serves as the pastor of Christ Church of North Carolina. He is married to Kimberly, and they have four children.

Nance, Jim
Jim Nance has taught at Logos School, Moscow, Idaho, since 1990. Most known for his Logic texts, he teaches logic, rhetoric, doctrine, calculus, and physics at Logos School in Moscow, Idaho. He has been teaching since 1990. He is an elder at Christ Church and lives in Moscow with his wife Giselle and four children.

Perrin, Chris
Chris Perrin was the headmaster of Covenant Christian Academy, Harrisburg, Pa., from its founding in 1997 until 2007. He has taught at Messiah College and Chesapeake Theological Seminary. Chris serves as publisher with Classical Academic Press, which publishes texts and media for classical schools and homeschools. He received his B.A from the University of South Carolina, an M.Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary in California, and a Ph.D. in Apologetics from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. Chris and his wife Christine live in Camp Hill, Pa., with their three children.

Pudewa, Andrew
Andrew Pudewa is the director of the Institute for Excellence in Writing. Nationally acclaimed, he travels frequently, speaking on issues relating to teaching, writing, thinking, spelling, and music with clarity, insight, practical experience, and humor. He lives in California with his wife Robin. They have seven children, four of which remain in their homeschool.

Schlect, Chris
Chris Schlect is a Fellow of History at New Saint Andrews College and also serves the college as the Acting Academic Dean. He is a teaching elder at Christ Church. He holds a B.A. in History from Washington State University and an M.A. in History from the University of Idaho. He has written Critique of Modern Youth Ministry and The Christian Worldview and Apologetics. He is a contributing editor of Credenda/Agenda. Chris taught at Logos School, Moscow, Idaho, for more than ten years prior to coming to New Saint Andrews College. He and his wife Brenda have five children.

Vanderhoof, Eric
Eric Vanderhoof is the administrator of Midland Christian Academy. He has taught at Dominion Leadership Academy and Veritas Academy. His talent and energy have inspired many grammar school children. He has a wealth of information to share. He lives in Michigan with Lisa, his wife. They have six children.

Wilbur, Greg
Gregory Wilbur is an acclaimed director and composer, director of fine arts at Franklin Classical School, and professor of aesthetics at Bannockburn College in Franklin, Tennessee. He lives in Middle, Tenn., with his wife and daughter.

Wile, Jay
Jay Wile is the author of the Apologia Science curriculum. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Rochester in nuclear chemistry. In 1994 he wrote his first course to assist homeschooling families. From there he continued and has completed a set of science texts for high school children studying at home or school. His humor and ability to express ideas has contributed to his immense popularity as a nationally-known speaker.

Wilson, Nancy
Nancy Wilson has taught English literature at Logos School, Moscow, Idaho. She is a noted author, having written Praise Her in the Gates, The Fruit of Her Hands, and Building Her House, and she is a contributor to Credenda/Agenda magazine. She is married to Douglas Wilson and has three children and 13 grandchildren.