Bryan Carey is an entrepreneur and musician. Though recently semi-retired from his business, Bryan still works in various digital media capacities and serving alongside wife, Dr. Amy Bragg Carey at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas.

Bryan spent his childhood in Wisconsin and attended the University of Northwestern St. Paul in Minnesota where earned a Bachelor of Science in Broadcasting. While in Minnesota, he married, had two kids, Anna and Brett, and established his career as a video and audio producer. He founded his production company, Visual Reality in the early nineties, earning a Midwest Regional Emmy and an international Trebbia Award for his video and audio recording work.

Apart from his career, Bryan enjoys maintaining the family lakeside residence in Wisconsin in the summers and playing guitar on the worship team at church.

As chief executive officer, Romanita oversees all activities of the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. An accomplished team builder, convener and leader, Romanita draws on more than two decades of experience and service in her leadership and stewardship of the foundation’s mission. This includes work in the nonprofit (World Vision), for-profit (Microsoft) and philanthropic (Murdock Trust) sectors alongside a consistent commitment to board service (Candid, Global Women, India Partners, Urban Alliance, Urban Impact, Kids in Need and Impact Latin America) born out of a desire to engage in her highest and best use. A graduate of the University of Washington, Romanita earned her MBA from Eastern University (Philadelphia). 

Oliver Hersey serves as president of Jerusalem University College in Jerusalem, Israel. He holds a Ph.D. in Old Testament theology and an M.A. in biblical archaeology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity Seminary in Deerfield, IL. He is passionate about providing opportunities for students to see and understand the context of the Bible so they can grow in their faith. Before beginning his tenure at JUC in 2021, Oliver served as pastor of discipleship and teaching at Calvary Church in Orland Park, IL, and lectured at North Park University in Chicago. He has served as the host on podcasts such as Christianity Today’s Transforming Discipleship and OnScript’s The Biblical World. Oliver, his wife Andra and their two children live on campus on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, Israel. As a family, they enjoy traveling and exploring the Middle East.

David Hoag, Ph.D., is the president of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU), the leading voice of Christian higher education. Hoag, formerly a CCCU board member, was most recently the president of Warner University, a CCCU institution in Florida, from 2016-2024.

Dr. Hoag demonstrated his lifelong dedication to Christian higher education through decades of leadership in Christ-centered universities, where he served in advancement and executive capacities. His record of success in accreditation, gift-giving and grant management effectively resourced the vision and mission of the schools he served as well as Christian higher education more broadly.

Throughout his career, Dr. Hoag served at four different CCCU institutions: Warner University, Trinity International University, Greenville University, and Asbury University.

Dr. Hoag holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Asbury University, a master’s degree in education from the University of Kentucky, and a Ph.D. in higher education from St. Louis University.

He previously served on the executive committee on the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) and the Council of Presidents for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

He is married to Joanna, his wife of 38 years, and they have two married daughters who are graduates of CCCU institutions.

Joanna is a proud product of Christian higher education, graduating from Asbury College (now University). Over the past 35 years she has dedicated her life in actively serving alongside her husband, David, through his leadership roles at Asbury University, Greenville University, Trinity International University, and Warner University. Together, the Hoags hosted countless students and faculty members at their home. She previously served as an assistant coach of women’s softball at Asbury for five years and an assistant coach of women’s basketball at Greenville for 12 years. Joanna currently serves as an elder at South Lake Wales Church of God. Most of all, she cherishes her role as mother to two beautiful daughters and her two sons-in-law and as grandmother to her precious granddaughter.

Hoekstra has been serving as a professor of education at Dordt University for 25 years. Her husband, Erik, became president of Dordt University 10 years ago, and they have been serving together ever since. Prior to her work at Dordt, Hoekstra was a middle school science teacher and athletic director. Barb and Erik have four children between the ages of 22 and 26, two married and two eligible bachelors. Hoekstra enjoys traveling to see her kids in South Dakota, Colorado and California. In her spare time, she delights in golfing and reading fiction.

Eric Hogue is president of Colorado Christian University. Prior to assuming this role in June 2023, Hogue served as vice president of university advancement at CCU, directing a comprehensive fundraising program totaling more than $45 million. Before joining CCU, he served as the chief development officer of William Jessup University, where he tripled WJU's endowment fund and navigated two successful campus capital development campaigns. Hogue has a strong affinity for Christian higher education, having earned a Master of Arts in theological studies from Liberty University and a Bachelor of Science in business administration from William Jessup University. Hogue is known for his roles as a former political candidate; practicing theologian and pastor; and long-tenured radio, television and media professional. He is the author of The Winning Side of the Ask: The Heart and Skills of the Donor-Centric Professional Fundraiser, a book dedicated to helping nonprofits design a thriving philanthropic culture.

Shirley Hoogstra became the seventh president of the CCCU in September 2014. In this role, Hoogstra combines her zeal for the rule of law and her passion for Christian higher education as she promotes the value and purpose of high quality, Christ-centered liberal arts education that shapes students who love the Lord with all their heart, soul, and mind. Prior to the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, Hoogstra served for 15 years as vice president for student life at her alma mater, Calvin University, and spent more than a decade practicing law as a partner at a firm specializing in litigation in New Haven, Connecticut.

Esau McCaulley, Ph.D., is an author and the Jonathan Blanchard Associate Professor of New Testament and Public Theology at Wheaton College. He has authored numerous books including the award-winning Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope and served as the editor of The New Testament in Color: A Multi-Ethnic Commentary on the New Testament.

Esau’s popular works include his memoir, How Far to the Promised Land, and his work as a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times. His writings have also appeared in places such as The Atlantic, Washington Post and Christianity Today. 

Silas McCormick serves as the executive director of Lincoln Christian Institute (LCI), an organization devoted to educating, equipping and encouraging churches and those who lead them.

Silas served as the final president of Lincoln Christian University (LCU) from 2020 to 2024, leading it through COVID, restructuring, and ultimately the gifting of its seminary to Ozark Christian College, cessation of degree-granting activities, debt elimination and rebirth as LCI. Before becoming president, Silas held a number of roles at LCU, including executive vice president, vice president of academics and assistant university counsel.

Before joining LCU in 2012, Silas served as a litigator in the Springfield, Illinois, office of a large civil defense law firm.

Silas received his Bachelor of Arts (Christian education) from Lincoln Christian University, his Master of Education and Doctor of Philosophy (higher education administration) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his Juris Doctor (law) from the Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law. He is currently enrolled in a Doctor of Ministry program focusing on pastoral leadership at Wheaton College.

Silas has spent his whole life in Christian communities that have encouraged him follow Jesus. His only real passion in life is helping to create more of such communities.

The Rev. Dr. Jessica Moerman is a climate and environmental scientist, pastor, educator and advocate. She serves as the president and CEO of the Evangelical Environmental Network and is a board member of the National Association of Evangelicals. Jessica received her Ph.D. in earth and atmospheric sciences from the Georgia Institute of Technology and has held research positions at John Hopkins University, the University of Michigan and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, where she researched how climate has changed throughout Earth’s history. Prior to joining EEN, Jessica was an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy. 

Jessica regularly speaks on issues related to climate change, pollution, children’s health, the clean energy transition, environmental stewardship and the intersection of science and faith. She has appeared on the NBC TODAY Show, Good Morning America, Christian Broadcasting Network, Newsmax and nationally syndicated Christian and secular radio talk shows, and she has been featured in Christianity Today, CNN, the Washington Post and other national news outlets. In 2021, Jessica was named a Yale Public Voices for the Climate Crisis Fellow. 

Joy Mosley is the CCCU’s associate vice president for government & strategic relations. She graduated from Covenant College, where she subsequently worked as the senior human resources partner for over 10 years. She received her MBA from Belhaven University and her J.D. from Emory University. Before coming to the CCCU, she also worked for Congressman Gary Palmer and the Center for Public Justice.

Stephen Newby, worship leader and composer, currently holds the Lev H. Prichard III Endowed Chair in the Study of Black Worship and is a professor of music at Baylor University. His scholarly works are published by Rowman & Littlefield, and his worship and praise choral compositions are published by Fred Bock. He is currently co-authoring the book Soon & Very Soon: The Transformative Music and Ministry of Andrae Crouch with Robert Darden, to be released April 2025 by Oxford University Press. Stephen is married to Stephanie Ashe Newby, and they have one adult son.

Dr. Kim S. Phipps was named the eighth president of Messiah College, now Messiah University, in December 2004. She is the first woman to serve as the institution’s president. Before her appointment, Phipps served as Messiah’s interim president, provost and academic dean. She holds a Ph.D. in communication studies from Kent State University and previously served in multiple leadership roles at Malone University. Her tenure at Messiah has been marked by the implementation of a School of Graduate and Professional Studies, creation of the university’s first Office of Diversity Affairs and the successful completion of five major institutional fundraising campaigns totaling $177 million. In June 2024, Phipps announced that she will retire after the 2024-25 academic year, concluding a 40-year career in Christian higher education.

Dr. Chip Pollard has been the president of John Brown University since July 2004. During his time at JBU, the university has been blessed to receive over $290 million in gifts and to grow its endowment from $50 million to over $165 million. JBU has  been named seven years in a row by the Chronicle of Higher Education to its “High Honor Role” in the “Great Colleges To Work For” survey (2015-2021). Dr. Pollard has published two books, “New World Modernisms” (2005) and “May It Always Be True: Educating Students in Faith” (2011).

Dr. Pollard was elected to the board of the CCCU in 2009 and served as chair of the board from 2013-2018 and as immediate past chair until 2022. He was elected to serve on the Council for Independent Colleges board in 2021.

He received his undergraduate degree in English from Wheaton College, a law degree from Harvard Law School, a master’s degree in English from Oxford University, and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Virginia.

Deana Porterfield is the president of Seattle Pacific University and previously served nine years as president of Roberts Wesleyan University. With over 35 years’ experience in Christian higher education, she has served on several boards and received numerous awards for leadership. She earned a B.A. in music education, an M.A. in organizational management (Azusa Pacific) and a doctorate in organizational leadership (University of La Verne).

As a journalism major at the University of Iowa, Matt Proctor heard God’s call to ministry. Now, instead of broadcasting bad news, Matt proclaims the good news of Christ. Matt has served as a youth minister, preaching minister, Bible college professor and—since 2006—as president of Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri. A past president of the North American Christian Convention and contributing editor for Christian Standard magazine, Matt is also the author of two books, husband of Katie, father of six and grandfather of a growing tribe of grandchildren.

Jesse Rine is executive director of the Center for Academic Faithfulness & Flourishing (CAFF), an initiative supported by American Reformer. An award-winning professor and nationally recognized expert on Christian higher education, Dr. Rine has served in faculty and administrative roles on three faith-based campuses: Grove City College, Duquesne University and North Greenville University. He previously directed the research programs of two national higher education associations in Washington, D.C.: the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) and the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC). Dr. Rine’s scholarship has been published in numerous edited volumes and academic journals, and he currently serves as editor-in-chief of Christian Higher Education: An International Journal of Research, Theory, and Practice. He holds a B.A. in Christian thought from Grove City College, an M.A.T. in Latin from Washington University in St. Louis and a Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Virginia.

Dr. Shirley Roels is the executive director of the International Network for Christian Higher Education (INCHE). Prior to assuming this position in 2017, Dr. Roels served for three decades in numerous faculty and leadership positions at Calvin University and then as the U.S. national director for the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE), a group supported by the Council of Independent Colleges to enhance and promote the intellectual and theological exploration of vocation among undergraduate students. As a longtime member of INCHE, Dr. Roels has been a pioneer in developing Christian approaches and perspectives in the field of business and management. She has co-edited or co-authored several book-length studies, most notably Business through the Eyes of Faith (Harper and Row, 1990); On Moral Business, Classical and Contemporary Resources on Business Ethics (Eerdmans, 1995), and Organization Man, Organization Woman: Calling, Leadership and Culture (Abingdon, 1997). A Calvin graduate, Dr. Roels earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in university administration from Michigan State University.

Dr. Schubert became ACU’s 11th president in June 2010.

During his tenure, ACU’s enrollment has grown 47% to over 6,700 students, the university’s endowment has increased from $260 million to over $800 million, 13 major facilities have been erected, generous donors have provided more than $500 million in gifts to the university, and Wildcat athletics has transitioned to NCAA Division I. 

In 2022, U.S. News & World Report named ACU a top 50 National University for teaching and research and the highest-ranking university in Texas in a benchmark focused on student success.

Dr. Schubert is a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the Independent Colleges & Universities of Texas and vice chair of the Board of Directors for the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.

Schubert received his BBA in accounting from ACU, and he holds advanced degrees from Duke University and the University of Pennsylvania. 

He is married to Brooke (ACU ’92), and together, they have seven children.

Dr. Calvin L. Troup is Geneva College’s 20th president since its founding in 1848. He took office in 2016. Before coming to Geneva, Dr. Troup directed a nationally ranked rhetoric Ph.D. program at Duquesne University. He also served as a Geneva College board member and has served on the faculties of Indiana University-Bloomington and Pennsylvania State University-University Park. Dr. Troup graduated from Geneva College and earned an M.A. and Ph.D. speech communication from Penn State.

Dr. Troup’s scholarly work focuses on the rhetoric and philosophy of St. Augustine and the rhetoric of technology. His books include Temporality, Eternity, and Wisdom: The Rhetoric of Augustine’s Confessions (Univ. of South Carolina Press, 1999) and Augustine for the Philosophers: The Rhetor of Hippo, the Confessions (Baylor University Press, 2014), in addition to several book chapters and scholarly articles. He edited the Journal of Communication and Religion and Explorations in Media Ecology and is a past president of the Religious Communication Association.