Board Member Candidates
Board Member Election Process
In accordance with the Society's Bylaws, new trustees shall be elected at each annual members’ meeting; two nominees shall be presented for each of those whose terms of service are expiring.
The Board is pleased to put forth the following candidates for your consideration.
Please vote for four (4) of these candidates to serve a three-year term as Ada Christian School board members.
Steve Biel
What are the names and ages of your child(ren)?
Benjamin & David
What is your occupation and place of
employment?
Business Analyst at Compassion International
What is your spouse’s name?
Becca
What is your spouse’s occupation/place of work?
Women's Ministry Director - Ada Bible Church
What is your favorite Bible verse?
"The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin." - Exodus 34:6-7a
What strengths or gifts would you bring to the Board?
I have a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and a Master's in Biblical Studies. I taught elementary and middle school, and currently work for Compassion International. My life has been devoted to helping youth develop cognitively, physically, socio-emotionally and spiritually. I am a thinker and problem solver, and get involved, taking action to bring about change and advancement.
What vision do you have for our school?
I desire to build a community of faithful Jesus followers, who value children and provide the highest quality education possible. Each student should be known, loved and valued as image bearers of God, and given opportunities to be stretched in academics and daily life. We must prepare them by giving them a firm faith foundation as they think critically and discern God's leading after ACS.
On what committees would you be willing to serve?
Education, Operations, Long-Range Planning
Heidi Campbell
What are the names and ages of your child(ren)?
Winston (11), Georgia (9) & Victoria (7)
What is your occupation and place of
employment?
Homemaker
What is your spouse’s name?
Scott
What is your spouse’s occupation/place of work?
My Auto - owner/ GM
What is your favorite Bible verse?
“Throw all your anxiety onto him, because he cares about you.” - 1 Peter 5:7
What strengths or gifts would you bring to the Board?
I enjoy working with teams that want everyone to succeed and lift up everyone which is what the current Board looks like to me.
What vision do you have for our school?
ACS has been amazing for my children and I would just like to see it continue on the path it is going. Change is good when it is needed however the vision I have is to keep the great education with faith weaved in and out of all the daily school activities.
On what committees would you be willing to serve?
Long range planning or promotions would probably be the best fit.
Alissa Hollander
What are the names and ages of your child(ren)?
Elle(15) Averly(12) & Selah(10)
What is your occupation and place of
employment?
Director of Communications, LIFE International
What is your spouse’s name?
Michael
What is your spouse’s occupation/place of work?
Market President at First National Bank of Michigan
What is your favorite Bible verse?
“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth." - 1 Cor. 13:6
What strengths or gifts would you bring to the Board?
I believe I would bring skills such as active listening, discernment, courage, and patience to the ACS Board. My education in communications, theology, and apologetics has given me a strong foundation in critical thinking, problem-solving, and cultural awareness. Most importantly, I am committed to the essentials of the historic Christian faith as handed down from the early church.
What vision do you have for our school?
Ada Christian is, and should remain, a place that begins with the reality of the truth about God and His Word and seeks to bring Him glory. It should be a place where parents and faculty work together to provide a superior Christian education in a safe environment, where students are allowed to experience success and failure, always being treated with grace and pointed to Truth.
On what committees would you be willing to serve?
I am willing to serve on the Education Committee, Long-Range Planning Committee, and the Promotions Committee.
Matthew Hudson
What are the names and ages of your child(ren)?
Noah (9) & Lukas (6)
What is your occupation and place of
employment?
General Dentist, Beltline Family Dentistry
What is your spouse’s name?
Sarah
What is your spouse’s occupation/place of work?
Pharmacist
Treasurer for ACS PTO
What is your favorite Bible verse?
"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:12-13
What strengths or gifts would you bring to the Board?
As a dentist and small business owner, I have to balance the needs of patients, employees, insurance companies and business interests. I feel this will translate well into the educational system where the needs of students, teachers, administrators and parents all need to be considered while balancing the mission of equipping our students for service in God's world.
What vision do you have for our school?
I see ACS as a partner with your local church in growing the spiritual well-being of our children. I want ACS to continue to be an organization that lifts our children up, encourages them, and reenforces the love that Christ has for them. I envision, ACS as a school that prepares our children so they are better equipped to serve Christ in an increasingly secular world.
On what committees would you be willing to serve?
I would be willing to serve on any committee that prayerful determination of the board sees fit for me to serve.
Sam Klooster
What are the names and ages of your child(ren)?
Rachel (13), Hannah (11), Faith (8) & Abigail (6)
What is your occupation and place of
employment?
VP of Sales, SIMCO Electronics
What is your spouse’s name?
Jennith
What is your spouse’s occupation/place of work?
Homemaker
What is your favorite Bible verse?
"For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." -Philippians 4:13
What strengths or gifts would you bring to the Board?
I have a passion to serve kids which stems from being the dad of 4 girls at ACS. I love volunteering as I have taught Sunday School for over a decade, and I am also an assistant coach on the 7th/8th grade girls basketball team. I offer leadership skills as I have lead software product teams, sales teams, and a company division throughout my career and currently serve on my HOA board.
What vision do you have for our school?
I desire for ACS to continue to nurture our children as they grow in Christ and education. The Ada area continues to grow and be a desirable area to live and ACS needs to be able to serve our community as it has done in the past. This means having the resources to hire the best staff, equip them with the supplies and training they need to be a light to our kids, and the facilities to support them.
On what committees would you be willing to serve?
I am willing to serve on any committee. Based on my career experience and education in Engineering and Business, I would prefer serving on the Finance, Long-Range Planning, or Operations Committee.
John Kuiper
What are the names and ages of your child(ren)?
Ben (20), Annelise (18), Katrina (14) & Matthias (10)
What is your occupation and place of
employment?
I am a commercial real estate broker, a founder and partner in Advantage Commercial Real Estate, and its CEO. I am also involved in many other real estate ventures and a number of operating entities.
What is your spouse’s name?
Katie
What is your spouse’s occupation/place of work?
Stay at home mom
What is your favorite Bible verse?
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11
What strengths or gifts would you bring to the Board?
I bring leadership qualities and the ability to navigate complicated issues. I was on the board at ACS when covid hit and worked closely with our administration to find solutions to bring children back to school. Marrying into a family of educators has given me a unique perspective which is beneficial as a trustee. Lastly, I am passionate about keeping Christ at the center of Ada Christian School.
What vision do you have for our school?
My vision for Ada Christian School is that ACS would provide an excellent education while remaining focused on Christ and grounded in Biblical principals for both the current and future generations of children. I pray that future children might have the same experiences at Ada Christian School that our children experienced while attending ACS.
On what committees would you be willing to serve?
My gifts align well with Finance and Operations, while also understanding the importance of long range planning.
Leah Lewandowski
What are the names and ages of your child(ren)?
Hudson (10), Sully (8) & Lily (6)
What is your occupation and place of
employment?
RN/Analyst Think Tank IT
What is your spouse’s name?
Russell
What is your spouse’s occupation/place of work?
IT Director- Cook County Hospital/J Momrik Consulting
What is your favorite Bible verse?
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11
What strengths or gifts would you bring to the Board?
I enjoy serving others with my time. I have volunteered in many different ways over the years at. I am a good listener and keep an open mind to the opinions of others. I think I would be a good at voicing the opinions/concerns of others to the board.
What vision do you have for our school?
I love the way the school is currently functioning as they keep Christ at the center of the curriculum. My biggest goal would be to possibly have the school go beyond 8th grade at some point in the future.
On what committees would you be willing to serve?
Education or long range planning
Kyle Visser
What are the names and ages of your child(ren)?
Charlize (9), Barrett (7) & Audrey (5)
What is your occupation and place of
employment?
Realtor/Broker Owner
What is your spouse’s name?
Julia
What is your spouse’s occupation/place of work?
Stay at home mom
What is your favorite Bible verse?
"For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." - 1 Timothy 4:8
What strengths or gifts would you bring to the Board?
I believe that God has given me the ability to connect with people through strong communication skills and am more of a visionary than an implementer. Leading my real estate team to the #1 team in GR has helped me hone my leadership skills and given me the platform to connect with a huge network of people in our community and moving to our community.
What vision do you have for our school?
My vision for the school is first to uphold the current values/mission statement that the school is built on. Additionally, I see ACS leading the way with new initiatives including a revamped lunch program, strong nature focus and a continued overall holistic Christ-focused environment that lifts up every kid that enters through the doors. With our campus and resources this is more than feasible.
On what committees would you be willing to serve?
Long-range planning and promotions