Leadership
ECA Board Members (L to R): Jesse Smith; Chris Bunker; Leonard Faimon, Vice-President; Jim Johnson, Superintendent; D. J. DeJong; Tresa Flanegin; Randy Thompson; Susan Foth, Secretary; John McKeever, Treasurer; and Denny Carew, President
ECA Board of Directors – The Board of Evangelical Christian Academy seeks to govern the corporation and school in a Christ-centered fashion. The current Board is made up of Leaders and Members from the Village Seven Presbyterian Church (one of ECA’s Founding Churches) and “At-Large” Members from some of the other churches represented by students at ECA. The Superintendent serves as an ex-officio member of the Board. The Board meets monthly and as needed to provide policy guidance and resource development for ECA. It is the ECA Board who has the ultimate human fiduciary responsibility for the school, under the guiding hand of God.
Denny Carew – Denny has been on the ECA Board for the past three years and is currently the President. He and his wife Cheryl are charter members of Village Seven Presbyterian Church where Denny is currently an elder and elementary Sunday School teacher. For most of his working life, Denny served as a human resources administrator. He and Cheryl had their children educated in Christian Schools where she served as a Kindergarten teacher for many years. His life experiences have equipped him well to lead ECA’s Board. He has enjoyed cold weather and skiing since his youthful days in upstate New York. Denny wants ECA to be an added blessing to families who are committed to raising their children in God’s ways at home and in church.
John McKeever – John joined the ECA Board for the second time in the Fall of 2015 and assists with the Marketing and Finance Committees. He previously served on the ECA Board during 2003-2006. John serves as a Ruling Elder at Village Seven Presbyterian Church and also serves with the Village Seven Presbyterian Youth Ministry. He currently serves as a Director of CRM/Business Intelligence at a large non-profit in the Colorado Springs area where he has been employed for the last 18 years. He has also served in the past as Treasurer for a State Legislator/Senator. John also enjoys one-on-discipleship, reading, golfing, being walked by his Bernese Mountain Dog and Golden Retriever and spending time with his family.
Jesse Smith – Jesse is a Special Education Teacher at Sierra High School. God has blessed Jesse and his wife Cathy with 3 kids. Jesse is an elder at Trinity Covenant Reformed Church, an ECA church sponsor. He is eager to serve families seeking a Christian Education for their children. “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.” Proverbs 16:3
Chris Bunker – Chris graduated from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs with a BS in Electrical Engineering. He began his career at Hewlett Packard/Agilent Technologies. After 12 years, he transitioned to work in the satellite communications industry, where he has been for the past 7 years. He is currently working as software team lead on a satellite geolocation product. He is married to Molly and they have five children, all of whom attend ECA. He enjoys reading and running.
DJ DeJong – DJ and Diane are parents of three children who are students at ECA. They are grateful for their growth through the nurturing of the ECA teachers, staff, administration and community. The DeJong’s are members of Village Seven Presbyterian Church, where DJ serves as a ruling elder. Vocationally, he is an airline pilot and has served in the roles of first officer, captain, and instructor. Dordt College is DJ’s beloved alma mater, where he graduated as an education major. Go Defenders! The Lord has worked through Christian education in his life, and it is his prayer that the Lord will continue to grow and utilize the Christian and classical education of ECA and Collegium.
Leonard Faimon – Leonard has been an ECA Board member since 2010. He is the grandparent of 6 students at ECA (3 elementary, 3 secondary). The Faimons are members of Village Seven Presbyterian Church. Leonard has been a deacon at V7PC since 1999. After working at Focus on the Family for 8 years, Leonard has been at Compassion International as a Strategic Sourcing Consultant for the last 4 years. Leonard enjoys photography, sports, and landscaping.
Randy Thompson – Randy and his wife Lanie have lived in Colorado Springs since 1999, when the Air Force brought them here. Randy retired from the Air Force in 2006 and he now works as a defense contractor. Randy and Lanie have eight children, four biological and four adopted. Two of their children attend the ECA Collegium Study Center. Randy is a member of Village Seven Presbyterian Church and is a ruling elder.
Susan Foth – Susan and her family have been with the ECA community since January 2014, and continue to be blessed by its sense of peace, unity, and commitment to Biblical values. Michael, their only child, is in middle school and is flourishing in the small, intimate environment that is so conducive to positive, productive interactions with friends and teachers. For over twenty years, Susan has been working in the field of Human Resources as a Compensation Specialist. She began my career as an employee embedded in organizations. Since 2001, Susan has worked as an independent consultant on projects for various for-profit and not-for-profit entities around the state. Susan and her husband, Bob, and recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. Bob coaches the National Paralympic shooting team, yet finds time to be a great husband and father! As a family, the Foths thank God daily for ECA and its positive impact on and investment in their son’s life! Susan considers serving on the Board to be a great honor, a responsibility she takes very seriously.
Tresa Flanegin – Tresa is married to Rob Flanegin and their youngest daughter is an ECA junior that came to the school in her 8th grade year. Tresa is a math major from the University of North Carolina Charlotte. After teaching for a couple of years, Tresa became a computer programmer and database administrator. She worked for Lockheed Space under the US Air Force in satellite operations, consulted and owned her own business for a number of years and was last employed by the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria. After having her second child, Tresa has been a stay at home mom and substitute teaches in D20 middle and high schools. Her husband Rob, works for Compassion International and the Flanegins have five children. The Flanegin family have called Woodmen Valley Chapel their church home since moving to Colorado Springs in 1999.
ECA Superintendent Jim Johnson
ECA Superintendent – Dr. Jim Johnson is the Superintendent of Evangelical Christian Academy. He holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from New Geneva Theological Seminary and a Master’s in Business Administration. Dr. Johnson brings experience from the fields of university and seminary education, the pastorate, public and private-Christian education, as he leads the administrators, faculty and staff of ECA. He prays that the nurture and growth of students will yield graduates who are well-grounded in their faith and fully-equipped for the challenges of spiritual involvement, family responsibility, college achievement and success in their chosen career.
