ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM
Kim DeLeon
Head of School
Joshua Snyder
High School Principal
Ann Bell
K-8 Principal
Sierra Santel
Preschool Director
SCHOOL BOARD
Jenna Kearns
Board Chair
After taking a year off, Jenna returned to service on the NCS School Board in November 2024 to serve as the Board Chair. She previously served two consecutive terms on the board from 2017-2023, serving five of those years as the board chair and one as the vice-chair. Jenna graduated from Southern Nazarene University with a BS in Business Administration and received her MBA from Mid-America Nazarene University. She and her husband, Troy, own Espresso Products Direct and Jenna Kearns Photography. Together, Troy and Jenna have three boys: Spencer, Josh, who just graduated from NCHS in 2021 and is now attending Grand Canyon University, and their youngest son, Jacob, who is currently a freshman at NCHS. Jenna also served on the Board of Trustees at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho from 2017-2023, and she worked as a consultant for Sprint Communications for 17 years. Jenna is passionate about Northwest Christian Schools and believes in our mission. She has a strong desire to help safeguard the future of our school so that it will remain a place where students grow academically, socially, and spiritually, allowing each student to be grounded in God’s word and equipped to be a Christian leader in our world.
Sam Christensen
Vice Chair
Sam is serving as Vice Chair this year and has served on the NCS School Board since February of 2020. He is the Lead Pastor at Calvary Chapel North Thurston, which meets on the campus of Northwest Christian Schools of Lacey. Sam and his wife, Gretchen, have four young children: Carter, John, Sophia, and William. Sam grew up in the Olympia area and was blessed to be raised in a Christian home. He put his faith in Christ at a young age and continues to grow in learning the fullness of His goodness and grace. After completing community college and Bible college, he worked as a middle school pastor locally for twelve and a half years. In 2014, he was instrumental in planting the new church, Calvary Chapel North Thurston, where he now serves as the lead pastor. Sam is grateful for the opportunity his church has been given to rent space from our school, and he wants to serve our school in whatever way is helpful.
Kathi Dunning
Secretary
Kathi, who is serving as Secretary this year, joined the NCS School Board in September of 2021. Kathi received her bachelor’s degree in health & wellness from the University of Puget Sound, an associate degree in nursing from Shoreline College, and a Graduate Certificate in Biblical Studies from Multnomah University. Kathi and her family have actively attended Calvary Chapel of Olympia since 2002. She has been married to Bill for thirty-one years, and together they have enjoyed raising six children (two of whom attended NCHS) and are thrilled to now be grandparents! After homeschooling for eighteen years, Kathi worked part-time as a nurse. Her favorite activities are exploring the great outdoors with her family and friends and reading a good book with a strong cup of coffee. Kathi looks forward to continuing her work on the NCS Board to uphold the mission and vision of NCS.
Grace Bragg
Member
Grace joined the NCS School Board in November of 2022. She has been a public-school teacher for sixteen years where she has taught second grade and math and reading intervention. Grace is passionate about education and instructional strategies. She grew up in Orange County (CA) and attended Westmont and Wheaton College for her bachelor’s and teaching credentials. She earned her master’s degree at National University in San Diego. In 2011 and 2021, she received her Board Certification for teaching in early elementary education. Grace and her husband live in Lacey with their daughter and their pet cat. She looks forward to continuing to serve and support NCS as a board member in any way she can.
Ryan Green
Member
Ryan has served on the NCS School Board since November of 2022. He is the Assistant Chief of Law Enforcement with WA State Parks and manages the agency’s Law Enforcement Training and Professional Standards Programs. He routinely provides law enforcement training and consulting services to government agencies in both Washington and Idaho.
Ryan graduated from Wheaton College with a B.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies. He and his wife, Sarah, have three children, Abigail, Analiese, and Sophie. Sarah homeschooled Abigail through high school, and she is currently a student at Bethel University. Analiese and Sophia were also homeschooled until they enrolled at NCS where they are current students.
Ryan and Sarah have a passion for Christian Education and desire to support NCS in ways that assist teachers and staff instill worldview in children with Jesus at the center where His Lordship is recognized in all areas of life. In his personal time, Ryan enjoys hiking, mountaineering, skiing, and worshipping Jesus with the body of Christ.
Mary Tipps Smith
Member
Mary joined the NCS School Board in January of 2024. She has served as the Executive Director of Options Pregnancy Clinic since 2019. Mary’s professional background is in nonprofit leadership and state government, with time spent as a clinical educator specializing in maternal-infant health. She has taught in two hospital systems and was a volunteer teacher in a teen parent program in the San Diego Unified School District.
Mary has an MBA from Louisiana State University, and a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from Penn State University. She is certified in public health through the National Board of Public Health Examiners. Additionally, she has certifications as a perinatal educator and as a lactation educator from the University of California, San Diego.
Mary and her husband, Tony, have seen God use education powerfully in their lives. Mary is excited to serve on the board of NCS, to help children and families experience the blessings that come when God’s hand moves through good teachers and programs. Mary and Tony are the parents of five children and are part of South Sound Church of the Nazarene.
Anson Statema
Member
Anson Statema joined the school board in October of 2024. Born and raised in Washington state, he grew up in a Christian home and was blessed to attend Seattle Christian Schools from kindergarten through graduating high school. While continuing to learn the reality of walking with Jesus day by day, he met and married his wife Michelle while completing Big Bend Community College’s flight program in Moses Lake. He worked as a professional flight instructor in Pasco for several years before joining the Washington State Patrol as a Trooper in 2006 and being stationed in Marysville. He currently serves as one of the senior command pilots for the State Patrol Aviation unit, and has been in that position since 2016. He is also the Public Information Officer for that unit.
His son Carter graduated from NCHS in 2024, and daughter Brooke is currently attending NCHS. Having experienced the benefits of Christian schools as both a student and a parent, he is a firm supporter of a Christian foundation in education. He has a desire to serve the school’s teachers and staff as they seek to educate the students both academically and spiritually, and to ensure the school continues to be a blessing to the community in the future.