Administration
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Mr. Brian Turner
Brian Turner joined the school in 2009 as an interim teacher and Director. At that time there were only 27 students. He has served as Headmaster since 2011.
After earning a B.S. in Economics at Lehigh University, Mr. Turner worked at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. He later earned a Masters in American History from Boston University. In Oregon, he worked at Roseburg Forest Products and Umpqua Bank before taking over a Director’s position at Umpqua Community College. As a Dean at UCC, Mr. Turner oversaw a complex division that served students in many communities and prepared thousands of students for college level work. While there he earned Leader of the Year award from the Oregon Council of Adult Basic Skills Directors and other State honors.
Mr. Turner has successfully guided Geneva in developing a full K-12 classical Christian curriculum and a devoted staff to teach it. There were seven full and part time teachers when he began; there are currently over 20. In addition to administrative duties, Mr. Turner teaches Aesthetics to high school students and art to 3rd-6th graders. Both of his sons graduated from Geneva and one of his daughters will be teaching Grammar level music this year. Mr. Turner says of classical Christian education, "I've seen no better help to parents in fulfilling their obligations to train up children in the Lord. Proverbs says, 'Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.' Our school endeavors to develop wisdom and to train the affections. And we have fun doing it!"
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Dr. David Kester
David Kester earned his undergraduate degree in Christian Philosophy from Liberty University, where he enjoyed intercollegiate debate. After graduation, he worked for a year as the LU Assistant Debate Coach and then married his lovely wife Janet. The newlyweds moved to Charlottesville where David earned his master’s degree in Rhetoric and Communication Studies while working in a grocery store at night. After having three boys, David began to consider how they should be educated, and he became committed to the classical Christian educational model. David returned to the University of Virginia and completed a Ph.D. in Philosophy of Education, where he was also the Bache Renshaw Fellow for the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.
David and Janet taught at a classical Christian school in Southwest Virginia, and also worked in Adult Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia. David was a Commissioned Ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church, and served at a small church in Pulaski, Virginia until being called to serve as Assistant Administrator at Good Shepherd School in Tyler, Texas. While at Good Shepherd, David helped develop the standards for accreditation for the Anglican School Association, taught classes as needed, and earned a master’s degree in Theological Studies at Cranmer Theological House in Dallas. He has been part of the faculty since the 2019-2020 school year.
Faculty & Teaching Staff
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Mrs. Sloane Winder
Mrs. Sloane Winder moved to Roseburg as a child, fell in love with Jesus, and graduated from RHS in 2008. She grew up as a pastor's kid at Gateway Faith Center and has often worked in the church nursery because she loves working with kids. Most recently she's been working as a teachers aide over at Little Wellspring daycare in the two-year-old class.
Sloane met her husband Brady in Spokane, WA. He is from a military family and moved around a lot (mostly big cities) and brought him back here to her small town and he fell in love with this community! Brady and Sloane have a 6-year-old boy that started kindergarten at Geneva last year and we just fell in love with this school and the staff members. She loves teaching, nurturing, and empowering kids to use their imagination.
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Mrs. Kellie Fusco
Mrs. Kellie Fusco moved to Roseburg at a young age and graduated from Roseburg High School in 1998. She earned an Associate Degree in Elementary Education from Umpqua Community College in 2002. The Lord directed her paths, leading her to various experiences in teaching children even as young as infants. After college she worked at the Roseburg High School Childcare Center where she earned the title of Assistant Director. She later taught preschool at St. Paul Lutheran School for three years. Along with her other jobs, Mrs. Fusco taught young children at the YMCA for almost 15 years and, prior to this year, homeschooled her children. She oversees the nursery at Roseburg Christian Fellowship where she and her family have attended church for many years.
Mrs. Fusco feels God has been leading her and her family to Geneva, and she is delighted to be a part of what He is doing. She is married to Jeff and they have 5 children, ages 4 to 17. She is blessed to become a part of the Geneva family and teach the youngest students. More than anything, she wants to bless her kindergarteners and show them Jesus’ love.
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Mrs. Susan Lantz
Kindergarten Aide
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Mrs. Gerri Duclos
1st Grade
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Mrs. Aleanna Sorensen
Aleanna Sorensen is Geneva Academy’s second grade teacher. She was born in Roseburg, Oregon but moved frequently growing up. She studied Elementary Education at the College of Southern Maryland, earning an associates degree. Mrs. Sorensen received classical Christian education training at Geneva Academy upon arriving from Mountain Home, Idaho. Prior to joining our school, she was active on the board of a military women’s faith group called Protestant Women of the Chapel. Her past experience includes work as an Assistant Director of a daycare, and various duties for a Native American Law Firm near Washington D.C. Mrs. Sorensen is a dedicated wife to Perry Sorensen and a mother of two. Mrs. Sorensen loves being in the classroom teaching children about the love and glory of our heavenly Father. She is compassionate, enthusiastic, and eager to instruct the children in the fundamentals of reading, math, science, and history from a Biblical worldview.
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Miss Allison Paschall
Bio coming soon...
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Mr. Joel Bone
Mr. Bone has been a Volunteer Teacher Aide since 2010, working alongside Mrs. Aleanna Sorensen since her first year of teaching. He is a blessing to our school family!
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Miss Mikenna Fusco
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Miss Michelle Holcomb
Miss Holcomb returned to Geneva Academy for the 2020-21 schoolyear to teach last year's first grade after spending the last two years at Bible College. She taught our Kindergarten class the previous three years. We are delighted she will be teaching 4th Grade for the 2021-2022 schoolyear. She is a wonderful, godly, nurturing young woman who will delight your children with the joy of the Lord and the wonder of his world.
Her complete bio will be posted soon.
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Mrs. Deborah Lanterman
Deborah Lanterman earned her teaching credentials in California at Sonoma State University in 2010 and is a double major: History and Spanish. Her Seminar History paper was accepted for publication by In Retrospect, a prize winning scholarly publication of the Sonoma State University Department of History. She also has her Oregon Teaching License and has taken additional classes to increase her abilities in teaching English and Language Arts. Mrs. Lanterman’s favorite aspects of teaching are the interaction and discussions she has with her students and “seeing their faces light up when they recognize that they are able to understand difficult concepts”. She is thrilled to be teaching at a classical school and particularly enjoys Geneva Academy because the students are kind to each other and respectful to the teachers. Mrs. Lanterman has been married for 31 years and has two grown boys and two grandchildren.
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Mrs. Pamela Warren
Pamela grew up in the quaint town of Silverton, Oregon, where she attended a small Christian school with her four siblings. In high school, her family moved to Roseburg, and despite the initial shock of transitioning from a school of 65 to a school of nearly 2400, she graduated in 2006. Over the course of the next several years, the merciful hand of God worked mightily in her life, giving her a son (Eli, now in first grade at Geneva), sustaining her through her studies at Corban University (B. A. mathematics), and eventually leading her here to land her dream job at Geneva Academy. She is now happily married to the best husband ever, Charles, and has two wonderful stepchildren, Faith (2nd grade at Geneva) and Hayden (1st grade at Geneva). Her mission in life is to expose the lies that are so pervasive in our culture, and to shine the light of God’s truth in to the lives of young people.
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Mr. Isaac Hallgrimson
Mr. Hallgrimson studied Jewish History, Biblical Hebrew, and Philosophy at the University of Oregon with aims at teaching Christian Apologetics. Over the course of his academic career, God opened his eyes to the reality of the power of God’s Word in and of itself. This convinced him that no matter how many logically sound arguments are presented to the unbelieving, it takes nothing short of a miraculous change of the heart in order to savor the goodness of God. Upon reaching this conclusion, Mr. Hallgrimson spent the remainder of the latter half of his college career as an Assistant Pastor and Sunday school teacher at a small church in Eugene, Oregon. In God’s gracious and merciful providence, He brought Mr. Hallgrimson and his family back to his home community of Douglas County, to display the glory and majesty of Christ in teaching Omnibus, Rhetoric, and English at Geneva Academy.
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Mr. Daniel Ritchey
Daniel Ritchey grew up in Douglas County before enlisting in the Air Force, where he worked on the electronic instrument systems of fighter aircraft. After his service he worked as the Center Standards Officer at the Wolf Creek Job Corps before pursuing a career in federal law enforcement. For the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Mr. Ritchey investigated allegations of misconduct for cases of interest to the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s office, briefing officials, handling a diverse case load, and preparing cases for trial. An avid reader and naturally gifted instructor, Mr. Ritchey honed his teaching talents on attorneys, investigators, and various agency officials. Now retired from labor management relations, he delights in sharpening the Geneva Omnibus students with Socratic exchanges and real world, worldview experiences. To relax, Mr. Ritchey runs marathons and climbs mountains… often instructing and guiding small groups of both novice and experienced climbers. He is married, has three grown children (one of whom, Mrs. Sorensen, teaches 2nd grade) and a growing group of grandchildren.
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Mr. Kevin Figueroa
Kevin Figueroa spent most of his formative years attending Saint Cyril and Methodius Catholic School in Brooklyn, NY. After his family relocated to California, he met and married his childhood sweetheart Tammy (married 31 years). He acquired his first degree from Palomar College, in Electronics Technology, in 1982. He worked for Sony Corporation and then The Computerized Cobbler in Escondido, where he expanded his skills to become the head shoe repairman in charge of training and the weekend manager. In 1991 he and his wife moved their family to Oregon, where his desire for higher education intensified. While attending Umpqua Community College, he was Vice President of Phi Theta Kappa and President of the Vocational Club of America. He was honored by being published in The National Dean’s List in 1996 and the only one in his class to receive the Automotive Service Excellence Master Mechanic classification. He earned an AAS in Auto Technology and an AAS in General Studies in 1998 from UCC.
Mr. Figueroa’s drive for knowledge did not diminish, and when his daughter and son were attending Umpqua Community College, he, too, decided to return part time. As a student he also worked for UCC as a tutor, assisting others in all levels of mathematics. He worked with his advisor and the instructors to develop ways of presenting different mathematical approaches. He also earned an Associate of Arts and an Associate of General Studies in 2011 from UCC. He then became a student at the University of Oregon, where he is nearing the completion of a Bachelor of Arts in both Mathematics and Sociology. He finds working for Geneva Academy a blessing. Surrounded by others with a deep desire to teach with a guiding approach, he is both inspired and challenged. He believes that teaching is more than instructing, “It is the awakening of a student’s mind thru the Lord, history and the wondrous beauty of mathematics.”
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Mr. Luke Suhr
Luke Suhr grew up on a farm in southern Idaho where his family raised wheat, barley and sugar beets. He spent these years driving tractors, riding ATVs, shooting guns and listening to Weird Al Yankovic. After high school he earned a B.S. in electrical engineering from Idaho State University, and then a M.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Arizona.
After college, he spent two years in Guyana teaching math and physics as a Peace Corps volunteer. From there he worked as a research associate at an energy efficiency consulting firm in Sacramento, and then as an English teacher in Daegu, South Korea.
Upon returning to the States, Luke moved to Oregon where he earned a M.Ed. at Portland State University. It was during this time that he met his wife, Shannon. From there he worked at Canyonville Academy as the advanced math and physics teacher. During that time, he drew upon his engineering background to enrich his classes with activities and demonstrations, and was awarded Teacher of the Year in his second year.
After five great years at Canyonville Academy, Luke and Shannon felt led by God to move on to something different. Luke then spent a year working as an engineer at Romtec Utilities, followed by a year teaching algebra at Hidden Valley High School in Grants Pass.
This will be Luke’s first year teaching math and physics and Geneva Academy. As a math and science teacher, his goal is to encourage students to understand God’s creation and the structure it contains.
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Mrs. Olinda Sherman
Mrs. Sherman moved to Roseburg over 20 years ago. She has a bachelor of arts in Spanish from the Universidad de Guadalajara in Mexico and an associates degree from Kwatlen College in Canada. Her additional training includes certificates of Spanish proficiency and Language International from the Bridge Institute in Denver, CO as well as a certificate of educator from ACSI in Colorado Springs, CO. Mrs. Sherman has more than 25 years of experience as a foreign language instructor. She taught at Umpqua Valley Christian School for sixteen years and Emerald Academy for two years. Currently Mrs. Sherman is an adult instructor at Umpqua Community College. This is her third year teaching at Geneva Academy.
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Pastor Dan Sieker
Pastor Dan Sieker received a B.A. in Music Education and a Master’s Degree in Music Performance from Arizona State University. After graduation, he married Cheryl Collins and was a musician for the U.S. Army Field Band. He traveled all over the world playing his clarinet. He returned to Arizona, teaching instrumental music and ministering to young married couples. Later he earned a Master’s of Divinity from Talbot Theological Seminary. He worked as a church planter and pastor in California and Washington before coming to Roseburg. He pastored the North Roseburg Evangelical Free Church for 26 ½ years and retired in February of 2015.
Pastor Sieker and his late wife, Cheryl, are founding members of Geneva Academy. Pastor Sieker has served for many years on the Geneva Board, two years as the Board Chair. He started Geneva’s Latin program and taught the grammar level classes for many years. After a break from teaching to care for his wife, he is again teaching Latin to grammar and upper-grade students. Pastor Sieker oversees Geneva’s music program and is planning the future expansion of musical instruction and events. Additionally, he will teach Rhetoric IV to seniors and help guide them through their capstone projects. Pastor Sieker states “Classical education connects all subject matter together so that a large picture of life is built into the students. When every subject is a part of the whole, God is shown to be the creator of all truth, whether it is church history or math. As a student is biblically educated, he can view the creation to be, as Calvin said, the gallery of God’s creative mind, and He gets all the glory.”
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Mrs. Amanda Kirkman
Mrs. Amanda Kirkman was born and raised in the upper Midwest. Being the daughter of an art teacher, her love for creating art was fostered from the very beginning, and she always knew that she wanted to be an artist. After graduating high school in Minnesota, she attended the University of Wisconsin-Stout, earning two Bachelor’s degrees in Art Education and Studio Art. After marrying her husband Darin, they moved to Chicago where Darin began his seminary studies. Meanwhile, Mrs. Kirkman taught middle school art in a urban school district of Wisconsin for 3 years. After her husband’s graduation they answered the call to pastoral ministry and moved to Oregon to serve at New Hope Evangelical Free Church (in Green) where her husband is the senior pastor and also serves as a chaplain in the Army Reserve at Camp Withycombe (Portland area). Mrs. Kirkman is passionate about the visual arts and the important role they play in communicating truth, beauty, and goodness to reflect our Creator God. Mrs. Kirkman says “there is nothing more rewarding than watching student enthusiasm as they engage with a challenging project or new art medium and beam with pride when they look upon their artwork with satisfaction.” In her spare time, you will find Mrs. Kirkman painting, drawing, trail running or hiking.
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Mrs. DeAnna Ritchey
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Mrs. Allison Harmon
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Miss Cynthia Turner
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Mrs. Shayla Kirkendall
Lower School PE
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Mrs. Carmelle Coriaty
Bio coming soon...
Staff
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Mrs. Kori Shellard
Mrs. Shellard was born in Roseburg, Oregon, and raised Douglas County. After spending a few years in the US Army, she lived in various locations and then returned to Roseburg in 2005. That same year she met her late husband and also started attending classes at Umpqua Community College. In 2007 she had her first child and also started working for Douglas County, where she worked until 2013. Mrs. Shellard initially had her son in public school, but through her search for an education that put God at the center of all learning, God led her family to Geneva Academy in 2013. After a year of praying that suitable employment would become available at Geneva, Mrs. Shellard was hired as office manager during the summer of 2014. Both of her children now attend Geneva Academy. Mrs. Shellard is a passionate advocate of classical Christian education and her love for Geneva is evident through the many volunteer positions she occupies at the school. Mrs. Shellard likes to point out that she isn’t part of the school because she works there, but rather, she is part of Geneva because she loves the school.
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Mrs. Julie Green