Teachers & Staff
Our Teachers & Staff
We believe the Bible alone to be the word of God, the ultimate and infallible authority for faith and practice.
Mr. Brian Turner
Headmaster
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 school with a devoted staff at its core. 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. Our school endeavors to develop wisdom and to train the affections. And we have fun doing it!” Mr. Turner and his family attend Covenant Grace Presbyterian Church in Roseburg.
Dr. David Kester
Academic Dean
David Kester earned his undergraduate degree in Christian Philosophy from Liberty University, where he enjoyed competitive intercollegiate debate. After graduation, he worked for a year as the LU Assistant Debate Coach and then happily married his debate coach. The newlyweds moved to Charlottesville to attend University of Virginia, 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 conservative 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 the Commercial Services Coordinator for Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, and a Commissioned Ruling Elder at a small Presbyterian 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. He enjoys reading and listening to music. David and Janet both regularly attend Covenant Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church, in Roseburg.
Mrs. Sloane Winder
K4 Teacher
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.
Mr. Joel Bone
2nd Grade Aide
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!
Miss Michelle Holcomb
4th Grade Teacher
Miss Michelle Holcomb teaches fourth grade at Geneva. She has previously taught kindergarten and first grades here.
Miss Holcomb’s own childhood education began on a fourth-generation family farm in northern Douglas County where she and her sisters were homeschooled. She graduated from Umpqua Community College and Oregon State University, and later attended Frontier School of the Bible in Wyoming, a life-changing experience.
She has worked with children in community activities involving agriculture, music, and historical drama, and served young and old alike in overseas mission work and through many church ministries. Other enjoyable activities of hers include worshipping through music, writing, hiking and distance running, studying the Bible, and homemaking. She is active in Sutherlin Family Church and Elkton Bible Baptist Church. Some favorite Scriptures are Job 23:10-12, Psalm 18 and 27, and Romans 8. She especially loves the hymns “How Great Thou Art,” “Abide With Me,” and “It is Well With My Soul.”
Teaching at Geneva has given Miss Holcomb immense joy in watching her students grow in their love of learning about creation, and ultimately, their love for their Creator. She is passionate about discipling young ones to not only grow in their own faith and to see everything in their world through the Lord’s eyes, but also to see themselves as “kingdom builders” for His purposes, living lives that cause lost souls to thirst more for Him and which cultivate greater worship within the Body of believers.
Mrs. Deborah Lanterman
6th Grade Teacher
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.
Mr. Kevin Figueroa
Secondary Math & Science Teacher
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.”
Mrs. Amanda Kirkman
Art & Aesthetics Teacher, Family Connections Coordinator
Mrs. Amanda Kirkman teaches Art to grades 3-12 and Aesthetics in the secondary grades. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stout earning two bachelor’s degrees in Art Education and Studio Art. Besides teaching at Geneva, she has prior teaching experience in Racine, WI, and Camas Valley, OR. What Amanda loves about teaching at Geneva is the privilege to disciple her students in their walk with the Lord while cultivating the affections to recognize truth, goodness, and beauty through observing and creating artwork as a reflection of our creator God. Amanda is married to Darin, the senior pastor at New Hope Evangelical Free Church and they have a son. Together, the Kirkmans enjoy running, outdoor recreation, and gardening.
Mrs. Olinda Sherman
Secondary Spanish Teacher
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.
Pastor Dan Sieker
Secondary Bible and Latin Teacher
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.”
Mr. Luke Suhr
Secondary Math & Science Teacher
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.
Mrs. Pamela Warren
Secondary Math, Logic, and Composition Teacher
Mrs. Pamela Warren received her Bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Corban University in 2012, and has been teaching at Geneva since 2013. She currently teaches secondary math, writing, and rhetoric. She loves working at Geneva because all subjects are joyously subjected to the Word of God and the light of Christ. She also treasures the daily opportunity to sing hymns with a community of believers! She and her husband and three children attend Covenant Grace church.
Mr. Daniel Ritchey
Secondary Humanities Teacher
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.
Mrs. Kori Shellard
Office Manager & Registrar
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.
Board Members
Dr. James M. Yun, Chairman
Board Chair, founding member
Type of work: Ear, Nose and Throat doctor
Church: Covenant Grace Orthodox Presbyterian church
Geneva founder, parent of 5 students since 2007
Dr. Linda Sewell, Co-Chair
Board Vice Chair
Type of Work: Physician
Church: Covenant Life Fellowship
Parent of Geneva graduate in class of 2022, supporter of Geneva from the beginning of the school.
Mrs. Colleen Kroeker
Board Member
Type of Work: Agricultural business owner, retired Air Force officer
Church: Covenant Grace Church
Geneva parent since 2018
Mr. Dave Forgard
Board Member
Type of Work: Retired from Sims Electric of Roseburg in 2020
Church: Covenant Life Fellowship
Mr. Forgard has been a firm supporter of the mission, vision, and values of Geneva Academy since its founding and has served on the Board since 2015.
Mr. John Lynn
Board Member
Retired.
Human Resource Leadership Positions In Hospitals and Universities
Church: Redeemers Church
Geneva grandparent since 2009
Mrs. Carly Mauch
Secretary
Type of Work: Physician Assistant
Church: Covenant Life Fellowship in Roseburg
Geneva parent since 2015
Mr. Trevor Mauch
Board Member
Position: Board Member
Type of Work: Entrepreneur – Owner of local software company Carrot and real estate investor.
Church: Covenant Life Fellowship
Geneva parent since 2015
"Each student is seen as a child of God who is created in His image with unique abilities in need of nurturing and encouragement."
Announcements & Events
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