Workshop Speakers

We are pleased to welcome the following speakers to the 2013 CHEO convention.

Dr. James Stobaugh

Dr. James Stobaugh was a Merrill Fellow at Harvard University, has a B.A. from Vanderbilt, and M.A. from Rutgers, an M. Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a D. Min. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He is a certified SAT and ACT grader, the founder of For Such a Time as This ministry, and a homeschool father.

 

 

Gary Reese

Gary rededicated his life to Christ at the age of 17 during a three week crusade at the Elida football stadium.  He immediately responded to God’s call to full-time service.   He fulfills that call both in the church and in the   marketplace.  He has been an evangelist, pastor, and missionary over the years and since 1987 has also been an Investment Adviser Representative in the securities industry.  He started his own firm, Faith Investment Services, in 2003 to help people align their investments with their values. Currently, Gary is a governing elder at Cable Road Alliance Church and serves on the Benefits Board of the CMA denomination, based in Colorado Springs, CO.  He is involved in teaching and is gifted in mentoring and coaching.  He is an accomplished speaker with international experience.  He is an alumni of The American College, has a BA from Ohio State/Asbury College, has an MA from Asbury Theological Seminary, and has a PhD in progress in Conflict Resolution.

 

Dr. Karen Holinga

Dr. Karen Holinga is a Reading Specialist and has a doctorate from The Ohio State University in Developmental Reading, Curriculum, and Professional Development. She currently owns and operates her own business called The Reading Doctor, Inc. where she works full time tutoring children with reading disabilities and counseling homeschool families in curriculum development.

Karen successfully homeschooled her own three children for twelve years and has been doing Narrative Assessments since 1992. After struggling to teach one of her own children to read, Karen determined that she was going to help others with the same problem. Now she does over 700 assessments each year, focusing primarily on solving reading problems among homeschoolers. In August of 2003, and again in 2005, Karen was featured for a week on the www.homeschoolheartbeat.com radio program with Attorney Michael Farris of the Home School Legal Defense Association.

Dr. Holinga has taught classes at Ohio Wesleyan University and at The University of Dayton. She is frequently invited to do workshops and seminars throughout Ohio. Dr. Karen has also done many workshops at the state Christian Home Educators of Ohio convention in Columbus.

 

Sara Rask

Sara comes to us with a foreign language background. She taught high school French in Peoria and Decatur, Illinois, including the International Baccalaureate and AP programs. Her experience in the public school system has been useful to our homeschoolers at times. She is quite interested in helping homeschoolers incorporate foreign language at all age levels. Sara is very creative and has a knack for coming up with creative teaching ideas for parents. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University in French and Secondary Education and a Master’s Degree from St. Xavier University of Chicago in Curriculum. Working at Rainbow Resource Center has opened up a different side of education for Sara and she finds the world of homeschooling fascinating. As mother of two teenage sons, Nick and Adam, Sara and her husband Jake are always having adventures in traveling, fishing, and boating.

 

Mike Donnelly

Mike serves the Home School Legal Defense Association as director of international affairs and as staff attorney for member affairs in the states of Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ohio, West Virginia, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia. As director of international affairs he coordinates HSLDA’s support of homeschooling freedom all over the world. Mike is also an adjunct professor of government at Patrick Henry College where he teaches constitutional law. He received a juris doctorate from the Boston University School of Law with honors as a Paul J. Liacos Scholar. He is a member of the bars of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, West Virginia, the District of Columbia, and the United States Supreme Court. Mike is licensed in the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and West Virginia.

Mike’s previous experience includes combat service during the first Persian Gulf War as a United States Army cavalry officer, private legal practice and the founding of a nationally ranked internet marketing firm. Mike is an internationally published writer and frequent conference and media spokesperson on the subjects of homeschooling, educational freedom, parental and human rights. His most recent publications include the first-ever chapter on homeschooling included in the four-volume global education policy series Balancing Freedom, Autonomy, and Accountability in Education, Religious Freedom in Education, appearing in the International Journal of Religious Freedom and Creature of the State, appearing in Homeschooling in America and Europe: A Litmus Test of Democracy. He and his wife homeschool their seven children.

 

Dr. Patrick Johnston

Patrick Johnston is a family practice physician, a husband and father of eight children. He is the director of Personhood Ohio, which is gathering signatures to end all abortion statewide through ballot initiative (PersonhoodOhio.com). He founded and directs the Association of Pro-Life Physicians, which is restoring a Hippocratic remnant of physicians in our communities who will not commit abortions nor refer for abortions (ProLifePhysicians.org). He is an author who has written six novels, teaching the Christian worldview through exciting fiction (RevoltTrilogy.com). He founded and directs the Alliance to Reform Education Funding to privatize public education, letting parents control the cost and direct the curricula of their own children’s education (StopSchoolLevies.org). He envisions a revival in God’s church, spiritual awakening in our land, and the restoration of godly government in our nation.

 

Kathie Morrissey

Kathie Morrissey, the mother of eight children, is a committed homeschooling mom of 28 years. Kathie is the founder of the Character Corner/Courtship Connection, as well as a popular speaker at homeschool conventions and support groups, family seminars, and mother/daughter banquets. She loves to write about parenting, homeschooling, and life in general at her Courtship Connection blog. Her heart’s desire is to help and encourage parents in raising Godly children with strong Christian character. Her seven oldest have graduated from their homeschool, and she continues to teach her youngest son.

 

Jonathan Brush

Jonathan is a homeschool graduate and a homeschool dad. From being one of the first two homeschool students admitted to the college he attended (he married the other one), to now homeschooling his own children, Jonathan’s homeschool experience has mirrored the birth and growth of the modern homeschooling movement.

After college Jonathan worked for almost eleven years in higher education admissions, including nine years as a Director of Admissions for a private, liberal arts college. He now serves as a Regional Admissions Director for CollegePlus, an innovative educational system founded with the mission of transforming higher education, and he gets to work with homeschool families and students across the country.

Jonathan has a passion for helping students and families recognize and use their God-given gifts and abilities, and encouraging them to find and follow their unique purpose and calling.

Jonathan lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with his wife Kara, and their five children.

 

Melanie Elsey

Melanie Elsey has a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education and a Bachelor of Science degree in special education. After serving as a learning disabilities teacher in Ohio’s public school system, she stepped out the classroom to fulltime responsibilities at home. She and her husband, John, home educated their three children (K-12) and are now enjoying grandparenthood. Melanie has served as CHEO’s legislative liaison since 1994. In this capacity she provides analysis of pending legislation and potential changes in policy that would have an impact on home educating families. She and John currently serve on CHEO’s Board of Directors.

 

Diane Monreal

Diane has been home educating her three children using a relaxed method for the past 20 years. Her oldest daughter and son are currently attending college while their youngest son is home finishing high school. In Diane’s spare time she helps many homeschool families with their evaluations and home education planning. Diane and her family live in Lake County.

 

Donnie Rosie

Donnie Rosie has been an entrepreneur and marketer from his youth.  For the past ten years he has been marketing national events, producing media products, speaking, and helping businesses and organizations grow. He has a degree in Business from Edinboro Univ. of Pennsylvania and now serves at Miracle Mountain Ranch as the Marketing Director.  Marketing and Media have become his trade and sharing this with other is his goal. Donnie also runs a part-time small business, Rosie Marketing, and shares ideas on his blog at www.rosiemarketing.com. He is married to his awesome wife Tonya and they have two sons.

 

Steve Demme

Steve and his wife Sandra have been married for 32 years. They have been blessed with four sons: Isaac, 32; Ethan, 30; Joseph, 27; and Johnny, 24. With God’s help, they have have all been home educated.

Steve addresses a variety of topics at homeschool conferences to encourage parents in their God-given responsibilities of raising and training their children for His glory. As a former math teacher who has taught at all levels of math in public, private, and Christian schools, Steve is also the author and founder of Math-U-See. He has served in full or part time pastoral ministry for many years after graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and has served on the boards of Joni and Friends, Christian Freedom International, and Lifework Forum.  Sign up to receive email encouragement from Steve at Building Faith Families.

 

Stephanie Garrett

Stephanie Garrett and her husband Ed began their homeschool journey over 20 years ago and are currently serving on the CHEO Board of Directors. Stephanie did public speaking in high school and college and now uses those skills in many of her activities and in the political arena. Stephanie is the Ohio Representative for a speech and debate league. Her heart is to encourage homeschool families to teach those important public speaking skills to their students, so they can speak ‘The Truth’ in whatever arena God has for them in their future.

 

Cathy Egbert

Cathy earned a M.A. & EdS. in School Psychology at Ball State University. She is the wife of Chuck and the homeschool mother of two biological children and two adopted children. She has served on the mission field in Alaska, S. Africa and Ohio where she resides today. She has a passion for Christians to embrace adoption and foster care.

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