John Keeney - President

My wife, Jalisa, and I have three daughters: Jovie, Damaris and Violet, the eldest two of whom currently attend Faith Christian School. Jalisa and I have been married for ten years. I am a Senior Certified General Appraiser at Rabo AgriFinance and a real estate salesperson with Adam Marshall Land and Auction. I was born and raised in Kearney and am an alumnus of FCS after attending from 2nd Grade through 8th Grade. Upon leaving FCS to attend Kearney High School, I found that I was academically ahead of my peers. I believe it is the mission of FCS to train our children to be Christ-like leaders, as well as provide them with superior academic programs. Now, more than ever, I believe a solid high-quality education based in truth is one of the most important gifts we can provide to our children.

Simon Richie - Vice President

My wife’s name is Lacie and our son’s name is Zane. Zane is a 1st grader at Faith Christian this year. My wife works as an RN at both hospitals in Kearney and I am employed at Baldwin Filters. My wife and I both graduated from Litchfield Public School in Litchfield Nebraska, and we moved to Kearney nine years ago. Since our move to Kearney, we have been attending Kearney E-Free church and realized the need for us to reaffirm our faith for ourselves and our son. So, when it came time to make the choice on what school we wanted our son to attend there wasn’t really any choice but Faith Christian. We knew that we wanted Zane to get the best education he could that is centered around God’s word. The faculty at FCS have not only met but they have far exceeded what we envisioned a faith-based education would be for Zane. Since being nominated to the school board I have truly been amazed by everyone’s dedication to ensuring the staff have the tools they need to provide the very best for the students of FCS. I am so excited to be part of this great team of individuals that have such an important role in ensuring that God is present in each and every student’s time at FCS.”

Becky Lumbard - Treasurer

My husband, Jonathan, and I have three daughters - Kayleigh, Aria & Lydia Jo. We moved to Kearney about 11 years ago for my husband's job as a pastor at Spirit of Life Church. During our first year here I served as the secretary at Faith Christian. After having our first daughter, I returned to school for my accounting degree. I had served with a few non-profits over the years and felt that there was always a need for individuals who could serve in this area and that it was a great fit with my love of math and desire to help others. I have been working as an accountant for over 7 years now and I love it. When it was time for our oldest to begin school, we knew right away that we wanted her at Faith Christian. My two favorite things about Faith Christian School are when my daughters come home and talk to me about what they have learned in Bible class and how they are going to use that at home and seeing the interaction and genuine love of their teachers and school staff have shown them. It’s an amazing environment for our children to learn and grow in.

Jeremy Bals - Secretary

I have served rural areas of Nebraska and multiple other states as an executive on the internet/telecommunications industry for the past 25 years. Diana is my wife of nearly 20 years, and we have two children attending Faith Christian School, Lucas, and Katie. I grew up in the Catholic Church and our family regularly attends Kearney Evangelical Free Church. A strong Christian education is important - not to shield our children from the world but to prepare them for it with truth and the ability to reason. Our children have thrived at Faith Christian School, and it is inspiring to see what has been accomplished at this institution. God is not finished here, and the current state of the world is providing an exciting opportunity for the school to continue to grow and improve to serve His purpose.”

Aliisa Criffield - Foundation Member

I am a lecturer in the Kinesiology/Sports Sciences department at UNK. My husband, Tim, and I have three children: Noah, Zac, and Elliana. Noah is a graduate of FCS, after attending Kindergarten through 8th Grade. It is our desire for Zac and Elliana to graduate from FCS, as well. My husband and I have been very involved with the school for over ten years. We have loved and appreciated the education our children have received at FCS.

Nathan Cudaback

I grew up in Riverdale and graduated from Amherst. I am self-employed and started a site utility excavation business in 2003 (Mid-Nebraska Digging, Inc.) installing sewer, water, storm drain, and septic systems. My wife is Shaelyn, who is the head cook for the school. We have 3 children: Caiden, Landen, and Brendan. We attend Countryside Christian Church where I am an elder and head worship leader. I also lead worship for the youth group each Wednesday. I love Faith Christian School because I truly believe in raising our children up in an environment where they are taught biblical love and respect for one another and the love of Jesus Christ. The education alongside these Christ-centered principles is priceless. My kids are doing very well and are in many ways ahead of other students in public education thanks to the teachers and staff of Faith Christian School.

JOSH MURDOCH

I am a follower of Jesus my Lord. The Lord has blessed me with an incredible, Christian wife, Charice. We have been married for eight years and God has blessed us with three children: Bentley, Savannah, and Ryker. I am a Financial Advisor at Principal Financial and I also am Co-Owner of our family farming entity, Murdoch Partnership. We attend Kearney E-Free and are involved in a life group. Christian education is essential for us. We believe that God calls us as parents to raise our children according to His Word and to surround them with a community that encourages and challenges them in their pursuit of following Jesus. We love the heart of the faculty at Faith Christian, and we truly believe the mission of Faith aligns with how we want to educate and discipline our children. We believe our country is moving in a dangerous direction away from the original foundation, which was founded on the Word of God. We believe now more than ever that we have to be extremely proactive and intentional with our children and youth, in general, to teach them the Truth of God’s Word and protect their innocence from a world that is filled with deception and lies from Satan. 

Jackie Hauff

My husband, Brandon, and I have been married for 15 years, and we have a 7-year-old son, Callen. We attend First United Methodist Church in Kearney where I enjoy being actively involved in our praise band, children’s ministry board, and Wednesday night events with the youth. I am a buyer and media manager for Sporting Edge, a local sporting goods store here in Kearney. I love getting to do new, different things each day in my job and pushing myself to learn more all the time. I have loved being involved at Faith Christian School these past three years. My husband and I chose to send Callen to FCS starting in Pre-K because we felt it was important to have a school and teachers that help Callen grow in his faith and emphasize the same morals and values we strive to teach him at home. We have loved being a part of FCS and have felt so blessed to have Callen here. When I was asked to join the board I eagerly accepted and have enjoyed being able to serve the school while on the board.

Jeff Gove

I am a financial advisor with Stonebridge Insurance and Wealth Management. My wife, Alyssa, and I have four children: Avery, Aspen, Roman, and Londyn, two of whom currently attend Faith Christian School. Our family attends New Life Church in Kearney. It is so important to give our kids a strong faith base during the early years of their education. This is something they will take with them as they grow and develop their worldview.