Board of Trustees

Welcome to the Holland Christian Schools Board of Trustees section of the school’s website. It is our hope that the information presented here will be helpful to all school society members.

The Board of Trustees at Holland Christian is made up primarily of parents of children that attend the school. Typically, the Board members comprise a cross section of our school society. Over the decades that I have been involved with our board the Trustees have been trades people, educators, small business owners, doctors, pastors–and the list goes on. As we head into the 2021-2022 school year, we have 10 board members, but that number varies from year to year depending on the needs of the board and the availability of those willing to serve. The HC Board may be between 9 and 12 members. The common bond of all who serve on our Board is a passion for Holland Christian Schools and its mission to “Equip minds and nurture hearts to transform the world for Jesus Christ.”

The Board of Trustees at Holland Christian is made up primarily of parents of children that attend the school. Typically, the Board members comprise a cross section of our school society. Over the decades that I have been involved with our board the Trustees have been trades people, educators, small business owners, doctors, pastors–and the list goes on. As we head into the 2021-2022 school year, we have 10 board members, but that number varies from year to year depending on the needs of the board and the availability of those willing to serve. The HC Board may be between 9 and 12 members. The common bond of all who serve on our Board is a passion for Holland Christian Schools and its mission to “Equip minds and nurture hearts to transform the world for Jesus Christ.”

We are a “Governing Board” as opposed to an “Administrative Board” or a “Representative Board.” A Governing Board does not participate in the day-to-day running of the school. That is the job of the Head of Schools and his or her administrative team. The Board works to assure that there are well defined governance, policies, funding, and organizational structure. The Board also assures that we have a very capable Head of Schools leading an administrative team of highly professional, highly capable staff members to execute our mission. Functionally the Board provides leadership in the areas of Education, Finance, Stewardship, and Trustees.

The Head of Schools reports to the Board of Trustees and is solely responsible to “run the school” day-to-day, semester-to-semester, and year-to-year.

This year the Board worked for several months examining and redefining our Strategic Priorities for the next 3 to 5 years.  They are:

1.     Holistic Christian Education and Faith Formation: Set and achieve well-defined goals in Christian education and faith formation/integration; equip students in partnership with families and churches.

2.     Better Together in Christ: Thrive as a place of belonging and discovery for all families with focus on the changing racial/ethnic and socioeconomic diversity within our Christian community and the different learning capabilities of students.

3.     Academic Excellence: Pursue measurable and comparative evidence of academic excellence where each student is valued and equipped to reach his/her potential academically and with appropriate life skills.

4.     Sustainability and Stewardship: Enhance enrollment growth processes and continue strong financial management to ensure long-term financial sustainability and affordability.

5.     Leadership Development: Develop, empower, and retain dedicated professionals while enhancing the number of teachers and staff who are prepared to serve as academic and administrative leaders in Christian education.

Our Head of Schools, Eric Forseth, will now work with his administrative team to articulate how each of these priorities will be pursued and measured operationally.

As we move forward in pursuit of fulfilling our mission at Holland Christian, it is our ongoing hope that you will positively and prayerfully engage and support this work.

Sincerely in Christ,

Jeff Pett

President of the Board

Board of Trustees Information

2021-22 Board of Trustees

Doug Bol smiling at camera
1st Term Member, '22

Mr. Doug Bol

A former Christian school teacher, Doug currently is an elementary school principal for Allendale Public Schools. He and his wife, Karin, live in Holland

A former Christian school teacher, Doug currently is an elementary school principal for Allendale Public Schools. He and his wife, Karin, live in Holland and have sent all four of their children to HC: Caleb ’14, Jacob ’16, Elise ’20, and Larissa ’23 have somehow attended every HC school currently in existence! They are members at Calvary CRC, where Doug has served as a deacon, cadet leader, Sunday school teacher, and head counselor. Doug has had a variety of experiences in the K-12 educational field, including working with various policies, procedures, and practices that help fulfill a school’s mission. “In today’s highly competitive educational market, the product we offer must be exceptional. Our staff must be well-equipped to deliver outstanding instruction to ALL students,” he says.
Stacy Jackson smiling at camera
4th Term Vice President, '23

Dr. Stacy Jackson

Stacy Jackson served on the HCS school board for six years from 2009-2015. He and his wife Stacey have five children

Stacy Jackson served on the HCS school board for six years from 2009-2015. He and his wife Stacey have five children who have all attended Holland Christian. Their family are members at Central Avenue CRC, and and “love the mission of Holland Christian” as well as the opportunity to “serve alongside parents and churches in the development of students.” He works at Hope College where he is the Kenneth J. Weller ’48 Professor of Management and Economics, as well as the Chair of the Economics and Business Department.

His areas of expertise at Hope College and in his field of Business and Economics are leadership, organizational effectiveness and change, and strategy and organization design. His research focuses on leadership and strategic change, power and politics in organizations, and the role of business in society. He began his career at NASA in Houston, Texas, as an internal organization development consultant. His subsequent consulting experience includes serving as a senior manager for Ernst & Young Management Consulting and as a practice leader for Hewitt Associates.

Jeff Pett smiling at camera
2nd Term President, '23

Mr. Jeff Pett

Jeff and his wife, Joyce, are the parents of three children, all HCS graduates: Jennifer, Kimberly DeJager, and Kyle. Jeff brings a unique perspective to the board

Jeff and his wife, Joyce, are the parents of three children, all HCS graduates: Jennifer, Kimberly DeJager, and Kyle. Jeff brings a unique perspective to the board as a former high school science teacher and as a previous Director of Operations here at HCS. Jeff retired from Fleetwood Group in July 2020 and has since become a Court Appointed Special Advocate working to represent children in the foster care system in Ottawa County.  Jeff is also an involved member of Park CRC where he facilitated their “Renewal Lab,” has led Sunday school, has served as both a deacon and elder, and plays for the Praise Team. He most values HCS’s faith development in their students, and enjoys as a board member helping HCS become “deliberate about being more missional in serving the needs of the Holland community.”
Chad Pierce smiling at camera
1st Term Member, '21

Rev. Dr. Chad Pierce

Chad is the Pastor at Faith CRC and is also currently an adjunct professor at Calvin College. Previously he was

Chad is the Pastor at Faith CRC and is also currently an adjunct professor at Calvin College. Previously he was a professor at Central College in Iowa, served in the Marines, and also taught in Israel. He and his wife Jodi are the parents of four children, who attend Holland Christian and Zeeland Christian Schools. He is recommended to the Board of Trustees because of his skillset in faith formation as a pastor as well as serving on the RCA General Synod as Professor of the Church. He is also committed to diversity and having students think critically about a broad range of issues from a Christian Perspective. He is a team player who, because of many diverse situations he has experienced in his own life, enjoys discussing a variety of aspects to situations and brainstorming new possibilities.

Chad values “raising my children in a community of faith, understanding that all the world belongs to God. More specifically, I value Holland Christian as it appears to give students the tools to think critically about a broad range of issues rather than merely indoctrinating them with a set of beliefs and ideas. Good theology is critical, but, to me, a sound reasoning faith trusts and thinks about God in all situations.”

Kevin Plockmeyer smiling at camera
1st Term Member, '23

Mr. Kevin Plockmeyer

Kevin ’98 has an accounting background and works as Assistant Finance Manager for the City of Zeeland. He and his wife,

Kevin ’98 has an accounting background and works as Assistant Finance Manager for the City of Zeeland. He and his wife, Alicia (Klaasen) ’98, have three children currently at Holland Christian Schools: Lauren at HCHS, and Sam and Alex both at HCMS. As a family they attend Providence CRC, where Kevin has variously volunteered as deacon, and both middle school and high school youth group leader over the past 13 years. He has also coached a variety of youth sports teams and currently serves as treasurer for Holland Little League.

Kevin appreciates the education that both he and his wife received from HCS, especially the worldview they learned here, that “God permeates everything, even math.” He says that this same worldview is “essential to instill in each generation, so as they enter the workforce they know that no matter what they are doing, kingdom building is present in that activity.” With his financial and vocational background, Kevin is well-gifted to be “part of an organization that is accountable to a much larger group of stakeholders and the challenges that go with that.” He is accustomed to working with the day-to-day “operations of an organization within a public sphere, but also being accountable for [its] long-term financial sustainability.”

Mary Renaldi smiling at camera
1st Term Member, '22

Dr. Mary Renaldi

Mary is self-employed as a certified health education specialist, with the majority of her efforts focusing on public

Mary is self-employed as a certified health education specialist, with the majority of her efforts focusing on public health and safety. She and her husband, John, are the parents of Isabella ’20 and Julia ’31 and are members of Christ Memorial Church. She has served on the Rose Park Parent Board, Champion Gymnastics Board, as well as the PTA Board at Douglas Elementary School, where she helped launch the use of iPads, a school garden, a nutrition and wellness team, and a school-wide recycling program. As an American Red Cross Authorized Provider, she worked with HCHS freshman health teachers to help certify HCHS students in CPR, 1st Aid, and AED. She was recommended to the BOT for “her servant leadership as well as personal quest for knowledge and continual growth are in perfect alignment with HC’s mission of equipping and nurturing.”
Craig Spoelhof smiling at camera
1st Term Member, '21

Mr. Craig Spoelhof

Craig is the Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Holland and is a member at Christ Memorial Church. He previously

Craig is the Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Holland and is a member at Christ Memorial Church. He previously spent almost 20 years in automotive manufacturing as an engineer. He and his wife Wendy are parents to three children, all who attended Holland Christian. He is recommended to the HC Board because he understands the “both-and” of protecting the values that have made Holland Christian unique while also growing enrollment by attracting students from families who have not formerly considered Christian education because of perceived and real barriers to entry. Craig says, “The daily investment the Holland Christian community makes in its children impacts our students for decades to come. I’ve seen this investment pay off in my life and my own children. The foundation of values that’s imparted through the staff at HCS is one of the treasures of the school. I firmly believe that Holland Christian produces ‘different’ graduates, who love the Lord and want to impact the world for Christ.”
Chad Steenwyk smiling at camera
2nd Term Secretary, '22

Rev. Chad Steenwyk

Chad Steenwyk and his wife, Rachel, are parents of three Holland Christian students: Elleh '21, Henry '23, and Leo '25,

Chad Steenwyk ’89 and his wife, Rachel (Mannes) ’92, are parents of three Holland Christian students: Elleh ’21, Henry ’23, and Leo ’25, and are members at Central Avenue Christian Reformed Church, where Chad has been the full-time co-pastor since 2004. Besides serving in a variety of teaching and leading roles as church pastor, Chad also is the chair of the Classis Holland CRCNA Executive Team. In the past he served as president of the CRCNA Loan Fund Board, the Calvin Theological Seminary Student Senate, and was on the Holland Chamber of Commerce Small Business Committee. Chad initially worked in commercial banking for seven years, finishing as Assistant Vice President for AmeriBank before he switched careers to the ministry. He is an involved parent at Holland Christian, and has “strong leadership abilities, is reflective, patient, and is excellent at working in a team.” He brings a passion for Christian education from a Reformed perspective, and has a “passionate commitment to faith and development of the whole student.” In particular, he desires to explore how the home, church, and school can work together in more significant and effective ways for Christ’s glory.
Deb VanDuinen smiling at camera
2nd Term Member, '23

Dr. Deborah VanDuinen

Deborah and her husband, Jon, are the parents of four Holland Christian students: Claire '22, David '24, Jacob '26, and Eli

Deborah and her husband, Jon, are the parents of four Holland Christian students: Claire ’22, David ’24, Jacob ’26, and Eli ’28. A former HCHS English teacher, Deb joined the Hope College faculty in 2010 as Assistant Professor of Education, where she focuses on the areas of English education, disciplinary literacy, and adolescent literacy. She is the chair of Hope’s secondary education team, founder of Hope’s Education Department research colloquies, as well as of Hope College’s faculty-student young adult literature book club. She has been on the board of editors for Perspectives, a journal of Reformed thought, since 2012. Last spring she was honored by the Michigan Read Association (MRA) for her work as the program director of the Big Read Holland Area, the community-wide reading program that takes place each November. Deb and her family are active members of Third Reformed Church, where Deb currently serves on the worship committee. She endorses Holland Christian Schools as passionately committed to the “faith and development of the whole student,” while understanding that “the Christian faith is not just for the sanctuary, but for education culture, and the arts.”
Mark Windemuller smiling at camera
1st Term Member, '22

Mr. Mark Windemuller

he owner and manager of Glass Images Inc., Mark Windemuller ’91 is the father of four children: Samantha, a graduate

of WMU, Brad ’19 a student at FSU, Ryan ’23 and Seth ’25. He and his wife, Lisa ’95, are both graduates of HC and members at Graafschap CRC where he has served as where he has served as deacon and elder, as well as Cadet, youth group, and Sunday school leader. Mark has served since 2018 as a member of the HC Operations Committee. Those who recommended him for the board have suggested that, “As we look at non-traditional paths of education, Mark would have an insight and passion towards exploring what is best for all students.  His business and people experience is also a strength he brings to the board.”

Board Meeting Dates

The Board of Trustees holds its meetings monthly, with the following meeting dates currently scheduled:

  • September 16
  • October 21
  • November 18
  • December 16
  • January 20
  • February 17
  • March 17
  • April 21 (Annual Society Meeting)
  • May 19
  • June 16
  • July 21
  • August 18

The Holland Christian Board of Trustees welcomes your comments and suggestions. Please address your e-mail communications for board members to hcboard@hollandchristian.org. And look for Board/Superintendent Updates emailed to your inbox after each meeting.

Board Nomination Form

A Holland Christian Trustee should meet the following expectations:
• Be a member of the Holland Christian Education Society (an HC parent or donor)
• Be a supporter of Holland Christian Schools and its mission.
• Have a passion for and commitment to Christian education; be able to provide vision for the future of Christian education in our context.
• Be a committed Christian and a member in good standing of a Christian church.
• Demonstrate a commitment to a Reformed understanding of the Christian faith by signing a Faith Covenant.
• Be willing to assist with the fundraising efforts on behalf of Holland Christian Schools, including having a passion for addressing affordability issues.
• Not be employed by HCS or be a family member (spouse, parent, child) of an HCS employee. Also, no board members of the HC Foundation may serve concurrently on the HC board.

Board Trustee Nomination Form

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Your Relationship to the HCS Society(Required)

Nominee Information

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”I love that my school is a Christian school. I love that we share in worship each week and learn about the world through a Christian perspective; I love my teachers, how they show their faith in their teaching, and are always willing to reach out to me outside of school if I need them.

”The teachers are outstanding and go above and beyond the call to impact my kids.

”The teachers care about their students: they want to help students develop their strengths and understand that they are made in god's image with specific talents and gifts.

”I think holland Christian’s teaching staff is a huge strength. The level of care, concern, and character that most of the teachers possess is what makes the HC experience so impactful for our kids.

”No child is just a number. Teachers really know them, understand their strengths and weaknesses, lift them up in prayer, challenge classmates to care about them and for them.

Looking for more detail?

These are the highlights of why we do what we do, but if you want to read our full Statement of Educational Philosophy it goes into a lot more detail.

Read our Full Educational Philosophy