Teaching Faculty

Richard S. Lytle, Ph.D.

President & Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Richard S. Lytle currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of CEO Forum, Inc. Additionally, he serves on the business faculty at Abilene Christian University as Director of the Lytle Center for Leadership and Faith Development in the College of Business Administration after having served as dean of the College from 1999-2016. He served as one of only 8 deans in the school’s 75-year history and has been a member of the Abilene Christian University faculty since 1991.

Education and Teaching

Lytle holds a B.B.A. from Harding University, an M.B.A. from Oklahoma State University and a Ph.D. in Marketing from Arizona State University. He has been a participant in Harvard University’s Institute for Management and Leadership in Education, the Babson College Fellows Program for Entrepreneurship Educators and the University of Michigan’s Cycle of Leadership Executive Education Institute. For more than a decade, Lytle has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in marketing, strategy and leadership. Additionally, he has studied abroad numerous times in Asia, Europe and Central America.

Recognition

Lytle has received the College of Business Administration Outstanding Teacher of the Year award multiple times and has been the recipient of the ACU Board of Trustees Outstanding University Professor award. He has developed and/or led innovative and intensive faith-based programs including Senior Blessing, Leadership Summit, the Dean’s Distinguished Speaker Series, the Emerging Leaders Conference series and ENTRUST. Lytle received a national Templeton Foundation award for his work in these programs.

Research

Lytle has authored a number of articles and book chapters in his field, including works published in the Journal of Retailing, Journal of Services Marketing, Journal of HealthCare Marketing, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Journal of European Marketing and the Eastern European Management Journal. His dissertation research is among the most cited in its field. Additionally, his work is published and served as the basis for service training and development in the Audi of America Academy. His book entitled, “Abandon the Ordinary: Building a Distinctive Leadership Brand in Business, Family, and Church” was released by ACU/Leafwood Press October 2010 and is in its second printing. Currently, he is working on research related to next generation leadership issues. He also continues to conduct research on service quality and leadership in retail organizations.

Professional Consulting Pursuits & Board Service

Before joining ACU, Rick worked professionally for Volkswagen of America, Inc., in Troy, Michigan and Tenneco and Amoco Oil Production Companies in Denver, Colorado. Additionally, he served as Finance Supervisor, Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac, EDS in Sterling Heights, Michigan. He has consulted widely, conducting research around his work in organizational strategy, service culture and customer satisfaction. Major clients include Audi of America, Bank of America, Caterpillar, Encompass Home Health, First Financial Bancshares, H.E.B., Lauren Engineers & Constructors, St. Vincent’s Hospital System (Indiana), Sparrow Hospital (Michigan), Unity Health Center (Oklahoma) and Volkswagen. Rick serves on the board of Focus on the Family and is Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee. He also serves on the boards of Hallal Ministries, Pure Hope Foundation, and Mission Lazarus.

Personal

Of most importance in Lytle’s life are faith and family. He and his wife, Jeanne have three beautiful daughters, Kelly, Hannah, and Michelle and five grandchildren. Together, they enjoy teaching about family matters and leadership. They enjoy a variety of activities including Great Lakes boating, water/snow skiing, hiking, running and global travel.

Dr. Richard S. Lytle

President & Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Richard S. Lytle currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of CEO Forum, Inc. Additionally, he serves on the business faculty at Abilene Christian University as Director of the Lytle Center for Leadership and Faith Development in the College of Business Administration after having served as dean of the College from 1999-2016. He served as one of only 7 deans in the school’s 75-year history and has been a member of the Abilene Christian University faculty since 1991.

Education and Teaching
Lytle holds a B.B.A. from Harding University, an M.B.A. from Oklahoma State University and a Ph.D. in Marketing from Arizona State University. He has been a participant in Harvard University’s Institute for Management and Leadership in Education, the Babson College Fellows Program for Entrepreneurship Educators and the University of Michigan’s Cycle of Leadership Executive Education Institute. For more than a decade, Lytle has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in marketing, strategy and leadership. Additionally, he has studied abroad numerous times in Asia, Europe and Central America.

Professional Consulting Pursuits & Board Service
Before joining ACU, Rick worked professionally for Volkswagen of America, Inc., in Troy, Michigan and Tenneco and Amoco Oil Production Companies in Denver, Colorado. Additionally, he served as Finance Supervisor, Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac, EDS in Sterling Heights, Michigan. He has consulted widely, conducting research around his work in organizational strategy, service culture and customer satisfaction. Major clients include Audi of America, Bank of America, Caterpillar, Encompass Home Health, First Financial Bancshares, H.E.B., Lauren Engineers & Constructors, St. Vincent’s Hospital System (Indiana), Sparrow Hospital (Michigan), Unity Health Center (Oklahoma) and Volkswagen. Rick serves on the board of Mission Lazarus, Pure Hope Foundation, and Hallal Ministries.

Geneviève Kroeker

Vice President of Member Engagement & Discipleship

Geneviève is a seasoned leader with over 30 years of experience in both the corporate and faith-based sectors. She has held diverse roles such as Managing Partner, Board Member, Executive Coach, Spiritual Advisor, Bible Teacher, Mentor, and Retreat Leader. Most recently, Geneviève led Go-on Group Houston, a subsidiary of Go-on Group GmbH, where she showcased her leadership in launching the office and navigating international business challenges with integrity and trust. A respected executive coach, she blends spiritual insight with business acumen to empower leaders and teams. In addition to her business expertise, Geneviève has extensive training in pastoral ministry. For 30 years, she has served as a ministry entrepreneur, building programs to meet the needs of leaders and emerging leaders. Notably, she founded and led a coed Bible study class at a large congregation in North Houston, TX, which she guided for over a decade, along with developing other impactful ministries. She holds a B.S. in Biblical Studies and is pursuing a Master’s in Spiritual Formation, with advanced training in Spiritual Direction. Originally from Winnipeg, Canada, Geneviève now lives in Kingwood with her husband, Nathan. They are proud parents to three adult children and two beloved in-laws. She enjoys reading, cooking, and outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, and mountain biking, especially when shared with family and friends.

Roger Gardner

Executive Fellow

Roger Gardner is a seasoned sports and media executive with over 35 years of experience in the industry. He is a principle of Safe Harbor Consulting, where he provides companies and individuals with consultation, coaching, facilitation, culture building, and other advisory services. Roger is a gifted public speaker and presenter and is committed to helping individuals and organizations achieve their full potential. Prior to his current role, Roger was part of the ownership and executive team at Learfield, a college sports media and technology firm. Much of Roger’s work with Learfield involved business development, as well as cultural and communication strategies. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture from the University of Missouri-Columbia and has completed executive programs at Stanford Graduate School of Business and Georgetown University. In addition to completing the Spiritual Leadership Institute through the CEO Forum, Roger has certifications in Leadership Coaching and Facilitation and Organizational Leadership from Georgetown.

David Sisk

Vice President of Member Engagement & Discipleship

David is a proven C-Suite executive leader drawing from extensive experience in organizational leadership, personnel development, strategic partnerships, innovation capability and US-Global business development. He is the Honor and Remember Board Chair, previous His Touch International Board Chair, Board Chair of the American Logistics Association.

David was an executive at Procter & Gamble (P&G) where he held numerous positions in the marketplace and within their Worldwide Headquarters. He was a founding member of the P&G corporate Shopper Based Design global innovation capability platform and was a founder of the P&G North America USO Strategic Alliance.

After P&G, David assumed the role of President and COO for the Military Retail Channel Broker Overseas Service Corporation (OSC) and led the merger of OSC and Webco Corporation from inception to execution to form OSC-WEBco. Under his leadership the $2.1B annual sales revenue private company grew from #3 to #1 in the retail channel for the first time in its 70-year history.

In 2020, he joined SpartanNash’s executive leadership team as President of Military Distributors of Virginia, their industry leading global (US + 32 countries) Military Channel retail distributor with annual sales revenue of $2.2B. He led the organization through the global pandemic and a company restructure while executing a strategic turnaround plan that transitioned the business from red performance to record profitability in 2 years. In 2022, David was named Chief Customer Officer and continued to lead the company’s Military Division in addition to the SpartanNash Wholesale Food Division with annual sales revenue of $7B.

David strived to reflect his faith, beliefs, and “people first” values throughout his executive career. He was born into a Pastor’s home in Madisonville, KY and currently resides in Jupiter, FL. He is married to Darlaine (former P&G executive) and has three children: daughters Kelsey (Tod), Victoria, and a son Jordan (Jessie) along with twin granddaughters Remi and Blake.

Vince Vitale, Ph.D.

Faculty Scholar

Dr. Vince Vitale was educated at Princeton University and the University of Oxford, and he taught philosophy and theology as a faculty member briefly at Princeton and then for several years at Oxford. It was during his undergraduate studies at Princeton that Vince was challenged to read the Bible by two soccer teammates and took an unexpected journey from skeptic to evangelist. He then completed master’s and PhD studies at Oxford, receiving a Daniel M. Sachs Graduating Scholarship (at the time awarded annually to one graduating Princetonian) and a Clarendon Scholarship (supported by Oxford University Press).

Vince most recently served as RZIM’s Regional Director for the Americas and Director of the Zacharias Institute. He co-authored two books—Why Suffering?: Finding Meaning and Comfort When Life Doesn’t Make Sense (2014) and Jesus Among Secular Gods: The Countercultural Claims of Christ (2017)—as well as corresponding Bible studies with YouVersion and Lifeway Christian Resources.

While researching at Oxford, Vince developed a new response to the problem of evil. This response is discussed in Vince’s Philosophia Christi article, “Non-Identity Theodicy,” and in book form with Oxford University Press as Non-Identity Theodicy: A Grace-Based Response to the Problem of Evil (2020). For his work on Søren Kierkegaard, InterVarsity Press and Tyndale House selected Vince as IVP Young Philosopher of Religion of the Year 2013.

Vince has commended the Christian faith in numerous countries and on the campuses of many universities including Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, UPenn, UC Berkeley, MIT, Johns Hopkins, West Point, and Oxford. He also has had the privilege of speaking at Google; Amazon; Facebook; Autodesk; The Brooklyn Tabernacle; and Passion City Church; and he was the keynote speaker at the 54^th National Prayer Breakfast of Canada.

In addition to his focus on biblical and cultural questions, Vince has strong interests in the topics of interpersonal conflict resolution, reconciliation, leadership, and theology of work, as well as in the intersection of faith and sport. He played varsity soccer at Princeton, was a “double Blue” at Oxford (competing for the university in soccer and boxing), and has traveled with Athletes in Action mission teams to four continents. While teaching at Princeton, Vince served as Faculty Director of the Athletes in Action ministry on campus.

Vince is married to Dr. Jo Vitale, who most recently served as a speaker and Dean of Studies at RZIM. Vince and Jo have enjoyed teaming up for the Ask Away podcast, giving talks together, and trying (unsuccessfully) to keep up with their young children, Raphael and Jonathan.

Stephen Quinn

Chief Marketing Officer

Stephen is an active board member of TruGreen, The CEO Forum, the Board of Trustees of The Compassionate Friends and The National Advisory Board of the Salvation Army. He was Chair of the ANA’s Alliance For Family Entertainment (AFE) and its #SeeHer initiative for three years ending in December 2018. He was EVP and Chief Marketing Officer of Walmart for the ten years ending January 2016. Prior to that he was CMO of Frito-Lay and in 13 years with PepsiCo, he held several roles including innovation, brand management, advertising, market research and customer marketing. Quinn held marketing, sales and finance positions at Quaker Oats, Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble. He is in The Marketing Hall Of Fame, and is former Chairman of Association of National Advertisers.

He received an MBA from the Ivey School of Business at University of Western Ontario and a BA in Economics from Queens University in Canada.

Stephen and his wife Linda live in Dallas, have been married for 38 years and have three children and four grandchildren.

Stephen Quinn

Chief Marketing Officer

Stephen is an active board member of TruGreen, The CEO Forum, the Board of Trustees of The Compassionate Friends and The National Advisory Board of the Salvation Army. He was Chair of the ANA’s Alliance For Family Entertainment (AFE) and its #SeeHer initiative for three years ending in December 2018. He was EVP and Chief Marketing Officer of Walmart for the ten years ending January 2016. Prior to that he was CMO of Frito-Lay and in 13 years with PepsiCo, he held several roles including innovation, brand management, advertising, market research and customer marketing. Quinn held marketing, sales and finance positions at Quaker Oats, Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble. He is in The Marketing Hall Of Fame, and is former Chairman of Association of National Advertisers.

He received an MBA from the Ivey School of Business at University of Western Ontario and a BA in Economics from Queens University in Canada.

Stephen and his wife Linda live in Dallas, have been married for 38 years and have three children and four grandchildren.

Rod Reed

Vice President of Spiritual Leadership Institute, Member Engagement & Discipleship

Rod comes to the CEO Forum with more than 35 years of experience in executive leadership, pastoral ministry, and Christ-centered education. He has also served as an executive coach and consultant for business and non-profit organizations in North America, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. He loves helping leaders pursue personal health, organizational effectiveness, and missional faithfulness.

From 1985-1997, Rod served as a pastor in churches in the upper Midwest before being called to university leadership roles in California and Arkansas. In 2019, Rod was called to serve as Chancellor (CEO) of a residential Christian university in Indiana, where he returned the university to profitability and refocused its people and programs on building a pervasive discipleship culture.

Rod earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration before heading to seminary for a Master of Divinity degree. He went back to school mid-career to complete a PhD in Theology, focusing on the spiritual impact of organizations on individuals.

Rod and his wife, Michelle, have been married since 1991 and have four adult children – Connor, Zack, Kaden, and Zoe; two daughters-in-law – Clare and Danica; and one granddaughter due this spring! They are moving to Northwest Arkansas to be able to serve the Southeast region and to be near family. Rod enjoys playing pickleball and racquetball, reading, watching movies with the family, and is a long-suffering Dallas Cowboys fan.

Becca Kight

Executive Coordinator, Member Engagement & Discipleship

Becca Kight joined CEO Forum as Executive Coordinator in March of 2025. She graduated with a BA in History from the University of North Texas.

Prior to joining CEO Forum, Becca worked as an Executive and Administrative Assistant serving c-suite executives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area spanning from corporate real estate, restaurant franchise, wealth management, and nonprofit. Becca lives in Northlake with her husband and two children and enjoys quality family time, reading and cooking.

Kyndal Singleton

Senior Director of Operations

Kyndal Singleton serves as the Senior Director of Operations in Highland Village, TX. She has been with the CEO Forum since February 2019.

Kyndal graduated in 2015 from Abilene Christian University with a Masters in Accounting. She served as a senior auditor at Ernst & Young before joining the CEO Forum team. She lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with her family.

Kim Robinson

Discipleship Fellow

Kim Allen Robinson is the former North American Mission Board (NAMB), Southern Baptist Convention, Vice President of Development, Send Relief. Kim is a 28-year veteran of Procter & Gamble (P&G), retiring as Vice President of Customer Business Development in February 2010. Following his P&G career, Kim served as Chief Development Officer and President and CEO of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio from April 2010 to July 2013. Determined to fulfill a long-time career goal of working full time in Christian ministry, Kim pursued and was eventually hired at NAMB in May 2014. Kim is a former trustee at Southern Seminary. He also served for nine years as a Focus on the Family Board Member. Kim holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Kansas, where he met Tamara (Tammy), his college sweetheart and wife of 46 years. Kim and Tammy are blessed with 7 grandchildren all in the Atlanta area. They reside in Johns Creek, Georgia and attend 12Stone Church where Kim and Tammy serve as Day-Makers on the Church Welcome team.

Will Herring

Executive Vice President of Membership Engagement & Discipleship

Will has a unique background in business, marketplace ministry, theological education, and spiritual leadership development. He is a gifted business person, theologian and spiritual companion.

Will holds an earned Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Distribution from Texas A&M University and an earned Master of Divinity degree from Abilene Christian University. He also holds a Certificate in Spiritual Direction from Selah Center for Spiritual Formation.

Since 2005, Will served in important positions at the intersection of faith and business. Most recently, Will served as Pastor in a large church with a 36,000 person average weekly attendance. There he was responsible for developing personal relationships with business leaders to mentor, disciple and pastor them in areas of business, personal/family life and their walk with God. He also served as Director of Client Expansion for Marketplace Chaplains, Dallas, Texas where he led strategic marketing efforts, prospecting and sales initiatives.

For over a decade Will has facilitated retreats for business owners and C-Level executives on the topic of Spiritual Leadership. The retreat offers a road map and practical guidance on ways to seek God and to lead from a transformed and emotionally healthy soul. In addition to these positions of influence, Will served as a Single Adult Minister for the Prestoncrest Church, Dallas, Texas where he launched and grew an expanding and vibrant singles ministry.

Will and his wife, Jennifer, have been married since 1996 and have 2 children – Kaden and Landry. They reside in Aledo, Texas (just outside Ft. Worth).

Will enjoys bass fishing, college football, BBQ, reading and spending quality time with family.

Brian Wells

Vice President of Member Engagement & Discipleship

Brian serves as our Vice President Member Engagement & Discipleship in the Midwest and Northeast Region. He joined the Forum in 2020 after a 33-year career in brand management, network television, writing, and church leadership.

After graduating with a degree in Advertising from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Brian worked for a decade in brand management at Procter & Gamble. In 1996 he co-founded one of the largest churches in the United States, Crossroads Church in Cincinnati, and served as teaching pastor there for 12 years. While there, he created their justice ministry, resulting in over $5 million investment in rescue and rehabilitation of child trafficking victims in South Asia.

His career has since spanned overseeing creative development of network television entertainment including movies and specials for NBC, CBS, Fox, and Hallmark Channel. As Executive Producer, Brian has developed content for Walmart, Procter & Gamble, ConAgra, Pepsi, Microsoft, FedEx, and Smuckers. He is also the author of the League and the Lantern adventure books for middle school readers.

Brian and his wife, Nancy, live in Cincinnati, have been married for 33 years, and have two grown children.

Jeanne B. Lytle

Director of Women’s Ministry

Jeanne B. Lytle currently serves as the Director of Women’s Ministry at CEO Forum. She grew up in Redford Township, Michigan, and attended Michigan State University earning a degree in English and Journalism. Her desire to be a college professor and her love of learning resulted in lifelong educational pursuits. She and Rick married after graduation and moved to Oklahoma State University to attend graduate school. They then moved to Colorado where Jeanne wrote for various companies: she wrote business curriculum at The College for Financial Planning and Air Force Training Materials for Martin Marietta, now known as Lockheed Martin. Rick and Jeanne moved to Arizona State University where Rick completed a Ph.D. in Business and Jeanne completed a master’s degree in Education. During this time, she also wrote various communication materials for TRW, Inc.

Jeanne went on to complete a second master’s degree in Gifted and Talented Education from Hardin Simmons University while raising her three girls. She served as adjunct instructor in English at Abilene Christian University. She co-authored a book with Dr. William Dukes and has assisted in various memoirs.

She enjoys teaching young married couples at Southern Hills Church of Christ and college students at Leadership Summit in Colorado. Most of her past 25 years have been spent as a mom, loving and nurturing her children: Kelly, Hannah and Michelle.

Hannah Ford

Director of Operations – Membership Engagement & Discipleship

Hannah Ford joined the CEO Forum as the Executive Coordinator, Member Engagement and Discipleship in May 2021. She was born and raised in Rapid City, SD and graduated from South Dakota School of Mines in 2001 with a BS in Interdisciplinary Science.

Prior to joining the CEO Forum, Hannah worked in both the residential and commercial real estate market. She then transitioned into working as the Volunteer/Bereavement Coordinator at Mercy Hospice. Hannah, along with her husband and son, live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. She has a wide variety of hobbies including, but not limited to, cooking, sewing, reading, and golf.

Jackie Peak

Executive Assistant to Chief Executive Officer & Founder

Jackie Peak joined CEO Forum as the Executive Assistant to Rick Lytle, President/Chief Executive Officer in January, 2021. She was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, but Texas is now home. She has been here since 1984.

Before joining the CEO Forum, Jackie worked at American Airlines for 22 years in a variety of roles, including supporting the President of AA for a short time when he was between admins.

Jackie and her husband live in the north Dallas area. They have 3 grown boys and 8 grandchildren. Jackie is a member of Gateway Church. She enjoys spending time with family & friends, cooking, gardening, and playing games.

Doug Fagerstrom

Discipleship Fellow

Doug Fagerstrom, D.Min., is the retired (2021) CEO and President of Marketplace Chaplains (MCHAP). Doug’s doctorate was earned from Northern Theological Seminary (Chicago) with his dissertation on, Mentoring Leadership within a Cultural Context. Dr. Fagerstrom served as President of Grand Rapids Theological Seminary after 31 years of pastoral ministry in Colorado, Minnesota and Michigan. Doug has written 15 books, many on leadership development, the most recent (2020) with Peter Greer, “Succession, Successful Succession for Leaders.” During Doug’s ministry years, he has coached, mentored, shepherd, and trained (equipped) leaders in a variety of venues from corporate executives to ministry leaders in churches and parachurch organizations. During Doug’s leadership at MCHAP, he focused the majority of his time on shepherding the leadership teams and provided spiritual leadership to many company executives through personal relationships and written communiques. He will be involved in spiritual formation, discipleship, pastoral care, and leadership development. He has been a member of CEO Forum for three years. Doug is married to Donna with daughter Darci, son-in-law Jay and two grands.

Mark Meador

Vice President of Member Advancement

Mark is a Christ-centered, relationally driven professional with over 30 years of experience in helping organizations grow numerically and financially. He has a proven track record of establishing credibility and rapport with high level professionals and business leaders by engaging, building, and fostering relationships. Mark is able to embrace, understand, and align with the passions and heart of the organizations he partners with through his ability to collaborate with strategic partners and build consensus across multiple organizational levels.

Mark holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from Abilene Christian University. For over 20 years, Mark has served in several roles within Christian higher education. As Alumni Director at two universities, he oversaw and managed long-range goals, operational plans, and budgets for all aspects of the alumni and parent relations programs. He has spent the majority of his career in senior level fundraising roles where he has managed large portfolios of prospects and was responsible for securing gifts for capital, endowment, and planned giving support. Most recently, Mark served as the Executive National Advancement Officer for Abilene Christian University.

Mark and his wife, Shelli, were high-school sweethearts. They live in Nashville and have four grown children and two grandchildren. Mark and Shelli are active stakeholders at Church of the City. Mark enjoys cooking (especially BBQ), golf, college and pro football, reading, and spending quality time with family.

Tammy Lewis

Executive Coordinator – Member Engagement & Discipleship

Tammy Lewis joined CEO Forum as the Executive Coordinator – Member Engagement & Discipleship in April of 2024. She was born and raised in Nocona, TX and graduated from the University of North Texas with a BA in Business Administration.

Prior to joining CEO Forum, Tammy worked as the Executive Assistant at Empower One. She lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with her family. Tammy enjoys traveling, college football, and volunteering with the High School Youth Ministry at Irving Bible Church, where she has been a member for 15 years.

Rachel Dahlstrom

Marketing & Communications Manager

Rachel Dahlstrom joined the CEO Forum in July 2024 as the Marketing & Communications Manager, bringing with her over six years of invaluable experience in non-profit marketing, with a strong emphasis on Digital Marketing. Holding a degree in Marketing from Oklahoma State University, Rachel is committed to leveraging business for social good. In her role at CEO Forum, Rachel assumes responsibility for leading all aspects of marketing and communications.

Originally from Westlake, TX, Rachel lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, with her husband and two young children. In her spare time, she enjoys playing soccer with her kids, following Oklahoma State Football, and indulging in tennis and golf.

Kayla McKelvey

Executive Coordinator Member Engagement & Discipleship

Kayla McKelvey joined CEO Forum in August of 2024 and serves as an Executive Coordinator of Member Engagement & Discipleship. She graduated from Texas Tech University in 2015 with a BA in Advertising and Mass Communication.

Before coming to CEO Forum, Kayla built a diverse professional background spanning corporate, startup, and ministry sectors. She resides in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with her husband and two young children.

Scott MacLellan

Executive Fellow

Scott MacLellan has been a CEO for the last 25 years, leading multi-billion-dollar businesses and tens of thousands of employees. His companies have been voted one of the best places to work in healthcare multiple times. He’s started two companies from scratch, one of which is a thirty-billion-dollar international company today. Harvard Business School profiled one of his start-ups in a case study. He’s written nine books, is the executive producer of an upcoming streaming series in development and has even worked as a celebrity bodyguard. He now knows all of this business-success has been “vanity” and “chasing after the wind”. In fact, his greatest story is tied to being a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband of 39 years, a father of two daughters, and grandfather to three boys.

Barry Rowan

Executive Fellow

Barry Rowan is an experienced executive with a strong track record of transforming businesses, particularly in the technology and communications sectors. Over his career, he has successfully built and led eight companies through periods of hypergrowth and turnarounds, including one company that sold for $10 billion. Barry has held various C-suite roles, serving as CEO/President of two private companies, CFO for four public companies (Fluke Corporation, Nextel Partners, Vonage, and Gogo), and general manager of a corporate division. Additionally, he has served as a director for both public and private companies.

Outside of his professional achievements, Barry is deeply committed to community service and developing the next generation of leaders. He has served as a trustee for Seattle Pacific University, where he founded the Center for Integrity in Business, and has been involved with numerous educational and faith-based organizations, including serving on boards for Gordon College, InterVarsity and the Gonzaga University Honors Program in Entrepreneurial Leadership. Barry is also actively engaged in local and international efforts to support the poor, particularly through his family’s work with World Vision and other non-profit organizations. They have taken over two dozen trips to Central America with their various philanthropic activities, including providing access to clean water to the people of rural Honduras.

Barry holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS summa cum laude in Business Administration and Chemical Biology from The College of Idaho. Barry’s journey of faith and work led him to author The Spiritual Art of Business: Connecting the Daily with the Divine. After recently completing a full-time executive career, he and Linda are now pursuing an “encore calling,” focusing on service to others through writing, speaking, teaching, and “holistic accompaniment” of leaders.

Barry and his wife Linda have been married for over 43 years, have two sons who are both married, and they have three young “grands.” An avid reader and lover of the outdoors, Barry enjoys skiing, hiking, golf, and many other sports, even if it’s meant trading in his mountain bike for an e-bike in recent years.

Dr. Jo Vitale

Spiritual Leadership Institute Teaching Faculty

Dr. Jo Vitale is a Christian speaker and an evangelist whose primarily focus is in helping seekers and Christians alike come to know and love God with both their hearts and minds. For the last decade, she has ministered to skeptics and those wrestling with doubt by engaging with their intellectual objections and emotional barriers to the Christian faith.

From 2016 to 2021, Jo worked in the role of the Dean of Studies at the Zacharias Institute in Atlanta, Georgia, and as an itinerant evangelist for Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. Jo has spoken internationally in a variety of contexts, including at churches and Christian conferences (e.g. Passion City Church, Atlanta; Redeemer Church, NYC; Calvary Chapel, Las Vegas; Progressive Baptist Church, Chicago; The Story Church, Houston; Hillsong, Sydney; St. Aldates, Oxford), businesses, schools, radio shows, and on the campuses of multiple universities including UC Berkeley, West Point, Princeton, Yale (for the annual National Collegiate Day of Prayer), ASU, Georgia Tech, Oxford, LSE, and Aberdeen.

Jo has three degrees from the University of Oxford: a bachelor’s degree in theology, a master’s degree in biblical interpretation, and a DPhil (PhD) in Old Testament studies. For her doctoral dissertation she centered her research on issues pertaining to the Old Testament’s depiction of women (specifically, female beauty and blame culture), and she speaks often on cultural misconceptions such as that the Bible is sexist, racist, or genocidal.

Alongside her graduate studies, Jo trained for ordination in the Anglican church at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, before joining the Oxford Center for Christian Apologetics full-time in capacity of an academic tutor, pastoral mentor, and public speaker. During her years in Oxford, Jo was on the pastoral team for the undergraduate student ministry at St. Aldates Church, and also served as both a member of the church’s PPC (Parochial Church Council) and the Standing Committee.

Jo is married to Dr. Vince Vitale (who serves as a faculty scholar at CEO Forum). Vince and Jo enjoy teaming up for their Ask Away podcast, giving talks together, and trying (largely unsuccessfully) to keep up with their young children, Raphael and Jonathan.

Aaron Ramsay

Board Member

With over two decades of professional expertise in leadership, business, accounting, and finance, Aaron Ramsay leads a dynamic team of professionals from a foundation of faith to ensure Envision Radiology leads the industry in service excellence and patient/client credibility all while providing unmistakable quality and spectacular service.

Aaron is a native and lifelong resident of Colorado. He was raised in an environment that instilled strong character values, impeccable integrity, and a tireless work ethic. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business management from Colorado State University Pueblo and furthered his education in tax law and taxation from the University of Denver.

Aaron connected with Envision Radiology and began his successful employment path as the controller. In two years, he was promoted to the role of CFO, where he continued his drive to excellence. Ultimately, he was promoted to the position of CEO, where he has found great success as a leader, mentor, and builder of exceptional teams.

In his free time, Aaron enjoys climbing mountains, skiing, and being a devoted sports dad. He is a loving husband and father of five children.

Jane Edison Stevenson

Board Member

In her role as Vice Chair of Korn Ferry, Jane Edison Stevenson works across the global governance continuum on behalf of clients and has served as a pioneer in developing the firm’s succession
capabilities at the Board and CEO level. She additionally serves as executive sponsor for the firm’s Power of ALL initiative, focused on developing diverse talent in the world’s top leadership pipelines.

As the firm’s Global Leader for CEO Succession, she leads a team of 150+ partners across search, assessment and development areas of expertise, regularly leading Fortune 500 client engagements at
the intersection of business, strategy and top leadership capabilities. Jane led the firm’s Women CEOs Speak research, funded by The Rockefeller Foundation’s “100×25” program to advance100 women to Fortune 500 CEO roles by 2025. The work includes in-depth behavioral
interviews and leadership assessments with 57 Fortune 1000 women CEOs. The goal of the research was to determine the personal and professional factors enabling success, creating the first-ever “developmental roadmap” for companies to create future generations of women CEOs.
A thought leader on governance and innovation, Jane appears regularly in global business media, including BusinessWeek, Fortune, Bloomberg, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, Innovation Excellence
and Strategy+Business. Jane is also a featured speaker at private forums for Fortune 500 clients and other select venues. BusinessWeek has acknowledged her as one of the “100 Most Influential
Consultants in the World” and has been honored in NACD’s ‘Directorship 100’ multiple times for her influence in the boardroom.

Jane is the co-author of Breaking Away: How Great Leaders Create Innovation that Drives Sustainable Growth—And Why Others Fail (McGraw Hill 2011) and is a recipient of the Maurice Holland Award for her writing on innovation.

Megan Tarrant

Board Member

Megan Tarrant is the CEO of Clements Fluids, a company founded by her parents in 1985, the same year she was born. She began her career in 2007 after earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting, initially managing bookkeeping and finances for Clements Fluids, the Clements Family Foundation, and outside investments. Over time, Megan transitioned to CFO, overseeing financial reporting, business planning, and strategic management. Driven by a desire to create change in an industry her father believed was not suited for women, she forged her own leadership path. In 2019, Megan became CEO, navigating the challenges of the 2020 pandemic and reshaping the company’s culture with a focus on core values: relationships, integrity, commitment, and excellence. In 2022, she and her husband Chase became the owners of Clements Fluids, certifying the business as Woman-Owned through WBENC.

Casey McMullin

Manager of Next Generation & Global Impact Initiatives

Casey serves as the Manager of Next Generation & Global Impact Initiatives. He works primarily with CEOs and Senior Executives in the ENTRUST Initiative, as well as key leaders involved in our global opportunities.

Professional
Before joining the CEO Forum in 2021, Casey worked at the United Nations (UN) during graduate school where he focused on domestic and international private sector development strategies. His global experiences include studying business law and entrepreneurship in Shanghai, China, as well as establishing micro-finance programs across Africa. His efforts with the UN not only led to a university partnership on sustainability, but he also gave the commencement speech for his graduating class. Prior to graduate school, he spent several years as an investment consultant on equity and mutual fund management at Team Financial Strategies.

Education
M.S. in International Management from The University of Texas at Dallas
B.B.A. in Finance and Marketing from Abilene Christian University.
Exec. Ed. in Investment Management Theory and Practice from Yale School of Management

Personal
Casey and his wife, Katie, live in Flower Mound, Texas, where they currently attend The Village Church. They enjoy the outdoors, traveling, being with family, and volunteering in their community.
Philippians 4:12-13

Jim Bechtold, Ph.D.

Executive Vice President of Innovation & Impact

Jim currently serves as Executive Vice President of Innovation & Impact of the CEO Forum. In this role, he will be responsible for leading strategic initiatives through concept, qualification, and execution. These initiatives will drive member discipleship, growth, satisfaction, as well as funding and resource breakthroughs.

Jim just finished his role as co-Leader of the ANA’s #SeeHer movement (https://www SeeHer.com). He led strategy for the movement and was the co-designer of the Gender Equality Measure (GEM™) tools developed to improve advertising and media ROI via the elimination of gender bias against women and girls. GEM received the research industry’s highest global recognition in ‘17 (ESOMAR Gold Medal). #SeeHer was launched at the White House in ’16 and membership includes the world’s top marketing companies (70+). The U.N. is a strong supporter and partner of #SeeHer.

Jim has been a leader in the family entertainment industry for 10+ years. He co-founded Flashlight Entertainment to support Walmart and P&G’s family programming initiatives (which was initiated by the CEO Forum). He co-produced many top movies including: The Watsons Go to Birmingham, Return to Nims Island, and Dear Dumb Diary. Jim was co-leader on multiple new ventures focusing on internet/OTT entertainment, TV series and music concert(s).

Jim held executive positions at P&G (employee for 20+ years) where he was VP/GM of multiple organizations (responsible for North America Marketing, Strategy, and Planning –including Media and Research responsibilities) and P&L business units (Baby, Family and Senior Care in Asia). P&G sponsored Jim’s PhD in Organizational Leadership (which also contained an in-depth focus on women and minorities).

Jim is co-Founder of Crossroads Church (Cincinnati, Ohio; https://www.crossroads.net), one of the fastest growing and largest churches in the world (weekly attendance exceeding 35,000+). He was co-Leader of the nationally acclaimed STRIVE K-12 Educational Reform initiative (via the Knowledgeworks Foundation). These initiatives have raised over $500 million dollars.

Jim’s PhD is supported by degrees in Business and Decision Science. He lives in Cincinnati with his wife (Vivienne Bechtold – an internationally recognized P&G marketer; Co-founder of Crossroads) and three adult children (all in college).

Jim’s life Bible verse is: I can do all things through Christ who strengthen me – Phil 4:13

Debra Waller

Debra Steigerwaldt Waller was named Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Jockey International, Inc., in January 2001, following in the steps of her mother, Donna Wolf Steigerwaldt, who had previously held this post in the family-owned business.

Debra joined the company as an Administrative Assistant in 1982 and quickly ascended into the role of Merchandise Manager of Jockey for Her in 1983. Debra’s growth within Jockey continued when, in 1991, she was named Director of Women’s Merchandising. She became Vice President and General Merchandise Manager of Jockey for Her, and in 1994, was named Senior Vice President of Special Markets. In 1995, she became Executive Vice President and Assistant to the President until 2000, when she was named Vice Chairman of the Board and Assistant to the President.

She received a Bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education from Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. In 2005, Debra founded Jockey Being Family, a corporate citizenship initiative committed to strengthening adoptive families for successful futures. In the past, Debra has served on the Board of Directors of The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Board of Directors of Church Mutual Life Insurance Company, M&I Marshall & Ilsley Bank and Board of Trustees of Carthage College. Debra was a founding member and served on the Board of Directors of MargaretAnn’s Place, a non-profit, community-based organization dedicated to providing peer support groups and services for grieving children, teens, families and communities who are coping with death and dying. Debra currently serves on the Board of Directors for Wisconsin Lutheran College and United in Purpose.

Todd Bright

Chief Financial Officer

Todd Bright is the Founding Partner of Bright & Associates, a boutique accounting firm specializing in church and ministry outsourced bookkeeping and CFO services. Todd has over 30 years of extensive business leadership and management experience, including working in public accounting with KPMG, serving as Vice President – Planning & Analysis at Eckerd Corporation, and then leading as CFO, and eventually President/CEO, of Lifestyle Family Fitness. Todd started Bright & Associates in 2014 after coming to ministry in 2008, and today, Bright & Associates is responsible for various levels of financial operations at 23 ministries across the United States. Todd is married to Heather, and they have six children, Daniel, Lauren, Noah, Seth, Hannah, and Samuel. Todd and his family reside in Parker, Colorado.

John Aden

For more than 25 years, John Aden has been a senior executive with a record of delivering growth, leveraging scale, driving innovation and building high-performance teams at some of the world’s top companies, including Walmart Inc., Mac Tools and Frito-Lay. Now, he is at the helm of one of the largest Christian ministries—David C Cook, serving as their CEO since the Fall of 2021.

John joined Walmart in 2007 as senior vice president of international operations. In 2011, John moved into U.S. Merchandising as senior vice president of Hardlines. Later that year, John was promoted to executive vice president of General Merchandising, with sales exceeding $50 billion. John leveraged consumer insights, supplier collaboration and innovation to drive growth, especially in the entertainment categories. Following this, John became executive vice president of Merchandise Services, leading the support functions for all of Walmart U.S. merchandising. In 2014, John transitioned into the role of executive vice president of Merchandise Innovations. Prior to joining Walmart, John served as president of Mac Tools from 2000 to 2007. Before joining Mac Tools, John worked in a variety of positions in operations, marketing, sales and brand management for Frito-Lay from 1990 to 2000. He started his career with Frito-Lay on a route truck in Seattle after graduating from the University of Washington in 1990.

Since leaving Walmart in 2015, John has continued to engage in personal and professional projects that align with his interests in consumer insights, innovation, leadership development and faith in the workplace. Formerly chairman of the CEO Forum, John continues to invest time in the organization as a mentor of leadership development with current CEOs. He also recently built a successful cattle operation from scratch, leveraging industry innovation to build a high-quality herd of more than 1,000 cattle. John and his wife, Kristal, have been married for 25 years and have two children, Julia and Joey.

David “Mac” McQuiston

Founder

Mac McQuiston’s distinguished career spans more than 45 years at some of the most influential and recognizable ministries in America.

After graduating from Indiana Wesleyan University with a BA in religion, Mac spent two years with World Wide Pictures in association with the Billy Graham Organization. He then served as Senior Vice President at Chuck Swindoll’s Insight for Living.

In 1977, he joined Focus on the Family where he was one of the original board members and a signatory of Focus’ incorporation. During his 21-year tenure with the ministry, he held prominent leadership positions, including Vice President of Administration and Development.

While at Focus, Mac launched CEO Forum in 1995. In June 2005, he became the Forum’s President/CEO when it separated from Focus and transitioned to the Founder role in 2016. Today, the Forum serves almost 200 CEOs of major companies through mentoring and discipleship.

In 2011, he received an honorary Doctor of Divinity from his alma mater. Mac and his wife, Karen, have two daughters and five grandchildren and reside in La Quinta, California.

Jeff McCall

Board Member

Jeff is the Chief Executive Officer of Great Lakes Dental Partners (GLDP). He brings a wealth of experience in building and scaling successful, high-growth multi-site service organizations. He has expertise in building service-oriented support capabilities to empower high performing practice-level activities and associates while delivering an excellent patient experience.

Prior to his role at GLDP, Jeff honed his service-oriented skills as the Head of Revenue and Growth at one of the nation’s largest outdoor home service providers with revenue of $1.5 billion, 13,000 employees, and 250 locations across 40 states. While there, Jeff was a member of the executive management committee and managed all sales, pricing, product management functions supporting revenue growth, and customer retention delivery for the organization. Prior to that, Jeff was the Vice President, Global Sales and Reservations Division of Hilton Worldwide. While at Hilton, Jeff was responsible for developing and executing the growth strategy for the 3,000 person Sales and Reservation division during Hilton’s growth phase and IPO.

Jeff grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, and a B.A. in Economics from Columbia University, where he was the quarterback and team captain of Columbia’s varsity football team. In his spare time, Jeff enjoys watching college football, working out on his Peloton, playing sports with his kids, and having date nights with his wife.

Lisa Nichols

Board Member

Lisa Nichols is the CEO and co-founder of Technology Partners, a Women-Business Enterprise and provider of premier IT staffing, solutions and software.

Lisa and her husband Greg founded Technology Partners in 1994 driven by their passion to revolutionize the staffing industry with their transparent business model. They co-lead the business today. Greg and Lisa have made it their priority from day one, to create mutual wins for their employees, clients and the communities in which Technology Partners operates. This has, in large part, led to Technology Partners winning the Top Workplaces 2018 for Work/Life Flexibility.

Lisa devotes her time to many professional and philanthropic organizations such as CEO Forum, YPO Christian Fellowship network, the St. Louis Independence Center, YWCA and United Way. Lisa is also the host of the “Something Extra” podcast produced by Technology Partners.

Tom Manenti

Board Member

Born in the Bronx, NY, Tom Manenti grew up in Hazlet, New Jersey. He received his college education and undergraduate degree in accounting and business administration from Rutgers University and Nova Southeastern University with post-graduate work in strategic management at The Wharton School of Business. Tom served in the New Jersey Army National Guard, was employed by The Guinness-Harp Corporation in NYC and the U.S. Postal Service in Hazlet, NJ before joining MiTek legacy company, Gang-Nail Systems, Inc. in 1977. Tom started as a sales rep and held various sales management positions before being promoted to President of Gang-Nail in 1989. Gang-Nail was merged into MiTek in 1991 and Tom was promoted to President of MiTek’s U.S. business in 2004. He “retired” in January 2008 to pursue several personal interests, primarily serving on the board of directors of The Greater St. Louis Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). In November 2009, Tom was asked to return to MiTek as President & COO and became Chief Executive Officer January 1, 2011 and Chairman a year later. In January 2017, Tom assumed the role of Executive Chairman after installing Mark Thom as the new CEO of MiTek.

Tom and his wife Kathy reside in Wildwood, Missouri and have been married since 1979. They have four grown children and seven grandchildren.

John Beckett

Director Emeritus

John D. Beckett was born and grew up in Elyria, Ohio. He graduated from M.I.T. in 1960, after which he worked as an engineer in the aerospace industry.

In 1963 he joined his father’s small manufacturing business, and became president in 1965 upon the death of his father. The company has grown to become a worldwide leader in producing engineered components for residential and commercial heating. With its affiliates, the company employs some 1,000 people.

Mr. Beckett has long been active in both church and community-related activities. He helped found Intercessors For America, a national prayer organization, in 1973 and continues to serve on its board. He is a founding board member of The King’s College in New York City and serves on the board of Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ International).

His first book, Loving Monday: Succeeding in Business Without Selling Your Soul, was published in 1998, and is now available in twenty languages. A second book, Mastering Monday: A Practical Guide to Integrating Faith and Work, was released in July 2006.

Mr. Beckett received honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from Spring Arbor University in 2002 and The King’s College in 2008. He has also been named “Christian Businessman of the Year” by the Christian Broadcasting network (1999) and manufacturing “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Ernst & Young (2003.)

He resides in Elyria, Ohio with his wife, Wendy, to whom he has been married since 1961. They have six children and eighteen grandchildren.

Victor Warren

Victor Warren is the founder and served as CEO (1981-2018) of Fairrington Transportation, the largest, full-service, printer-independent mailing logistics provider in the U.S. The business was sold in July of 2017 to LSC Communications, Inc. He served as a Trustee of Christ Church of Oak Brook for fifteen years including ten years as Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees. During his tenure, assumed numerous other roles, most notably as chair of the Media Ministry facilitating the church’s presence on Chicago-area television, WGN radio, and the launch of the weekly livestream worldwide. Victor served on the board of Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview (2009-2011). He enjoyed participating in the underwriting of “Seven Days in Utopia” with Robert Duvall and used the curriculum from “Golf’s Sacred Journey” (on which the movie was based) in various small groups. Victor has found significant life-change in the ministry of small group participation and leadership.

Victor lives in Oak Brook, Illinois, with his wife, Mary. They have five married children and eleven grand-children. Victor enjoys golf and spending time with his family.

Dan Dye

Board Member

Dan Dye is the CEO of Ardent Mills, the independent joint venture of owners Cargill, Conagra Brands and CHS. As CEO, Dan leads an extensive network of 35 community flour mills, grain mix plant, bakery, specialty grain facility and 4 offices across the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada – to create a values-based culture focused on “Nourishing what’s next.”

Prior to the formation of Ardent Mills, Dan held various merchandising and managerial positions during his 30+ year career at Cargill. In 2009, Dan was name president of Horizon Milling, a Cargill joint venture with CHS. Dan led the flour milling, mix and bakery operations of Horizon Milling in the U.S. and Canada, offering flour products and solutions for a wide range of applications.

Prior to that, Dan served for 10 years as president of Cargill AgHorizons, U.S., and was responsible for the overall management of Cargill’s grain handling and retail drop input business in the U.S. He was appointed an assistant vice president of Cargill, Ltd. in Canada in 1990 and of Cargill’s grain division in 1992. In 1995, he was named vice president of its North American grain business.

Dan currently serves on the Executive Committee of the North American Millers’ Association, the Board of Trustees of the Grain Foods Foundation, and is on the Board of Directors for Partners in Food Solutions. Dan also serves on the Board of Advisors for the University of Colorado-Denver Business School, is on the Board of Trustees of Bethel University, St. Paul, MN., and is a board member at the Craig Hospital Foundation, Denver, CO.

Dan graduated from Bethel University, St. Paul, MN, in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics.

Ardent Mills is North America’s leading flour supplier and grain innovator — offering the broadest range of premium multi-use flours, whole grans, mixes and custom multi-grain blends. Ardent Mills brings superior quality, deep knowledge, excellent service and creative approaches to the food of today and the innovations of tomorrow.

Tracy Schmidt

Board Member

Tracy Schmidt has over 40 years’ experience in investment management, logistics, finance, operations and administration, including 24 years with Federal Express, headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., and 14 years at CNL Financial Group in Orlando, Fla.

Currently, Mr. Schmidt is the founder of Morning Star Advisory, LLC where he provides advisory and consulting services to multi-generational families and companies primarily in the logistics and supply chain space.

Mr. Schmidt is also co-founder and Managing Partner of Steward CW Holdings, LLC which was formed in 2019 to develop and operate a network of express car washes.

From 2004-2018, Mr. Schmidt served as CNL Financial Group’s Enterprise Chief Financial Officer, Group President of Alternative Investments and Chief Operating Officer, where he oversaw and provided strategic leadership for the organization’s financial affairs and the alternative investments platform, including overseeing product and partner development and fund management for the firm’s alternative investment strategies. Mr. Schmidt served as member of various investment committees at CNL and as a director and/or officer of CNL and its affiliates, including CEO of CNL Strategic Capital, Inc.

Before joining CNL Financial Group in 2004, Mr. Schmidt was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of FedEx Express, where he was responsible for worldwide strategic and financial planning, capital allocations, treasury, accounting, financial reporting, tax, audit, strategic sourcing, IT business systems and revenue operations. Prior to that, Mr. Schmidt was Senior Vice President, General Manager, Air Grounds Terminals and Transportation. Before joining FedEx, Mr. Schmidt served as a staff auditor for one year at Ernst and Whinney.

Mr. Schmidt is a director and chair of the audit committee and member of the risk and executive committees of Gordon Food Service Holdings, Inc., and is a director of Pinnacle Realty Services, Inc., and the United States Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Schmidt also is a trustee and chair of the audit committee and member of the governance and independent trustees committees of Conversus StepStone Private Markets, a registered investment fund. He also serves as a Sr. Advisor to The Over-Haul Group, Inc.

Mr. Schmidt is Chair Emeritus and founding chair of the Central Florida Regional Commission on Homelessness, and has also served on various other non-profit boards including The First Academy in Orlando, FL., and Briarcrest Christian School, Love Worth Finding Ministries and Stephen Olford Ministries in Memphis, TN.

Dennis Muilenburg

Board Member

Dennis Muilenburg is Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder of New Vista Acquisition Corporation, launched in 2021; and Owner, President and CEO of DAM CyFly Consulting, LLC, launched in 2020.

Previously, Dennis Muilenburg joined Boeing in 1985, starting at the company as an engineering intern. He served as president from December 2013 to December 2019, as chief executive officer (CEO) from July 2015 to December 2019, and as chairman of the board from March 2016 to October 2019. Until July 2015, Muilenburg served as vice chairman, president and chief operating officer of Boeing, where he supported the company’s aerospace business operations and focused on specific growth enablers, including important global relationships, leadership initiatives and development program performance.

Before that, Muilenburg served as president and chief executive officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS), serving United States and global defense, government, and commercial customers.

Earlier, Muilenburg was president of BDS’s Global Services & Support business, vice president and general manager of the Boeing Combat Systems division, and program manager for Future Combat Systems. Prior to that, he served as vice president of Programs & Engineering for Boeing Air Traffic Management and director of Weapon Systems for the proposed Boeing Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. He also held program management and engineering positions on F-22, Airborne Laser, High Speed Civil Transport and the Condor reconnaissance aircraft, among others.

Muilenburg spent the first 15 years of his Boeing career in the Puget Sound region of Washington, where he held a number of program management and engineering positions in support of both the commercial airplanes and defense and space businesses.

A native of Iowa, Muilenburg earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and an honorary doctor of science degree from Iowa State University, as well as a master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics from the University of Washington. He is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Royal Aeronautical Society, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the inaugural Innovator in Residence at Iowa State University, and a distinguished fellow for aerospace, mobility, and manufacturing at the Saint Louis University Research Institute.

Previously, Muilenburg served as a member of the Caterpillar board of directors (2011-2020), chairman of the Aerospace Industries Association board of governors, an executive committee member of the Business Roundtable, a member of the National Space Council’s User Advisory Group, a member of the U.S.-China Business Council, and a member of the Washington University board of trustees. Currently, he is a member of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation board of directors, the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science & Technology) board of directors, the National World War II Museum board of trustees, and the Northwestern University board of trustees. He also serves as chairman of the board for Biblical Business Training, chairman of the board for the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Center – St Louis, a member of The CEO Forum board of directors, and a member of the African Vision of Hope board of directors.

SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE