Speaker Bios
Speaker bios are listed below in alphabetical order.
Bernie Beall -- Bernie and his wife Linda are the founders of Great Commission Families (GCF), a ministry to families, as a family. Their motto is "Mobilizing Families for God's Kingdom Worldwide." In addition to GCF, Bernie serves as North American Missions Director for Family Mission International. Prior to GCF, Bernie and Linda were with Campus Crusade for Christ for 24 years.
The Bealls have homeschooled their four children since 1989, and are now grandparents! Bernie grew up on a dairy farm not far from their current home in Brunswick, Maryland. (Top)
Joan Brammier -- Joan has been homeschooling since 1983, 27 years as of this September. It has been an interesting, challenging, and rewarding journey and she's not finished yet! Joan has a B.A. in Ancient Studies with a minor in Biology from UMBC. She has taught 3rd, 7th, 9th, and 10th grades in different Christian schools and has instructed World History and Voice at Calvary Bible College in Missouri. She has been active in and has helped lead her home school support group over the last 14 years.
Joan has 6 children ranging in age from 34 to 14. All of them have been homeschooled, one through 8th grade and five of them all the way through high school. So far, 3 of them are college graduates, one will graduate in December, one is a currently a sophomore at Shepherd, and the youngest is going into 9th grade.
Joan has taught piano for 22 years and has also tutored several high schoolers in upper level maths, the sciences, and humanities, as well as helping several elementary school children with reading. She is currently homeschooling her youngest, teaching piano, and looking forward to teaching in her co-op in September. It will be her pleasure to offer ideas and info to help you get started homeschooling. (Top)
Chris Davis -- The Homeschool SportsNet's Executive Director, Chris Davis, and his wife, Kathy have been homeschooling for 18 years and he has coached homeschoolers exclusively since 1993. He started HSPN (www.hspn.net) in 1997 and it continues to be a one-man, volunteer-based ministry. Through God's faithfulness, wisdom, and watch-care it has grown exponentially since its inception 11 years ago. (Top)
Rita Kamler-Hester -- Rita offers home-schooled and non-homeschooled children experiences in Visual Arts in Winchester, Virginia. She has worked in private schools and from her home for many years and feels that children should be given every chance to explore creativity in order to enrich their lives, hearts, and minds. She has two children, a boy and a girl, who embrace their creativity with both arms. (Top)
Susan Kemmerer -- Susan and her husband Dale have been blessed with nine children, ranging in age from preschool to adult. She has been homeschooling for nearly two decades (and still has nearly 15 years to go before they are all graduated!). An author and motivational speaker, Susan has written a number of textbooks for homeschooled children, including Apples Daily Spelling Drills, Research in Increments, and Pennsylvania Keystones. Her articles have appeared in a number of magazines. She and her husband started their own homeschool company, Schoolhouse Publishing, nearly a decade ago.
Susan has spoken to audiences all over her state, combining personal experience, biblical insight, gentleness, and a touch of humor. Her workshops are designed to encourage and equip homeschool moms in their high calling -- especially those moms that are experiencing discouragement and burnout.
She is currently working on a book for burnt out overwhelmed homeschool moms. Her primary love is for her Savior and her family. She is first and foremost a wife and mother, and is grateful for that calling. She and her husband serve on the board of one of PA's homeschool conferences. They are active in their local church. (Top)
Kathy Kuhl -- Kathy began homeschooling in 1997, after years trying to help her son succeed in school despite learning and attention problems. She homeschooled him for grades 4-12, then interviewed 64 homeschoolers for her book, "Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner".
Kathy graduated from William and Mary, where she earned teaching certificates in mathematics and English. She has taught junior high math in public school, Sunday School to preschoolers, and classes for homeschooled teens. She helps and encourages homeschooling families with children with learning problems, as well as families beginning to homeschool children with these challenges. She gives private consultations and workshops at homeschool conventions and national conferences, as well as to support groups. She writes about homeschooling and teaches math to homeschooled teens in northern Virginia. The Kuhls have two grown children and live in Herndon, Virginia. Her website is Learn Differently and she can be reached at Kathy@learndifferently.com.
Diane Kummer -- Diane and her husband Tom homeschooled their two children from kindergarten through 12th grade using a variety of teaching options. The Kummers' daughter has completed her master's degree in government and their son earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications/public relations.
As an HSLDA High School Coordinator, Diane regularly speaks at homeschool conferences, writes articles and brochures on high school topics, and has a heart to inspire moms in their teaching. "The joy and grace of the Lord are available--and He has provided many avenues of care and help along the way," she says. She provides personal consultation to HSLDA members and encourages parents to keep going and to enjoy teaching high school!
During her homeschooling years, Diane coordinated events, activities, and support meetings for her church's 190-plus homeschooling families while developing a program that provided evaluation of credits, diplomas, and transcripts for high school families. Along with songwriters, singers, and actresses from her church, Diane was involved in two videos created by the FunnyMoms to encourage and uplift homeschooling mothers. Her love for math is evident as she continues to teach high school-level math classes for homeschooled students.
Heather Laurie -- Heather and her husband Christopher have been married for 13 wonderful years. They have been blessed with seven children, two of whom are awaiting them in Heaven.
They began their homeschooling journey eight years ago. Since that day they have found out that their children have a genetic disorder. It causes a large variety of medical and learning problems. As the years passed it was obvious that Heather too had serious health issues.
This has brought their homeschooling journey to many unexpected places. They have homeschooled in the hospital, many a doctor's office, and therapy parking lots. Four of their kids are on the autism spectrum and have varying levels of sensory issues. The wide variety of problems the children have dealt with or are dealing with has left Heather uniquely positioned to cover first hand a large variety of problems.
The Lord is guiding them through this as He has every other storm they have faced. If Heather can pass on one lesson it is to listen to God. He is the goal at the end of the homeschooling journey.
Dr. Mark T. Mitchell -- Mark T. Mitchell received his Ph.D. in Government (political theory) in 2001 from Georgetown University. He currently teaches political theory at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Virginia. In 2008-9 he was a fellow at the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University.
Mitchell is the author of "Michael Polanyi: The Art of Knowing". Two other books are on the way: "The Politics of Gratitude: Scale, Place, and Community in a Global Age" and "The Humane Vision of Wendell Berry". His writing has appeared in various academic and popular journals, including the Journal of Religious Ethics, Humanitas, Modern Age, The Intercollegiate Review, Perspectives in Political Science, and the Political Science Reviewer.
Betty Statnick -- Betty Statnick received her B.A. in Biblical Education and later earned 80 additional credit hours in elementary and special education (including diagnostic and remedial reading and reading clinic experience) from the University of Virginia and College Misericordia. She was awarded an M.Ed. with an emphasis in learning disabilities from Marymount University in Virginia.
Betty has taught for more than 20 years at elementary through adult levels in both public and private school settings. Since 1990, she has been working exclusively with homeschool families as an educational diagnostician, consultant, and tutor. She has been HSLDA's Special Needs Coordinator since 1995.
Major Bill Waddell -- Bill and his wife Sharon have been married for 27 years and have homeschooled their five children: Gabe (26), Holly (23), David (19), Daniel (15) and Heidi (14). Bill accepted Christ as Savior in 1980 while in the Navy deployed aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. Since that time Bill has been involved with and trained by Officers Christian Fellowship, the Institute in Basic Life Principles, and local church programs. Bill is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse, Salve Regina University and the US Naval War College, and is a retired Naval Aviator. He is now the director of Cyber Space Operations and the Command and Control Group at the US Army War College, which involves teaching and leading in areas related to information technology and military application.
Bill and his sons started their experience in ALERT Cadet in 2002 leading the PA 1st "B" Unit, and accepted the position of Northeast Regional Coordinator in 2006. The Waddell family resides in Carlisle, PA, and is active in church and community programs.
