2025 Seaside Leadership Retreat & Roundtable

Jon Talbert is a pastor and chaplain to the Oakland A's, the CrossFit Games, and serves as the brand ambassador for the mental fitness group Forte.  

His leadership, lifestyle, and inner-life talks have impacted business leaders, educators, and athletes across the NFL, MLS, MLB, and CrossFit worlds.

Jon graduated from Biola University, holds a master's degree in Theology, and a Doctorate in Semiotics and Leadership in Emerging Culture.

He and Cheri have four adult children and 8 grandchildren. They all live on a four-generation family estate near the beaches of Capitola, California and have a small family vineyard.

Derric Bakker is President & CEO of DickersonBakker, a consulting group comprised of more than 50 staff members specializing in serving Christian schools and other nonprofit ministries. Derric’s personal specialty is in fundraising. He has successfully solicited countless major gifts, including many million-dollar gifts and some in the tens of millions of dollars. He has coached dozens of people in the art and science of fundraising and teaches and writes regularly on the subject. Derric and his wife are strong supporters of Christian education. Both attended Christian schools from elementary through college. Derric's first fundraising job was as a Christian School Development Director, and he has served as a consultant to dozens of Christian schools throughout his career. Derric currently resides in Raleigh NC with his wife Mary Nel, who is a physician at Duke University Hospital. They have three grown children, all of whom also attended Christian schools – one is married and serves as an attorney in Maryland, one is an architect in Washington DC, and one is enrolled in a PhD program at Rice University in Houston.

Coming soon

Ryan Ermeling is a recognized leader in K-12 education, known for pioneering innovative strategies to effectively capture and leverage parent feedback. Since founding ParentPulse in 2022, Ryan has partnered with over 200 private and independent schools, providing tools and guidance to educational organizations striving to engage stakeholders and foster stronger school communities. His insights on the evolving expectations and dynamics of school parents have been shared with more than 30 professional groups over the past three years.

An alumnus of Concordia University Irvine—where he now chairs the Board of Regents—Ryan launched his entrepreneurial journey in 2003 by founding Stretch Internet. As President and CEO, he led Stretch to become the premier video streaming provider for collegiate athletics, serving nearly 600 institutions across the U.S. and Canada. Stretch was named to the prestigious Inc. 5000 list in 2017 as one of America’s fastest-growing private companies, before being acquired by Battery Ventures, an international global investment firm, in 2018.

Ryan and his wife, Lyndsay, a musician and experienced Christian educator, live in Gilbert, Arizona, and are proud parents of three daughters.

Coming soon

Andy Lynch is the President & CEO of Tassel, a marketing firm dedicated to helping independent and faith-based schools achieve Healthy Enrollment. With a team spanning 13 states and five countries, Tassel brings a wealth of expertise and diverse perspectives to support schools in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Since founding the company in 2000, Andy has worked with schools to strengthen their positioning strategy, branding, website engagement, inquiry generation, and messaging. At Tassel, his focus includes:

• Aligning the team around the firm’s vision: to develop the standard for enrollment marketing and make it accessible to every educational institution
• Advancing the Healthy Enrollment Model, Tassel’s core methodology
• Stewarding company culture to foster innovation and excellence
• Engaging with schools through workshops and strategic facilitation
• Creating content to equip school leaders with the tools and insights to drive sustainable enrollment growth

Andy regularly writes and speaks on enrollment strategy, including foundational concepts like The Uncomfortable Commitment to Healthy Enrollment and The Untapped Potential of Your School’s How. He is also one of the Enrollment Marketing Geeks.

At the close of play, Andy enjoys time with his wife, daughter, and two sons. He’s an avid soccer fan (and sometimes player), a sold-out Liverpool supporter (YNWA!), and always up for talking a little smack on the pickleball court.

Althea Penn is passionate about serving Christian early education teachers and leaders and has over 30 years of experience in organizational leadership and as a primary and secondary instructor. She is certified as a professional development specialist, early childhood educator, and administrator. As Director of Early Education with The Association of Christian Schools International, she provides consultation and professional assistance to early educators supporting them with a Christ-centered focus and helping in the development of biblically based resources and professional development. Althea’s favorite children’s book is The Berenstain Bears: God Loves You! by Jan Berenstain and her favorite verse to teach children is Jeremiah 29:11.