The OCHEC Board of Trustees
Jerry and Susan Chrisman of Piedmont, OK, have been homeschooling since 1985. They have five children and two grandsons. Jerry has been helping churches develop their worship ministries since 1972. He is an ordained minister, song-writer, and soloist, currently attending Crossings Community Church in OKC with his family. Jerry owns Chrisman Foam Products, a family business, which manufactures surgical positioning foams and other innovative foam products, and is a sales representative for Master Packaging. Susan co-directs a Charlotte Mason discussion group in OKC. She owns Lifelong Learners, a resource service company, and is a popular speaker across the state. She has recently published a homeschool resource called The Practical Planner for Home Education which is available through her website www.lifelonglearnersonline.com.
Don and Sandy Fairchild of Oklahoma City have been homeschooling since 1993. They have two sons. Don is an information technology specialist at Tinker. Sandy is co-leader of the Charlotte Mason Discussion group in OKC.
Lloyd and Heather Grissom of Moore are pleased to serve Oklahoma home educators as board members of OCHEC. They have seven children, ranging in ages from 15 to 10 months and are expecting another child in April, 2009. They began their learning adventures at home in 1998 and utilize a literature-based curriculum. Lloyd’s career is in retail management, and he enjoys fishing and sports. Heather manages their home and enjoys gardening, reading, and cooking. They practice a lifestyle of learning through various activities and the practical side of managing a large family. The close-knit Grissoms are also known for their Monopoly marathons and backyard camp-outs. Lloyd and Heather are on the leadership team of the LIGHT Homeschool Group serving south OKC.
Marcus & Lois Hulings of Oklahoma City homeschooled two of their three sons. Marcus is a caterer and home remodeler and has taught Financial Peace for the Next Generation as a homeschool co-op high school class. Lois is a full-time secretary at their church, Immanuel Lutheran.
Fred and Cindy Nicolai of Geary, OK have homeschooled since 1995. They have three children. They live on and farm the land Fred's great-grandparents homesteaded in 1893. Fred also owns a small business catering to the natural gas production industry. Cindy serves as leader of their local homeschool support group and co-op. They also have a screenprinting and embroidery business they started to give their children some vocational experience.
Sam and Tina Oliphant of Oklahoma City have been married for 14 years. They have five children: Shea (33), Lauren (28), Taylor (24), Addison (12), and Kamryn (5). Tina and Sam also enjoy their first grandchild, grandson Jude (7 months). They have been home educating for seven years. Sam is a developmental optometrist and specializes in children with vision-related learning problems. Tina is an occupational therapist who practices one day a week at their office, Advanced Family Eyecare, home educates, and is a domestic engineer for the other six days a week. They attend Newchurch in OKC.
Patrick and Tracy Phillips of Oklahoma City have been homeschooling for 9 years. They are the parents of seven children to date. Patrick works for Dell in the Onsite IT Department. Tracy is a former support group leader and serves as the convention speaker coordinator for OCHEC. They enjoy a literature based curriculum and are learning along with their children. Patrick is also a part of the media ministry at their church. They are foster and adoptive parents.
Ron and Betty Smith of Duncan have been homeschooling since 1985. They have four children, ages 16-23. The Smiths are currently in the process of adopting a baby, so they will look forward to another 18 years of homeschooling. Ron and Betty have been married 30 years. For their anniversary, they bought a plaque that said, "Grow old along with me. The best is yet to be." The Smiths publish books written by Betty and her sister, Susan Mortimer, through their company, Eagle's Wings Educational Materials. They enjoy opportunities to be involved in short-term mission work around the world.
Dan and Dana Wilson have been married since 1990, and homeschooling since 1998. They are the parents of five children, two of whom have disabilities. Their homeschool could be described as Classical, with a dash of Charlotte Mason, the occasional unit study and a workbook or two thrown in for good measure. The Wilsons believe that life is learning, and they love to take their school "on the road" visiting family, friends and interesting destinations whenever possible. They enjoy the teaching and fellowship of their family-integrated church, Legacy Family Church, in Edmond, OK. Dan is Chief Operating Officer at ClearSight Center in Oklahoma City, and Dana is a parent mentor with Oklahoma Family Network, Oklahoma’s non-profit Parent-to-Parent mentorship and referral network, empowering families who are raising children with special health care or disability needs.
Robin and Julie Zwirtz of Oklahoma City have been married for 17 years and have seven children to date, five boys and two girls, ranging in age from 14 years to 8 months. They have been homeschooling nearly 14 years. Robin owns BirdDog Software, a software development company located in Oklahoma City. Their eldest son, Xavier, is enjoying an apprenticeship education under his father's tutelage, while the rest of the children are continuing their basic education under their mother's supervision. Robin and Julie are entering their second year as leaders of LIGHT, a south-side homeschool support group. Robin is an Elder at Berean Family Fellowship, a family-integrated church in south OKC.
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