Jody Van Kley – Jody is the conference coordinator. She convenes and chairs the leadership team and carries all operational responsibility for conference planning, communication, travel and management. The rest of the year she serves the Calvary Church of Orland Park, Illinois as worship director. Jody and husband Dave are parents of two boys, Kent a college student and Ross still at home and in high school.        

Dave Van Kley – Dave is the conference pastor. In that role he provides warm continuity to the “up front” leadership of the event. Dave also takes a hands-on role in Pastors Day, worship leadership, prayer prompting, and pastoral care. Dave is an ordained pastor of the Reformed Church in America serving as pastor of care at Calvary Church in Orland Park, Illinois. He and Jody also lead Shine Like Stars, Inc., bringing high quality character building assembly programs into the public schools. The Van Kley family resides in New Lenox, Illinois.

Steve Yost – Steve builds a team of worship leaders and joins the Van Kleys and conference guests to craft rich, memorable worship gatherings throughout the 9 days of the event. Steve guides the various components of the plenary gatherings in preparation for God’s Spirit to have freedom with God’s people. Steve serves full-time as an associate pastor for worship at Christ Community Church in Omaha, Nebraska. Steve and Timaree have three grown sons and a high-school aged son still at home. They celebrated the arrival of their first grandson in 2011.

Scottie May – Scottie is the immediate past board chair, now serving as a consultant to the leadership team. She holds a doctorate in education and teaches on the faculty of Wheaton College, Illinois in the area of Christian formation with special emphasis in children’s spirituality. She has participated in the conference for much of its history and now celebrates the attendance of her children and grandchildren each year. Her academic credentials, publications, conference experience, and wide-ranging speaking opportunities open networks of relationship which will inevitably enrich the conference for years to come.

Rick Porter – Rick Porter is executive director of all Conference Association ministries, including the Bible conference. He served as executive director previously from 1994-2001 while residing in western Canada. In 2005, Rick and Dianne moved to the Lakes Area of Iowa to give full-time support to the conference in funding and promotion in the role of development director. He launched an enlarged year-round ministry [Intersect] and worked with the board toward a strong future. In 2009, the board of directors asked him to take the executive director role giving leadership to all aspects of conference, Intersect, funding, and campus care and development. Rick and Dianne have 5 grandkids.

Jordan Newhouse - Jordan Newhouse is the newest member of the leadership team. He is a graduate of Wheaton College. Jordan  is currently on the pastoral staff at College Church in Wheaton, Illinois where he serves as ministry associate of worship overseeing evening worship services. Jordan couples that with morning contemporary worship associate responsibilities at First Baptist Church, Geneva, Illinois. He is also a freelance collaborative pianist in the Chicago area performing and coaching vocalists and instrumentalists. Though he grew up on Omaha, Nebraska, Jordan now calls Wheaton “home.”