Board of Directors

Mali and her husband, Rylan, moved back to Gig Harbor in 2021 with their three daughters, Rosie, Tova, and Brynn, and son Boden. Mali is a Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in women’s issues and perinatal mental health. She enjoys splitting her time between her private practice and role as mom to the kids. As an alumnus of Lighthouse, she is thrilled to be back and part of the amazing work being done daily in students’ hearts and minds. The Hawkins family loves spending time with extended family and friends, playing pickleball, boating, and relaxing together at home. 

“I am excited to be able to serve a school and community that blessed me so much as a young person. It is an honor to work with the rest of the board to further the mission of Lighthouse and contribute each of our unique gifts.” 

Erica and her husband, Nick, have lived in Gig Harbor for the past 10 years. They have two daughters and a son, who all attend Lighthouse. Erica graduated from the University of Portland and was a CPA until 2015 when she decided to stay home and raise her children. In addition to raising a family, she volunteers her time helping our young adolescent community. She is a strong advocate for children, especially with respect to education. Throughout the past several years, Erica has been a cheerleading coach at Gig Harbor High School and Bellarmine Prep. Nick and Erica attend Heart Church in Fox Island and feel blessed to be a part of the Lighthouse community. 

“I am extremely humbled to be on the board for this amazing school. Lighthouse is the best of both worlds, combining the highest academic standards and giving children a Godly worldview. The personal relationships developed here make this more than an education. I look forward to fulfilling the school’s mission to create leaders centered in Christ for years to come.”

Ashton and his wife, Ashley, have two children, Scotland and Roslyn, who both attend Lighthouse. Beyond Scottie and Rosie, the Dennis’ are a licensed foster care family and work locally with Olive Crest to provide respite care for children. Ashton is a proud alum of Washington State University and Seattle University School of Law and has been practicing in Pierce County for nearly a decade. Ashton and Ashley are so thankful for the Christ-centered education their children receive at Lighthouse. For fun, the Dennis family can be found exploring in their travel trailer, fishing, or golfing when the northwest weather permits. Having young children, Ashton and Ashley are thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful community at Lighthouse. 

Heather Adams lives in Gig Harbor with her husband of 17 years, Brandon Adams, and their two children. She graduated from South Kitsap High School and went on to obtain a Bachelor's in Urban Planning from the University of Washington. Heather worked as a Policy Analyst/Urban Planner for over a decade; however, she has put her career on a hiatus while staying home to raise her children. Heather is actively involved in her local church and has volunteered in various children’s ministries for over two decades. Heather loves spending time with her family, camping, and fly fishing with her husband. She feels extremely blessed to be a part of Lighthouse Christian School and have the opportunity to serve on the school’s board of directors. 

Kirk’s four children attended Lighthouse before moving on to Gig Harbor High School and college. Now he is a grandfather with adult children. LCS positively influenced the Andonian children’s Christian development. Al Greene, the founder of Bellevue Christian School, which Kirk and his wife Maria attended as kids, often said that Christian education’s challenge was to “teach God’s unchanging truths in a rapidly changing world.” Kirk feels this statement has never been more relevant, and he is privileged to give his time to Lighthouse. Kirk looks forward to working with the school’s leadership team, faculty, and staff to ensure that every student receives a top-quality education grounded in Christian values. He is excited about the opportunities and new challenges ahead, and committed to helping Lighthouse Christian School fulfill its mission of empowering students to reach their full potential academically, spiritually, and socially. Kirk graduated from Westmont College in Santa Barbara and has been a business owner in Gig Harbor for the past 25 years. 

My name is Forest Elander, and my wife Ashley and I have been married for 16 years. We have two children: Kennedy, who is 8 years old, and Koa, who is 5 years old. In 2021, we felt called by the Holy Spirit to move from Kirkland to Gig Harbor. Since our arrival, Kennedy has been attending Lighthouse, and we are hopeful that Koa will join next year. I have been a firefighter at the Port of Seattle Fire Department for 11 years, and Ashley is a full-time mom and has been a pediatric nurse at Allegro Pediatrics for the past 10 years. Our church family is Heart Church on Fox Island, and we strive daily to practice our faith by learning, loving, and serving as He did. We love the outdoors and enjoy making memories through camping and travel. We have been amazed by the wonderful community of Gig Harbor and Lighthouse. I am honored and excited to serve on the Lighthouse school board and look forward to contributing to this community and the future generations at Lighthouse. 

Heather moved to Gig Harbor in 2022 with her husband, Adam, and three daughters, Pippa, Lucy, and Bristol. Though trained as a health and PE teacher, she opted to manage things at home with the girls for much of Adam’s career in the Navy due to frequent moves and deployments. During that time, she also gained experience in online and social media marketing. Now that the family is planting roots in Gig Harbor, Heather has dived more into volunteer opportunities at LCS and around the community. Heather has a heart for youth and loves to coach basketball and help in the classroom. 

"I am thrilled to be a part of the Lighthouse Board. I’m excited to help promote and foster the Jesus-centered vision for education here at this amazing school.”

Beau and his wife, Annemarie, have lived in Gig Harbor for the past 3 years. Originally from Federal Way and then Tacoma, they are thankful to raise their children here. With a family of three young boys, they feel blessed to have their oldest son, Henry, at Lighthouse in Kindergarten this year. Beau and Annemarie met at church youth group, where they came back to serve as youth leaders after they both graduated from college. Beau attended Central Washington University, where he graduated with a degree in Managerial Economics. Beau works as a Wealth Advisor for a broker-dealer out of San Diego, while Annemarie is a full-time mom. He enjoys traveling with his family, golf, and the outdoors. 

“I consider it an honor and a privilege to be able to serve the community of Lighthouse. It was so obvious to me from day one that Lighthouse is more than a school; it is a ministry for Jesus Christ through the delivery of high-quality education and character development. I am humbled to be a part of that legacy and look forward to helping grow and fulfill that mission for years to come.”  

Adam and his wife, Rachel, met in Bellingham, WA at a camp put on by The Inn College Ministries. Today, they reside on Fox Island, where Adam is a life-long local patron, and are raising three girls, all of whom have attended Lighthouse since Kindergarten. Adam has a degree in Engineering and a curious appetite for all things mechanical. He currently runs a nationwide HVACR business that caters to temperature critical environments for food, pharmaceutical, and cold-storage distribution. In his spare time, you will find him playing with his girls, getting outside as much as possible, fostering relationships, and tinkering on projects small and large. 

“I am honored to serve the Lighthouse students, faculty, and staff and excited to promote the school’s mission for generations to come. The impact LCS has had on my girls, Rachel, and I, and our broader community, continues to be a blessing.”

Ben Krauskopf is a committed and enthusiastic member of our school board, driven by a strong commitment to his faith and community. He and his wife, Rachel, are actively involved in their local church and reside in Gig Harbor. Two of their children are current students at Lighthouse Christian School, and their youngest looks forward to  attending after finishing preschool. In addition to his board role at Lighthouse, Ben previously served on a committee with Young Life and in leadership with his  church.

Ben’s professional background includes co-founding and managing Palingen Capital, an investment firm that is focused on creating value through investments in people and culture. Prior to this, he built a career at the investment bank, Houlihan Lokey, in New York, specializing in complex financial restructurings, and held a role at Amazon, helping to build new product categories and other strategic  initiatives. Ben holds a bachelor's degree from Bucknell University and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. 

The Moren family feels blessed to have been involved with Lighthouse since 2005. Andrew’s wife, Tracey, worked in middle school administration while their children, Allison and Nathaniel, attended from kindergarten through 8th grade. Andrew is the founder and president of Fireshield, Inc. and has contributed his fire protection expertise to more than1,000 building improvement projects throughout the Pacific Northwest for more than 30 years. He founded a fire and life safety software company that helps fire marshals, service inspectors, and property owners manage system inspections. He is also a founding member of OUR Church in University Place, where he serves on weekends. Andrew has been attending Covenant Bible Seminary in Lakewood since 2016, where he’s earned his Bachelor of Theology and Master of Biblical Studies degrees. He also teaches a leadership workshop called Inspired Incorporated that helps people develop tools to align their missions with Jesus. Andrew enjoys writing, traveling, and fitness classes. He loves spending his free time with his family. 

"Our children attribute their spiritual and academic strengths to the partnership that we developed with Lighthouse. The school reinforced the Biblical principles that we taught at home and further blessed us by being a place where the Holy Spirit would fill us daily. I’m grateful and humbled with the responsibility to protect those blessings for all LCS families.” 

Blake and his family moved to Gig Harbor in 2018. He and his wife, Shawmonee, have four kids at Lighthouse: Graysen - 8th grade, Logan - 5th grade, Jayce - 3rd Grade, and Cozette - 1st grade. They love spending time together as a family and doing all things sports related. Blake has served on the board for the last 3 years and is looking forward to serving again this year. 

Michelle and her husband, Chad, have four kids. Mia, Naomi, and Micah are Lighthouse students, and Olivia has moved on to Gig Harbor High School. Michelle grew up in Gig Harbor, graduated from Azusa Pacific University, completed San Diego State’s teacher credential program, and then returned home to the PNW for a Masters in Educational Technology at the University of Washington. She’s taught elementary and middle school, coached high school, served as an Instructional Coach, and more recently was part of The Learning Center (TLC) team. While Chad was a USMC pilot, the Van Somerens lived in Japan and San Diego. Chad now flies for Alaska Airlines and Michelle is home full-time raising their kids. Their family is part of Believers Fellowship church. They enjoy traveling, exploring the outdoors together, and spending time with family and friends. 

“I’m deeply humbled and honored to serve as a board member. Time and time again, our family has been amazed by the dedication, kindness, excellence, creativity, passion, joy, and Christ-likeness demonstrated by Lighthouse teachers, staff, and administrators. It will be a joy to see how the Lord works through Lighthouse to prepare students to be culture-shaping leaders, making a positive impact to the glory of our Lord."