Board of Directors

My name is Brian Jones and I’ve been the Senior Pastor at Calvary Bible Church for the past 13 years.

My wife, Suzanne, is a physician who founded and serves as medical director at Michigan Vein Care Specialists in Ann Arbor. We have three children. Jeffrey graduated from WCA in 2022, Hannah graduated from WCA in 2024, and Daniel is a sophomore at WCA. We are active in athletics and most other areas of WCA life.

Our oldest child came to WCA in 2010. From the beginning, we’ve found it to be a loving community where our children have learned and grown in their knowledge of the world and in their understanding of our faith in Jesus Christ. We are grateful for everything WCA has meant to our family over the years, but we are especially thankful for how the school has grown and become more financially healthy as well as academically stronger in recent years. Most important of all, the Bible courses and spiritual atmosphere at WCA have gotten better and better as our children have moved through middle and high school. WCA has always been good for our family, but it is better than ever right now and improving consistently, to the praise of God’s glory. 

This is my fifth year on the WCA board of directors and I serve as the board's president. Before joining the board, I attended board meetings regularly and provided biblical insight and guidance to the board on an informal basis. I have been a pastor for many years and a board member for another non-profit. I have participated in making difficult decisions in several different ministry and non-ministry contexts, so I bring that experience to the WCA board of directors. My hope, as a board member, is to help the school maintain its Christian distinctives and to continue to get stronger and better in every way. 

My wife Jennifer and I have been involved with WCA since 2011, when our daughter Abigail (now in 8th grade) joined the pre-K program.  Our other daughter Emily is in 5th grade, and we are also currently hosting an exchange student from China—another Abby!—who is in 10th grade. 

I have a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan, and I am a serial entrepreneur with experience in company-building, technical R&D, product launch, strategic planning, and management across multiple life-science companies. In the process, God has also used me to lead co-workers to Christ. 

I am particularly passionate about the integration of faith and life, and I look forward to working with the board on questions of strategic vision, planning for the future, and encouraging the development of students with strong critical thinking skills to navigate the many competing voices in our world.

My name is Melanie Mangiapane.  My husband Bobby and I have been married for 15 years and have three children.  Our three children are all part of the WCA family, Mya is in 7th grade, and Everlie and Emmett are in 3rd grade. My family and I joined WCA in March 2021 and quickly fell in love with this community. 

I am an Eastern Michigan University graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration.  I spent 19 years in the transportation industry working for the same company.  When our family made the move to Ann Arbor, I found myself reevaluating my career and made a promise that I would be very intentional about what consumed my time in the future.  That promise led me into a WCA classroom when the need arose for substitutes.  I was most satisfied in my previous position when I was training and teaching our drivers new technologies, so I knew this would be the perfect fit for me.  My experience in the classroom has been rewarding but has led me to want to do more for our school community.

I am excited to join the group of leaders who represent this wonderful school.  These times are trying and navigating what is best for our families and students weigh on all of us.  We are blessed to have this positive environment surrounded by people who know and love Jesus. I look forward to working with the board to carry out His mission while serving our students and families at WCA. 

My wife Paulina and I have 3 children at WCA – Sophie in 9th grade, Claire in 7th grade, and Benjamin in 4th grade.  This is our 4th year at WCA.  Four years ago, I thought we would have our kids go to Christian school during their middle school years then transfer back to public school for high school.  Over the past few years our original thought has changed as we learned and experienced more of WCA.  We’re now keeping them in for high school and enrolling them earlier than middle school!  Our kids have thrived here and we appreciate the staff’s care for our kids and their care to teach a Biblical worldview through each subject. 

I graduated from the University of Michigan with a BSE in Industrial and Operations Engineering with a minor in Economics.  Since college, I’ve been working for Toyota, doing manufacturing production preparation and supply chain roles.  I’m also active at Grace Bible Church in Ann Arbor, serving as a Small Group Leader and a Deacon. 

It’s been encouraging to see our school grow together through a few years that have been very difficult for the educational community.  I’m honored to be asked to join the WCA Board.  I pray that God will use my experiences in the automotive industry and in the local church to help improve processes, solve problems, develop relationships, and honor Christ inside and outside the school.  My desire is that WCA will continue to grow academically as we maintain and deepen our Christian identity and character.  It is an exciting time for WCA and our future possibilities. 

My name is Finias Guseth, my wife Brooke and I have been married for 11 years and both grew up in the surrounding areas. We have been blessed with 5 wonderful children, all of whom will be attending WCA this fall. 

Currently, God has positioned me to lead and support my own family as a stay-at-home dad. This has strengthened and motivated my purpose to steward not only my own kids towards Christ but also the lives of other children. 

In previous years, my background as a small business owner and entrepreneur has equipped me with a skill set that will hopefully support & impact the WCA mission. We have been very pleased with the direction and environment at WCA, and it would be an honor to collaborate and work with the other members.

I believe that it is essential that we as Christians adhere to the truth of scripture and lead our children to do the same while developing academically. I hope that by participating with the Board of Directors, we can collectively leave a Christ-centered legacy for WCA's future generations.

My name is Austin Cook.  My wife, Danielle, and I have been married for 11 years and are Michiganders born and raised.  We have two children who both attend WCA.  Our son, Isaiah, is in 1st grade and our daughter, Eliana, is in preschool.  

We have attended WCA for two years and we have been so happy with the experience, the faith focused education, and teachers who truly care about our children.
 

I am a graduate of Concordia University in Ann Arbor (go Cardinals!) and have my MBA from Liberty University.  My career has been spent in corporate finance and accounting and I currently work for a technology company, Otava, headquartered in Ann Arbor.  I am also an active CPA in the state of Michigan.  My wife is the Head Women’s Volleyball Coach for Concordia and has a passion for investing in and mentoring the next generation.
 

We have been so excited to see the growth at WCA and the blessing of God at work through the dedicated faculty and staff here. As a business leader, I hope I am able to bring that experience to provide value by serving the families of WCA and helping WCA continue to expand its reach in providing a Christ centered education.