Board of Governors

Dr. Kevin Clark | President and founder

Dr. Kevin Clark is the President and Founder of the Ecclesial Schools Initiative, whose mission is to expand access to extraordinary education by creating a network of neighborhood classical Christian schools, planted in local churches.  The Ecclesial Schools opened its first campus location at St. Alban’s Church, Oviedo, FL, in 2020 in collaboration with the Drexel Fund and Spreading Hope Network. The second neighborhood campus opened at Northland Church, Longwood, FL, in 2023, with more locations planned in the next three years.  

Kevin’s experience in classical Christian education spans more than 20 years, including both classroom teaching and academic leadership. He founded the Ecclesial Schools Initiative as a Founders Fellow of The Drexel Fund and as a Founder School with Spreading Hope Network. Kevin is invested in the renewal of classical Christian education. He serves as a board member of the Society for Classical Learning, a member of the Junto Fellowship, a national team of classical Christian school leaders and academics tasked with creating the standards and indicators for SCL's school accreditation program, as founding member of the Alcuin Fellowship, and as a teaching fellow for Gordon College’s MA program in Classical School Leadership. In 2016, Kevin earned a doctorate from Georgetown University, where he wrote on the relevance of hermeneutics for the interdisciplinary practice of liberal arts education.  He is coauthor of the book The Liberal Arts Tradition: A Philosophy of Christian Classical Education, 3rd. Ed. (Classical Academic Press), which is read widely by classical Christian school leaders and teachers.

Dr. Brian Polk | Board Chair and Founder

Brian has been in classical education for 18 years serving in various capacities ranging from “science” teacher to administrator and board chair.  With a desire to grow as a professional educator, he returned to school in 2015 to pursue a doctorate in educational leadership at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody School.  Graduating in 2018, his work ignited a passion to study Classical Christian schools for the purpose of helping them to improve as they seek to guild the Kingdom of God.  In addition to his work with the Societey for Classical Learning, Brian directs the Center for Christian Classical Education at College of the Ozarks in Pointe Lookout, Missouri.  

rudy reudelhuber | Board Member and Founder

Rudy is managing director at Hodges, Ward, Elliott, where he has brokered more than $6B in volume in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.   

From being a graduate of Princeton University and Fulbright scholar to professional work in international resort brokerage, finance, and investment banking, Rudy brings a deep appreciation for learning, cross-cultural competence, and extensive professional experience to his service on the Ecclesial Schools Initiative Board.  Specifically, he lends his expertise in finance, contract negotiation, brand fidelity, and facilities.  

Rudy is an ordained deacon of the Orthodox Church in America.  In his free time, Rudy loves to swim, play the banjo, and read classics on the early Church Fathers.  He and his wife Susan have four sons. 

Paul Mascia, eSQ. | Board Member

Paul began his professional career with top tier law firms Gray, Harris & Robinson, P.A., and Zimmerman, Kiser & Sutcliffe, P.A. He then successfully scaled a multistate practice that served thousands of clients nationally in debt-related litigation, bankruptcy, real estate and workout matters. Over his career, he has been responsible for over a half billion dollars in transaction volume. He has spearheaded and executed capital, debt, corporate, workout, real estate and development initiatives for clients and his own account—in the process advising various lender, finance, investor, corporate and real estate interests ranging from publicly traded entities to small and medium sized enterprises. He obtained his law degree and masters in tax law from the University of Florida (Top 10 graduate), and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, magna cum laude, from Rollins College.

A life-long Central Florida resident, Paul currently resides in Winter Garden with his wife and four children.  He is a member of the Florida Bar, celebrates Christ in community at Lifebridge Church and volunteers his time to various charitable and community organizations.

Dave McDaniel | Board Member

David McDaniel considers it his life mission to serve those in need. His service background began as a volunteer working alongside a ministry whose purpose was to serve homeless youth, drug addicts, and prison inmates. More recently, he has worked with a mission in India, helping to build businesses in underprivileged villages there, as well as advancing church planting efforts. He currently serves as Board President of a non-profit housing corporation working to support the disabled population. David shares with the Ecclesial Schools Initiative its mission to serve those who cannot afford a private Christian education. He believes strongly in the transformative life change which can result from receiving such an education and has seen it himself in the lives of Ecclesial students. 

Professionally, David works for M3 Development, LLC (M3) specializing in the development of single-family subdivisions, with a focus on delivering entry-level housing. He is glad to report that in the last 10 years M3 has completed roughly 1,000 finished lots for National production builders. Prior to his present vocation, David enjoyed a successful career in real estate brokerage spanning over 25 years, having graduated from the University of Florida’s business school with a degree in Real Estate in 1984. During this time his efforts included collaborating with a family development company and working as an advisor to such clients as Disney Development, Universal Studios and Price Waterhouse, specifically regarding the market feasibility of their proposed real estate development projects. 

David is the proud father of three adult daughters and presently lives with his wife in Maitland, Florida.

Sheriffe Oliver | Board Member

Sheriffe and his wife, Kayla, live in the Orlando area with their four children, Josiah, Jude, Asa, and Nora. Interests include being present in whatever activities/sports his kids are doing at the moment, CrossFit, and getting lost in Christian apologetic Youtube videos and podcasts.

Sheriffe is a proud UCF alum, earning an Interdisciplinary degree with focuses in IT and Communication and is currently employed as a Sales Executive for a Nashville-based software company. In addition to being a Board Member for the Ecclesial Schools Initiative, he serves as a Ruling Elder at his church and is the VP on his HOA's Board.

Governance and Administration

Board of Governors

As an independent school network, the Ecclesial Schools Initiative is governed by a board of dedicated volunteers with the expertise and experience necessary for fulfilling a board’s primary duties—ensuring that the school remains true to its mission and sound in its fiscal responsibilities. It is important to note that the board governs, it does not manage. It does this most importantly by evaluating the one employee it has chosen to accomplish its mission—the president, the executive director of the network.  

Campus Deans

Each Ecclesial campus is led by a dean who is responsible for the teaching, learning, discipline, and culture of that location. This supports a consistent culture and ensures that students, as well as their parents, are known and loved.  All faculty and staff at the campus report to and are evaluated by the dean. The dean in turn reports to and is evaluated by the president. 

Network Administration

The campuses are supported by a centralized network administration that oversees business, operations, and human resources for each of the campuses, as well as academics and engagement. The network administration is led by the president, who as the executive director, is also head of schools.