Kimberly Kirschner is honored to fill the role as the Institute for Better Education’s Executive Director. She joined the IBE family in December of 2012 to serve as the Corporate Program Coordinator for two years. She then had the opportunity bring her skill set to IBE as the Business Office Manager for two more years. Kim attended the University of Arizona and has been an Arizona business owner for over thirty years. Kim is very passionate about helping Arizona families remove any financial obstacles that would keep them from finding the right private school to meet their child’s needs. Kim is married to Tom and they have two children, Kaitlin and Carter who both live in Colorado. Kim and Tom love visiting their children and enjoy sailing, skiing and snowboarding, as well as peaceful downtime at their cabin hide-away in Colorado.

Shari Colson joined the Institute for Better Education family in August of 2023 to serve as the Director of Community Outreach for IBE’s Corporate Donor Program and to help market the IBE Foundation. After growing up in Minnesota, Shari attended college at Northern Arizona University and received her degree in Speech Communications and Psychology. Shari has over 25 years of combined experience working in corporate account management, marketing, education, and fundraising for fortune 500 corporations and non-profit organizations. Shari and her husband Jeff have four adult children and ten grandchildren who live in Arizona and Oregon. They enjoy spending their free time with their family, golfing, hiking, and traveling. Shari has always been passionate about making a difference in children’s lives and in her community so she feels very blessed that this position allows her to do both.

Amanda Bryant is the Recommended Fund Scholarship Coordinator. She has been with the Institute for Better Education since December 2009. Amanda attended Arizona State University, but true to Tucson, she roots for the University of Arizona. As a long time Arizonan, she enjoys spending time traveling the state to discover new things with her husband and two children. The best part of working at IBE, she says, is helping families achieve their goal of having their child (ren) at the school of their choosing.

Wendi Hauser is the Corporate and Financial Aid coordinator, yet her experience with IBE began as a parent applying for scholarships for her two children.  As an Army brat, she has traveled extensively but 15 years ago she and her husband Chris made Tucson their home.  She enjoys baking, watching movies and playing games and spending time with her family.

Sara Hinds is a very important member of the IBE family. She is our Scholarship Support Specialist and has been part of the team since December of 2015. When asked what she would like to share, Sara, in her typical cheery way said, “My three children are the highlights of my life! We have been residents of Tucson for the past 20 years and consider Tucson our home. We love outdoor activities and being involved in both our school and church. It is an honor to work for an organization that supports a parent’s right to choose what education best meets their student’s beliefs and needs.”

Crystal Lanik recently joined IBE in September 2020, as a First Impressions
Coordinator. Crystal is one of the first people to greet you as you walk through the doors
here at IBE. Before joining IBE Crystal worked in a private school for many years and
enjoys helping Arizona families to continue a better education for their children. She and
her Husband Jeff have two fantastic sons, as a family they enjoy the outdoors and
baseball!

Jodi Schulz joined the Team at IBE in September of 2017. She is the Business Office Manager and has lived in Arizona most of her life. She has worked with the public in restaurants and retail over the last 25+ years. She is married and enjoys spending time with her husband Ron and their dog, Loki. Hobbies include boating, biking, or just being lazy by a pool or beach. Working at IBE will be a blessing and Jodi is looking forward to giving back to the community in a brand new way.

Lucia Valenzuela is our Bilingual First Impressions Coordinator. She join the IBE Team
March of 2020 in hopes to provide YOU with extraordinary service! Lucia and her
husband are blessed with four children, 3 girls and a boy! All attend or have attended a
private Catholic school here in Tucson. Their two oldest chose to continue their high
school education in public schools, the younger ones are opting to continue in private.
As such, school choice has always played an important role in their family. She is
enjoying working with the IBE Team towards Making a Difference in the lives of Arizona
children!

Jack Schull is the Lead Pastor at Elements City Church. Jack has a Communication degree from the University of Arizona and a Master’s degree in Theological Studies from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. An avid sports fan, he reminds us to #BearDown University of Arizona and Go Steelers! He enjoys golf and currently serves on the board of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) in Tucson. He is currently the Chairman of the Board of Trustee for the Institute for Better Education. He and his wife Amy have been married since 1995 and have 3 children.

Kimberly Kirschner is honored to fill the role as the Institute for Better Education’s Executive Director. She joined the IBE family in December of 2012 to serve as the Corporate Program Coordinator for two years. She then had the opportunity bring her skill set to IBE as the Business Office Manager for two more years. Kim attended the University of Arizona and has been an Arizona business owner for over thirty years. Kim is very passionate about helping Arizona families remove any financial obstacles that would keep them from finding the right private school to meet their child’s needs. Kim is married to Tom and they have two children, Kaitlin and Carter who both live in Colorado. Kim and Tom love visiting their children and enjoy sailing, skiing and snowboarding, as well as peaceful downtime at their cabin hide-away in Colorado.

Inga Brchan is a native Arizona. She completed a Bachelor of Science from the University of Arizona before earning her Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation. Since 2008, she has served as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Beck Legacy Group, an organization that owns, operates, and invests in a wide array of businesses throughout Arizona.

Inga and her husband, Levi, are ardent supporters of the Pusch Ridge Christian Academy (PRCA) community.  Their three sons attend PRCA, where Inga is an integral
member of the Football Boosters and the Christian Parent Fellowship group. Previously, their sons attended Casas Christian School where she served on the board
and was introduced to the Institute for Better Education (IBE).

Inga’s personal values align with IBE’s philosophy.  She is passionate about providing excellent internal and external customer service while maximizing benefits and
minimizing cost in support of allowing Arizona’s children the opportunity to be educated in an environment that is the best fit for them.

When she is not cheering on the Wildcats, working, or cheering on her boys; Inga enjoys spending time with extended family and friends, exploring the great outdoors, and traveling.

Eric Dowdle is the Principal at Casas Christian K-8 School in Tucson, Az. He has served as an administrator at the school for the past 20 years, and a minister on the staff of the church as well.

He and his wife Heather have three girls and have recently added a wonderful son-in-law to their family.

He currently serves as the Chairperson of the Accreditation Commission for the Association of Christian Schools International – Rocky Mountain Region.

Aaron Jansen has a BA from Dordt College in Secondary Education and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Grand Canyon University. He has proudly served at Desert Christian Schools since 2002. He is currently the Assistant Principal and Athletic Director for the K-8 campus. Aaron and his wife Mikala have been married for fourteen years and have three energetic young children. He enjoys coaching high school basketball in his spare time. Aaron is very humbled by the opportunity to serve on the board of trustees at IBE. He is passionate about school choice and speaking the truth of God’s Word into the lives of young people on a daily basis.

He concludes with, “I am proud to serve on the IBE board and be a small part of such an amazing organization that has blessed so many families throughout AZ. When individuals redirect their tax dollars through the Institute for Better Education, school choice is made accessible. IBE’s scholarship program allows parents to choose a private school that best meets the needs of their student. Choice is a powerful motivator and I believe it creates a stronger educational system for all.”

Harvey Mordka has been a resident of Tucson Arizona since 1946 after coming to Tucson as a three year old. Harvey is a Graduate of Amphitheater High School in 1961 and continued on to the University of Arizona in 1965 with a BA in Sociology. After graduating college, he entered the United States Navy from 1967-1969 as Special Agent Naval Intelligence. Harvey then went into the Real Estate business in 1972 as a Salesperson, eventually opening up Harvey Mordka Realty in 1975. He served his clientele for 45 years and is still in business under the ownership of his younger son, Billy.

Harvey and his wife, Sandy, have been married for close to 50 years. They have two sons, two daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren who round out the family. Harvey has served as a past Board President and Director of IBE, back in the early days of the school tuition organization era. Harvey is a true blessing to IBE as having recently come back for another tour on IBE’s Board of Directors. He is also a currently a board member on Tucson Realtor Charitable Foundation and a Realtor Emeritus. He concludes with, “I am proud to serve on the IBE board and be a small part of such an amazing organization that has blessed so many families throughout AZ. When individuals redirect their tax dollars through the Institute for Better Education, school choice is made accessible. IBE’s scholarship program allows parents to choose a private school that best meets the needs of their student. Choice is a powerful motivator and I believe it creates a stronger educational system for all.”

Katrina Powell grew up in Northern New Mexico and has lived in Tucson for the last 27 years. She and her husband, Dustin, have a son who lives in Scottsdale. She has a BA in English and Secondary Education from Briar Cliff University, a Masters in Educational Counseling from University of Phoenix, and a Doctorate of Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Organizational Development from Grand Canyon University. After 28 years serving in various roles in both the private and public school systems in Southern AZ, Katrina made the decision to move to nonprofit leadership. She enjoys using her experience in K-12 education and the knowledge she gained from her research to build relationships and find support for nonprofit sustainability. She is currently the Development Manager for Fox Tucson Theatre Foundation.
Katrina´s passion for education and the difference it makes in the life of a child is her favorite part of being part of the IBE Board. She knows firsthand the value that scholarship tuition organizations and educational foundations provide to a community.

He concludes with, “I am proud to serve on the IBE board and be a small part of such an amazing organization that has blessed so many families throughout AZ. When individuals redirect their tax dollars through the Institute for Better Education, school choice is made accessible. IBE’s scholarship program allows parents to choose a private school that best meets the needs of their student. Choice is a powerful motivator and I believe it creates a stronger educational system for all.”

Rusty is a native Tucsonan, graduating from Amphitheater High School and working as an assistant golf professional for Oro Valley Country Club from 1990-1996. He holds a bachelor’s in business administration from Baylor University and a J.D. from Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Rusty has worked in the area of family law and estate planning, focusing primarily on estate planning for the past 19 years.

Rusty served on the board for IMPACT of Southern Arizona from 2013-2016. He and his family attend Faith Community Church. Rusty and his wife have homeschooled their two daughters for the past 6 years. Prior to homeschooling they were blessed by IBE while their children pursued private Christian education. He is a strong believer in school choice and welcomes the opportunity to use his talents to support parents and students while on the board of IBE.

Troy grew up in Tucson and went on to graduate from the University of Arizona, then became a Certified Public Accountant. His firm, the Ruboyianes Tax Company, PLLC, provides tax and bookkeeping services throughout Arizona, with clients across the country and Mexico. Troy and his wife, Amanda, have two daughters who are able to attend private school thanks to the Arizona Tax Credit program.

Troy is passionate about Arizona Tax Credits as they provide school choice in a broadly equitable way. The benefits are accessible to families of any income level and allow taxpayers to choose where their tax dollars are spent. Because Troy always seeks the most effective and economical tax routes for his clients, these credits have become one of his favorite vehicles. He looks forward to serving on the Board as a means of maximizing school choice for Arizona families.