Board of Trustees

Dr. Hall became Simpson University’s 15th president in June 2018. Prior to coming to Simpson, Dr. Hall served as the Vice President for International and Alumni Affairs & Major Gift Officer at Greenville University (Ill.). He also was Vice President & Dean of Student Development at Greenville University. He served at Azusa Pacific University (Calif.); Ashland University (Ohio); University of California, Santa Barbara; and Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Dr. Hall received his doctorate in educational administration from Pepperdine University (Calif.), a master of science in education from Southern Illinois University, and bachelor’s degrees in biology and sociology from Greenville University.

Dr. Hall and his wife, Alison, who is from Northern Ireland, have three college-age children.

Dr. Jim Postma is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at California State University, Chico. He was a member and former chair of the Academic Senate of the California State University. He has retired from the faculty at CSUC after 37 years. Having been married to Beverly for over 45 years, they have two daughters (one a Simpson alum) and three grandchildren. Jim and Bev attend Evangelical Free Church in Chico.

Dr. Postma joined the Simpson University Board of Trustees in 2013.

Adam McElvain was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2020. A Simpson alumnus, he has served in the United States Air Force and California Air National Guard and has been the speaker at Simpson University's commencement. In 2016, Adam was elected to a four-year term on the Redding City Council and served a one-year term as mayor. As a partner at Pacific Sky Creative, Inc., a local marketing firm, Adam is able to show his unique ability to think both technically and creatively. Because of this position he has a rich history of working closely with many regional business and industry leaders. Adam and his wife have two young children. They attend the Valley Christian Church in Redding.

Rev. Dennis Pust is recently retired from his role as Associate Superintendent for the Alliance Northwest District of the Christian & Missionary Alliance where he served from 2008 through 2021. He served as a Simpson University Trustee in the early 2000’s and was re-elected to another term that started in 2020. Prior to his district role, he served Alliance pastorates in Illinois and Oregon for over 30 years. He is a graduate of Crown College and Trinity Seminary. He and his wife, Tracey, have four children and nine grandchildren. In retirement he is serving in a part-time role as the Western Region Church Advance Coordinator for the Alliance, assisting Church Advance Specialists in the region as they come alongside churches in need of renewal.

Kimberly is a Senior Assistant Attorney General in the Human Services section of the Alaska Dpt. of Law. She holds a B.A. in Urban Studies and Psychology from Simpson Bible College (San Francisco Campus) and a J.D. from University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law.

Josh Barker is the CEO of a large Real Estate company in Redding, Calif., with over 20 years of experience in Real Estate sales, land acquisition, land development and new construction. Josh and his wife Nikole married in 1997 and have 4 children. Josh is a Redding native and is highly vested in Christian education and the support of young families and children.

Rebecca Berg was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2021. Rebecca is an alumna of Simpson University, earning her Teaching Credential, Administrative Credential and Master's in Education. She has worked for the Shasta Union High School District since 2000. Her most rewarding work revolves around at-risk youth. She and her husband Brian have been married for 22 years and have 3 daughters and 1 granddaughter. They enjoy serving their community. Their family worships at home.

Dr. Jo Anne Cripe was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2011. Jo Anne, a former Simpson University professor, retired from teaching at Butte Community College in 2016. She did her undergraduate work at Gordon College (Biblical Studies and English majors) and earned a doctorate is in Counseling and Human Development from Boston University. She spent her career in higher education and local church ministries. Jo Anne and her husband Jeff (a walnut farmer) have been married for over 35 years, have two adult sons, are active in their home church, and live in the middle of their 90-acre orchard in Chico, CA.

Rob Douglas was born in Southeast Asia and spent 14 of his first 18 years there as the son of missionary parents. He has served in the C&MA in various leadership and ministry capacities including District and Denominational Leadership, Pastoring and International Missions work during his over 30 years of ministry experience. Rob and his wife, Stacy, currently live in Citrus Heights, CA where he serves as the Superintendent for the Central Pacific District of the C&MA. He and Stacy have three adult children, Joe, Josh and Mindi. He especially enjoys time with his family, sharing stories of God’s working, traveling, enjoying nature, fishing, and flying kites.

Gary Friesen serves as Vice President/General Counsel for The Christian and Missionary Alliance. Beginning with his grandfather who attended in 1925, Gary’s family has had a long relationship with Simpson University. He oversees the legal and corporate affairs for the C&MA as well as issues related to religious liberty. Gary loves to teach and has taught biblical conflict resolution and organizational leadership across the globe. Primarily, his passion is to see people everywhere experience the redemptive power of the Gospel in their relationships, beginning with himself, his wife Laurel, and their family.

Rev. David Gilmore serves as superintendent of the C&MA’s South Pacific District. Prior to that, he spent nearly 35 years as a pastor. He and his wife Tami have been married for over 37 years and now live in Wildomar, California. He earned his undergraduate degree in Pastoral ministries from Crown College. Two of his three adult children are married, and he currently has two grandchildren.

Jim Goddard was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2021. He and his wife, Victoria, have four adult children and three grandchildren. They have been married over forty years. Jim and his son, Mark, own Agri Guys Equipment, an agricultural equipment marketing firm. Two of their daughters attended Simpson University. Victoria graduated from the Simpson Aspire program earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership. Simpson musical performances and events are one of their favorite sources of entertainment.

Jim and Victoria are area coordinators for American Christian Academy, a private school satellite program assisting home school families in Northern California.

Jim has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business from California State University Chico. Jim and Victoria attend Firm Family Church in Chico, CA.

Frank Harding was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2021. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, he the oldest of three children. He attended Catholic schools through high school. He served in Vietnam in 1964-1965 in the U.S. Air Force. After returning to U.S., Frank attended UCLA from 1972-1976. He left school in junior year to participate in political efforts. Frank served as Assistant to the Senate Republican Caucus Chairman in the mid 70’s. Following this job, he worked in banking and commercial real estate lending, managed real estate investments for STRS (State Teachers Retirement System), public and private pension fund real estate investments nationwide. He served as Gubernatorial appointee for Governors Deukmejian and Wilson. He owned and operated construction management firm specializing in K-12 and Community College facilities planning and construction.

Frank is the father of two daughters and one son and the grandparent of five, three girls and two boys. He and his wife, Brenda, attend The Pointe Church of Antelope.

Frank currently serves on the District Executive Committee of the Christian & Missionary Alliance as District Treasurer, is Board Member of World Relief Sacramento, assists in the relocation of Afghan refugees that have assisted U.S. forces in Afghanistan, and also serves as a Trustee on the Board of Trustees for Simpson University.

Frank and his wife enjoy traveling and camping, particularly with their grandkids. He also enjoys reading, in particular history.

Raymond Homan was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2004 and serves as chair of three committees: Business Finance, Employee Benefit Plan, and Audit. A Simpson alumnus, he has worked in business management for over 30 years and with a military storage contractor for 20 years. He serves on the finance board of the First United Methodist Church in San Diego, where he lives.

Julie Irving was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2011. After serving 30 years as a middle school health educator, Julie retired in 2008 to spend more time with her family and to devote herself to passions outside the classroom.

She enjoys volunteering for nonprofits and traveling to Germany to visit her two granddaughters and to be at home in Salem with her two grandsons. She has been married to Kent for 45 years, is mother to three grown children, one of which graduated from Simpson. Julie and Kent attend Salem Alliance Church.

Mark Matheson was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2009 and is the owner/president of Matheson Trucking. He and his wife, Sherrie, have a son, Josh, who graduated from Simpson University and a daughter, Lauren, who graduated from Biola University. He is a life member of Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship. Mark and Sherrie attend Rolling Hills Church in El Dorado Hills, CA.

Dr. Thomas Perry is an OBGYN physician, currently retired and served the Redding community for 38 years. He currently does part time work for vacation relief for the practitioners at Shasta Maternity Center. He also does a medical lecturer series for residents at Mercy Medical Center. He is a lifetime member of the Christian Medical and Dental Society and a member of Pathway Church. He and his wife, Betty (married 49 years), serve on the marriage mentors ministry. He also on the board for Gatehouse Ministries, a MK ministry associated with Simpson University. He and Betty have done multiple medical mission trips to many countries around the world. He currently takes nursing students from Simpson for a cross cultural medical trips to Mexico. He and Betty have three children and six grandchildren.

A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point with a B.S. in Engineering Science, Norm Reinhardt was commissioned as an officer in the US Army Signal Corps. He transitioned into executive leadership roles at technology companies to include General Instrument, Cisco Systems, and World Wide Technology. He is currently the Senior Vice President of Client Support and Operations at a privately held technology company, Levels Beyond. He holds graduate degrees from Pepperdine University (MPA) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (MS). Norm and his wife, Brenda, have been married for over 40 years and have two adult daughters. They have been active in The Christian and Missionary Alliance churches in Georgia and Southern California.

Dave Richey was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2007 and is the Senior Business Leader at Visa Inc. He attended Simpson College in San Francisco, 1974-1978. He also attends Neighborhood Church of Castro Valley. Dave and Kim met while attending Simpson and have been married for over 45 years. They have three sons and seven grandchildren, who are indescribable joys.

Lue Thao is the chief financial officer for a community health center corporation, an elder/trustee/youth director of the Alliance Church of Merced, and the former treasurer of the Hmong District. Lue was born and raised in Xieng Khuang, Laos and is a graduate of Illinois State University, Lewis University MBA program, and Covington Seminary. Lue and Abigail have three sons.

Nha Tran was ordained with C&MA and has been in ministry for over 40 years in Vietnam as well as in the States. Currently he is the lead pastor of the Vietnamese Evangelical Church in Garden Grove, CA and the Director of Association of Vietnamese Evangelical Churches in the States. In addition, he is the Principal of Alliance Theological College (ATC) to train pastors and Christian workers for Vietnamese Alliance Churches around the world as well as an adjunct professor of Biblical Studies and Theology at Bethesda Christian University, Anaheim, CA. He finished his theological degrees at Talbot School of Theology (Biola University, CA) and Fuller Theological Seminary (Pasadena, CA).

Nha Tran and Hong-Hanh Pham have been married for over thirty years. They have two grown children and two grandchildren.

Monty C. Wright serves as the District Superintendent for the Alliance Northwest District. He is also the founder and former president of the Bible Institute of Seattle, as well as the founder and president of Planet Changer, a global non-profit. Prior to becoming the District Superintendent of the Alliance NW, Monty was the founding and lead pastor of Snoqualmie Valley Alliance Church. Monty has been married to Amy Wright, Ed.D., for over 30 years and is dad to two leaders, Emma and Liam. Monty and Amy reside in Camas, Wash.