Staff

Lydia Quick

Executive Director

Lydia attended Christian school her entire life, and graduated from Pensacola Christian College. She has been involved with IACS for several years, serving first as a board member, as a part-time administrative support to IACS, and now as executive director. Lydia has over twenty years experience in non-profit work, eight of those as Advancement Director at a Christian school in Ankeny, Iowa. Lydia lives in Ankeny with her husband KC and their family.

Josh Bowar

Dr. Josh Bowar

Outreach Director

Josh is a graduate of Dordt University and holds a doctorate degree in educational leadership from the University of South Dakota. He has decades of experience in Christian schools from the elementary to college level, serving as a teacher, a school leader, a graduate professor, and a consultant. Josh has also served as the board president of IACS and is passionate about coaching leaders, walking alongside schools through the improvement process, and encouraging further expansion of Christian schools in Iowa. He is active at the state level in advocating for Christian education.

Eric Goranson

IACS Lobbyist, Goranson Consulting, Inc.

Eric is a graduate of Des Moines Christian School and William Penn University and has been lobbying for IACS since December of 2006. He owns Goranson Consulting, Inc., a multi-client lobbying firm in Des Moines. He also serves as President of Iowa Advocates for Choice in Education and Chair of Iowa’s Educational Opportunities PAC. Eric is a former member of the Iowa State Board of Education.

Shane Vander Hart

Communications Director

Shane Vander Hart is the founder of 4:15 Communications, a Des Moines-based marketing and public relations firm. He brings more than 20 years of experience working with churches, Christian schools, and nonprofit organizations, including service as a pastor, youth pastor, chaplain in a juvenile detention center, and as a Dean of Students and teacher at a Christian school in Northwest Indiana.

Shane also founded and edited Caffeinated Thoughts and The Iowa Torch, and his work has appeared in The Des Moines Register, POLITICO, The Hill, Daily Caller, and Fox News.

Dianne De Wit

Special Events Coordinator

Dianne is a graduate of Dordt University with a degree in education. She began her teaching career in middle school and later taught a course to university freshman while managing events at Dordt University. Dianne coordinated events for Dordt University for 26 years, planning everything from alumni weekend, middle school camps, fund raising events and the president’s travel program. She loves the multi-faceted teamwork that comes with event planning. Passionate about Christian education, Dianne is excited to continue supporting this cause throughout the state of Iowa.

Dr. Lindsay Laurich

Director of Professional Learning

Lindsay has dedicated the past 27 years to Christian education. She holds master’s degrees in Developmental Reading and Educational Leadership, and a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction. Throughout her career, she has taught students, coached teachers, mentored school leaders, trained pre-service teachers, and led schools through growth and innovation.

As Director of Professional Learning for the Iowa Association of Christian Schools, Lindsay draws on her broad experience to support educators and school leaders through mentoring, leadership development, accreditation, curriculum design, and professional learning. She is passionate about equipping Christian schools with practical tools, thoughtful guidance, and encouragement that help leaders and teachers flourish as they pursue excellence in Christian education.

Bill Meyer

New School Mentor

Bill Meyer dedicated 44 years to Lutheran education, serving as both a teacher and administrator before his retirement. He began his career teaching in Nebraska and Hawaii, spending 15 years in the classroom before transitioning into school leadership. Over the next several decades, Bill served as an administrator in Lutheran schools across Nebraska, Michigan, and Iowa. For 17 years, he faithfully led Trinity Lutheran School in Davenport as its head administrator. In addition to his work in schools, Bill contributed to the broader mission of Christian education by serving six years on the board of the Iowa Association of Christian Schools (IACS). Throughout his career, Bill has remained passionate about helping schools pursue excellence while staying rooted in the proclamation of the Gospel. He looks forward to assisting new schools in Iowa.