About Christian Home Educators of Colorado

As a homeschool organization since 1990, CHEC has served homeschoolers in Colorado through conferences, seminars, resources, legal work, and more.  Learn about our History and Awards.

Vision

We envision families honoring Jesus Christ by embracing home discipleship that is Christ centered, parent directed, and free from government control.

Mission

Christian Home Educators of Colorado motivates parents to disciple the next generation of Christians to impact our state and beyond for Christ and His Kingdom by providing information, leadership, and resources.

• Information:
 Our conferences and activities unify a Christian worldview for parents, children, volunteers, and staff alike to render every thought, word, and action captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ.
• Leadership:
 Our leadership and staff encourage parents to honor the triune God by integrating faith and learning into all facets of home discipleship, using the Bible as our starting point, and heeding the Biblical jurisdictions of family, church, and state.
• Resources: 
Our people, media, and programs assist families in the shepherding of their children to become competent Christian leaders in the years to come.

Board of Directors

Bill Roach | Board President

 Bill Roach has been on the board for over 20 years and has served as President for a majority of those years. He and his wife Shalyn have been blessed to be able to disciple all five of their children and homeschooled them all since the beginning. Bill and his family work in various family businesses and enjoy the blessing and challenge of working with each other. Even as the older ones get married, the Roaches have been blessed to continue to minister and work together. The Roaches have served in various positions within CHEC including Conference Coordinators. Their heart’s cry is to continue to see more families draw closer together and closer to their church community as they grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Roaches recently moved to Franktown and have seen the fruition of a vision of having parents living with them and also two of their children’s families living close by. To God be the glory, great things He has done!

Brenda Kelly | Board Member

Brenda Kelly joined the CHEC team in 1994 as a board member. With a focus on knowing, loving and following God, Brenda and her husband Les have been discipling their six children since birth. Formal homeschooling began in 1989 and they have graduated all six. Since 2008, the Kelly family has welcomed three daughters-in-law and one son-in-law, and is enjoying life with grandchildren. While church remains a main focus of ministry, Brenda has been involved with CHEC since 1994: writing for the CHEC Guidebook, working on the conference team, working in the office and serving as a board member.

Chad Roach | Board Member

Chad was homeschooled in Colorado his entire life and feels overwhelmingly blessed by the strong foundation his parents and mentors gave him early in life. He is passionate about encouraging and supporting families in discipling their children in the Christian faith. Graduating at age 16, Chad went on to pursue legal education and started several businesses. Now in his 30’s, he now owns numerous companies in the investment, financial, and real estate industries. Chad is married to his beautiful wife Becky – another homeschool graduate – and together they have 4 children.

George Sechrist | Board Member

George and Tammy Sechrist homeschooled their four children, and they are now blessed with two grandchildren. They live in South Jeffco, where George owns an Allstate Insurance agency. George also serves as a deacon in his church. Passionate about liberty and godly government, George and Tammy create the Future Statesman program and serve on the Homeschool Day at the Capitol Committee each year. As a family they enjoy camping, hiking and canoeing. George considers himself blessed to have served on the CHEC board since 2000. He is excited to see the next generation building God’s kingdom by home discipling their children and serving as leaders of CHEC.

Ian Serff | Board Member

Ian Serff has been part of CHEC leadership since 2004, working in and overseeing the creative department for many years.  In addition to serving on the Board, he oversees marketing and design for the AME Program, a ministry partner of CHEC. He is the founder, president, and creative director of the design firm Serff Creative Group, Inc., where he creates company branding and advertising needs for a wide variety of clientele across the nation.  Ian works from home as he and wife, Stephanie, share the vision of keeping Christ at the center in their homeschooling, raising their seven children, and running businesses. With several adopted children, they’ve enjoyed the blessing of being home together within a supportive and loving environment.

Steven Vaughan | Board Member

Steven Vaughan has been married to his wife Jennifer for 33 years. They have six children ranging in age from 28 to 13 whom they have homeschooled from the beginning. Volunteer for CHEC since 2004, he has served in various positions including Workshops Chair and CHEC Board Member. Steven owned and operated a nursing business for 20 years, which he sold this year. Currently he coaches LOGOS Speech and Debate, serves on the Stoa national debate committee, and co-hosts Generations radio. Steven is a speaker, teacher, caterer, coffee roaster, wine maker, musician, actor, and has been known to teach line dancing on occasion.

Staff

Steve Craig | Executive Director

Steve and his wife Tara were both homeschooled for all of their primary and secondary school years. Steve’s father, Neil Craig, is the Executive Director of Christian Heritage Home Educators of Washington, making Steve both a second-generation homeschooler and homeschool leader. One of Steve’s primary life goals has been to raise a godly family for the glory of Christ and he has a strong belief in the significance of home discipleship toward accomplishing that end. Prior to moving to Colorado in September of 2014 to take on the leadership of CHEC, Steve lived with his family in Washington State where he worked as the corporate controller for a hotel management company. Steve & Tara live in Parker with their five children, Carson, Christiana, Angelina, Jewel, and Ariel.

Sarah Bryant | Creative Assistant

Sarah (second from left), the oldest daughter of Tom and Dana Bryant, is extremely grateful for the privilege she had of being home educated, and for how it has prepared her for life in an active family environment and economy. She is passionate about seeing a vision of Biblical home discipleship passed on to the next generation and encouraging young women to find their life and satisfaction in Jesus Christ. Sarah is privileged to serve homeschool families as graphic designer for CHEC, including the Update Magazine and Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference!

Mike Cheney | AME Program Director

Mike and his wife Roxie are blessed with 2 children, Annie and Corey, who they have home educated since birth. The family is engaged in several ventures involving real estate investment, brokerage, property management, media production and internet retailing. They also sell fresh products from their small family farm. They served as the CHEC conference coordinators from 2001-2012.

Josh Erber | Events Coordinator

Both Josh and his wife Abbey were homeschooled by their parents, and are now raising their 5 kids in Elizabeth, CO. After graduating high school, Josh started a small Audio/Visual company which he still operates today. As a second generation homeschooler Josh is excited to help and encourage other homeschoolers as CHEC’s Event Coordinator.

Chris Galanek | IT Manager

Chris and Jenny and four of their five children live in rural Elbert County, Colorado.  When not working for CHEC as IT Manager, Chris works as a technical architect in the financial services industry.  Jenny works daily with their four kids at home shepherding them, focusing on Christ as the center of their education, and working to build character and a strong love for their Lord.  They have graduated their eldest, who is now married and pursuing the furthering of Christ’s Kingdom in her own home.  Chris and Jenny have been serving CHEC in multiple different roles since 2008, including as Conference Coordinators.

Brenda Kelly | Accounting & Office Administration

See bio above under Board.

Dalton Lockman | Conference Coordinator

Dalton and Lisa Lockman reside in Elizabeth, Colorado. They have 2 children, age 19 and 15, and have homeschooled for 14 years. The Lockmans believe that there is nothing in this world that is more important than praying for and raising their children to have hearts that love and desire to serve God. They know as parents, they will have to answer to God for how they raise and discipled their children. They moved to Colorado in 2016 when Dalton retired from working as a Petroleum Geologist after 35 years. During those years, he organized and coordinated multiple national and regional Geological Association Conventions.

Carolyn Martin | Homeschool Legislative Liaison

Carolyn, wife to Todd and mother to Grace, Hope and Jesse, lives in Colorado Springs. She homeschooled her children in New York for several years before moving to Colorado in 2004. Carolyn’s interest and involvement in legislative issues has grown as her children grew. Her passion and aim is to help keep our homeschooling freedoms intact in Colorado. Carolyn will also be keeping the watch on attacks to parental rights and religious freedom. Prayer is essential, so please, join us in praying for the Lord’s protection and grace!

Shari McMinn | Advertising Manager and Homeschool Update Editor, Conference Exhibitor Chairman

Shari Howard McMinn is a widowed, 25-year homeschool mom to 11. Her youngest three, all teens, live at home and also an adult son who manages their livestock farm in remote eastern Colorado.  She is the author of Stretched Yet Unbroken, Adoption: Encouragement and Advice for a Hopeful Journey, and MAKE A MEAL + SHARE A MEAL which is a large-batch cookbook for families and ministry sharing. She blogs on her website, sharimcminn.com. Shari is the editor of the CHEC Homeschool Update magazine, serves as CHEC’s Advertising Manager, the Conference Vendor Chairman, and volunteers for CHEC by teaching at homeschool introductory seminars, contributing blog posts, and speaking at the annual conference.

Emily Payne| Marketing Assistant

Emily and her husband Nathan have lived in beautiful Colorado for over 15 years. Emily and her 3 siblings were all homeschooled for most of their school years, and she is so grateful for all of the opportunities and the biblical education she was given (including the wonderful fellowship and resources provided by CHEC). Nathan and Emily love serving their local church, spending time with their families, and encouraging and helping homeschoolers. Emily has a Bachelor’s of Nursing degree and was working as a nurse up until joining the CHEC staff in the end of 2019 as a Marketing Assistant. Nathan and Emily both look forward to having children of their own and homeschooling them! 

Amy Pentimone | Marketing Assistant

Amy (fourth from right) is the second oldest in her family of nine and works as an assistant on CHEC’s marketing team, remote from Kansas City. By God’s undeserved grace, her greatest passions are the Gospel and the local church. She loves building relationships and biblical counseling — and most of all when those two happen simultaneously over a good cup of coffee! Amy also works part-time as a cook and serves as a receptionist at her church’s counseling center.  

Kevin Swanson | Generations Director

Homeschooled himself in the 1960’s and 70’s, Kevin Swanson and his wife, Brenda, are now homeschooling their five children. Kevin has 43 years of experience in the homeschooling movement; he served as executive director for CHEC for 10 years before becoming the director of Generations (an affiliate of CHEC) – a ministry he founded to strengthen homeschool families around the country. Kevin’s passion is to strengthen and encourage the homeschooling movement all over the world. Kevin hosts a daily radio program – Generations Radio – available at GenerationsRadio.com. He has also authored several popular books including Freedom, Apostate, Upgrade: 10 Secrets to the Best Education for Your Child, and others. Kevin Swanson also serves as a teaching elder at Reformation Church of Elizabeth.

Ashley Vaughan | Independent School Registrar

Ashley (1st from right) is the oldest daughter of Steven and Jennifer Vaughan and has five siblings. She was homeschooled beginning in kindergarten and is very grateful for the solid biblical foundation her parents gave her from schooling and discipling her at home. In the years since graduating, she has been an assistant coach for her family’s speech and debate club, volunteered for CHEC in various ways, served on her church’s worship team, and recently received a BA in music from Thomas Edison State University (through Lumerit’s Unbound program). She is passionate about teaching and helping people to apply biblical principles in every area of their lives, and is excited about the opportunity as the Independent School Registrar to help facilitate families in doing just that.

Katie Ward | Marketing Director

Katie (3rd from left) lives just south of Kansas City, Missouri with her family. Homeschooled all the way, she volunteered through her middle and high school years on the CHEC conference committee with her family. After moving to Missouri, Katie worked for several non-profit organizations before joining the CHEC staff team. Katie is passionate about encouraging followers of Christ to love God and make disciples, and she loves serving with her family, her local church, and the homeschool community.