Leadership and Board
Gary House, Executive Director, Board Chairman
Dr. Gary House has been a pastor, college and seminary professor, and homeschooling father. For several years, he served as Director of the M.A. in Pastoral Ministries and Director of Mentoring at the Huntington University Graduate School in Indiana. He also served as adjunct faculty at Oklahoma Wesleyan University, Columbia International University, and Taylor University. He earned a B.A. from Asbury University, an M.Div. from Asbury Theological Seminary, an M.A. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina.
Gary and his wife, Laura, live in Lynchburg, VA near two of their three children. Ryan works in urban ministry and with at-risk youth. Megan was the founder and for several years the director of Ecclesia School of the Arts. She currently is a writer, author, and entrepreneur. His youngest son, Nathan, an electrical engineer, left earthly life at the age of twenty-five in 2016 and Gary looks forward to one day being reunited with him.
Andrew Pudewa, Board Member
Andrew Pudewa is the founder and principal speaker of the Institute for Excellence in Writing and a father of seven. Traveling and speaking around the world, he addresses issues related to teaching, writing, thinking, spelling, and music with clarity, insight, practical experience, and humor. His seminars for parents, students, and teachers have helped transform many a reluctant writer and have equipped educators with powerful tools to dramatically improve students’ skills.
Although he is a graduate of the Talent Education Institute in Japan and holds a Certificate of Child Brain Development from the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, his best endorsement is from a young Alaskan boy who called him “the funny man with the wonderful words.” He and his wonderful, heroic wife, Robin, have homeschooled their seven children and are now proud grandparents of eleven, making their home in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Laura House, Associate Director, Secretary
Laura House is a former Registered Nurse who changed careers to work in the area of marketing for the past twenty years. Her greatest accomplishment and joy has been raising three children and homeschooling them. Two of her adult children, Ryan and Megan, live nearby in Virginia, and Nathan resides in Heaven.
After Nathan left earthly life, Laura and her husband, Gary, founded the Our Hearts Are Home ministry as a way to reach out to other bereaved parents. She serves full-time with the organization as the Associate Director and also serves as the board secretary. She also enjoys writing the Our Hearts Are Home blog, co-writing resources with Gary, and planning and leading events for the ministry. She is grateful for each earthly day, but even more grateful for the promise of eternity.
Chuck Duke, Board Member, Treasurer
Chuck Duke is a lifelong resident of Indiana and a bonafide serial entrepreneur. He began his career in advertising by cofounding and managing a commercial audio production studio, which later evolved into a video production services boutique. He has worked as a marketing consultant in a variety of industries, focusing on strategic planning and digital messaging. In 1987 Chuck and his wife, Debbie, founded the Little Lamb Christian School, which continues to serve the needs of local families and their children today.
Chuck was a certified Dale Carnegie instructor for several years and is currently an authorized partner with John Wiley and Sons, Inc. In this capacity he conducts training workshops on productive conflict, leadership development, emotional intelligence and the Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team©.
He has served on advisory committees and non-profit boards, including the Indiana Make-a-Wish Foundation and the Carmel Symphony Orchestra. He is a graduate of the Indiana University Kelly School of Business with a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing and advertising. He and Debbie are high school sweethearts and are the parents of five grown children.