List of 6 items.

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  Brendan Miniter

  President
  
  Mr. Brendan Miniter is the chief advisor to the board of directors of Great Heart Texas, one of the fastest-growing charter school networks in the state with 12,000 students and more than 1,400 employees. In that role, he advisors the board on state compliance issues. Previously, Brendan served as superintendent of Great Hearts Texas and oversaw all aspects of the $120 million organization including setting strategic direction, engaging with families and the general public, raising money, and going to the bond market to raise funds to build new schools as well as managing the budget and overseeing school safety and security. Under his leadership, Great Hearts Texas earned its first A-rating in three years, maintained its investment grade rating, and grew more than 50% in two years.
  
  Brendan came to Dallas to work with former President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. At the George W. Bush Presidential Center, Brendan led the team that created the permanent exhibit of the Bush Presidential Museum. In that role, he oversaw all aspects of the project including all exhibits and 35 films and interactive exhibits. He also conceived of and was editor of the Bush Center’s first policy book, “The 4% Solution,” which featured chapters by five Nobel economists and other leading scholars. Additionally, he played an important role in fundraising and launching new programs for the Bush Center.
  
  Brendan’s interest in public service and mission-driven work is also reflected in his leadership at the Dallas Morning News, where he was general manager of the epaper and editorial page editor. In those roles, he served on the management committee that set the company’s strategic direction, oversaw the epaper’s growth strategy, and led the award-winning opinion section to advocate for positive social and cultural change. Among his most rewarding initiatives was highlighting the hardships faced by victims of human trafficking, an effort which led Texas’s governor to change the pardoning process of such victims. Previously, Brendan was also engaged in impact-driven journalism at The Wall Street Journal in New York, where he served as an opinion editor.
  
  Brendan enjoys serving the community and engaging with other public leaders. He serves as a member of the board of directors of the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, graduated from the Stagen Integral Leadership Program, and is a member of the Leadership Network of the American Enterprise Institute. Brendan is also a fundraising class agent for the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, where he obtained his MBA. Brendan and his wife Paulette, an attorney, live in Dallas with their daughter Leola. They are members of Christ the King Catholic church.
• 

  Mrs. Polly Friess

  Vice President
  
  Polly Friess’ belief in classical education stems from her love for classical music, having toured through 26 countries, from 1987 through 1995, performing and recording sacred classical music in 16 languages. As the winds of freedom began to sweep across the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, Gloriae Dei Cantores was the first American choir to visit countries that had been closed to the West for more than 40 years. Bringing hope and inspiration through the universal language of music to those people at that historic time was a formational experience.
  
  Entering Boston College after her international touring, Mrs. Friess continued her love of singing with the Boston Pops at Tanglewood. She serves on the board of two charitable foundations that support education and the promotion of a just and free society. Her founding donations toward the establishment of The Trinity Forum and Relevate demonstrate her desire for Christians to think, work, and lead wisely and well.
  
  She also served for many years on two national advocacy boards dedicated to the transformation and renewal of culture through effective philanthropic giving, The Gathering, and strategic political action, Legacy.
  
  Mrs. Friess earned a B.S. in Accounting and Finance from Boston College, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She met her husband Steve at a conference on giving, only to realize they were united in their work for religious freedom and passionate about excellence in education. They were married in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and feel blessed to raise their four children, Jackson, Virginia, Thatcher, and Sarah in such a beautiful place.
  
  

  At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”

  Matthew 18:1-5
• 

  Norton Rainey

  Secretary
  
  Norton Rainey serves as the CEO of ACE Scholarships, leading the charge for education reform in America. ACE Scholarships provides K-12 scholarships to lower-income children, enabling them to attend private K-12 schools. In addition, the organization collaborates with state legislatures to advocate for school choice policies. Founded in 2000 by esteemed Denver business leaders deeply committed to educational reform, ACE has achieved notable milestones over its 23-year journey. These achievements include expansion from 1 to 12 states, awarding 81,000 scholarships, and the distinction of being one of the largest K-12 scholarship programs in the United States. In 2024, ACE will award just under 20,000 scholarships.
  
  ACE boasts a formidable government affairs team that has successfully lobbied for tax credit legislation in four states and has been pivotal in advancing Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) in recent years. A significant milestone for ACE occurred in November 2023 when the organization was entrusted with managing the Utah ESA account. Furthermore, ACE played a crucial role in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Espinoza vs. the State of Montana, which opened the doors for families to enroll their children in schools of their choice.
  
  Norton Rainey earned his degree in business marketing from the University of Colorado, where he also received a scholarship to compete in golf, even facing off against Tiger Woods. He is a board member at Brave Christian Academy in Denver, an active member of YPO Rocky Mountain, serves as a board member with Evans Scholars, and contributes as a panelist for Golf Digest. On a personal note, Norton has been married to Kara for 22 years, and together, they take pride in raising three children, aged between 15 and 18.
• 

  Mrs. Lynn Friess

  Member
  
  Mrs. Lynn Friess joins the JH Classical Board of Directors with years of experience in nonprofit organizations, specifically in the arts and education. One of her grandchildren, Sarah, attends JHCA. Lynn was instrumental in the founding of JHCA and is dedicated to excellence in education. 
  
  "I love JHCA because, as a grandmother, I have seen and visited other schools, both public and private. Unfortunately, many of those schools miss the mark in my opinion. JHCA is special. The teachers really care about their students. It shows in the conduct of the students the respect they have for their teachers, and each other."

  
  

  Lynn grew up in upstate New York and worked as a grocery store clerk, an assistant in the Scottsville Town Library, and made her own clothes. She received a bachelor of arts from the University of Wisconsin, married her “Marlboro Man” and together they raised four children.  

  
  

  Lynn was named one of the Outstanding Women of Wilmington, Delaware for her volunteer work, and she continues to work in the arts and education. She chaired the Wyoming Business Council and the Board of the National Museum of Wildlife Art, while winning awards for each of her five children’s books. Lynn currently enjoys serving on the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum Board, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Board, the ACE Scholarships National Advisory Board.
  
  Lynn lives part-time in Jackson and enjoys her fifteen grandchildren.

• Natasha Harris

  Photo and bio coming soon. 

• Jerry Sommers

  Photo and bio coming soon.