Mike Bova is a retired educator who served for many decades in both public and Christian schools and with ACSI. He and his wife, Lynn, have known Compass 28:19 Executive Director, John Jackson, and his wife, Penny, for more than 40 yrs.
Throughout those years, they have followed the Jackson’s ministry in South Africa, in the states, and in various places around the world.
The Bovas live in Northeast Ohio and have two married sons and four teenage grandsons.
Dale Schilling teaches at Grace College (Akron) and has been an educator for nearly 5 decades.
He holds degrees from Cedarville, Kent State, and John Carrol Universities and has taught history, speech, theatre, and Bible. Dale's M.A is in Eastern European & Russian Studies.
In his time as Director of International Student Program at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, he led trips to Norway, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti.
Dale and his wife, Linda, are members of The Chapel, Akron Campus.
Pamela Visti serves as the Treasurer for Compass 28:19. Pam holds a BA in Business from Malone University. Her diverse professional experience includes 20-plus years working with Big 4 firms in operations management and with Global Mobility Consulting groups.
She has an expertise in US inbound and outbound taxation for individuals and is an Enrolled Agent. She recently retired from Equus Software, where, as a Client Solutions Executive, she was managing global teams and client portfolios.
She is currently the owner of Cherrywood Consulting, a small tax firm.
Pam has been on several short-term domestic and international missions trips and brings the passion generated by those trips to her role in the ministry of Compass.
Pam and her husband, Tim, live in Sagamore Hills, Ohio with their two dogs. She volunteers her time and financial expertise to help two other ministries (a Christian youth camp and her local church). In her spare time, Pam can be found hiking, biking, enjoying sports or exploring the great outdoors.
Dan owns First Quality Power Place in Middlefield, Ohio and brings valuable business experience to the Board. He has been involved in music and worship ministry for over 30 years and currently leads worship at his home church.
He is married to Julie and has two grown children and six grandchildren.
Dan has known John Jackson for a long time – in fact, he was a member of the youth group when John was Youth Pastor prior to leaving for missionary service in South Africa!
He counts it an honor to serve on the Compass Board to help advance God’s Kingdom and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as we are all called to do.
Gary is a Chiropractic Physician/Sports Physician and has been at the Richfield Chiropractic Center for 34 years. He has served as Vice President of Richfield Village Council with committees of Parks & Recreation, Tree & Landscape, Insurance, Safety and Public Works.
Gary came to Christ at 14 years old at Camp Carl of the Chapel in Akron. He knows that Christ died on the Cross for him and all of us and wants everyone to know this life-and-death truth.
Gary’s service for the Kingdom includes Compass 28:19 and several ministries at Northfield Baptist Church where he has been a member for 35 years.
He has been involved for 32 of those years in the Christian Businessmen's Connection outreach and counts it a blessing to serve and help others and to have a family such as his.
Gary is married to Becky and they have four children and one grandson.
Verses that have stood out to him over the years are Proverbs 3:5-6 and Acts 10:38.
Steve has been in Christian school ministry for four decades.
He feels a sobering responsibility for the time he has with the students God has entrusted to him. He’s keenly aware that if the Lord does not return soon, the investment he makes in the lives of young people will affect the kingdom of God on earth for generations to come.
Steve trusted Christ as his Savior when he was in the third grade. The pre-Easter lesson that Palm Sunday had covered the story of the sacrificial death of Christ on the Cross. He realized that if he did not trust the work that Christ had done on the Cross, he would remain in his sins and wind up in hell forever, and he didn’t want to go to hell forever.
Steve believes that his first ministry is to his family and is thankful that the Lord has helped him to focus them on the reality of the Christian life, with its disciplines, responsibilities, opportunities, and blessings. These same themes characterize his ministry to his students and his heart for ministry aligns closely with Compass 28:19’s mission and purposes.
The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. ~2 Timothy 2:2