EmpowerED Leaders
Joe Rosas
After serving as a Christian school administrator in two schools in the United States, God called Joe Rosas and his wife Sharon and their two preschool boys to Honduras where he served as secondary principal of the 600 student Academia Los Pinares—a school for Honduran nationals, diplomatic, and missionary kids. After eight years there, God moved them to Guatemala, where Joe served as Head of School for the Christian Academy of Guatemala for fifteen years.
The next place of ministry was Dakar Academy in West Africa, where Joe served for six years in leadership in a boarding school environment. After a year of travel and visiting supporters in the U.S., as well as ministry trips to Guatemala and Spain, the Rosas headed to the Ukraine, where he served as Director of Kyiv Christian Academy. For three years they struggled to move the school into its own purpose-built facility and campus, only to transition to virtual instruction during COVID.
Joe and Sharon reside in the United States and Joe has partnered virtually with dozens of Heads of international Christian schools in a mentoring relationship.
Sofía Amador Brenes, EdD
Throughout my career of 40 years, I have been blessed to serve in a number of K-12 educational institutions and Christian organizations in my home country, Costa Rica, and other countries in Latin America in a variety of positions: teacher, coordinator, administrator, consultant, coach/mentor, and international accreditation lead. My mission and passion have been to help teachers and leaders develop their roles and empower them to adopt effective practices in support of student success, whatever the position they hold.
I strongly believe that to prepare the student of the 21st Century, schools and leaders must build networks of collaboration and service. My beliefs have motivted me to become a life-long learner always ready to accept challeges and become someone else’s companion. I have experienced that serving others leads to everlasting relationships that expand beyond time and space.
I am currently an international accreditation lead consult, which allows me to continuously coach leaders to improve their practices towards continuous improvement. I live in Heredia, Costa Rica, with my husband. We have four adult children with one living in Costa Rica, one in Malta, and two in the United States. We have been blessed with eight grandchildren.
Misty Lopez
Misty has a passion for coaching and companioning individuals who are seeking guidance, encouragement, and growth. She has a BA in Psychology, Master of Public Administration, and recent Certificates in Spiritual Direction and Traumatic Stress Studies. She resides in Bolivia with her husband and 17-year-old son.
Misty has spent many years serving in leadership positions in project management, community development, and international education, often feeling underprepared and overwhelmed. She represents the well-intentioned emerging leader who lacked adequate training, particularly during her time as Interim Director at an international Christian school undergoing complex transitions.
With EmpowerED Leaders, Misty leverages her difficult experiences for the benefit of others. She feels grateful to provide holistic support for those facing similar challenges, helping them navigate new and challenging positions.
Dr. Toby Travis
Toby is an educator and school leader who is passionate about authentic and quality Christian education. He is currently Head of School of Houghton Academy, a boarding school with a storied history. Over the past decades, Toby had the privilege of serving as a middle and high school classroom teacher (not counting the one year he taught elementary band), a
middle school coordinator, a secondary principal, an academic director, anda headof school in private, international, and Christian schools – all with unique governing structures (e.g., proprietary, parent-owned, independent, church-owned). Toby also has served as a consultant and mentor to school leaders in various settings (i.e., private, international, Christian, charter, and public schools). His book,“TrustED:TheBridgetoSchoolImprovement,”the onsite TrustED School Leader professional development, along with the school health assessment tools “The TSL 360” and the “CIALE Teacher Methods Survey,” are resources that are helping many schools ensure they have the correct data to inform their school improvement, personal, and professional development initiatives.
Toby says, “I am very pleased to be part of the EmpowerED project, most specifically because my successas a school administrator, consultant, author, and trainer is primarily due to the leaders who have invested in me and continue to do so. We are all a reflection of those we admire and those who have invested in our lives. It is my joy to invest in others just as others have invested in me.”
Dr. Andrew Zawacki
Andy is a passionate leader with administrative, educational, and organizational skills seeking to build people to their fullest potential. He currently serves as the Head of School at Arborbrook Christian School, in North Carolina, building on experience as a Pastor and school Principal. His involvement in Arborbrook began in 2014, when his family moved from upstate NY where he served as a pastor of a 500-member church. He is married to Michelle (29 years) and has 23-year-old triplets. Andy became Head of School in 2017 and has seen the growth of the school to its highest enrollment during his tenure. His educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in history, master’s degree in educational administration, and a doctoral degree in strategic leadership.
Andy is skilled as a relational leader and works collaboratively with others to achieve lofty goals. The Lord has used Andy to bless other leaders through mentoring, as he is passionate about helping others become the best leaders they can be. That passion, along with his experience as Head of School, compel him to mentor other leaders interested in growing. In addition, Andy thoroughly enjoys teaching, so he also teaches courses at Ocean County College, Montreat College, and Liberty University.
Ellen Evens
Ellen is an experienced international Christian school educator and leader, having worked at the Alliance Academy in Ecuador in a variety of roles, including Coordinator of Curriculum and Professional Development. She was part of the team at Alliance that worked through the successful transition of from primarily serving children of missionary children to its current ministry as an international Christian school. Ellen current is responsible for recruitment and alumni relations for the Academy. She has an MA in Elementary Education from the University of Alabama and a BA in Elementary Education from Toccoa Falls College in Georgia.
Since returning to the U>S. in 2015, Ellen continues to serve the Alliance Academy online in the areas of recruitment, alumni relations, and advancement. She also serves with Resourcing Christian Education (RCE) supporting more than 100 international Christian schools around the world. Ellen has been able to participate on almost a dozen accreditation teams for a variety of accrediting agencies as a team member and a team leader.
Ellen's heartbeat and life mission is to share the gospel through Christian education in fulfillment of our Lord's great commission in Matthew 28:20 which includes "...teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." Ellen believes that since Christian schools bear the name of Christ, everything should be done to the highest standard of excellence possible for His glory, working with all our hearts, as working for the Lord and not for man (Colossians 3:23). Ellen is excited to be a part of this project to help others achieve that goal as we share our experience, knowledge, and talents. "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." (Proverbs 27:17).