Board members

Gilbert Christian schools is blessed with incredible leaders who are passionate about our mission to partner with parents to prepare the next generation to impact the world for Christ. Candidate applications are currently closed.

To contact the board, please send an email to board@gcsaz.org.
 
Board President

Horton, Michael
Board Member

Howell, Chris
Board Member

Igliane, Janine
Board Member

Pagel, Matthew
Board Member

Pellow, Robert
Board Member

Reece, Marcel
Board Member

Ross, Matthew
Board President

Horton, Michael

Michael and his wife Stephanie have been married for over 25 years and have two children: Brooke, who attends Gilbert Christian High School and Claire, currently in the middle school at Greenfield.   Both children have been at GCS since kindergarten. The Horton’s live in Gilbert and attend the Mesa Church of Christ where Michael and Stephanie have both taught children’s classes.  Michael is actively involved in leading worship and supports the eldership on the finance committee.  Michael’s education includes an undergraduate degree from Harding University in economics, graduate studies in finance at Portland State, and an MBA from University of Texas at Arlington.  He is a licensed CPA and holds CCM and CTP certifications.  Michael worked for 20+ years in corporate finance specializing in distressed companies, corporate restructuring, and bankruptcies. Stephanie is a physician at Chandler Radiology Associates. The Horton’s have lived all over the country and love to travel. We are so thankful to be at GCS and look forward to seeing what God will continue to do in the lives of the students and their families at Gilbert Christian.

Board Member

Howell, Chris

Board Member

Igliane, Janine

Janine and her husband Rey have been married for 20 years and have 3 children.  Their oldest daughter Elise graduated from GCHS in 2023 and is currently attending GCU.  Their second daughter Malorie is a sophomore at GCHS.  And their youngest son Chase is in the 5th grade at the Greenfield Campus.  The Iglianes live in Gilbert and attend Rock Point Church.  Janine currently serves as a small group leader with high school girls going on 5 years now at the High School campus.  Janine and Rey were born and raised in Orange County, CA, and moved to Arizona in 2006.  Janine is a Realtor and runs a real estate team out of her Gilbert office and her husband Rey is a Firefighter for the city of Scottsdale.  The Igliane family started at Gilbert Christian when the Greenfield campus first opened.  Seeing all that God has done at Gilbert Christian has been wonderful!  We are so thankful our kids are able to attend a school where they are not only taught about Jesus but cared for by teachers and staff that love the Lord!
Board Member

Pagel, Matthew

Matt and his wife Steph have been married since 2011 and have five children: Jace, Sterling, Grey, Jax, and Hayden. All five attend GCS at the Greenfield campus. The Pagels attend Valley Bible Church, where they currently serve in the campus operations ministry. Matt was actually a part of the second graduating class in GCS history in 2004, where he was valedictorian of his HUGE class of 10 kids. Matt graduated from Arizona State University with an undergraduate degree in Broadcast Journalism, and he later received an MBA from Grand Canyon University in 2013. He is a Relationship Manager for the Arizona Agribusiness Division of Enterprise Bank & Trust, where he has worked since 2013. The Pagels love sports, particularly soccer and baseball, and enjoy snowboarding in the winter. We thank God for bringing us to GCS and have loved being a part of a sweet community of parents and wonderful educators.

Board Member

Pellow, Robert

Robert and his wife, Kristen, have been married since 2009 and have two children. Their youngest child, Peyton, has been part of the GCS community since first grade and is currently in fourth grade at the Agritopia campus. Their son, Liam, has special needs and attends a daily living-skills program at Lauren’s Institute for Education. The Pellow family lives in Gilbert and attends Oasis Church. Professionally, Robert is Associate General Counsel at Swoop, where his practice focuses primarily on complex technology transactions, data licensing, product development, privacy, and regulatory compliance in the healthcare marketing space. He received his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Florida (Go Gators!) and his law degree from Barry University, where he graduated as valedictorian of his law school class. Robert is licensed to practice law in Georgia, Colorado, and Arizona and holds a CIPP/US privacy law certification. Robert is honored to serve the school that has meant so much to his family and is excited about what God is doing in the lives of the students and their families at Gilbert Christian.
Board Member

Reece, Marcel

Board Member

Ross, Matthew

Matthew grew up in Gilbert and actually attended Surrey Garden Christian Schools, long before it eventually became Gilbert Christian Schools. His wife, Jennifer, and he have been married for 16 years, have lived in Gilbert their whole life, and have 4 children involved in Gilbert Christian Schools. They currently attend Valley Bible Church.
Matt has been a practicing dentist and business owner in the town of Maricopa for 14 years. He enjoys providing dental implant services, orthodontic services, and educating other dentists in advanced techniques. Matt also founded the company Rising Dental Club in Gilbert as a mission to join the “insurance-free” movement of healthcare.
The Ross family loves traveling, soccer, scuba diving, wake surfing, and snowboarding together in their free time. Their love for Gilbert and Gilbert Christian Schools runs deep and they feel blessed to be a part of such a wonderful community. Matt is honored to be able to serve the school and prays that God will continue to change lives through leadership, vision, and growth.

faq

The Board is made up entirely of volunteers. It exists to ensure Gilbert Christian Schools stays true to its mission — partnering with parents to prepare the next generation to impact the world for Christ — and remains healthy for generations to come. The Board governs; it does not manage. It sets direction, establishes policy, safeguards the school’s financial and spiritual integrity, and holds the Superintendent accountable for results.

Governance is about the “what” and “why”: mission, vision, policy, long-term strategy, and financial stewardship. Management is the “how”: daily operations, staffing, curriculum, and campus decisions. The Board focuses on the future and the big picture, while the Superintendent and his leadership team run the school.

 The Board has one employee: the Superintendent. The Board’s connection to the school’s performance runs entirely through him. Board members do not supervise, evaluate, or give direction to principals, teachers, or staff.

Board members care deeply about families, but individual board members have no authority to act on operational matters. Concerns should follow the school’s normal channels — teacher first, then principal, then the Superintendent’s office. This protects the chain of accountability and ensures your concern reaches the person who can actually resolve it. If an issue remains, the board can be reached at board.gcsaz.org

No. The Board acts only as a body. Only decisions made by the full Board in official session are binding on the Superintendent. No single member, including the Board Chair, can direct the school on his or her own.

The Governance Policy calls for a Board that is proactive rather than reactive, focused on the future rather than the present or past, and strategic rather than administrative. Meetings emphasize mission, vision, and long-range health over day-to-day detail.

Board members must be committed followers of Christ whose lives reflect the biblical qualifications for leadership found in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1. They affirm the GCS statement of faith, are active in a local church, and demonstrate wisdom, integrity, and sound judgment. Professional expertise in areas such as finance, law, real estate, education, or organizational leadership is valued.

No. Employees, vendors with active contracts, and others with unresolved conflicts of interest are not eligible.

The Board notifies the parent community when there is a need for an additional board member. The Board is required to maintain 6-11 members. After ensuring that the candidate is a mature believer, the board is then looking for individuals who provide a skill set or expertise that will bring value to the board.  Board members serve 3-year terms with the ability to renew their term to maintain continuity on the Board. 

GCS holds dual ACSI and CESA accreditation. The Board oversees an annual budget of approximately $30 million, and there is an annual independent financial audit. 

Board Governance Policy