Our Team
Board of Directors
Justin Tilghman, Ph.D., Chairman
Justin is a dean at Lenoir Community College and also serves as a professor of theology at the Carolina College of Biblical Studies. He holds an Educational Specialist degree from Columbia International University and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership. He is a member of both the Evangelical Theological Society and the Evangelical Philosophical Society as well as a supporter of the Lowrie Center for Christian School Education. He and his wife Ellen and their son, John William, live in Kinston (Justin’s hometown) and attend Grace Fellowship Church, where they serve as House Church leaders.
Ryan Vernon
Ryan is a native of Kinston and currently serves as the Lead Pastor of 902 Church. He has been married to his “way out of his league” wife Mindy for 17 years. They have 5 children who keep them very busy. He enjoys playing basketball, tennis, and working out. Ryan looks forward to serving Hope Prep and believes the best is yet to come for the city of Kinston.
Angelia Shepherd
Angelia Shepherd lives in Kinston, NC, but is from Deep Run and is a graduate of South Lenoir High School. She continued her education at Lenoir Community College, with a certification in Cosmetology and an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. She also has a B.A. and an M.A. in Early Childhood Education from Ashford University. She has been the wife of one husband for 23 years. They have 3 children and 4 grandsons. She has been working with children for about 15 years and has been a lead teacher at Greenelamp Head Start for 7 years. Along with her husband, she pastors Sons of Issachar Ministries in Kinston, NC. She loves ministry and the Lord’s church. She also leads a women’s fellowship called Sisters Building Sisters. She has a keen interest in helping to shape the future leaders of tomorrow…our children.
Gram Spear
Gram, a licensed real estate broker, has worked for Perry Management, Inc. since 1991. He attended Appalachian State University and East Carolina University. He is an elder at Grace Fellowship Church and is married with four children and one daughter-in-law. He is Past President of Kinston Chamber of Commerce, Kinston Noon Rotary, and Lenoir Community College Education Foundation. He currently is the Board Chairman of the Kinston/Lenoir County Travel and Tourism Authority.
Scot Webster
Scot lives in Greenville, NC, with his wife, Anna, and their 4 children. He graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in Secondary Math Education. Scot served with Campus Crusade for Christ for 11 years, before moving to Greenville in 2006. He worked with Southern Bank until 2020. He is now working for Apex Mechanicals in sales. He also enjoys serving as an elder at Tar River Fellowship. Scot and his wife, Anna, homeschooled their children using the classical model of teaching and are thrilled to be a part of Hope Preparatory School.
Sara Golden
Sara has served as a preschool teacher for eight years and has been teaching classically for four years. She has her bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education with concentrations in English and Counseling. Sara is married and has four children, two of whom were adopted through foster care. She and her husband are licensed foster parents, and they are very passionate about reaching across socioeconomic lines to reach the under-served in their community of Kinston. While she is not a Kinston native, she has called Kinston home since 2010 and has worked in Kinston since 2005.
Advisory Board
David and Eloisa Keck
David and Eloisa have been married since 1986, have raised six children, and have two grandchildren. David is a Certified Prosthetist and Certified Orthotic Fitter and Eloisa is a former middle school librarian. They left Michigan and moved to Kinston in 2016 and have been very active in the Kinston community including Grace Fellowship Church, The Gate in Kinston, and the American Legion. As a couple they enjoy serving others, locally and overseas, and have a strong heart for adoption and missions.
Jason McKnight
Jason has served as Lead Pastor of Grace Fellowship Church in Kinston since 2003. He also serves as Chair of the Board of South America Mission, and he teaches one course a semester at Christ Covenant School – a classical Christian school in Winterville. He originally hails from Montreal, Canada. He graduated from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in Boston. He and his wife Susan love raising their sons, Andrew and Daniel.
Jimbo Perry
Jimbo is a small town lawyer. He and his wife Joan have raised five sons (and participated in and watched all their extracurricular activities) and given a temporary home to dozens more children and young adults. He volunteers many hours of his week in several other endeavors, such as little by little, The Refuge, and spending time with his 11 grandchildren.
Joan Perry
Originally from Charlotte, Joan received her B.A. in Chemistry in 1979 and M.D. in 1983 from UNC-Chapel Hill. After completing her pediatric residency at UNC, she and her family moved to Kinston, where she and her husband, Jimbo, have raised 5 sons and been intimately involved in the rural eastern NC community. Her professional career has included 35+ years of employment with a private pediatric practice, the Lenoir County Health Department, and adjunct appointments at UNC and Brody Schools of Medicine. Her life in Kinston has revolved around community involvement addressing issues ranging from education to homelessness to prevention of sexual abuse. Perhaps her most rewarding investment has been the privilege of having more than 25 individuals share life with her family in her home for extended periods of time.
Khayyam Shepherd
Pastor Khayyam Shepherd has been a resident of Kinston since 1985. After serving on active duty in the U.S. Navy, he finished out his reserve time, and went on to become a department manager at the Kinston Walmart. In 2004 he was called to preach the gospel, and after completing the required school of ministry, Pastor Shepherd became an associate minister in Mt. Zion Church Ministries in Goldsboro. In 2008 he was ordained into the Eldership of that church, and served there faithfully until 2013. That’s when he transitioned back to Kinston to serve as an Elder at St. Mark Church Ministry until 2017, when he and his wife Angelia founded S.O.I. Ministries in Kinston. Pastor Shepherd has been married 23 years, with 3 children, and 4 grandchildren. He represents the faith-based community on the Lenoir County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council. He also is a member of the Kinston Economic Empowerment Coalition. Pastor Shepherd loves helping people.
Lindsay Corrigan
Lindsay served as secretary on the inaugural Board of Directors for Hope Preparatory School and currently serves on the Advisory Board, aiding in marketing and promotion of the school. In 2004, she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications, Bible and Theology, and English Literature from Malone University in Canton, Ohio. Lindsay is a classical home educator for her three children and teaches The Essentials of the English Language, an English and grammar course for 9- to 12-year-old homeschool students offered through Classical Conversations of Kinston. Lindsay has been a professional photographer since 2006 and has been featured and published nationally for her work. Lindsay resides in Kinston with her husband, Josiah, and their three children, and they have been active members at Grace Fellowship Church since 2009.
Staff
Diane Spear – Head of School
Diane grew up in Houston, Texas, and graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Slavic Studies. She worked as a legislative assistant and then attended Baylor School of Law. She came to Kinston to work in the Perry Law Office. While there she met and married Kinston native, Gram Spear, with whom she has been blessed to raise 4 children over the past 25 years. Gram and Diane were founding members of Grace Fellowship Church and continue to be active in serving their church and their beloved Kinston to elevate the welfare of this community. Diane developed a passion for Christ-centered classical education and brought Classical Conversations to eastern North Carolina. In addition to homeschooling her own children classically, Diane taught Latin and Bible at Christ Covenant School of Winterville, NC, and loves working with students and parents in Christian community to help children realize their remarkable potential as image-bearers of God.
Lisa Sylvia – Kindergarten Teacher
Originally from Michigan, Lisa and her husband, Jim, moved to Kinston over 23 years ago and have called Kinston their home ever since. An Occupational Therapist by trade, Lisa worked in Wayne and Lenoir County Public Schools for over three years. She then began homeschooling her three children and was a tutor in the Kinston Classical Conversations group for 9 years. Having a heart for children who are economically disadvantaged, Lisa served for two years as the executive director of The Gate, a faith-based community center serving youth in East Kinston. Lisa’s passion is sharing the gospel and the love of Christ with all ages, and she loves teaching her students.
Renee Chambers – 1st Grade Teacher
Originally from western New York, Renee Chambers received her Pharmacy degree from Rutgers University. While practicing pharmacy, she went on to obtain a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. She and her husband, Allen, homeschooled their three children utilizing classical education methodology through Classical Conversations in Gastonia, NC. After graduating their students (one who now teaches, two who are in college), Renee felt an increasing call to continue teaching and began substituting in her local school system. She is now excited to serve with the Hope Preparatory team as the first grade teacher.
Anna Webster – 2nd Grade Teacher
Anna is originally from a small town in western North Carolina, but has lived in many different places, including Warsaw, Poland. She graduated from ECU with a BFA in Art Education (K-12). She has a passion for teaching and has more than 20 years experience in classical education, both in the homeschool setting and at Christ Covenant School in Winterville, NC. She has taught a variety of ages and subjects and loves to teach children to see the world and themselves as God sees them! She and her husband have 4 children and live in Greenville, where they are part of Tar River Fellowship.
Debbie Golden – Third Grade Teacher
Debbie has a Doctorate of Ministry in Christian Counseling and she is a Licensed Clinical Pastoral Counselor. She is a Prayer Team Member at Open Door Church in Winterville and a member of the Christian Motorcycle Association. She is married to Dr. Jerry Golden and they have three grown sons and 9 grandchildren.
Gayla Vermillion – Director of Operations
Gayla and her husband, Tom, have 4 adult children and one grandchild. Gayla graduated from UNC-CH (Psychology) and ECU (Family Therapy) and homeschooled their four children through elementary and middle school. She helped start Classical Conversations in Kinston in 2008 and fell in love with the Classical model of education. After that she was a Special Education teacher in Lenoir County middle and high schools for 5 years. Before coming to Hope Prep, she taught 6th grade math and science at Christ Covenant School in Winterville. She and Tom are founding members of Grace Fellowship Church where they have served for 27 years.
Dede Peele – Director of Family Ministry
Dede loves Jesus, children, ECU sports, and serving her community. She lives out “being the hands and feet of Jesus” as she meets physical and spiritual needs wherever she goes. She has served with Classical Conversations in Kinston and Greenville for the past 11 years, and she belongs to Grace Fellowship Church, where she runs a food and clothing ministry. While she has no children of her own, she is “Aunt Dede” to numerous children who love her dearly. She loves hanging out with children, boating, fishing, and watching sports.
Sandra Hardee – Volunteer Coordinator
Sandra is a retired pharmacist, diabetes educator, and ECU School of Medicine faculty member. She is a member of Grace Fellowship Church and a grandmother of seven. She loves serving the Lord alongside her husband, visiting her family, spending time at the beach, reading, and gathering with friends.