Our Leaders

Andy joined the School Board in 2017 and began his tenure as Board Chair on July 1, 2019.  Andy and his wife, Kate, have been part of the Veritas Academy community since 2008. All four of their daughters have attended Veritas previously, with one graduating in 2018 and a second in 2022. Since 2009, Andy has taught various School of Logic and Rhetoric science courses and served as a Department Head. He currently teaches AP Physics to junior and senior students.

After growing up in Ferguson, Missouri, Andy studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, receiving his BS and MS degrees before escaping the Midwest and landing in the warmer climate of Austin, TX. His early career involved 15 years of semiconductor design at Cirrus Logic and Silicon Laboratories until the call towards teaching drew him to Veritas Academy.

Andy is an active member in the local church (Antioch Austin) and has served previously on the board of Makarios, an Austin based nonprofit that operates a school in the Dominican Republic. His family has served in various capacities on numerous overseas mission trips, most recently on a base in Surabaya, Indonesia. He loves being with his family and participating in competitive activities, especially ones that involve defeating high school students much younger than him.

Jef is a Veritas School Board member and the Head of School, in which capacity he is responsible for all operations of the academy according to the direction established by the School Board.  Prior to cofounding Veritas Academy in 2004, Jef was an experienced business owner, operator, and consultant, having started and/or served as a senior executive officer at several high growth companies in Houston and Austin.  He earned an MBA in Finance from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin and is a former CPA, possessing years of M&A and strategic/financial consulting experience with Big Four accounting and consulting firms.  Jef has even more years of entrepreneurial business and church administration/board experience, and has also served the National Association for University-Model Schools (NAUMS) as an advisory board member and new school trainer for many years.

Jef married his high school sweetheart, Starrla, and together they have three children: Caleb (VA’14), Caedmon (VA’16), and Chloe (VA ’20).  Since graduating from Veritas, their elder son attended, graduated from, and now works for Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee; their younger son attended John Brown University after pursuing a gap year of work, filmmaking studies, and travel to Italy for an apprenticeship with a master leather craftsman in Florence; and their daughter, after spending her gap year at a bible college in Colorado, is in her second year at Colorado Christian University. 
 

Starrla Fowler has served at Veritas Academy since its inception in 2004. She and her husband, Jef, along with three other couples, founded the school. Formerly the Grammar School Head, Starrla now serves as the Head of the School of Logic and continues as the Chair of the Veritas Academic Team and a member of the Veritas School Board.

Starrla graduated summa cum laude from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. For most of the 1990s she taught in Houston’s Spring Branch ISD where she was named Teacher-of-the-Year at her school and runner-up in the district. In addition to teaching 1st and 3rd Grades at Frostwood Elementary in the Memorial area, Starrla served on several task forces within her school and throughout the district, including a multi-year study for special-education inclusion, a 3-year math curriculum development team, and the campus development team at Frostwood. Through the Harris County Department of Education, Starrla traveled to numerous school districts throughout the Houston area to instruct on individualized reading and writing.

Starrla holds a Master of Arts degree in Educational Leadership from Gordon College in Boston. She enjoys reading, gardening, traveling, and rowing.  Starrla and Jef have three children, all graduates of Veritas Academy between 2014. and 2020. 

Elizabeth and her husband Calvin joined the Veritas community in 2015.  They have three sons, Samuel (V ‘23), Jonathan “JP” (V ‘25), and Luke (V ’28), and have been enthusiastically involved since they arrived.  Calvin is a Southwest pilot and helps out when he can with co-teaching and SLR basketball while Elizabeth has taught 5th and 6th grade Discipleship, Latin, Study Essentials, Etiquette and Schole Gardening classes.  She loves being a part of the amazing Veritas staff.

Elizabeth holds a BA in Political Science and a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University as well as an MA in Elementary Education from the George Washington University.  However, her favorite educational pursuit may well be a Master Gardening certification completed in Georgia in 2014.   Before having their boys, Elizabeth worked in various positions in the U.S. government and on Capitol Hill as well as different teaching positions in the Washington DC area.

When she’s not coordinating and juggling her family’s schedule, Elizabeth enjoys gardening, swimming, running (especially with their dog, Scout),  reading, and being outdoors with her family.  They attend Austin Ridge Bible Church and enjoy serving in different ways around Austin as well as on mission trips abroad.

Elizabeth and her family are thrilled about her opportunity to serve on the Veritas School Board as they have been greatly blessed by their Veritas experience. 

Molly and her husband Mitch have been a part of the Veritas community since 2012 when she began co-teaching their two sons, Noah and Dylan. Since then Molly has been actively involved in campus life. Early on she discovered her heart for our annual Fall Fest, and her passion for building relationships and friendships through serving together led to Traditions, the home of parent involvement at Veritas, which is part of Veritas Academy's Family Ministries.  She loves being part of Family Ministries and its mission to strengthen and equip families.  To that end, Molly helped launch a dedicated Facebook group to create even more opportunities for connection and communication between Family Ministries and our parents.  This is Molly's third year of School Board service, and she's delighted to serve as the Chair of the Head of School Support & Evaluation Committee (HSEC) and as the School Board Secretary.   

Molly holds a BBA in Management & International Business from Baylor University and a MA from Texas State University in Spanish. She completed her teacher certification through Region XIII and has seven years of teaching experience in elementary, middle and high school. Molly was voted Teacher of the Year by her fellow teachers and went on to be named Secondary Teacher of the Year for her school district.  Not surprisingly, she also enjoys teaching Spanish at Veritas when the need arises. The Ingrams are members of First Baptist Church Wimberley, and Mitch and Molly both have a heart for missions and ministry in Latin America.            

Molly loves to read and, while she typically reads non-fiction books about faith, parenting, education, and leadership, she's recently discovered a love for the works of Jane Austen, making fiction an enriching new addition to her library.  The Ingram family loves going to their annual family camp on the Frio River, where Molly discovered that she enjoys kayaking.  This year Mitch, Noah, and Dylan gave her a kayak for her birthday, so you can now find her reading a Jane Austen novel in her kayak whenever the family gets to spend the day on the water.

Clint Regen joined the Veritas school board in August of 2020. He and his wife, Catherine, are relatively new to the Veritas family. They enrolled their children, Caroline (VA ‘25) and Joel (VA ’27) in 2019. Clint and Catherine are proponents of classical education and were drawn to Veritas by the university model. They homeschooled their children before enrolling at Veritas. Clint teaches 7th grade boys discipleship, and he has been the pastor of Wimberley Presbyterian Church since 2011. The Regens live in Wimberley, and love to be outside.

Monica Scantlen and her husband, Alan, have been a part of the Veritas community since 2012 and have two daughters, one in the School of Logic and one in the School of Rhetoric. They love the gift of time and ability to be involved in their girl's education that this model has provided. They have been blessed to volunteer and serve in different areas of the Veritas community including Fall Fest and Defender Grands. 

Monica is a Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist with a global engineering company. She holds a BA in Political Science from Southwestern University.  Previously, she served as an Advisory Board member for Proven Way, a non-profit organization that equips and supports women in ministry leadership. 

Monica and Alan are members of Austin Oaks Church where Monica has been involved in children's ministry, MOPS, young family ministry and served on the HR Commission.  

Monica and her husband are both native Austinites and love being able to raise their girls around so much family! Even better, their girls are able to attend Veritas alongside several of their cousins. In her free time she enjoys family walks, spending time with her extended family and a good cup of coffee.  

Jordan is a practicing attorney who previously served on the School Board for seven years and is returning after a one-year absence. Jordan is husband to Bianca and father of five Veritas students: Jordan (VA ‘23), Charis (VA ’24), Caleb (VA ‘27), Evangeline (VA ’28) and Joshua (VA '31). Jordan and his family have been a part of the Veritas community since 2011. Prior to serving on the Veritas board, Jordan and Bianca served as founding board members of Trinity Classical School of Houston, a classical, Christian, collaborative-style school. In the rapidly shifting culture and legal environment that is dramatically affecting all religious institutions, the experienced skillset and wisdom that Jordan brings to the Board are invaluable.

Adam Zimel and his wife, Amber-Rose, have been a part of Veritas since 2008 and have 5 children - one in college (graduated from Veritas in 2018), two in the School of Rhetoric and two in the School of Logic. They have seen the beauty of this model in the way that it serves the various learning styles they see in their children, and in the gift of time and insight that it has given them with each child over the years. Their hope is that their kids’ education would equip them with a Biblical worldview and that it might set the table for them to know the love of their Creator through his son, Jesus. 

Adam has invested in the Veritas community both formally and informally over the years. He has been an SL basketball coach since 2012 and one of his favorite activities are SL field trips! 

Adam & Amber-Rose are partners at the Austin Stone Community Church, where they live out their calling to love and serve the church. Adam serves and teaches in the KIDS ministry, and he and Amber-Rose are active in the marriage ministry as well. 

Adam has worked in the commercial real estate industry for 18 years and has been with Endeavor Real Estate Group for the past 8 years as a retail broker. He received his BS in Business Finance from Portland State University. 

In his free time he loves to work out, play basketball, and travel with his family. 

Ellen was the first professional employee hired at Veritas Academy to serve as the founding Principal in 2005, and since then has served in a variety of roles. Her primary focus is currently on supporting the needs of the school’s “satellite” classrooms and co-teachers in homes, which she does through her involvement with the school’s Family Ministries function. Two days a week, she serves as the co-teacher at home to her school-age grandchildren, all of whom attend Veritas Academy. The older group comes on Tuesdays while the younger group joins her on Thursdays. 

Ellen is an experienced parent coach who has dedicated herself to supporting parents, especially in their roles as co-teachers within University-Model schools. She holds degrees in Early Childhood Education and Psychology, as well as a secondary teaching degree in Home Economics. In her career, Ellen has helped develop the formation of three schools, all with a focus on partnering with parents. In addition to serving the Veritas community, she provides consulting services to other schools, associations, and ministries through her company, Family Wings Consulting LLC.. She and her oldest daughter Erin co-authored the book Free to Parent, along with a companion workbook. They also co-authored Put the Disciple into Discipline. 

Ellen has been married to her husband Glen for 42 years. They enjoy living out life in Austin near their adult children and 11 grandchildren. Together, Ellen and Glen actively serve at The Springs church as mentors, supporting engaged and young married couples and new parents. Throughout their married lives, Ellen and Glen have served in ministry and in education and share a passion to see young men and women grow secure in their faith and equipped to walk into their God-ordained callings. Together they authored A Spiritual Heritage: Connecting Kids and Grandkids to God and Family which was published in 2017. They serve as a speaking team for The Legacy Coalition, a national organization devoted to inspiring grandparents to take an active, influential role with their grandchildren.  

Jef is a Veritas School Board member and the Head of School, in which capacity he is responsible for all operations of the academy according to the direction established by the School Board.  Prior to cofounding Veritas Academy in 2004, Jef was an experienced business owner, operator, and consultant, having started and/or served as a senior executive officer at several high growth companies in Houston and Austin.  He earned an MBA in Finance from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin and is a former CPA, possessing years of M&A and strategic/financial consulting experience with Big Four accounting and consulting firms.  Jef has even more years of entrepreneurial business and church administration/board experience, and has also served the National Association for University-Model Schools (NAUMS) as an advisory board member and new school trainer for many years.

Jef married his high school sweetheart, Starrla, and together they have three children: Caleb (VA’14), Caedmon (VA’16), and Chloe (VA ’20).  Since graduating from Veritas, their elder son attended, graduated from, and now works for Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee; their younger son attended John Brown University after pursuing a gap year of work, filmmaking studies, and travel to Italy for an apprenticeship with a master leather craftsman in Florence; and their daughter, after spending her gap year at a bible college in Colorado, is in her second year at Colorado Christian University. 
 

Cameron is coming to Veritas after serving as the founding principal of IDEA Public Schools with its unique Health Professions campus, overseeing all functions of the school while growing it to over 700 students. 

Cameron holds a bachelors degree in Business from Texas A&M and Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Colorado Denver. Furthermore, Cameron is the son of long time school teachers and administrators of a large Christian school in the DFW metroplex where he grew up. So, being behind the scenes of running a school has been a lifelong endeavor for him.

Along with his wife, Kayla, Cameron has been a Veritas parent for two years. Their oldest son just graduated from Kindergarten in 2022.  Their family attends Trinity Church and can often be found together enjoying bike rides and youth sports.
 

Angie has been employed at the school for 15 years, most recently as Department Head for SR Humanities and Academic Dean of the SL. She has also been a Veritas co-teacher since the school’s inaugural year when she and her husband, Ken, enrolled their eldest child in Kindergarten.

All three of their children have now graduated from Veritas, with one having also graduated from Baylor University and the other two en route to Colorado Christian and Texas Tech this fall. The Thompsons are committed members of Austin Ridge Bible Church.

Starrla Fowler has served at Veritas Academy since its inception in 2004. She and her husband, Jef, along with three other couples, founded the school. Formerly the Grammar School Head, Starrla now serves as the Head of the School of Logic and continues as the Chair of the Veritas Academic Team and a member of the Veritas School Board.

Starrla graduated summa cum laude from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. For most of the 1990s she taught in Houston’s Spring Branch ISD where she was named Teacher-of-the-Year at her school and runner-up in the district. In addition to teaching 1st and 3rd Grades at Frostwood Elementary in the Memorial area, Starrla served on several task forces within her school and throughout the district, including a multi-year study for special-education inclusion, a 3-year math curriculum development team, and the campus development team at Frostwood. Through the Harris County Department of Education, Starrla traveled to numerous school districts throughout the Houston area to instruct on individualized reading and writing.

Starrla holds a Master of Arts degree in Educational Leadership from Gordon College in Boston. She enjoys reading, gardening, traveling, and rowing.  Starrla and Jef have three children, all graduates of Veritas Academy between 2014. and 2020. 

Jenny and her family have been a part of the Veritas community since 2011. Her husband Mike can often be found around campus helping the Defender Dads and keeping an eye over their daughters, Maggie (V’22) and Mary (V’25).

Jenny earned her BS from the University of Texas in Early Childhood Education and has had a passion for teaching children. Prior to her current role as Grammar School Head, Jenny has taught elementary and middle school children in both public and private school.

The McLatchers attend Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian church where Jenny serves as a deacon, Mike serves as an elder, and Maggie serves as a Sunday School teacher. 

If you can’t find Jenny at Veritas, you can most likely find her cheering on her kids playing a sport, going for a walk with her dog Moose, or having a cup of coffee in the backyard with her chickens. 

Katie joined the Veritas staff as the Admissions Director in the early fall of 2011. Her background as an educator, missionary, and passionate communicator made the role of sharing the mission, vision, and educational model of Veritas Academy with prospective families a natural fit. In May of 2016 Katie joined the school’s administration team as the Advancement Director to provide direction, oversight, and continuity between the advancement functions of the school: admissions, communications, marketing, development, and records.  

Prior to coming to Veritas, Katie taught various levels of high school English in the public school system and served as a Missionary Associate at La Cosecha in Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico. Both of these opportunities followed the completion of her undergraduate degrees at Texas State University in English and Communication Studies, with secondary teaching certification in ELA. Her favorite college memory is meeting her husband in a dining hall! She and Hector have been married since June 2010, and with their daughter, Ana (VA '37), are a proud Defender family.

Katie is actively involved at One Chapel, where the Luevano family attends church.

Jonathan has been a teacher and coach at Veritas Academy since 2009 and has served as the Athletic Director since 2015.  He is responsible for overseeing all sports in the Veritas Schools of Logic and Rhetoric.  He is a graduate of Texas State University with a BS in Mathematics and minor in photography.  Jonathan is certified as an educator and has taught Middle School and High School math at Veritas as well as in the public school system.  Jonathan has also worked as a youth pastor and has taken an active role in foreign missions by leading short-term mission trips to Guatemala.  He has a passion for seeing young people come to know Christ and to help them grow in purity and dedication to the Lord.

Jonathan is married to Lizanne, whom he met at church.  They have been married since 2003, and have five children:  Michael (VA’23), Vance (VA‘26), Nevaeh (VA’28), Jackson (VA’29), and Jacob (VA’32).  Jonathan and his family are members at First Baptist Church in Wimberley where they are active in Sunday School and AWANA.  

In his free time, Jonathan enjoys working on his antique motorcycles, camping, hunting, and spending time with his family.