LEADERSHIP
Our Board of Directors’ dedication, commitment, and love for Summit students is what makes Summit, well… Summit.
Joel Bowlby
President
Joel is a financial advisor and senior vice president of Bowlby Investment Management Group, a service of D.A. Davidson. Joel and his wife Autumn, both natives of Coeur d’Alene, have two children attending Summit Christian Academy. Joel and Autumn graduated from the University of Idaho. After spending time exploring Portland, Ore. and building their careers, the two returned to Coeur d’Alene to be closer to friends and family. The Bowlbys can often be found relaxing at the lake house, biking on the Centennial Trail and skiing Silver Mountain in the winter.
Kristina Lyman
Vice President
Kristina is the editor of Nspire Magazine and a member of the faculty at University of Idaho, where she teaches journalism courses. A Detroit native, she has more than 20 years of journalism and communications experience and has held reporting and high-level editing positions at newspapers including The Detroit News and The Arizona Republic. Her writing and editing projects have earned numerous awards. As vice president of communications for the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Kristina ran business development and economic policy campaigns and was instrumental in the passage of a renewable energy incentive that has helped diversify Arizona’s economy. In 2017, she co-founded Fireflies Day School in Coeur d’Alene in an effort to raise the standard of early childhood education in the community. She also served as advisor and as chair of the marketing and communications committee of RISE (Raising Idaho Standards for Education). Kristina and husband Jeff have two daughters who attend Summit Christian Academy. The family enjoys golfing, playing on the lake, skiing at Schweitzer and hanging out with their chocolate lab, Eli.
Amber Hicks
Treasurer
Amber is an accountant of over 10 years and has professional work experience in both the public and private sectors, working as a financial and internal control auditor, office manager, payroll specialist, tax preparer, and bookkeeper. She obtained her Bachelors of Science in Accounting and Masters of Accountancy degrees from the University of Idaho. She now works as an accountant for a private family group located in Spokane Valley. Amber became involved at Summit Christian Academy in 2018 as a parent volunteer when her son Elijah first started attending the school. She joined the Board of Directors in 2020 as a way to give back to the school community. She is married to her husband of 10 years, Adam. The family has a puggle (half pug, half beagle) named Toby. When they are not at school or work, they enjoy all that their hometown, Coeur d’Alene, has to offer. But their favorite pastimes as a family include hiking, running or strolling along the lake, fishing and camping.
Zach Brumbach
Secretary
Zach, an Idaho native, owns and operates Brumbach Family Dentistry in Post Falls. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, and his D.D.S. from Creighton University School of Dentistry in Omaha, NE. He and his wife, Hope, have three sons who attend Summit Christian Academy. Zach is passionate about being a lifelong learner, and he highly values the faith-based education Summit offers. In his free time, Zach loves to shred both the ski slopes and the boat wake, rock climb, fly fish, play and watch soccer, camp, hike, and spectate and coach his kids’ sports teams.
Mindy Thom
Principal
Mindy is a lifelong educator in the public, private and homeschool sectors. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in education from The University of Georgia in Athens, GA. She taught 6th grade and coached middle and high school girls’ basketball in her Georgia hometown before making the cross country move to Idaho in 2012.
Upon arrival in Idaho, Mindy co-founded a Christian homeschool co-op with Reach America, Inc for five years. It was during that time that she began volunteering at LAM (now Summit). Mindy’s heart for Summit led her to join the staff in 2014 as Assistant Principal & Science Lab Teacher. She is excited to be back as Principal to lead the staff and families that have become like family to her. She is thrilled to have her three children at Summit with her: Ellie, Olivia & Owen.
Outside of Summit, you can find Mindy with her husband, Derek, and their three children enjoying the great outdoors of the PNW. They are often camping, hiking, boating and off-roading.