Meet Our Faculty & Staff

Alexis Smith ~ Dean of Students & Faculty

Alexis is originally from New Jersey. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Oral Roberts University. She began teaching in Oklahoma, but has spent the majority of her career teaching and leading at International Christian Schools in Indonesia. Most recently, she spent four years at Salem Academy Christian Schools. Alexis and her husband, Luke, live in Stayton. Together they enjoy hiking/backpacking in the beauty of Oregon's mountains, lakes, rivers and trees as well as long drives to places known and unknown. Alexis has a passion for traveling the world, for living life in community, and for Biblical Christian Education.

Jackie Bechtel ~ Administrator and Secondary Art Teacher

Jackie's first ventures into art came from a desire for spontaneous, creative expression early in life. Only later, while taking her first drawing course in college, did she discover the joy of deepening her capacity for expression through careful observation, study, and building foundational skills. Her goal as a teacher is to train students toward mastering the skills that have guided teachers of classical art for centuries, and thus expand their ability to recognize and create beauty.
Jackie also wears the hat of administrator at Christ Academy, working both around the school and behind the scenes to support families, faculty and operations. She holds a BA in Philosophy from Covenant College, and has many years of experience as an administrator in both office and educational settings. She lives in Salem with her husband, Christopher and their five children. In her occasional moments of free time, she enjoys gardening and painting with acrylics.

Christopher Bechtel ~ Secondary Latin

Christopher is the pastor of Evergreen Church, a PCA congregation in Salem, OR. He also teaches regularly for Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis and Reach Training Institute in Salem. He holds a PhD in Hebrew Bible from the University of Edinburgh and formerly worked in research for the Scottish Council on Human Bioethics. With his wife Jackie and five children, he lives in Salem in an old house that has been moved on two occasions. They have an (overly) affectionate golden retriever named Penny and a cat that once was lost but now is found.

Denise Engel ~ Primary Art

Denise is a self-taught artist. She spent thirty-one years as a home educator. During her later years of home educating she taught art classes and a variety of other topics as part of a small monthly homeschool co-op. She enjoys drawing and painting wildlife, flowers, and birds. She is excited to teach the primary prep art class and hopes to share the joys of observing nature and of creating art with her young students.

Dana Hull ~ Primary Reading & Math

Dana began her studies at Biola University and completed her BA in Psychology from Western Oregon State College (now Western Oregon University). She spent over two decades educating her eight children at home and in various homeschool co-ops. She enjoys multi-generational family get-togethers and feels blessed to have her parents, married children, and four grandchildren living nearby. She resides in Dallas with her husband, six of her children, two dogs and three parakeets.

Alida Plante ~ Primary Music and Secondary Choir

Alida received a BA in Vocal Performance from Ouachita Baptist University in 2006. She believes everyone should sing every single day and enjoys putting that belief into practice by belting musicals while cooking, sometimes to the chagrin of her children. She and her husband Jeff lived in Las Vegas. After a stint in Idaho they made their way to Salem where they live with their sons, Henry and Samuel, in a little yellow house littered with fur from their pup, Sunny. When not singing, she also loves to read. The Shire is her happy place, and she feels so blessed to have moved from the desert to a place she can visualize reading under the trees waiting for Gandalf to arrive.

Ian Ussery ~ Secondary Humanities

Ian regards his own education as a gift - a Bachelor’s from Corban University and a Master’s from Western Seminary, as well as postgrad work at Claremont School of Theology. He is delighted now to participate in the intellectual and moral formation of students who love Christ and pursue the riches of His

truth. Ian lives in Salem with his wife Cassie and their daughter Poppy.

They have a golden retriever named Willow and an ornery cat named Oliver. Together, they enjoy walks, house projects and paddle boarding, though the cat typically just sleeps.

Bridie White ~ Primary Teacher

Bridie has a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and a minor in Bible from Colorado Christian University. She has been involved in classical education through Classical Conversations and is excited to be part of the Christ Academy team. Literature, art, history, and philosophy are four of her passions and she is delighted to share this passion with her students. She has experience with non-profit institutions working in multi-cultural environments. She and her husband Jon live in Salem with their four boys.

Elijah Welter ~ Secondary/Secondary Prep

Elijah is a fourth generation Oregonian. He holds a BA in Humanities from Corban University and an MA in English from the University of Dallas. He loves the classics, especially the great works of fiction that reveal within common life what John Donne described as the “exceeding weight of an eternal glory”. He is especially interested in how the discipline of reading can sharpen the reader’s sense of what is most important in relationships, worship and daily life.

Elijah currently lives in Jefferson with his wife, Anne Marie, their daughter, and the skunk that has taken up residence in their garden. He enjoys any chance to get out into the mountains, trail-running, watching old or foreign films, and writing fiction.

Naomi Yang ~ Secondary Math and Science

Naomi learned to love science at Grove City College, where she completed a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. She has since used her science background for tutoring college students, teaching as an instructional assistant and working at a research hospital in North Carolina. Naomi lives in Monmouth and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in counseling on the side. She enjoys reading, running, playing violin and trying to keep her house plants alive.

Daniel Zielke ~ Secondary Prep Teacher

Daniel transplanted to Salem from the Puget Sound region of Washington State. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Reach Training Institute where he honed his love of learning and eagerness to communicate the breadth of God’s truth with winsomeness and depth. He loves to read and reflect on how stories shape us. As part of the faculty of Christ Academy, Daniel is excited to participate in the nurture of hearts and minds to the glory of God.