Center for Leadership Studies Faculty

Co-Directors

Valerie Rance, Ph.D.

Co-Director, Center for Leadership Studies

Ph.D. Assemblies of God Theological Seminary
M.A. Assemblies of God Theological Seminary
B.S. Bethany University of the Assemblies of God

Dissertation Title: 鈥淭rauma and Coping Mechanisms Among Assemblies of God World Missionaries: Towards a Biblical Theory of Missionary Well-being.鈥�

Dr. Valerie Rance has served as an Assemblies of God World missionary with her husband DeLonn since 1984. For twenty of those years, she worked in the country of El Salvador where she taught in the English Department of the Christian University of the AG in San Salvador, worked with the national Missionette department, and painted murals for King鈥檚 Castle Ministries. While DeLonn started the doctoral programs at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (AGTS), Valerie continued her education finishing a Masters in Counseling and a Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies at the Seminary specializing in the areas of trauma and coping. In 2010, she became the Administrative Assistant for the Intercultural Doctoral Studies program and in 2018, added the positions of Recruiter, Admissions, and Program Coordinator. In 2022, she became the Co-Director and Dean of the Center for Leadership Studies where she continues her passion to assist students through their doctoral journey. She continues to teach in the areas of counseling and intercultural studies at AGTS and Ascent College.

Valerie and DeLonn have three grown children: (LaDawn, Jorel, and Shayla), three children-in-law (Chad Emery, Natalie Asahara, and Brandon Cox), five grandsons: (James Kalel Rance, Blake Charles Cox, Eli Timothy Rance, Judah Alexander Rance, and Hunter Jacobsen Cox), and two granddaughters (Zoey Lovie Emery and Ruth Jolie Cox).

DeLonn Rance, Ph.D.

Co-Director, Center for Leadership Studies

Ph.D. Fuller Theological Seminary
M.A. Vanguard University
M.A. Assemblies of God Theological Seminary
B.S. Bethany University of the Assemblies of God

Dissertation Title: 鈥淭he Empowered Call: The Activity of the Holy Spirit in Calling and Empowering Salvadorian Assemblies of God Missionaries.鈥�

Dr. DeLonn and his wife Valerie were commissioned as missionaries to El Salvador by the Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM, USA) in 1984. There they served as general missionaries with a special passion as missions mobilizers and missionary educators working with the Conference of the Assemblies of God, the Foreign Missions Department, Bethel Bible Institute, the Christian University of the Assemblies of God, the Missionary Training Center of the Assemblies of God (CAMAD), and the 鈥淭ogether in Mission鈥� Committee of the Assemblies of God of Latin America.

The Rances continue to serve as AGWM regional missionary trainers for Latin America and the Caribbean and as members of the Global Resource and training team. DeLonn acts as the missiologist for the Missions Commissions of both the World Assemblies of God Fellowship and the Pentecostal World Fellowship. In addition to traveling the world in missions mobilization and missionary training, DeLonn serves as professor of Intercultural Studies at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary and as co-dean with Valerie of the Center for Leadership Studies at 杏吧原版.

DeLonn and Valerie have three missionary kids, LaDawn, Jorel and Shayla and seven grandchildren. DeLonn and Valerie seek to mobilize the church of Latin America and the world to global mission and equip those who are called to missionary service. They continue to travel to provide encouragement and formation to Salvadoran, Latin American, and missionaries from around the world. Their desire and commitment are to yield to and obey the Spirit鈥檚 call and direction.

CFLS Lead Team

Jon Bentall, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Ph.D. Durham University, UK
M.A. Fuller Theological Seminary
B.A. 杏吧原版

Dissertation Title: Jeremiah鈥檚 Temple Sermon and the Hermeneutics of Tradition: A Theological Reading of Jeremiah 7:1鈥�15 and 26:1鈥�24.

Dr. Jon Bentall is Assistant Professor of Bible at 杏吧原版. Alongside teaching at NU, Dr. Bentall is a licensed minister with the Assemblies of God and serves as Theologian in Residence at Mill Creek Foursquare Church. He and his wife, Kelsie, have three children and live in Mukilteo.

Rowlanda Cawthon, Ed.D.

Dean, College of Professional Studies

Ed.D. Brandman University
M.A. Chapman University
B.A. University of Puget Sound

Dissertation Title: 鈥淎 qualitative study exploring the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on the transition of low-income students to higher education.鈥�

Dr. Rowlanda Cawthon serves as Dean and Associate Professor for the College of Business. She began teaching business courses for the School of Business and Professional Studies at Brandman University in 2010. With this experience, she acquired a full-time faculty position at 杏吧原版 in 2015 and was promoted to deanship in 2020. Currently, Dr. Cawthon serves as the faculty lead for Business Leadership and Consulting concentration for the Center for Leadership Studies.

She worked in the criminal justice profession for eleven years before transitioning to higher education. While employed with the Department of Corrections, she held positions ranging from Business Analyst to Communications Consultant, overseeing media relations in multiple prisons and field offices in Washington State. In her last role, she served as a Correctional Unit Supervisor, managing a 104-bed unit at Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women.

As the managing principal for Rowlanda Cawthon & Associate, LLC, Dr. Cawthon continues to work in the criminal justice profession by providing leadership training to the National Institute of Correction, which is part of the U.S. Department of Justice. She completed UMass Global鈥檚 Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership program in 2014 and was the first of over 100 doctoral students and candidates to complete her course work and defend her dissertation. Dr. Cawthon earned a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Chapman University and Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Puget Sound.

Ben Thomas, Ph.D.

Associate Provost, 杏吧原版

Ph.D. Azusa Pacific University
M.B.A. 杏吧原版
M.A. Fuller Theological Seminary
B.A. 杏吧原版

Dissertation Title: 鈥淐haracteristics of Higher Education Environments Conducive to Adaptive Change.鈥�

Dr. Ben Thomas is the Associate Provost at 杏吧原版, with primary responsibilities that include serving as the Accreditation Liaison Officer as well as oversight for institutional assessment. Ben teaches a variety of leadership, higher education, and qualitative research courses at the undergraduate, master鈥檚, and doctoral levels. Previously during his time at NU, Ben led teams in enrollment and extended education.

Ben lives in Bothell with his wife, Arlene, and two daughters. He enjoys attending his kids鈥� various activities, hiking, reading, movies, and following Seattle sports teams.

CFLS Faculty

Tom Alsbury, Ed.D.

Adjunct Faculty

Ed.D. Washington State University
M.Ed. University of Washington
M.Ed. University of Washington
B.S. University of Washington
B.S. University of Washington

Dissertation Title: 鈥淪uperintendent Turnover in Relationship to Incumbent School Board Member Defeat in Washington from 1993-2000: A Quantitative and Qualitative analysis.鈥�

Dr. Thomas L. Alsbury served 22 years as a tenured, Full Professor of Educational Leadership at Iowa State, North Carolina State, Seattle Pacific Universities, and Northwest Universities and is founder and president of Balanced Governance Solutions. He served 18 years as a high school science teacher, principal, and district administrator and for 8 years as Director of the national UCEA Center for Research on the Superintendency and District Governance. Dr. Alsbury鈥檚 dissertation is entitled Superintendent turnover in relationship to incumbent school board member defeat in Washington from 1993-2000: A quantitative and qualitative analysis which earned the AERA dissertation of the year award. Dr. Alsbury has chaired over 50 doctoral dissertations using quantitative and mixed methods analysis. Five of Dr. Alsbury鈥檚 students won the AERA dissertation of the year award.

Dr. Alsbury is listed as one of the foremost experts on school governance by the Associated Press and has been interviewed and quoted in over 150 news publications including NPR radio, The New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. Dr. Alsbury is a featured speaker, consultant, trainer, and evaluator of school governance issues in 12 countries and across the United States. He has over 50 academic publications on school board and superintendent research. His book 鈥淭he future of school board governance: Relevance and revelation鈥� earned Dr. Alsbury the UCEA Culbertson Award for the best research among research universities nationally. Dr. Alsbury shared the NSBA Shannon Award for individual most impacting school boards nationally. His 2015 book by Harvard Press entitled Improving local school board governance: A Balanced Governance approach introduced Dr. Alsbury鈥檚 Balanced Governance鈩� model and is the top selling School Board book in the U.S. The Balanced Governance鈩� model is unique amongst school governance models, in that it is developed from 50 years of research on exemplary school boards and the findings from the only national and international studies of school board members.

Don Conant, Ph.D.

Adjunct Faculty

Ph.D. Gonzaga University
M.B.A. Saint Martin鈥檚 University
B.A. Leiden University, The Netherlands
B.A. 杏吧原版

Dissertation Title: 鈥淓xploring Leadership Style, Organizational Culture, and Financial Performance in Family Firms.鈥�

Dr. Conant is a Professor in the School of Business at Saint Martin鈥檚 University in Lacey, Washington where he serves as Chair of Business Administration and Economics. He earned undergraduate degrees from 杏吧原版 in Kirkland and from Leiden University in The Netherlands. He earned an MBA from Saint Martin鈥檚 University in Lacey, and a PhD from Gonzaga University in Spokane. He currently serves as a member of the Washington State Health Benefit Exchange Board and as Chairperson of the WAHBE Audit and Compliance Committee.

Earl Creps, Ph.D., D.Min.

Adjunct Faculty

D.Min. Assemblies of God Theological Seminary
Ph.D. Northwestern University
M.A, Northwestern University
B.A. University of Pittsburgh

Dissertation Title: 鈥淭he Conspiracy Argument as Rhetorical Genre.鈥�

Dr. Creps founded and directed the Center for Leadership Studies for five years (2017-2022). He also served as a nationally appointed US missionary with the Assemblies of God to work with university students. He founded and pastored 360church in Berkeley, CA. from 2008-2016. He taught and directed the Doctor of Ministry program at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary from 2001 to 2007. Dr. Creps has a wealth of leadership experience pastoring Assemblies of God churches in Vermont, Maryland, Florida, Missouri, and California. He has written two books, Reverse Mentoring: How Young Leaders Can Transform the Church and Why We Should Let Them. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Leadership Network, 2008; and Off-Road Disciplines: Spiritual Adventures of Missional Leaders. San Francisco: Leadership Network/Jossey-Bass, 2006.

Patrick Davis, Ph.D.

Adjunct Faculty

Ph.D. Capella University
M.B.A. University of Phoenix
B.A. Auburn University

Dissertation Title: "Managing Black Swan Uncertainty: A Grounded Theory Examination of Portfolio Managers鈥� Assessment of Unknown Risk."

Dr. Davis teaches for the Center for Leadership Studies and the College of Business. He has 9 years of engineering experience training NASA Space Shuttle Astronauts and Mission Control personnel, 12 years of experience providing technical, program management, and leadership training to executive and non-executive audiences, 27 years of experience as a project manager, 15 years in management (NASA, Boeing, and Starbucks), 5 years of experience collaborating with fortune 500 firms as a management consultant, and 4 years of experience as an entrepreneur in the education industry.

Kent Mankins, Ph.D.

Adjunct Faculty

Ph.D. University of Buckingham, UK
M.Ed. University of Idaho
B.A. 杏吧原版

Dissertation Title: Interpretive Transcultural Storytelling Method: A Contextual Narrative Approach Interpreting Transcultural Relationships.

Dr. Kent Mankins is Lead Pastor of Valley Assembly in Spokane Valley, WA, an adjunct faculty member at 杏吧原版, and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. Kent leads the Northwest Christian Counselors Network and serves as a General Presbyter for the Northwest Ministry Network. Kent and his wife, Toni, have two wonderful sons. Kent enjoys reading, hanging out with his family, and enjoying nature.

Kim Martinez, D.Min.

Adjunct Faculty

D.Min. Assemblies of God Theological Seminary
M.A.T. Fuller Theological Seminary
B.A. Vanguard University

Dissertation Title: The Integrated Life: Cultivating Discipleship in the Marketplace.

With one foot in the workplace and one foot in the church, my goal is to help change the culture of the workplace so that work is not just a place to earn money, but it brings out the best in people and creates space in their life for God's voice to be heard. Imagine a workplace where people feel valued, they all push for the same goal, and they have the communication skills and heart posture to bring out the best in one another. That is the future I work for. I am the Metro area Executive Presbyter, the groups pastor at Shoreline Community Church, owner of Resolve Consulting, and the operations manager for a Washington nonprofit. Along for the ride, are my husband, four grown children, mastermind sisters, and prayer team. I could not do life without them.

Bill Oliverio, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Ph.D. Marquette University
M.A. Bethel Theological Seminary
B.A. North Central University

Dissertation Title: 鈥淭heological Hermeneutics in the Classical Pentecostal Tradition: A Typological Account.鈥�

Dr. Bill Oliverio teaches faith integration courses for Northwest鈥檚 graduate programs beyond the College of Ministry. He is a philosophical theologian that specializes in hermeneutic or interpretation theory, theories of knowledge, and the relationship of Christian faith to the modern world.

He is co-editor-in-chief of Pneuma: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, the author of Theological Hermeneutics in the Classical Pentecostal Tradition: A Typological Account (Brill, 2012/2014), which was a finalist for the Pneuma Book Award (best new book in Pentecostal studies), of Pentecostal Hermeneutics in the Late Modern World: Essays on the Condition of Our Interpretation (Pickwick, 2022), and of other articles, book chapters, and reviews. He has also co-edited, with Craig S. Keener, The Spirit throughout the Canon: Pentecostal Pneumatology (Brill, 2022), and, with Kenneth J. Archer, Constructive Pneumatological Hermeneutics in Pentecostal Christianity (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016). He is a member and on the executive committee of The Society for Pentecostal Studies, and he is a member of the American Academy of Religion.

An Assemblies of God minister, prior to coming to Northwest in 2020, he was Associate Academic Dean at The School of Urban Missions in El Dorado Hills, California (2017-2020), Pastor of Immanuel Church (Assemblies of God) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (2011-2017), and Lecturer in Theology at Marquette University (2007-2017).

He resides on Seattle's Eastside with his wife and their two sons. He enjoys sports, especially soccer, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

Tony Pizelo, Ph.D.

Professor

Ph.D. Seattle Pacific University
M.A. Seattle Pacific University
M.A. Washington State University
B.A. Gonzaga University

Dr. Tony Pizelo has been an executive in the financial industry for over 25 years. He currently holds the rank of Professor in the College of Business at 杏吧原版. He also teaches in the Center for Leadership Studies, and the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences. He earned his PhD in industrial organizational psychology at Seattle Pacific University. For fourteen years, Tony served as the CEO and chairman of Pacific West Financial Group and its subsidiary companies. Pacific West was a Top 50 Independent Financial Firm in the U.S. with 65 home office staff, 345 independent brokers, and over 200 branch offices. Sales topped $1.2 billion. During this time, Tony earned over 10 financial licenses. In 2012, Pacific West went through a successful merger with Cetera (a nationally-based financial firm). Just prior to joining Pacific West, Tony worked for Great Northern Financial Services helping them become an NASD and SEC broker-dealer. Tony served as the treasurer of the board of directors of 杏吧原版 for three years and was on the board for six years.

Tony holds the Society of Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional designation (SHRM-SCP), is a certified director through UCLA鈥檚 Anderson School of Management, and a former Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst (AIFA) through the University of Pittsburg.

When not at work or school, Tony enjoys spending time with his family including his wife Bonnie, and their six鈥痗hildren: Hannah, Samuel, Giovanna, Stephanas, Allen (and wife Ariel), and Esther. Tony is an active member of New Covenant Fellowship and enjoys being a hobby farmer.

Andrea Tejada, Ph.D.

Adjunct Professor

Ph.D. 杏吧原版
M.A. Chapman University
B.A. 杏吧原版

Dr. Andrea Tejada was born in Peru and came to the States with her family in 1996 to establish a Hispanic church to reach Latinos in the U.S. The church, Centro de Vida, grew from 10 people to over 1,000 attendees. Centro de Vida serves over 15 different nationalities and holds services in English and Spanish. After nineteen years of service to the Hispanic community, Dr. Tejada鈥檚 education led her to work at Life Center, where she currently works as an associate pastor, serving the church and school in discipleship and leadership development.

Dr. Tejada has served as a presbyter for the Northwest Ministry Network of the Assemblies of God. Her educational qualifications include a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, a master鈥檚 degree in Organizational Leadership, a master鈥檚 degree in Applied Leadership Theory, and a PhD in Organizational Leadership.

Andrea lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband, Ezequiel, and two children. Dr. Tejada鈥檚 passion is providing life-giving tools for healthy living and healthy organizations./<

David Troupe, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Ph.D. Walden University
M.Ed. Western Washington University
B.S. University of Washington

Dr. David Troupe has spent much of his professional life in the aerospace sector, developing the effectiveness of organizations, their teams, and their leaders. Having experience as an HR manager and organizational change leader, Dr. Troupe is a competent coach and facilitator. He enjoys applying experiential learning into pedagogical strategies.

David is fascinated by organizational behavior and hummingbirds. He enjoys nature photography, island living, and golf. Any author who helps him update his assumptions and who instills new, transformative mental models is his favorite.

杏吧原版