Board of Directors
Hill Country Christian School is governed by a self-perpetuating Board of Directors. The primary mission of the board is to advance the purpose, mission and vision of the school as a ministry of Hill Country Bible Church Austin. They provide exceptional strategic direction and oversight of school bylaws and core values; exercise fiduciary responsibility to protect the school’s assets; establish policy-based governance, and recruit and manage the head of school.
We are thankful for the board’s service and are eternally grateful for their leadership, wisdom, and commitment to Hill Country.
John Scimone
Chairman
John Scimone
Chairman
Mr. Scimone is a technology and risk management professional, having earned degrees in Computer Science and Strategic Intelligence, and performed post-graduate studies in international management and leadership. He previously led security and risk management programs for the Department of Defense and Sony Group, and currently serves as the Chief Security Officer at Dell Technologies. He and his wife Meghan are members of Hill Country Bible Church and have three students at Hill Country Christian School: Lilah, class of 2029; Graham, class of 2031; and Violet, class of 2034.
Mark Bode
Finance Committee Chair
Mark Bode
Finance Committee Chair
Mr. Bode graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in electrical engineering. He also earned an MBA from Southern Methodist University. He currently works at AMD as a product line director. He and his wife Jessica have two alumnae: Rachel, class of 2020; and Gretchen, class of 2022. They joined our school community in 2013.
Joe Bland
Building Committee Chair
Joe Bland
Building Committee Chair
Mr. Bland attended the University of Texas. He is the president of Joe Bland Construction, L.P. He and his wife Barbara have two sons who are Hill Country graduates, classes of 2009 and 2012.
Robert Fischer
Capital Campaign & Development Committee Chairs
Robert Fischer
Capital Campaign & Development Committee Chairs
Mr. Fischer graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BBA in marketing and a minor in business. He is the owner of the RJF Team at Keller Williams Realty. He and his wife Michelle have two children: RJ, class of 2026; and AJ, class of 2029. Their family has been part of our school community for six years.
Scott Ewell
Scott Ewell
Mr. Ewell graduated from Iowa State University with a BS in construction engineering. He is a co-owner of Culhane Premier Properties. He and his wife Amber have two children, one of which attends Hill Country (Reese, class of 2034). Scott and Amber have been members of Hill Country Bible Church since 2011.
Kim Gardiner
Kim Gardiner
Mrs. Gardiner graduated from the Moody Bible Institute with a BA in Bible/Theology. She is a Bible teacher and public speaker and serves in women’s and student ministries at Hill Country Bible Church, of which she has been a member since 1990. She also teaches at the Saturate Austin Institute and is a former Logic, Debate, Philosophy, and Bible teacher at Hill Country Christian School. She and her husband, Eric, have two students at Hill Country: Hailey, class of 2027; and Emma, class of 2029.
Michael Guevara
Michael Guevara
Mr. Guevara earned a Bachelor of Arts from MidAmerica Nazarene University, and a Juris Doctor from The University of Texas at Austin. He is a partner with Shahan Guevara Decker Arrott, PC. He and his wife Amy have two children: Chloe, class of 2027; and Anthony, class of 2030. Their family has been part of our school community for six years.
Marion Hurn
Marion Hurn
Mrs. Hurn graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BS in Communications. She has been in the technology industry for 25 years at Dell, Adobe, Oracle, and Vertex Inc. Her experience includes senior sales leadership with global responsibilities. She and her husband, Trent, met in college, have been married for 30 years, and are members at HCBC, Lakeline. She has had a student at Hill Country since 2005. Trent Hurn, class of 2026, Travis Hurn, The University of Mississippi, and Grant Hurn, Butler University graduate and Field Account Executive at Dell Inc. Passionate about instilling a desire for young men to serve with their moms in the local community, she co-founded The Young Men’s Service League, Knights Chapter, and currently serves as President.
Matt Kouri
Matt Kouri
Mr. Kouri is the founder and president of Good Works Strategic Advisors, where he helps nonprofits, philanthropists, schools, and companies increase their impact in the world. He has business and public policy degrees from the University of Chicago and Oklahoma State University. He and his wife Julie are members at Mosaic Church and have three children: West, class of 2023 alumnus; Creed, class of 2025; and Niya, class of 2029.
Annie Mendrala
Annie Mendrala
Mrs. Mendrala graduated from the University of Texas with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a lifetime teaching certificate in secondary education. She also earned her master’s in Biblical and Theological Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. She has classroom experience in both the public and private sectors. Through Classical Conversations, she gained experience and developed a passion for the Classical Christian model of education.
Currently, she is a Bible teacher and curriculum director for a ministry called MomQ, and she serves weekly in prison ministry with The God of Hope Ministries. She and her husband, Mike, are members of Hill Country Bible Church and are actively involved at the Steiner Ranch campus. They have three sons: Michael, who is pursuing commercial aviation at Liberty University; Dillon, an alumnus of the class of 2024, who is pursuing mechanical engineering at Liberty University; and Sam, a current Hill Country student, class of 2026.
Richard Sayles
Richard Sayles
Dr. Jeff Marx
Head of School (non-voting)
Dr. Jeff Marx
Head of School (non-voting)
Dr. Marx graduated with a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University, as well as a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Dallas Theological Seminary. He moved to Austin and began teaching at Hill Country in 2006. He has three children who attended Hill Country, and a Hill Country alumna, Class of 2021.
Chris Zagorski
HCBC Elder Board Representative (non-voting)
Chris Zagorski
HCBC Elder Board Representative (non-voting)
Mr. Zagorski graduated from The University of Texas at Austin, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in Electrical Engineering Route to Business. He recently retired after 36 years as a Product Management executive with various technology companies such as HP, TI, Dell, IBM, Rackspace, and Kyndryl. He serves on the Hill Country Bible Church Elder Board and is a non-voting member of the School Board. He and his wife, Sonya, of 34 years, have been members of Hill Country Bible Church since 2000, serving in the Re Engage Marriage ministry. Chris and Sonya have three adult children: Lin, Lisa, and Vincent.