John Benton
Executive Director
John received his Bachelor’s in Counseling Psychology at Moody Bible Institute and his Master’s of Social Work at Indiana University. He later went on to receive his Master’s in Economics at Purdue University. With over 8 years of non-profit executive leadership, John brings a level of excellence and expertise to the Dream Center Evansville Team!
“I enjoy getting to support a team of deeply passionate staff, lift up generational strengths in our community, and work toward a future where our kids don’t have to leave Jacobsville to access opportunity – they can flourish right here.”
Tom Moore
chief advancement officer
Tom attended Purdue University, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. With decades of experience in community development, Tom connects DCE with key community partners and resources. Along with connecting to the community, Tom leads our Neighborhood Revitalization team.
“I love getting to know people and seeing the unique gifts God has blessed them with.”
Tessa Harford
Director of people & culture
Tessa has over seven years of experience in HR and Operations. Tessa strives to make DCE the best place to work all while implementing systems that keep our students, families, neighbors, and staff safe.
“I love that my role allows me to collaborate with passionate people, tackle new challenges, and develop creative ways to internally support our mission.”
Homer Bradford
Director of FINANCE
Homer holds a Master’s in Ministry Studies and a Bachelor’s in Christian Studies. Homer ensures that every dollar entrusted to Dream Center Evansville is maximized to create lasting change in our community. With over 20 years of experience and a deep commitment to stewardship, he oversees our financial strategy, budgeting, and fiscal operations.
“My family has been directly impacted by DCE programming, and my children are now flourishing in school. I’m excited to be able to leverage the experience and gifts God has blessed me with to enhance the DCE team’s capacity to secure better futures for the families of Jacobsville.”
Lori Madison
Director of pathways
Lori received her Bachelors in Elementary Education from Indiana University. Lori serves as our Director of Pathways, leading our Middle & High School, Elementary, and Early Learning program teams. Lori’s collaboration with our Pathway Coordinators and Student Success Coaches is vital to the academic success of our students!
“I believe our students have Promise, and it’s exciting to walk alongside them and their families from their earliest moments to and through college into a career.”
Bryce Moseby
Director of discipleship & christian mission
Bryce guides and nurtures spiritual growth among our staff, students, neighbors, and families. He has been serving in pastoral ministry for over five years. Whether through ministry lessons with students or leading our staff in prayer, Bryce ensures that Christ is continuously at the forefront of our work.
“The most rewarding part of my job is getting to pray with staff, families, and kids.”
Nate Denning
director of family development
As our Director of Family Development Nate leads our Wrap Around Care team in providing essential care and resources to our families. Nate graduated from Oakland City University with a Bachelor’s in Religious Studies. then went on to earn his Master’s in Pastoral Leadership along with his Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
“The most rewarding part of my job is walking alongside individuals and families as they overcome life’s obstacles and move toward a thriving future.”
Meredith Weidner
AssiStant Director of marketing & communications
Meredith received her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and Public Relations, and Advertising from the University of Southern Indiana. Meredith works to increase Dream Center Evansville’s reach regionally and effectively communicate the stories of our kids, families, and neighbors.
“My favorite part of my job is telling the story of Dream Center Evansville. I am honored to get to share the successes of our students, neighbors, and families.”
Andrew Clark
AsSISTANT director of Donor ENGAGEMENT
Andrew holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Samford University and also earned his MBA at Ball State. With several years in the non-profit and communications field, Andrew is eager to use his experience to ensure our funders feel connected to our work.
“The thing that excites me most about my position is getting to tell the stories of our students to passionate supporters and building a community from all over the city that believes in our students’ abilities to do anything they put their mind to.”
Ashley Bradford
assistant director of ECONOMIC MOBILITY
Ashley has an Associate’s Degree in Human Services from Indiana Wesleyan University and a Bachelor’s in Business from Indiana University. Ashley is also certified in Financial Education Instruction and Organizational Change. Ashley leads our families through economic struggles and works within our Wrap Around Care team to help families reach their goals!
“My favorite part of my job is working closely with families. My passion has always been in self-development, and I am thankful to have a job that specializes in these areas that can help people improve their economic mobility.”
Aly Cerne
Measurement and evaluation manager
Aly holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Evansville. Aly works to effectively communicate the impact of our work through impactful data and analytics reports. Aly also collects critical data surrounding our work, allowing our team to most effectively plan to make real change in Jacobsville.
“The most rewarding part of my job is knowing that the data I work with contributes to real, positive change for the families and children we serve. It is exciting to see how data-driven decisions can lead to meaningful impact.”
Garrett Canimore
social & emotional Learning manager
Garrett holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Southern Indiana. He has been with Dream Center Evansville for over three years, starting as a Student Success Coach and now serving in the Social and Emotional pathway. In his current role, Garrett focuses on developing the social and emotional competencies of our students.
“My favorite part of my job is seeing the growth in students’ behaviors and seeing them overcome challenges that they couldn’t face before.”
Jamie Madigan
early childhood pathway coordinator
Jamie holds a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education, along with thirty-plus years of experience in the field. Jamie engages with our early childhood students and their families to build a healthy foundation for educational success.
“I’m most excited about the opportunity to reach more young children and their families. To help them with life success by preparing their child for kindergarten and beyond. My position was created to increase our early childhood outreach, services and grow the early childhood pathway at Dream Center.”
Dalton Rausch
ELEMENTARY PATHWAY COORDINATOR
Dalton holds a Bachelor’s degree in History from USI and an Associate’s degree in Criminal Justice from Ivy Tech. Dalton has been with DCE for over seven years and has worked within our elementary Pathway to lead our Student Success Coaches and students.
“The most rewarding part of my job is getting to see the students deepen their relationship with Christ and each other.”
Ubi Ntewo
Middle & High Shcool PATHWAY COORDINATOR
Ubi leads our Middle & High School Pathway. Ensuring our Middle and High School students are supported in their social, spiritual, and economic mobility.
Elijah Farmer
academic development coordinator
Elijah studied Elementary Education at the University of Southern Indiana and then went on to get his Master’s in Special Education. Elijah works with our Academic Specialist to evaluate and create educational pathways for each child! Elijah’s work largely contributes to the academic success of each of our programs!
“The most exciting thing about my position is that I get to work with students K-12 and help them grow academically, as well as expose them to different potential pathways for their future.”
Ashli Hale
OPERATIONS coordinator
Ashli earned her Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of Evansville. Ashli works within our People & Systems team to ensure our families, students, staff, and neighbors are well taken care of and feel supported by DCE!
“The most rewarding and exciting part of my job is seeing our students and neighbors excelling and breaking down barriers. I love seeing the joy in our students’ faces as they learn something new and embrace the Lord.”
Natalie Powers
Family success advocate
Natalie earned her Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Southern Indiana. Natalie works within our Family Development Team to provide support to our Middle & High school students, along with their families.
The most rewarding part of my job is spending time with kids at program and being able to build connections with them. I love watching our kids and parents strive towards their goals.”
Mike Wheaton
Middle & HIGH STUDENT SUCCESS COACH
Mike holds a Master’s Degree in Intercultural Studies! Mike works in direct partnership with North High School and North Junior High. Mike is a key supporter of our Middle and High schoolers as they work to achieve academic, spiritual, and economic mobility.
“I love seeing youth succeed, whether that’s a small goal, like a grade, or a large one, like graduation or deciding to follow Jesus. Equipping students with life skills is essential to the development of Jacobsville and to positive cultural change, both at the neighborhood level and beyond.“
Marcy Weller
MIDDLE & HIGH STUDENT SUCCESS COACH
Ms. Marcy works within Delaware Elementary to assist teachers, staff, and students. Marcy works with students day in and day out to set goals regarding academics and social and emotional learning. Along with this, Ms. Marcy leads our ministry efforts in our After-School Program.
“The most rewarding part of my position is sharing God’s love with the children and their families of Jacobsville. It brings me genuine joy to not just walk with our families, but to see the light of God move through Jacobsville. I am extremely grateful to our families for trusting me to coach and teach their children, as well as to God for calling me to Dream Center.“
Hayley Figueroa-Nix
Elementary Program leader
Hayley is passionate about providing a safe and supportive space for our students, serving as a consistent mentor who helps guide them toward the bright futures they were created for.
“The most rewarding part of my job is building relationships with kids and seeing them feel safe enough to be themselves. I love watching their confidence grow as they learn and develop. What I enjoy most about Jacobsville is the people and the welcoming community.”
Alyssa Ferguson
ELEMENTARY STUDENT SUCCESS COACH
Ms. Alyssa works within Delaware Elementary to assist teachers, staff, and students. Alyssa works one-on-one with students to set goals that help them achieve their dreams. Along with her work within Delaware, Alyssa leads our homework help classroom during After-School Program.
“The most rewarding part of my position is getting to see the kids we work with grow and achieve things they once didn’t think were possible.”
Alec Sloan
ELEMENTARY PROGRAM LEADER
Mr. Alec works in partnership with Delaware Elementary teachers to ensure our students are supported.
Chris Roland
Facilities Specialist
As our Facilities Specialist, Chris is the go-to expert tasked with ensuring our physical spaces are safe, welcoming, and fully operational, while simultaneously managing our entire vehicle fleet. From executing daily campus operations to overseeing the logistics, maintenance, and safety of our vehicles, Chris handles the heavy lifting behind the scenes.
Bill Scruggs
Custodian
Mr. Bill has been with Dream Center Evansville for almost 25 years! As a cornerstone of our organization’s history, Bill plays a vital role behind the scenes by keeping our facilities clean, safe, and welcoming for every child, family, and staff member who walks through our doors. We are so grateful for his dedication and continued commitment to our team and community!
Liz Hamer Greubel
Kitchen LEAD
Liz is our awesome Kitchen Lead! Ensuring our kiddos never go home hungry and feel loved, each and every day! We are so grateful for the love she has poured into our kiddos.
“The most rewarding part of my job is when the DCE kiddos tell me that their meal or snack was the best they have ever had. I get to walk away with my heart melting and smiling.”
Brenda Murphy
KITCHEN ASSISTANT
We are so grateful for the three years of service Brenda has dedicated to making sure our kids are full and loved with a warm meal.
Krystal Bevels
event supervisor
Krystal assists with facilities and event supervision. Krystal works directly with our People and Systems team to ensure our building is in good shape and being well taken care of during after-hours events.
Leslie Margelot
Academic specialist
Leslie is a special education teacher in the Henderson County school system. Leslie works with our students to further build their academic skills and increase positive educational outcomes. Leslie primarily serves our Kindergarten through sixth graders.
Natalie Renner
Academic SpeciAList
Natalie Renner is a high school teacher at North High School who has been teaching for over 20 years. She holds her Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction and has experience differentiating lessons to meet a diversity of student needs. She teaches 9th grade English and Principles of Teaching for 10th-12th graders.