Dr. Chris Hobbs is a seasoned leader in Christian education with more than two decades of experience as a teacher, coach, student minister, principal, athletic administrator, and executive director in major metropolitan areas like Washington D.C., New York City, West Palm Beach, and Houston. His passion for leadership and enthusiastic style has been recognized on the national level. He excels at rallying communities around a mission of biblical excellence and driving professional growth at Christian schools. A sought-after speaker, blogger, and podcast guest, Dr. Hobbs frequently presents his insights on leadership in educational, non-profit, and corporate settings. He holds a bachelor’s in physical education, master’s in sports coaching, a doctorate in educational leadership, and is an ordained minister. He has completed a leadership program at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Business, was a Fellow for Baylor’s Center for School Leadership, and is an expert in Biblical worldview as a Fellow at the Colson Center.

Dr. Hobbs is married to Jen, his high school sweetheart and fellow Christian educator, who holds a master’s degree in educational leadership. Together, they have three children who are all graduates of Christian education.

Walter Weller joined the IRCS Administrative Team as Superintendent of Schools in July 2013. Prior to that, he served in the Pinellas County School System as a teacher, coach, school administrator, and county level administrator for 26 years. In his last position with Pinellas County, he served as the Principal of Seminole High School. He is a graduate of Clearwater Central Catholic High School, the University of South Florida with a B.S. in Social Science Education and Nova Southeastern University with a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership.

Walter’s passion is for every child to realize and utilize their God given abilities in a way that honors God. Walter is drawn to activities and events that help students grow in knowledge and in faith. Walter and his wife Karen have been married since 1990 and have four children: Noah, Samuel (IRCS graduate, class of 2015), Solomon (IRCS graduate, class of 2020), and Chloe (IRCS graduate, class of 2022).

Stephanie Vogel began her career in education in 1997 working for Pinellas County Schools. She has experience as a Classroom Teacher and an Administrator. She received her Bachelors in Education in 1997 from the University of South Florida and her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership & Supervision from U.S.F. in 2001. She has been at IRCS since 2013. Stephanie has been married to her husband Rick for over twenty years. She has four children including two IRCS graduates. One attends Florida State University in the College of Business. The other attends the University of Central Florida also majoring in Business. Her younger two children still attend IRCS.

Mrs. Suzanne Croce has served at IRCS since 2022. Mrs. Croce holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Western Michigan University and has worked with children and infants for 25 years. Suzanne has been married to her husband Kevin for 10 years and they have 2 children together, Gavin (9) and Finley (6) that attend IRCS.

Melissa began her career in education in Lexington, Kentucky. She has experience as a classroom teacher, district representative for MAP testing, Teacher Growth and Effectiveness coach, and school administration. Melissa received her Bachelors in Education, Masters in Teacher Leadership, Masters in School Administration, Certification from National Institute for School Leadership (NISL), and a Principalship. She and her husband, Brian, have four boys and two daughters-in-law: Nolan (Lizzy), Samuel (Emma), and Cameron and Caden (10th-grade twin boys at IRCS).

Kristen Oliver enters her 6th year at Indian Rocks Christian School this year, adding to her 13 years of education experience. Here at IRCS, she taught 1st grade for four years and piloted the new SOAR and STEM programs. Additionally, she led an accreditation team and served as a co-lead teacher. Kristen earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Reading Education from the University of South Florida. She has been married to her husband Mike for 14 years, and has two boys who attend IRCS.

Jacque is a passionate educator with over twenty years of experience, having held leadership positions such as principal, counselor, and testing coordinator. She earned her Master’s degree in Career and Technical Education and her Bachelor’s degree in Family Consumer Sciences. Additionally, she holds an Educational Leadership Certification from Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals. Jacque believes that God will do far more than we could ask or think through our students and staff here at IRCS. She feels privileged to be on the front lines of this expected growth and learning.

My name is Dee Bates, and I am the College Advisor. I consider it a privilege to work with our students as we navigate the college admissions process. Each year 97% -100% of our seniors attend college in the fall after graduation! It is my desire to make college planning easy. Each student/family meets one-on-one with me to discuss college goals, preferences, and plans. The main objective is to achieve a “best fit” for the student. Whether the outcome is a community college, Christian University or an Ivy League school, each decision is carefully and prayerfully planned with our families.

Dee Bates received a B.A. in Elementary Education from Palm Beach Atlantic University. In 2004, she received an M.A. in Education/Guidance Counseling from the University of South Florida. She started teaching at IRCS in 1985, and has been the IRCS Guidance Counselor since 2002-2020. She and her husband, Ric, have three children, Melissa (IRCS class of 2002 and Elementary Art teacher at IRCS), Brianna (IRCS class of 2010), and Ty (IRCS class of 2012). They also have four grandchildren, who all attend IRCS.

Joe Frost is the IRCS Dean of Students for Middle and High School. He has been with Indian Rocks since 1994. After graduating from Clearwater Christian College with degrees in Business Administration and History Education, he completed his Master’s in Educational Leadership from the University of South Florida. Joe taught 6th grade for 13 years before joining the administrative team of Indian Rocks. For over 20 years he coached the varsity basketball team at IRCS and currently coaches the bowling team. His wife, Sharon, is a 6th grade teacher at Indian Rocks. They have four children who attended Indian Rocks. Joe also enjoys teaching Foundations, a Sunday School class at Indian Rocks Baptist Church.

My love for Christ began as a child in my home where I was taught to love the Word of God. As a high school student, I began directing a children’s choir in my church. It was through this opportunity God led me to surrender my life to His call in Christian Education. My home, my church, and my school were instrumental in shaping my life and helping me pursue God’s call for my career and future. Having served in Christian education for 26 years, it is my prayer that FBCIR and IRCS will be a place where students discover the depth of God’s love and develop a love of God’s Word as they pursue the very purpose God has created them for. Psalm 119:105 says Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. The world is dark. When the home, the church, and the school unite in a collaborative approach to education, the students are best equipped to prosper in their lives.

Michelle DiFrancesco started teaching at IRCS in 1994. She received a B.A. in Elementary Education from University of South Florida and M.Ed. in Curriculum/Instruction from Grand Canyon University. She has experience as a classroom teacher and has been serving as the Guidance Director for IRCS since 2020. She and her husband Danny have been married since 1994 and have 2 children, Joshua (IRCS class of 2015) and Rachael (IRCS class of 2018).

Ryan Johnson holds an MBA in sports management from Florida Atlantic University and is a Registered Athletic Administrator through the NIAAA. Additionally, he has seven years of athletic administrative experience and has coached several teams that have gone on to conference championships. Looking at IRCS athletics, he sees so much potential for growth. The term ‘growth’ encompasses a wide variety of areas within the Athletic Department, like the winning of championships, the additions and upgrades to athletic facilities, and, most importantly, the increased impact on the lives of the student athletes. He is extremely excited to lead IRCS athletics and cannot wait to see everyone out at the Eagles Nest supporting our student athletes.

David Witthun holds a bachelor’s degree in Recreation Administration  from Sacramento State University and a master’s in Physical Education from Canisius College in Buffalo, NY. He has coached football for more than 20 years at the high school, college and professional (AFL) levels. David is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength Conditioning Association and a Certified Throws Coach through the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.