Board | Dominion Christian School

Board Members

Emily Abrantes is a member of Public Financial Management’s Higher Education and Healthcare Practices, serving as a financial advisor to higher education and other not-for-profit institutions. Emily advises clients on a broad range of capital markets related services including capital structure evaluation, risk analysis, rating agency strategy, and transaction execution. In addition, she assists clients in the development of debt and derivative policies through capital planning process, including debt capacity analysis and asset-liability management, and managing and executing both negotiated and competitive bond transactions. Emily is a graduate of Furman University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science. Emily and her husband have three sons, two of whom are school age; they both attend Dominion.

James Bailey is the President and co-founder of Armedia, an IT consulting firm. Before founding Armedia in 2002, James was a Sr. Engineer at Sapient and served in the US Army Reserve. James earned his undergraduate from Auburn University and his masters from Columbia University both in Electrical Engineering. James and his wife, Maggie, have two children that attend Dominion Christian School. He and his wife attend Immanuel Bible Church (IBC) in Springfield, VA. While attending IBC, James has participated in multiple short-term missions trips that included Rwanda and Macedonia. James and Maggie are lifetime members of The Gideons International where he has served in various capacities since 2002 and helps lead the Jail Ministries.

Paul Balserak serves as the Vice President for Environment at the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), where he directs the association’s engagement on domestic and international environmental regulatory and policy issues. Prior to his joining AISI, Paul held various positions within the Environmental Protection Agency and the Office of Management and Budget. He has a Master of Science degree in Biology from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Paul and his wife Lori have three children, two graduates from Dominion (’14 and ’16) and one sophomore in Dominion’s high school. His family attends New Hope Presbyterian Church in Fairfax, Va.

Dan Bryant is head of global public policy for a Fortune 10 company. He was previously in a similar role for a Fortune 50 company and practiced law as an attorney in a firm in Washington, D.C. Dan served in the U.S. Department of Justice as Assistant Attorney General for Legal Policy, Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs, and as Counselor to the Attorney General. He previously served as Chief Counsel on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee. Dan and his wife Aerin have four children, all of whom attend or have previously attended Dominion.

Chris Gardner is a Sales Representative at Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. He studied Business Finance at Liberty University (B.S. 1994). Chris and his wife Nikki have two children who attend Dominion, and they attend McLean Presbyterian Church in McLean, Virginia.

Bob Houston is an Assistant Professor of National Security Policy and Strategy at National Defense University in Washington, DC. He has over 25 years of experience in federal law enforcement and the intelligence community. Bob holds a B.S. in Political Science and Public Administration, a M.S. in National Security Strategy, and a J.D. Bob and his wife have one child currently at Dominion, and another expected to begin in 2017. Bob and his family attend Cedar Run Community Church.

Eddie Isler presently serves as Vice-Chair of the Board. As a practicing attorney, he represents management in labor and employment matters with his firm in Tysons Corner, Isler Dare, P.C. He received his undergraduate degree in Government and Economics from the University of Virginia and his law degree from the College of William and Mary, where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif and served as an editor on the Law Review. Eddie and his wife Kim attend McLean Presbyterian Church where Eddie serves as an Elder. Eddie and Kim have two children at Dominion and two Dominion graduates (’13 and ’15), both of whom are attending the University of Virginia.

Mickey Konson is the Co-Founder of StreetShares, Inc., a financial technology firm based in Reston, VA that focuses on funding military veteran owned small businesses looking for growth capital. Prior to this, he was a senior executive at one of the nation’s largest banks. Mickey has served on several non-profit boards and currently serves as a board member of Lily of the Valley Endeavor, which raises funds for HIV+ orphanages in South Africa. He also serves as deacon at McLean Presbyterian Church. He and his wife, Michelle, have 4 children, all of whom attend Dominion Christian School.

Ray Shepherd is Vice President and Senior Counsel for Federal Government Affairs at Peabody Energy, where his responsibilities include day-to-day interaction with the United States Congress and the Executive Branch concerning energy policy and regulation. Prior to his role at Peabody, Ray practiced law at Venable LLP as Chair of the Congressional Investigations Group and served on Capitol Hill for 12 years. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Yale College and a Juris Doctor degree from George Washington University Law School. Ray and his wife, Rebecah, have two daughters and a son who all attend Dominion. Ray and his family are members of Vienna Presbyterian Church.

Laura Whittle has been a Dominion parent since 2007. She and her husband Mark have three sons who are all Dominion students. Laura volunteers extensively at the school including serving as the Lower School Librarian and co-editor of the yearbook. Before choosing to leave the workforce to stay home with her children, Laura worked as a Market Research Manager for Kraft Foods. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish from The College of Wooster and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan. Laura and her family attend McLean Presbyterian Church.

William Yoder is an attorney with a practice focused on global products liability litigation and client counseling. William studied at the University of Virginia (J.D.) and the University of Kansas (B.A.). William has been a board member since 2009, and has served in various roles, including Board Secretary and Chair of the Head of School Search Committee. He and his wife Melisa have three children, two of whom are at Dominion. William and his family attend Grace Presbyterian Church.