Cary McConnell

Cheif Administrative Officer

Has served in various municipal positions including: Chief Deputy Utah County Treasurer, Tax Admin and Elections Supervisor for Utah County, Financial Analyst for Utah County. Additionally, Cary served as an accountant for a local firm.

Lindsay Owen

Chief Financial Officer

I am a wife and mother of 3. Luke, 12, attends Freedom Prep Secondary, and my daughters Emma (10) and Audrey (6) attend Freedom Prep Elementary in Vineyard. I grew up in Oregon and moved to Utah to attend BYU, graduating with a Masters in Accounting. I love my job as the CFO of X3, a construction work forcing company based in West Jordan. I love all things sports; football, soccer, wakeboarding, and skiing are my favorites. We love to travel as a family, but my favorite thing is watching my kids succeed in their endeavors. We love the faculty and teachers at Freedom who have worked so hard for the benefit of children and families in the community. I look forward to serving to contribute to this cause!

Paul Baltes

Board Member

Professional background includes: educator at Purdue University and Brigham Young University as well as Director of Merit College Preparatory Academy in Springville, Utah. Additionally, Paul is an editor, writer and performer of short stories, articles, reviews and stand-up comedy.

Thomas Chan

Board Member

Experienced in software development, network traffic, quality assurance and system administration. Thomas is also an adjunct instructor at Mountainland Applied Technical College in various high-level computer science subjects.

Austin Anderson

Board Member

With a career spanning over a decade in Utah's technology sector, Austin has held executive positions at various software companies, overseeing both large and small teams dedicated to creating meaningful experiences for customers. His leadership has consistently aimed at ensuring users derive the utmost value from the software. Austin's extensive background positions him to provide valuable insights to the Board, steering initiatives that will elevate the educational experience and overall value for every student, teacher, and employee at Freedom Prep. In addition to his professional expertise, Austin holds a personal connection to the impact of quality education. His daughter recently graduated from Freedom Prep in St. George, while another is currently thriving in the school's dynamic learning environment. Through these family ties and past experiences with Freedom Prep, Austin recognizes the transformative power of the high-quality curriculum offered by the school in shaping the lives of our children.

Governing Board Qualifications

Be familiar with the school curriculum.
Be in agreement with the educational philosophy, discipline policy, and administrative structure of Freedom Academy.
Attend at least two Parent/Teacher Organization meetings a year to show support and encouragement for this vital aspect of the school. The Academy board members will not serve on the PTO board. However, Academy board members may chair and serve on PTO committees.
Prior board experience is helpful but not necessary. However, a high level of professionalism and a strong desire for the success of the school is expected. The motivation for serving on the board should be to help guarantee the educational success of students
The board members are required to attend a yearly board conference during which: the goals of the board are defined, a board self-evaluation is critiqued, and other pertinent topics are discussed.
The board members will conduct an annual self-evaluation. Goals for the next year will also be determined at that time.
Board members should fulfill their responsibilities on the board, board committees or subcommittees to their fullest capability.
All board members are expected to be exemplary public relations representatives of the school.
The board member elected to the Treasurer’s position should have a strong financial background, including experience in education or budget management, personnel management, and conflict resolution.
The board member elected to the Chief Administrative Officer’s position should have extensive experience in general business administration, budget management, personnel management, and conflict resolution.

The Governing Board(GB) is a vital part of what makes Freedom Academy different. The ability to govern ourselves is a tremendous responsibility and a tremendous opportunity.

The GB meets quarterly. Check the calendar for meeting times. An agenda will be on the website as well as on the front doors 24 hours in advance. Board meetings are open to the public. Parents are encouraged to attend. The purpose of these meetings is to allow the GB to conduct school business. Usually, the board will not be able to address issues brought forward during the meeting. However, time is allotted for public comment at each meeting. Comments will be limited to two minutes.

The GB welcomes and invites your input at anytime. In the case of a grievance, we hope you will approach staff first. If the issue cannot be resolved, please submit your concerns to the board in writing, preferably via email at gboard@freedomprep.net.

Each GB Officer will serve a five-year term. Governing Board positions are filled by appointment by the remaining Governing Board. Candidates will submit resumes of qualifications to serve on the Governing Board. At least two Governing Board members and the Executive Director (or designee) will consider all applications and make recommendations to the Governing Board for consideration.

The Governing Board is responsible to oversee the school. Board responsibilities include executing the Freedom Academy vision, fostering relationships with staff and the school community, and overseeing the budget.

The Freedom Academy Governing Board is committed to the traditional school format, the charter school concept, and to using the school curriculum. In addition to their duties of attending board meetings and accomplishing assigned tasks, board members do significant reading and attend an annual leadership conference to orient and recommit to the school’s philosophy.

The Freedom Academy charter provides for representative governance which mandates responsiveness to constituent (parent) concerns. If parents feel that any board member is not performing in the school’s best interest, a recall provision is written into the charter. We believe this provides continuity to maintain the founders’ original vision, allows adequate parental control over a child’s education, and includes sufficient flexibility to cope with necessary, inevitable changes.