Lara Collett

Assistant to Ryan Frank

Lara is the newest member of our team. She graduated from Huntington University in 2006 with a degree in Christian Education. Lara has her hand in about everything KidzMatter and K! Magazine related. She provides administrative support to Ryan.

When did you accept Christ as your Savior?
When I was six years old on the back steps of my house.

Who were your favorite teachers at church?
Jillane Graber and Linda Steury took turns teaching the 7th grade girls' class each week. I remember having an overnight lock-in at the church. We had so much fun! It goes to show how important it is to build relationships with kids. 

What was your first car? 
A 1989 Dodge Ram 50.

Evan Doyle

Technology Director

Evan is the brain behind everything technical in our company. Whenever we get an idea the first person we run to is Evan to see if he can make it happen. Evan is a college student at Indiana Wesleyan University. He loves to travel to events—especially those on the west coast. He is also known as our staff GPS when we're on the road.

Twitter: twitter.com/kidzmatter2me
Facebook: facebook.com/EvanDoyle

What kind of car do you drive?
2003 Pontiac Vibe (I love it!)

What's your favorite drink at Starbucks?
Grande Iced Nonfat No Whip Honey Latte

How many licks do you think it takes to get to the center of  a Tootsie Pop?
Scientifically speaking, somewhere between 144 and 5800.

Beth Frank

Vice President / Operations

Beth plays an important role in almost every facet of our company. She offers administrative support to the team, manages inventory, and keeps our day-to-day operations running smoothly. Beth has a degree in elementary education and is very passionate about making a difference in the lives of kids.

When did you accept Jesus as your Savior?
I was only four. It was after the invitation at church.

What’s one of your pet peeves?
People who try to engage me in deep conversation early in the morning (like Ryan).

What's one of the coolest things you've ever heard?
Love sees people not as they are—but as they will be by God's grace.

Luci Frank

Quality Control Specialist

Luci is the Quality Control Specialist at KidzMatter. Her job is very detailed. First, she personally checks every product to make sure it meets all requirements, including making sure the music is fun and the DVDs aren't boring. Second, she travels to events (especially the ones at Disney) to make sure her dad does a good job. Third, she makes sure her daddy keeps current in the world of kids by making him watch Blues Clues, Sesame Street, Higglytown Heroes, and ... well, you get the idea.

If you could hang with one person for a day, who would it be?
Mickey Mouse or Blue—it's a tie.

Who is your favorite music artist?
Yancy. She gives me cool t-shirts.

What are your hobbies?
1) Swimming
2) Playing in the sand box
3) Going to preschool
4) Watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
5) Reading books with my mommy

Ryan Frank

President

Ryan is the President. Sounds important huh? Actually, he's just a cool children's pastor like most of you. Along with his responsibilities as leader of this growing company, he’s the children’s pastor at Liberty Baptist Church in Sweetser, Indiana. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the International Network of Children's Ministry and the American Children's Ministers' Association.

Twitter: twitter.com/r_frank
Facebook: facebook.com/ryfrank

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A chef.

What’s your most unforgettable moment in ministry?
Being arrested and interrogated by the Department of Homeland Security, the FAA, and the police department at the Indianapolis Airport. What did I do? Like a genius, I packed a Fire Bible and lighter fluid in my suitcase to take to Children’s Pastors' Conference – the making of a homemade bomb. Thankfully, I got off with a warning.

What are your favorite TV shows?
The Office and 24.

Nate Fussner

Art Director

Nate joined the KidzMatter team in 2007. Some college profs were bragging about him to Ryan. When Ryan called him and asked him to help get K! Magazine off the ground, he signed the dottted line! The rest is history. Nate grew up as a MK (missionary kid). His parents currently serve as missionaries in the beautiful country of New Zealand.

As Art Director, Nate oversees the graphic work on K! Magazine and other KidzMatter projects. He's quite familiar with the words, "Ryan's running late again, so we need to kick it into high gear." Nate's a cool guy with a big heart for the Lord.

Facebook: facebook.com/nathan.fussner

What's one thing you got in trouble for in school?
Calling my teacher "boss." Oops.

What's your favorite program on your Mac?
Adobe InDesign

What's the best quote you've read recently?
"All children are born artists, the problem is to remain an artist as we grow up."  -Picasso

Tina Houser

Publications Director

Tina is a 30-year veteran in children's ministry and comes to our team with experience as a children's minister, speaker, trainer and well-respected author. Tina is the copy editor of K! Magazine and leads curriculum development at KidzMatter.

What was your favorite subject in high school?
The only thing I wanted out of high school was me.  I was so anxious to join my older friends who had already gone off to college that I would drive to Anderson College (3 hours) every weekend to hang out there.

What kind of car do you drive?
I drive a bright red Jeep Liberty with a glitter stripe down the side.  Her name is Lady, as in Lady Liberty, and I love her!

What is your favorite quote? "Children are the living messages we send to a time we will never see."  (John W. Whitehead, from The Stealing of America)

Ben Swygart

Graphic Artist

Ben brings great creativity to our team. He joined the team as a graphic artist in 2007 when we decided to launch K! Magazine. He is a Hoosier like a majority of our staff and is a recent graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University.

As a kid, Ben wanted to be an artist. We're glad we snagged him on our team. Ben married his sweetheart Adrienne in September of 2008. They hang their hat in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

What's your favorite fast food restaurant?
In-N-Out Burger
 
When did you start using a Mac?
In college, and I never looked back.

Who is one of your heroes?
The renowned artist Barry Moser