Meet our Advisory Council

Mandy joins the Early Learning Center with over 20 years of experience as a preschool and kindergarten teacher at Bridges (also NAEYC accredited) and Covenant Christian School. With a B.S. in Hospitality Management from Purdue and a master’s degree in education from Bethel/IUSB, Mandy is passionate about shaping the development of young children in their early childhood years. Most recently, she worked as a preschool director, employing best practices to create an incredible learning environment that nurtures and supports young children. Mandy and her family have attended Granger Community Church for over 10 years. She has two daughters: Mikaylah is an Ohio State graduate currently working/living in Columbus, OH, and Mikenzie, attends Optometry School at IU Bloomington.

Holly has been with the Early Learning Center at Hubbard Hill since 2018. Prior to joining the ELC, she had been passionate about the field of early childhood since 2010 and has held various positions and roles, from a director at a NAEYC-accredited center to teaching Kindergarten in a public school. Currently, her biggest joy of teaching at the Early Learning Center is witnessing her son, Lucas, growing, thriving, and loving all the staff pouring into him daily. She is thrilled to have her second son, Henry, join the toddler classroom. Holly recently graduated with an M.A. Ed. from Ball State University after receiving the TEACH scholarship from IAEYC. She has put the degree to use right away by teaching a course at IUSB as an adjunct professor. When Holly is not teaching, she spends time with her husband, Ryan, and their two sons, finding new local restaurants to try between beach trips.

Kelly Ann is, above all, a wife and mother to two young children. In her professional life, she serves as the Director of Marketing & Communications for Saint Joseph the Protector Foundation, formerly known as the Women’s Care Center Foundation. With over 15 years in marketing, advancement and public relations, she has been fortunate to work across diverse fields, from Silicon Valley startups to city government, where she served as spokeswoman for the mayor of Indianapolis, as well as in roles within large corporations and small nonprofits. After consulting for a biotech company in Boston and facing her own battle with cancer, she became increasingly aware of the chronic disease challenges in the U.S., which led her back to school to train as a Functional Nutrition Therapy Practitioner. She finds deep fulfillment in her faith, her family, and helping others discover the benefits of root-cause medicine and nutrition.

Jaci is married to Shaya Mokfi, and together they keep busy with their four kids: Zander, Spencer, and twins Adeline and Lewis. Before settling in Granger, she grew up in Illinois and later lived/worked in Connecticut, Washington DC, Germany, Thailand, Fiji, Nepal, South Africa, Mali, Ghana and England—with voyaging throughout the 7 continents. Now as a family of 6 they all love to travel, but current adventures likely include Elmo or Mickey Mouse. Following medical school at the University of Illinois, Jaci completed her Internal Medicine residency at Yale, then consecutive fellowships in Infectious Diseases and Critical Care at the National Institutes of Health (NIAID/CC) in Bethesda, MD. While at NIH she also completed Clinical Trials training and was principal investigator of a bench-to-bedside malaria research trial in Bamako, Mali. Next, she moved to England to pursue a Diploma of Tropical Medicine at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Her husband, Shaya, is an Internist with extensive experience with Long-Term Care/Rehab/Assisted & Independent Living facilities and hospice care. Jaci & Shaya run their practice at Premier Internal Medicine in Mishawaka.

Patrick is the Chief Executive Officer of the nationally recognized Hubbard Hill Living Wisdom Community, a nonprofit faith-based center that provides independent living for active adults and assisted living apartment residences with supportive services, short-term rehabilitation, outpatient therapy, and long-term nursing care. Pingel’s accomplished healthcare career spanning 30 years includes 18 years at Hubbard Hill, named one of the Best Nursing Homes in the country by U.S. News and World Report every year since 2012. He has extensive experience in care facility redesign and renovation. Prior to joining Hubbard Hill, Pingel served in leadership positions as a vice president and administrator at specialized care facilities including Holy Cross Living Center, St. Joseph’s Care Center, and Healthwin Specialized Care. Pingel earned a master’s degree in public affairs from Indiana University in South Bend and is licensed as a health facility administrator in Indiana. He is a member of Worklight, a Christian business organization. He resides in Mishawaka with his wife Beth of 30 years. Patrick loves strategy and teamwork opportunities. He coached basketball for many years when his children were younger.

Melissa and her husband, Kaleb, have three children: Emily, Molly, and Michael. Michael attends the ELC, and Emily and Molly attended for three years. Melissa has recently taken on the role of “stay-at-home mom” after a fulfilling career as an elementary school teacher for the last 14 years. Most recently, she was a teacher at Northpoint Elementary School in Granger, where Emily & Molly attend. In their free time, Melissa and her family enjoy spending time together at local parks, traveling to Florida once a year, and rooting for Notre Dame!