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.

Peggy has been with the Early Learning Center at Hubbard Hill since 2019. She has grown and learned a lot in those years. The best part of her job is the personal relationships she gets to make with families and staff members. Peggy and her husband, Spence have 4 children of their own who all grew up in the area. Ashley is married to Luke Lattimer, and they have 3 boys (Zeke, Jax, and Cooper). Zeke currently attends the ELC. They live in Elkhart. Taylor graduated from Grand Valley State University and works at Granger Community Church as the Digital and Community Engagement Director. Ryan and his wife, Sara have a son, Kyler, and live in South Bend. Ryan is the Associate Pastor at Cornerstone Church of Mishawaka. Drew is getting his master’s degree from Bethel University while playing his final year on the men’s basketball team and is getting married to his fiance, Katie in June. Spending time with family and friends is what Peggy loves to do most.

Jaci is married to Shaya Mokfi, and together they keep busy with their 4 kids: Zander (8) and Spencer (5) at Northpoint, and twins Adeline & Lewis (3) at ELC. 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 (8), Molly(6), and Michael (3). 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!

Barb is the president of Kauffman & Associates, a consulting practice she developed and launched over 25 years ago. Since 2021, Barb has led the strategic development and integration of the new Early Learning Center at Hubbard Hill. This community asset will change the face of preschool learning and senior living models by merging our two most vulnerable populations: children and older adults. She is a graduate of Purdue University, has served and consulted with various boards including Women Playing for T.I.M.E.-a charitable affiliate of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center/Orlando, Golf 20/20, LPGA/USGA Girls Golf, and the LPGA Foundation Board of Directors. Just prior to departing Orlando, Barb was enlisted by the Neurosciences Institute of the Florida Hospital Foundation in a consulting assignment, beginning her journey to improve memory care for those living with Dementia. Barb’s creativity, outreach skills and critical thinking have been a trademark of her many successful ventures throughout her career.