NCS Foundation

Occupation: Senior Resident Director,
CRPC® Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.
Church Affiliation: St. Dunstan’s Episcopal
Northland Association: Since 2013

What Northland means to me:
Our five children attend Northland Christian School. We are beyond pleased with both campuses. Each of our children are surrounded by teachers and administrators that make them feel safe, appreciated, loved, respected, enjoyed, and listened to while preparing them for their future. The comfort that brings us as parents is beyond priceless.

Travis Hardwick is President & CEO of TCC Multi-Family Interiors, a nationwide flooring and tile contractor, where he has worked for 25 years. He graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics, and he received his Juris Doctorate from South Texas College of Law. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Texas First Bank and is actively involved in Vistage International. Travis also participates in multiple ministries and charities, locally and abroad.

Travis enjoys hobbies such as hunting, fishing, tennis and golf, but his biggest gratification is spending time with his wife, daughter and two sons. He and his family attend Faithbridge Church, and he is committed to Northland Christian School’s mission of Truth, Victory and Glorifying God Forever.

Pablo Canovas and his family have been part of Northland Christian School for five years.  Pablo and his second half, his wife Cara (who serves on the Northland Christian Board of Trustees), have been married for over 22 years.  They have three kids that have, or currently, attend Northland Christian School.  Besides the NCS Booster Club, Pablo also serves on the NCS Foundation Board.

Pablo is a firm believer in “Cheerful Service,” and one of his favorite Bible verses is 1 Peter 4:10. Pablo and his family belong to Prince of Peace Catholic Church, where Pablo volunteers with the Boy Scouts of America.  He has served in many positions, including Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, and District Vice Chairman.  He has been awarded the Silver Beaver Award, the highest recognition a Council can award.   Professionally, Pablo is a commercial airline pilot who got into aviation while in high school growing up in Miami, FL.  He was a Naval Officer and Naval Aviator, serving ten years in the U.S. Navy, which took him to all the continents on Earth, including two seasons in Antarctica.  He also served as a US Customs Pilot. Besides volunteering and cheering on all the sports at NCS (Go Cougars!!), Pablo enjoys time with his family by doing many outdoor activities.   10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.  1 Peter 4:10

Brittany Clark is the Vice President of UAL America, an international shipping line servicing the oil & gas sector from the US Gulf & Europe to West Africa, where she has worked for 15 years.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from the University of Texas in San Antonio and also studied International Business and Economics at the University of Economics in Prague, CZ.

Brittany and her husband, Adam, are the proud parents of two Northland students. They chose Northland because it is a Christ-centered institution offering exceptional academic curriculum, devoted and innovative teachers, along with unparalleled extracurricular activities. They believe these are the key ingredients for a strong spiritual, intellectual, and fulfilling future.

Denise Darr moved to Texas from Tampa, Florida in 2009. As a new resident of Houston she found Northland through the Lord’s guiding hand. Denise met Northland teacher Dena Kraner at her neighborhood park. Mrs. Kraner’s kind spirit and encouraging words about her Northland Christian school family stuck with Denise when she started looking for the right Christian school for her son. Inevitably God knew where they belonged and the Darr family has been proud Northland Cougars since 2014.

“We are blessed beyond words to attend this school. Northland Christian is more than a school, it’s a Christian family. I look forward to each school year as I witness my child grow in God’s love. The teachers and administrators pour God’s word into these children daily. The friends and families we have met through Northland are a testament to the school’s motto, “One family, One mission, Truth Forever, Victory Forever, and Glorifying God forever.“

Like her mother and father, Denise attended Florida State University. As a native Floridian she enjoys spending time at the beach with her family and friends. She is an avid tennis player and snow skier. Her true passion is being her son’s biggest cheerleader in the classroom and on the sports fields.

Denise says, “Serving on the foundation board brings a level of compassion and hard work to make the right decisions with a servant’s heart.” For her, Acts 20:35 comes to mind. “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’.’’

Occupation: CEO, Allocation Specialists, LLC.

Church Affiliation: John Wesley United Methodist Church

Northland Association: Since 2020

What Northland Means to Me: My wife and I are both lifelong residents of the Spring/Klein area. We have always known about Northland’s reputation for providing a loving Christian environment to help develop and prepare each student for their future. We have been blessed to see our youngest son thrive at Northland with all the opportunities afforded him through exceptional academics, athletics, choir, and weekly chapel. Northland also has the most devoted and loving teachers and staff, always willing to go the extra mile for each student’s needs.

Coming soon

Occupation: US Integration Lead – Shell Oil Products

Church affiliation: Champion Life Center

Northland Association: Since 2010

What Northland means to me:  We joined Northland when we were looking for a school that had a Christian environment, excellent academics, caring teachers, faculty, and staff. Our teachers truly care about our students and are great listeners, caring, accessible, and go the extra mile for our students. As a college preparatory school, Northland excels at preparing the whole individual mentally, intellectually, spiritually, and physically ready for college. We truly are blessed with Northland Christian School!

Rev. David Leard is honored to serve on the Foundation Board of Directors because of Northland’s rich history and its bright future. He and his wife, Kristin, in 2010 were looking for an academic environment that would provide opportunities to thrive for their two children, Maddie and Jackson. David says, “Being a part of the Northland family has exceeded all of our expectations for excellence, both in the classroom and beyond. Together we are helping to raise the next generation to be faithful to God’s call in their lives.”

David is a staff chaplain for Palliative and Support Medicine at Memorial Hermann Health System. Before becoming a hospital chaplain, David served in pastoral ministry for over twenty years at Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Los Angles, California; First Presbyterian Church of Edmond, Oklahoma; and Northwoods Presbyterian Church, in Houston, Texas. He is a board certified chaplain, ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church U.S.A., and holds a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena California.

His favorite Bible verse sums up the good news of the gospel in one short sentence, “We love because God first loved us” 1 John 4:19.

Dr. Cristina Marchesano is a board-certified pediatrician who has been practicing since 2012. Dr. Marchesano grew up in Sugar Land, Texas where most of her large Italian family still lives. She attended Houston Baptist University for her undergraduate work and medical school at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. She completed her pediatric residency training at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston in collaboration with Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital and was Chief Resident of the Pediatric Residency Program. Dr. Marchesano met her husband, Dr. Shaun Varghese, during medical school and they got married after their intern year of residency. She and her husband now live in Spring, TX with their 2 sons, Blake and Chase. They own a pediatric Neurology practice, THINK Neurology for Kids, with 4 locations in the Houston area. They enjoy boating, traveling and staying active with their 2 boys.

Coming soon

Mike Wheless is Founder, President and Managing Partner of Wheless Search & Consulting, a nationwide leadership consulting and executive search firm.

Mundi is his wife of 14 years, and they have two daughters Marley and Myla. The family has been associated with Northland Christian School since 2012 when their daughters started attending Northland at ages two and four. Mundi is a Northland volunteer and has enjoyed getting to know other Northland families.

Mike remembers, when considering Northland, he heard something that hit home – the school talked about instilling Christian values that children can always fall back upon when faced with life’s difficult decisions. It is that foundation that aligns with the Wheless family values.

Both Mundi and Mike believe their daughters have flourished academically as a result of incredibly devoted and caring Northland teachers.

One of Mike’s favorite scriptures in regard to raising children is Matthew 19:14: “Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’”