MEET OUR INSTRUCTORS!

We could not accomplish everything we do without our amazing leadership team. These professionals facilitate deep exploration of the curriculum throughout the year and at the retreat each summer. Please meet our team!

Dr. Megan Mistler serves as the Executive Director for The Mistler Family Foundation, focusing primarily on grant-making in education and health across the lifespan. Megan designed The Life on Purpose Scholarship program to support students’ social and emotional development throughout their college experience. She earned a PhD in curriculum and instruction which informs our programming, selection of research-based content, and experiential learning opportunities. Megan’s professional history includes working in education as a teacher, college instructor, curriculum developer, researcher, and school district administrator. Megan lives in  Colorado. 

John Mistler is on the Board of Directors of the Mistler Family Foundation. He is an Emmy-nominated composer, songwriter, music director, and conductor for film, television, radio, and theater. John wrote the music score for the IMAX film We the People which premiered at the Smithsonian Museum in DC and the Last Stand of the Tallgrass Prairie for PBS. He was an early developer of open-source music streaming technology. John is also passionate about philosophy and shares his knowledge within the context of our readings. He helped conceptualize the course content with Megan and Lindsay for this program. John lives in Southern California. 

Lindsay Mistler Jackson is on the Board of Directors of the Mistler Family Foundation. She helps lead and teach the cohort program throughout the year and at the summer retreat. Lindsay is pursuing her master’s degree in organizational leadership at the University of Colorado-Boulder after majoring in psychology and earning a minor in philosophy and leadership. She is passionate about studying the Enneagram as a personal and professional growth tool and integrating that framework into her work. In addition to being a student, Lindsay works as a consultant in organizational change management. Lindsay lives in Colorado. 

Grace Rooney is a Program Officer with the Mistler Family Foundation. She helps facilitate cohort meetings and manages all the logistics for the summer retreat. She serves as a liaison with the current students and the alumni to build relationships and ensure connectedness even after the program ends. Grace is a certified public accountant and previously worked as a consultant with KPMG. She received the Boettcher Scholarship, a full-ride award to a college in Colorado. The Boettcher Scholarship focuses on talent development and Grace brings her experience as a recipient of a prestigious scholarship to our program. Grace lives in Colorado. 

Dr. Mike Finnegan is an Assistant Professor at the Staley School of Leadership Studies at Kansas State University and a recipient of the KSU Presidential Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. He has been instrumental in infusing the Strengths program across the K-State campus and has received national awards from Gallup for his work. Mike teaches workshops at the summer retreat focused on developing individual strengths and teamwork skills and cultivating well-being as a college student and beyond. Mike also offers personalized coaching to LOP scholars and alumni. Mike lives in Kansas. 

Derek Schmidt is a psychotherapist and Executive Director of his company, REACH. He specializes in leading wilderness and adventure therapy in addition to working with clients of all ages in the office. His website says, “I see my role as a guide. A guide to support and assist you on your journey toward balance, health, recovery, realized potential, and deep connection with life.”  At our summer retreat, Derek facilitates activities that promote team-building and processing learning experiences throughout the weekend. He also provides individual support through relationships with LOP scholars. Derek lives in Colorado. 

Dr. Christopher T. Copeland is an educator, spiritual director, and founder of Illuminating Paths, a practice of accompanying people on their paths toward greater awareness, compassion, and freedom. Christopher was a professor at Wake Forest University before his current role at The Narrative Enneagram. They have been working with the Enneagram for more than 30 years, becoming a Certified Narrative Enneagram Teacher in 2014, joining the Core Faculty in 2020, and serving as Certification Director starting in 2022. At our summer retreat, Christopher teaches workshops about the Enneagram and how to use it to facilitate personal awareness, psychological growth, and healthy relationships. Christopher lives in North Carolina.

Stacey Taylor Brandon is the founder and principal consultant with STB Collective, LLC. Stacey has over 30 years of experience in the field of education serving in the capacity of school social worker, Educational Equity Coordinator, and Director of Inclusive Excellence. Her current work is centered on facilitating racial reconciliation and healing. Stacey believes in honoring the humanity of all people, by acknowledging, that our lived experiences shape our beliefs, behaviors, and ultimately our ways of walking through this world. She facilitates learning sessions at the summer retreat focused on joy, gratitude, and positive empowerment. Stacey lives in Colorado.