Matthew Purkey, comes to us with years of service experience – from his time in the United States Marine Corps, leadership at multiple United Way organizations, and most recently from a veterans service organization where he led 59 operations across 48 locations nationwide.

In 2007, Matthew enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and simultaneously began pursuing higher education. While deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, he continued to work toward his goal -earning both a Bachelor of Science degree in 2009 and a Master’s degree in Human Services by 2011.  Purkey was awarded multiple meritorious service promotions, accommodations, as well as national recognition for his volunteer efforts.

In 2010, while deployed to Haiti post-earthquake, Purkey discovered his true passion – the health & human service industry. It was in Haiti he and his Marine Corps brothers served alongside civilian volunteers. The Lord used the presence of these volunteers to show Matthew what opportunities awaited him outside of the United States military. Purkey was awarded an honorable discharge in 2011 and began his work in the non-profit, human service sector.

Purkey has led multiple United Ways – in Ohio, Georgia, and most recently, Fort Wayne, Indiana. He has earned professional certificates from Harvard Business School, Deloitte University, and the Center for Creative Leadership. Purkey is a PhD candidate in Strategic Leadership, a featured TedX speaker, and has received multiple 40 Under 40 awards. In addition, Matthew has served on numerous volunteer boards including The Fisher House, The Victory Project, and is a Team Rubicon Grey Shirt.

Purkey is originally from Dayton, Ohio where he and his three sisters were raised by wonderful parents. In 2012, Matthew met his wife, Amanda, and they have three amazing children – Micah (10), Ezekiel (8), and Gabriel (6) – and a rambunctious Golden Retriever named Arlo.  The family proudly calls Indiana their home and are members of Pathway Community Church in Fort Wayne.

When asked what excites him most about taking on the President and CEO role at Josiah White’s, Purkey responded “I am nothing more than a product of the redeeming love and power of God. Now, I have the honor of serving on an established and accomplished team that extends that same opportunity to others.”

Mike Haarer is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Indiana. He has worked in the field of adolescent residential treatment since 2004 when he began working with youth in court-ordered residential treatment. In 2012, he and a team launched Compass Rose Academy as a new private division of Josiah White’s, an organization with a rich history dating back to its founding in 1850.

Mike earned a BA and MA in Counseling from Grace College in Winona Lake, IN as well as a PhD in Counselor Education & Supervision from Regent University. A focus of his doctoral studies included research in the area of gender studies as well as in the intersection of faith and sexuality.

Mike studied under Psychologist and Author Dr. John Townsend, completing three years of his Counselor Training Program, concentrated on emotion-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy. Mike currently serves as an adjunct professor at Concordia University Irvine’s Townsend Institute for Leadership and Counseling. He has enjoyed teaching Ethics, Foundations of Mental Health Counseling, Research and Internship Supervision as well as leading process groups for incoming Masters in Counseling students.

Mike chaired the Best Practices Committee for NATSAP from January 2019 – January 2023. Mike enjoys facilitating panel presentations at NATSAP Annual Conferences, attending and supporting the NATSAP Leadership Summit, and also presents on a variety of topics at local, regional, and national conferences. He trains residential staff on topics such as trauma informed care, attachment, and the Teaching Family Model.

Mike has experience serving on boards including his current role on the board of the local United Fund in Wabash, IN. In that role, he enjoys helping to bring light to other non-profit and mission-oriented agencies serving those in his local community.

Mike has served as the Executive Director of Compass Rose Academy since its founding in 2012 and lives on the Wabash, Indiana campus along with his wife, Emily, and three daughters, Corabelle, Olivia, and Regina. Beginning in 2020, Compass Rose Academy built a new campus which allowed them to update their facilities and also expand their enrollment capacity. Their beautiful new campus surrounded by Indiana farmland earned statewide recognition for its architecture and design, receiving the AIA Citation Award for New Construction in projects over $5 million.

Stacey is the Clinical Director for Compass Rose Academy. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Huntington University and a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from Indiana Wesleyan University. Stacey has been a mental health counselor for 18 years and previously worked in residential, community, and academic settings. She believes redemption can be a part of everyone’s story and has a passion for walking alongside people in that process. Stacey and her husband of twenty years, Keith, are both native Midwesterners. He works for IMG Insurance in Marion. They have a daughter, Adria, and a son, Gavin. Stacey enjoys camping, photography, and cheering on her kids in various sporting events.

To view Stacey’s presentation slides on “Art-ifacts of Growth” click here!

Jenna York began serving as the Residential Director of Compass Rose Academy in 2022. Prior to Compass Rose, Jenna worked at Meridian Health Services as a therapist, LMHC, and clinical supervisor providing therapy to adolescents, young adults, and families with trauma history, depression, anxiety, behavioral concerns, and severe mental illness. Jenna’s passion for residential treatment began at a young age as her parents were houseparents at George Junior Republic, a residential facility in Gas City, where they lived on campus.

Jenna holds a bachelor’s in psychology from Indiana Wesleyan University and a master’s in clinical mental health counseling from Grace College. Jenna feels that CRA has opened a door for her to work within a leadership role while allowing her to still work closely with adolescent girls who have experienced trauma or are dealing with depression, anxiety, and family struggles. 

Jenna and her husband, Adam, have three children: Malachi, Madelyn and Lincoln. She enjoys having movie nights with her family, playing and coaching volleyball, and being outside.

Katherine has worked in both public and private Christian school settings and has a history of serving on an accreditation team for a school working through the accreditation process with the Association of Christian Schools International. She has served in a professional development leadership capacity for a team of teachers in the past and is currently working on her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction at Indiana Wesleyan University. Katherine is highly motivated and has felt led by God to work on the Compass Rose Academy team.  She has a great heart for the students at Compass Rose. Katherine lives in Somerset, Indiana with her husband, Patrick, and daughters, Piper and Annie.

Madeline Spring is the Outreach Director for Compass Rose Academy. She started her journey 10 years ago as a student case manager at White’s Residential & Family Services, Compass Rose’s parent organization, before transitioning to serve as a skilled therapist for Compass Rose in 2013. In addition to her admissions duties and assistance with Compass Rose’s quarterly parent weekends, Madeline facilitates grandparent/parent process groups in the community and co-leads a Leadership Development Programs which are based on the Growth Model developed by Dr. John Townsend. She also serves as an adjunct professor at Concordia University Irvine, where she instructs masters level counseling students and facilitates their intensive process groups.

Madeline earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Malone University in Canton, Ohio, and a master’s in counseling from Huntington University. She and her husband, Aaron, have four children: Micah, born in 2010; Charlotte, in 2012; Amara, in 2014; and Conrad, in 2015. They are active members of their local church, where both serve on committees and participate in small groups.