OUR TEAM
To accomplish our mission of providing easily-accessible resources, FINDINGbalance has a lean staff and a highly engaged joint Board/Leadership Team.
Chrissy Kirkman
Executive Director
With experience as a software analyst, marketing director, worship leader, and Christian life coach, Chrissy brings 23 years of diverse ministry and professional skills to FINDINGbalance. A former participant in Fb’s Lasting Freedom program, Chrissy has firsthand experience of the struggle faced by those battling food issues, and the courage it takes to seek help. No longer a captive of "diet culture", Chrissy is passionate about sharing the truth she’s found, and helping others find HOPE and tools to break free from eating and body image issues. Chrissy lives in Kansas City, MO and is married with one son.
Amy Schaller
Outreach Coordinator
Amy has been involved with FINDINGbalance since 2006, volunteering in various capacities including piloting the "Finding Balance with Food" curriculum, blogging, moderating social media pages, and mentoring Lasting Freedom members. She has also assisted at five of the seven Fb Hungry for Hope summit events. Amy retired from her 25-year career as a Personal Trainer and now uses her gifts to reach out to Fb constituents, research and collect data, and bridge connections for future collaborations and events. Amy lives in California with her husband Mark. They have one son.
Alisa Shanks, PhD
Chair
Alisa is a clinical psychologist licensed in the state of Colorado since 2004. She is passionate about university mental health having worked at Biola University, the University of Colorado at Boulder, and now Colorado Christian University in Lakewood where she is the Director of the Larry Crabb Center for University Counseling. Dr. Shanks has focused her career around three passions: her faith, eating disorders, and university mental health services, and believes in full eating disorder recovery. Alisa has been married since 2000 and has two sons.
Bruce Donaldson, Esq.
Vice Chair
Bruce is a partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP’s Indianapolis office, where he concentrates his practice in the area of municipal finance. He is also co-founder and former owner of Selah House, a Christian treatment program for eating disorders. Mr. Donaldson received his J.D. summa cum laude from the Indiana University School of Law – Bloomington, where he graduated first in his class and served as articles editor of the Indiana Law Journal. He earned a B.A. in economics from DePauw University where he was a Malpus Scholar. Bruce and his wife Robon reside in Carmel, Indiana.
Liesl Dunlap
Secretary & Treasurer
Liesl is the office manager for a private practice therapist in Tennessee and holds a Bachelors of Science in Biblical Studies from Emmaus Bible College. A former participant in Fb's ChristFed and Lasting Freedom programs, and co-leader of a Lasting Freedom alumni group, Liesl understands the challenges people face with food and body issues. Her heart's desire is to share how being in the Word and having a relationship with Jesus allows us to walk in true freedom. Her freedom story and financial background make her a valuable asset to our board. Liesl is married with three children.
Travis Stewart, MA, LPC, NCC
Board Member
Travis is a Licensed Professional Counselor and professional life coach with a Master's of Arts in Counseling and a Master's of Arts in Theological Studies from Covenant Theological Seminary. The original visionary for FINDINGbalance’s Hungry for Hope conference, he has been a frequent featured expert in our Lasting Freedom course. An excellent communicator and teacher, Travis has spoken at schools such as Pepperdine University, Baylor, Washington University, and is a visiting instructor at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis where he lives with his wife and kids.
Mark Schaller
Leadership Team Member
Mark has been serving FINDINGbalance alongside his wife Amy since Hungry For Hope 2012. He is a retired Police Lieutenant with experience in a broad variety of enforcement and management assignments over his 30-year career. Mark is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys sharing his passion for fly fishing with others by hosting events for his church’s adventure sports ministry. Mark and Amy currently reside in California where they are active members of their local church. They have been married since 1984 and have one son and daughter-in-law.
Constance Rhodes, ACC
Founder, Leadership Team Member
Constance founded FINDINGbalance in 2002. She is the author of Life Inside the Thin Cage: A Personal Look into the Hidden World of the Chronic Dieter, and The Art of Being: Reflections on the Beauty and the Risk of Embracing Who We Are. A former marketing director for what is now Capitol Christian Music Group, Constance's experience in the entertainment business helped shape FINDINGbalance as a media-based resource for those seeking freedom from eating and body image issues. To learn more about Constance's new coaching and artist development practice, visit www.truevoice.co.
Rebecca Feere
Intern
Rebecca discovered FINDINGbalance in 2013 a few months after being diagnosed with an eating disorder. A year later, she enrolled in the Lasting Freedom program and found hope and acceptance within a loving and supportive community. God rescued her from shame and showed her who she is in Christ, calling her to pursue a master’s degree in Spiritual Formation and Discipleship from Moody Theological Seminary. She desires to help others know God and understand the magnitude of His goodness, faithfulness, and love. Rebecca lives in Brantford, Ontario, Canada with her husband and son. Her daughter and son-in-law serve in youth and counseling ministry in Florida.
Samantha Davis
Book Keeper
Samantha's experience includes corporations such as Capital One and Circuit City, and a government position with the City of Richmond’s Police Department. For the past 10 years, she has been managing and organizing the lives of her husband and three young kids as a stay-at-home mom, as well as volunteering in church and her children's schools. She and her family reside in Richmond, Virginia.