meet our staff
administrative team
In the fall of 1975, Sam Botta began his freshman year of college at Old Dominion University. Although Sam initially thought he was attending ODU to play basketball, a senior named Fred Showers witnessed to Sam at a party in his dorm cafeteria and then introduced him to Pastor Joe Mullen, who led Sam to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Sam soon realized that God had ordained for him to be there not to play basketball, but to place his faith, trust, and life in the everlasting arms of Jesus. After incurring a season-ending injury, Sam left ODU and completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Health and Physical Education at The King’s College in New York.
Dr. Botta began his professional educational career in 1983 serving as a physical education teacher and basketball coach, leading his teams to numerous tournaments and championships. In 1997, he was named the top high school basketball coach in New Jersey, and in 2010, he was inducted into the Egg Harbor Township Sports Hall of Fame. He acquired Master of Education and Doctor of Education degrees from Regent University in Virginia Beach, where he was awarded the first-ever George W. Selig Fellowship Award, as well as the Distinguished Scholar Award. Dr. Botta went on to serve as principal and head of school at several Christian schools and then as the director of athletics and head coach of men’s basketball at Regent University before joining CCA as our head of school. He and his wife Lynda have four adult sons: Danny, Scott, Brett, and Jeff.
Dr. Sam Botta
Cassandra Madsen was raised Catholic, but always felt a hole in her life and heart. She craved a personal relationship with Christ and started to actively seek Him early in her military career. After she and her husband were married, the Lord led them to Cornerstone Chapel. Mrs. Madsen knew it was where God wanted them to raise their family and build a community.
Mrs. Madsen has over 20 years of experience in the US Navy, Federal Government, and private sector. She served four presidential administrations, most recently as the chief operations officer under the executive office of the president. As a military veteran, Mrs. Madsen accumulated over 1,000 flight hours as a Naval flight officer and mission commander on P-3 Orion aircraft, including missions in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, and missions in Europe, Africa, and Central America. Mrs. Madsen holds a master’s degree in leadership from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Science from the State University of New York Maritime College. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and five children.
Dr. Ferry Yang was not born into a Christian family, but at five-years-old his parents sent he and his brother to a Christian school in his hometown of Surabaya, Indonesia. On his first day at Petra Christian School, his Bible teacher, Mrs. Deborah, shared the Good News of Jesus Christ. Dr. Yang accepted Jesus as his Savior and Lord and came home from school as a Christian.
Dr. Yang has a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Petra Christian University in Indonesia, a Master of Arts in Educational Ministries and a Master of Divinity from Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and a PhD in Educational Studies from Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois.
Previously he served at Bethesda Christian School as the Upper School Principal, at Sully Christian School as a Principal/Administrator, at Pelita Harapan Educational Foundation as a Professor of Education, as the Director of Professional Development in the Dian Harapan School System, and as the Lead Pastor at Neerlandia Christian Reformed Church. He is also the founder and CEO of the Yang Academy, an education consultation company.
Dr. Yang and his wife Lika are blessed with two daughters, Sasya and Sophie.
He loves to read—first the Bible, then any theologically sound book, and finally fantasy books like The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings. He also enjoys drawing, art, and graphic design.
Dr. Kaci Brown began attending church with her family at eight years old. She accepted Christ and was baptized shortly after; however; it was not until she attended a youth retreat at 13 that she understood her desperate need for forgiveness and salvation and fully committed her life to the Lord. Even as a young child, she dreamt of serving in education and eventually realized it was God’s calling for her life.
Dr. Brown has a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Kennesaw State University, Master of Education and Educational Specialist degrees from Liberty University, and her doctorate degree from Liberty University.
She served as a public school elementary teacher for six years before transitioning to Christian education, where she initially worked as a teacher, librarian, and university model instructor. She then shifted to administration, serving in instructional technology and as principal of a K-12 university model school.
Dr. Brown and her husband Jason live in Northern Virginia with their four children: Jacob, Khloe, Kenzie, and Joshua. She loves to travel and has a particular affinity for the beach. She is blessed to get to work with students and parents and loves getting to support teachers every day.
Although Bill Oblas went to church every Sunday from childhood, he did not accept Jesus as his personal Savior until he was 21. His then-fianceé, Sally, had a burden for Bill to know Christ (she was saved several months earlier), and she led Bill to the Lord. Bill and Sally have been married since 1973.
Mr. Oblas’ educational career spans over 40 years, including 10 years as the principal of Loudoun County High School. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Bloomsburg University in 1973 and acquired a master’s degree from Virginia Tech in 1976. While Mr. Oblas retired from education in 2014, he came out of retirement to support Cornerstone Christian Academy as we make critical operational decisions. His expertise in education and familiarity with the nuances of Loudoun County make Mr. Oblas an invaluable part of the CCA team. He and Sally reside in Northern Virginia, and are blessed to know that their three children, children’s spouses, and eight grandchildren all walk with Jesus.
Ruth Davis grew up in a Christian home and, at an early age, gave her heart to Christ while attending summer camp. At youth group, she made lasting friendships and came to more fully understand what it meant to make her faith her own. She then chose to be baptized and publicly proclaimed her personal relationship with Jesus and her commitment to seek His will for her life.
Mrs. Davis has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Marketing from William Paterson University and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Centenary University.
She began her teaching career as a Teacher of Technology before transitioning to specializing in Instructional Technology Integration. She focused on strategizing best practices for alternative forms of professional development designed to support technology integration for grades 4-12 to maximize digital learning opportunities. Beginning in 2019, she served as the supervisor of technology integration in Bergen County, New Jersey, guiding her district through the transition to online learning brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. She assisted in designing and implementing synchronous and asynchronous learning for both in-person and remote instruction, developed a digital citizenship campaign, and assisted in planning and designing renovations to the library media spaces and creating an innovative STEAM lab.
Mrs. Davis and her husband, Jim, live in Northern Virginia and have four grown children—Zach, Becca, Jake, and Ben—and two dogs, Maverick and Gracie. Mrs. Davis enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, golf, and kayaking.
Mr. Botta was raised in a Christian home and accepted Christ at a young age. His relationship with the Lord was strengthened during middle and high school mission trips to Washington, D.C. and the Dominican Republic where he served on a team that used sports and activities to minister to underprivileged populations and share the Gospel. He feels called to use his passion for athletics to glorify God and point others to Christ.
Mr. Botta has a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management from Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, and a Master of Arts in Exercise and Sport Science (Sport Administration specialty) from the University of North Carolina. He worked in athletic administration for over 10 years in various roles. Most recently, Mr. Botta served as director of the Dean E. Smith Center Complex at UNC, managing day-to-day operations, events, scheduling, finances, facility improvements, and more for the basketball arena, aquatic facility, media and communications center, and Carolina Basketball Museum.
Mr. Botta married his wife, Zoe, in June 2017. They live in Northern Virginia with their daughter Ava and dog Sadie. He enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, staying active outdoors, and playing golf.
Originally from Long Island, New York, Kim Kohr grew up in the Catholic church, but did not fully surrender her life to Jesus until she had children of her own. She and her family began attending Cornerstone Chapel, and although she was baptized as an infant, she made the decision to publicly profess that Jesus is Lord of her life and decided to be baptized again as an adult.
Before joining the Cornerstone Christian Academy team, Kim spent her career as a civil engineer working for a large, heavy civil contractor on major public infrastructure construction projects in New York City, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. She loves spending time with her family going on adventures, exercising, working in the yard and anything to do with home renovation, decoration and real estate. She and her husband have been married for 10 years and have four beautiful kids.
Pastor Gary Hamrick, Chancellor
Dr. Sam Botta, Head of School
Dr. Chapin Marsh, Chairman
Ms. Pam Pryor, Secretary
Mr. Travis Lucas
Mr. Richard Norman
Col. Paul Paolozzi
Mr. Jay Ripley
Pastor Brian Shannon
Interested in working at CCA? Learn more about available opportunities using the links below.
Cornerstone Christian Academy
35321 Notre Dame Lane
Middleburg, VA 20117
(540) 440-9180
Admissions Inquiries:
admissions@ccaguardians.net
General Inquiries:
questions@ccaguardians.net