Meet the Team

Vivian grew up in Upland, California, and attended Upland Academy, a sister school to NCC. She received her B.A. from Greenville College, and after a summer at Oxford University, joined the faculty at Chaffey High School in Ontario, California. However, Ontario, Canada called when she met and married Richard and relocated to his hometown in southern Ontario.

Vivian’s nearly forty years at NCC began in 1971 when she was hired as secretary, bookkeeper, and British History teacher. NCC had seventy-five students that year, and the gym had just been rebuilt after a devastating fire. By 1978 NCC had grown substantially, and Vivian was asked to step into the role of Business Manager. Over the next 32 years, her title did not change but her role at NCC expanded to include not only office and business operations, but oversight of facilities, transportation, and food services. She also taught Business Math and co-taught American History some years. Additionally, she took courses in accounting and computer programming and attended numerous workshops at OISE, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board, and WSIB, where she qualified as an instructor for health and safety certification.

All three of Vivian’s and Richard’s sons attended NCC from Grade 7 through high school graduation.

Outside of NCC, Vivian has volunteered as music director at Calvary Gospel Church, as a board member and parent at Erie Christian Academy, and she has set up accounting systems and trained bookkeepers at Matthew House Refugee Ministry in Fort Erie and several other charities and small businesses.

Vivian and Richard now live in New Hamburg. As well as serving on the NCC Board of Directors and volunteering at church, Vivian works part-time for PV3 Tax Inc and enjoys spoiling her seven grandchildren.

Charlene Gains-Lovegrove, a proud 1986 Niagara Christian Collegiate (NCC) graduate, carries a deep, multigenerational connection to the institution. She is an accomplished leader in the nonprofit sector with over 30 years of experience in governance, human resources, budgeting, grant writing, and corporate policy development. As a founding member of the Victim Services of Haldimand Norfolk Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Charlene has played a pivotal role as corporate manager, shaping organizational mission and vision.

Various boards have sought her expertise in strategic planning, change management and outcome measures, where she has brought strategic vision to complex organizational challenges. Charlene is renowned for her ability to drive outcomes while fostering a positive and productive organizational culture.

Charlene developed the only national advocate-accredited curriculum program, significantly influencing the landscape of victim services across Canada. Deeply grounded in her Christian faith, Charlene’s formal education in sociology and theology, combined with her roles as a national crisis responder, certified master coach practitioner, and Pastor, equips her with a unique understanding of human behaviour, empathy, and spiritual resilience.

Dr. Steve Sider served at NCC as the Head of Schools from 1995-2005 in the previous management team with Kent Warkentin. He is a professor in the Faculty of Education at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada where he teaches courses in international education and school leadership. He has won multiple awards in teaching, research, and university service. He is the founding Director of the Centre for Leading Research in Education, a university research centre exploring interdisciplinary aspects of education. He is a Fellow at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. He is the founder of the Educator and Leadership Institute which has provided training to more than 3,000 teachers internationally. He has led research partnerships and projects in Egypt, Ghana, Haiti, Mauritius, St. Lucia, and Haiti. Dr. Sider is committed to seeing NCC thrive in its unique mission as a Christian international boarding school.

Heather Fretz is a licensed veterinarian, former veterinary hospital owner, NCC graduate (1987), and currently leads a national team that hires veterinarians, specialists and technicians for the largest corporate group of 375 veterinary practices in Canada/2500+ world-wide.

She brings extensive experience serving on policy boards, for profit and non-profit, including BIC Camp Kahquah and currently as vice-chair of Be-in- Christ (BIC) Canada Board of Directors.

Heather and Clark live in the Fort Erie area. Her son, Caleb, was the 4th generation to attend NCC and his great-grandparents were key founders. Heather says that “NCC provided a place for each of us to discover and practice our gifts, build life-long friendships, deepen our personal relationships with Jesus, receive an excellent education, expose us to international perspectives, and launch our adult journeys.” She remembers that her NCC valedictorian address challenged all graduates to use the gifts and opportunities they had received at NCC and contribute, grow, get involved where we are…” Heather feels this may be her time