Here is a little bit more about who we are on a personal level and what makes us tick.
Keith Frank, Chief Executive Officer
“Trust, but verify.”
Keith began marketing educational products in January 2004. He gets energy through interacting with people. Demonstrating products and talking with educators at conferences is very life-giving for him. Some of his best relationships in the industry have been developed through consistent interaction with vendor partners. Keith encourages: “Trust, but verify. Relationships with vendor partners and customers are grounded in Performance and Trust, but verifying what you have been told is always an important aspect of purchases and support.”
Personally, Keith’s most important relationship is his relationship with Jesus Christ. In his own words: “His life, death, and resurrection have not only provided me with eternal life, but He has declared me Righteous and is using His Word, His church, the Holy Spirit, and the world (including my job) to mold, shape, and sanctify me on a daily basis. I treasure my wife and children, but, honestly, I can only love them and lead them well if I am walking in the Power of the Spirit and in obedience to the call of Jesus in my life. These are the things that last. Business is important, but it pales in comparison to my calling as a husband, father, minister, and Child of God.” His most unique job ever was as Christian Rapper Keith “Jamm” Frank (unfortunately this was pre-Internet) though Elvis Impersonator is a close second. Keith’s ideal vacation would include sightseeing with his family and lots of rest, and his favorite quote has helped him overcome his fear of public speaking:
“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity (fear), but of power and love and discipline.” -2 Timothy 1:7
Matt Wheeler, Chief Operations Officer
“Teacher time and energy is the most valuable commodity that any school has.”
Matt jumped into EdTech in June 2006. He gets great joy when teachers and administrators understand that Proven Learning is not a one-and-done company but one here for a relationship built on trust and performance that comes thorough long-term contact. Matt believes: “Teacher time and energy is the most valuable commodity that any school has. This should be factored into any classroom technology purchase. I still see schools putting in wonderful classroom technology, but not having a clear understanding how much teacher time will have to be spent on training before there is an actual return on investment that affects student outcomes.”
Matt, as an avid student of Jesus, personally has been learning that there is nothing more important on this earth than trying to love everyone like God loves us. He states, “Not to get too philosophical, but as I get older, the things that used to seem so important have lost their significance and the small, almost unnoticeable, things seem incredibly important. I get more joy from my 12 year old daughter laughing at my dad joke than by meeting very important work goals and that wasn’t always the case.” Matt’s most unique job was helping reupholster the seats in Rupp Arena. His dream vacation would be visiting Kona, Hawaii, and his favorite quote is:
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” – Jim Elliot
“Training! Get the most out of your investment!”
Gary first began as an Educational Consultant in March 2011. A big part of his love for education is in watching teachers get excited about being more effective teachers. Gary emphasizes: “Training! Training! Training! — Get the most out of your investment!”
On a personal level, Gary holds this to be true: Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with our God. His most unique job ever is a toss-up between milking cows, teaching American culture in Russia, and outfitting a NBC Sports mobile studio. His ideal vacation would be a world tour of historical sites, and his favorite quote is:
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver …”Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.” -C.S. Lewis
Jared Porter, Director of Business Operations
“Try it. You’ll like it.”
Jared joined Proven Learning in September 2015. Being a spatial person, he jokes that flow charts are his love language and gets a lot of satisfaction in process improvement and creating useful reports. Jared suggests: “Try it. You’ll like it. Why not give something new a try to see if it adds value to your workflow/processes?”
Jared treasures his wife, Sara, and is passionate about integration of faith in the workplace/marketplace. His most unique job was a door-to-door salesman for the Wilmore Women’s Club. Jared’s dream vacation would be to spend time on the coastlines of the Mediterranean Sea, and his favorite quote is:
“Let us lead by serving others.” -National Beta Club