Celebrate Kids Staff

Dr. Kathy Koch

Founder, President, Speaker, Author

Responsibilities 

An internationally celebrated speaker, Dr. Koch conducts workshops, seminars and other events, influencing millions of parents, teachers and children each year on subjects related to helping children realize their potential. Her practical, results-oriented concepts draw enthusiastic raves from audiences, who leave her seminars armed with tools to help increase success in school and build healthy relationships.

Background   Before moving to Fort Worth, Texas, to establish Celebrate Kids, Inc. in 1991, Dr. Kathy Koch (pronounced “cook”) was a tenured Associate Professor in the education department at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Her other relevant experiences include teaching second graders, coaching middle school students, volunteering as a school board member for a Christian school, and teaching Sunday School at all levels. She earned three degrees from Purdue University, including a Ph.D. in reading and educational psychology. For more information about Dr. Kathy click on

MEET DR. KATHY.

Nancy Matheis

Operations Director

Responsibilities  Oversees all the operational aspects of Celebrate Kids as well as overseeing our abstinence grant and our alcohol reduction grant. Nancy speaks to teachers and church groups and she teaches students in our SOAR program.

Background   Nancy graduated from Dordt College with a B.A. in Education and has spent 30 years in the education field. In the past 12 years, she was principal of two different missionary kids' schools in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. She has also spent 12 years as a classroom teacher and four as Children and Family Pastor in Vancouver, Canada. She made contact with Celebrate Kids when Dr. Kathy visited Uzbekistan with a Family Education Conference in 1996. Nancy recently returned to the States with a wealth of experience not only in administration but cross-cultural education and living. With a heart of encouragement and a joyful life attitude, she spends time mentoring women and enjoying life to the fullest.

Denice Crawford

Scheduling Director/Office Coordinator

Responsibilities  Denice makes arrangements for all of Dr. Kathy’s speaking events. This includes responding to requests for information about her speaking, contacting organizations and people who may be interested in having Kathy speak for them, and working out all the details for an event with the people who contract for our services.  Denice also supervises our volunteers, oversees the Shopping Cart orders, and keeps the office organized and supplied.

Background   Denice has 19 years experience working with teens and their families in the areas of both abstinence and the negative consequences that come from choosing a sexual relationship outside of marriage. She grew up as a military kid, married a career soldier, and has been a military mom, making her uniquely qualified to work with the families and community at Fort Hood.

Top of page

Linda Depler

Travel Assistant to Dr. Kathy

Responsibilities  Linda travels with Dr. Kathy on most of her speaking engagements and is responsible for the preparations of CK product and equipment needed to take to the seminars.

Background   Linda came to Celebrate Kids with 30 years of experience in the administrative field. She has been employed with Celebrate Kids for 5 years, which makes her the veteran on staff. She has been married to her husband, Rick, for 25 years. Rick assists Linda on some of the trips with Dr. Kathy as an indispensable volunteer. In her spare time, Linda stays busy with their 4 children and 4 grandchildren.

Top of page

Tina Hollenbeck

Staff Writer

Responsibilities  Tina writes an article for each bimonthly issue of Authentic Hope, Celebrate Kids’ email newsletter.

Background  Tina earned a BA in Humanities and teacher certifications (in PK-12 English as a Second Language and 6-12 Language Arts) from the University of Wisconsin—Green Bay, where she met Dr. Kathy…way back in 1985. Kathy even stood up in Tina’s 1988 wedding to her husband, Jeff! For nine years, Tina enjoyed a fulfilling career teaching immigrant kids at both the middle and high school levels. Since 2001, she has been an at-home mom to daughters Rachel and Abigail, whom she now also homeschools. In addition, she operates a small in-home daycare for teachers’ children. And, having lost her oldest daughter, Anna Vivian, to miscarriage in 1998, Tina is called to minister to those who have similarly suffered the death of a pre-born or young child. At her church, she serves on the worship and drama teams and participates a newly-formed writers’ group. She seeks to one day publish a wide variety of her writing—everything from articles for moms and children’s books to a memoir and teaching aids, including a novelization of King Lear.

Top of page

Kathyism - Children are human beings, not human doings.