Our Leadership

Stan is the founder of several ministries including Lionheart. He launched Apartment Life in 2000 to help churches more effectively reach apartment communities for Christ. Apartment Life has over 1000 team members living in apartments across the country ministering to their neighbors. During a medical crisis in 2011 God gave the vision for Lionheart which opened its first academy in 2014. Stan and his wife Vicky have four children, one grandchild and live in the DFW Metroplex.

Donna is an experienced leader in the field of early education and care. She has 30 years of experience as a proven, strategic, results-oriented leader with a passion for serving children, families, teachers, and organizations that support families. Donna is a relationship builder, and her success is attributed to her devotion to leaders and teachers who share her passion for the classroom. She successfully developed, grew, managed, and brought to market a national corporate-sponsored child care company with operations in 26 states. Donna understands the challenges of exceeding in quality while managing purposeful growth. She is married to Nate, who is the Executive Pastor at Life Central Church in Plano, Texas. Their greatest joys are traveling and enjoying their children/grandchildren. Donna considers the role of mother and grandmother to be her most joyful of all her work with young children.

Pete has over 30 years of executive leadership in the HR Outsourcing field. He has been the CFO, COO, and CEO of industry market leaders. He has started/sold companies and pioneered a service delivery concept that resulted in operating over 100 service centers across the globe. Pete has been in full–time ministry for the past two years with Gospel-based evangelical ministries. He has a 30–year track record of evangelical church leadership and is currently serving in his seventh year as an elder at Irving Bible Church in the Dallas metro area. Pete has been married for almost 40 years to his college sweetheart, whose degree and work experience are in nursery and kindergarten education. They have two adult daughters and three grandchildren.

Gary Staats is an accomplished Business Executive who enjoys the challenges associated with organizational leadership. After a 30 year career in the senior housing industry and owner of his own company, Gary now serves Lionheart Children's Academy with a desire to have an increasing impact on the lives of children and families through the child care industry. Married for 37 years, Gary has four adult children with growing families, including four grandchildren and counting. Lionheart's unique approach has drawn Gary to enthusiastically embrace a new passion and apply some of what has been learned over a successful career in a service-based development and operation organization.

Mia believes her role at Lionheart is to setup academy leaders to be successful and provide tools to make their jobs efficient. Mia has been with Lionheart since day one, starting at the front desk of our first academy to being a part of every Lionheart launch. She holds a B.S. in Business Management from John Brown University. Mia and her husband welcomed their first born, Stansel Gene, in the summer of 2020 and have two fur-babies.

Nate served in several senior management positions throughout his business and ministry career including, President & CEO of a national child care company, Senior Cabinet Officer to MS Governor, Cliff Finch, and Executive Pastor of a Plano, TX church. Nate is a former federal government employee and served in the Philippines and Italy.

Nelson brings 32 years of experience in consulting, managing, and directing faith-based child care centers. He holds a degree in Psychology and Christian Education and a Master’s in Early Childhood Education. He has helped numerous centers overcome operational difficulties and increase cash flow. He has been the project leader for designing and organizing more than 30 new childcare academies.