Matthew Toth is an Indiana native. Born and raised in Fort Wayne, he attended Blackhawk Christian H.S. followed by Indiana Wesleyan University where he obtained a degree in Mathematics Education. He taught at Fort Wayne Community Schools, and after obtaining his masters in educational administration at IPFW, he transitioned to DeKalb Central Schools as an administrator at the high school level. He was an assistant principal from 2011-2014 and became principal from 2014-2019. He also obtained his Ed.S. at Ball State University during his time at DeKalb Central. He has now transitioned to the Executive Director of the J. Kruse Education Center.

He is married to his wife Melissa and has three kids, Maylee, Maxton, and Makiah. They live in Auburn where they attend County Line Church and host an exciting Christmas light show each December to help raise money for clean drinking water in remote areas of the world. (visit TothChristmas.com for more info). Outside of spending time with his family and friends, Matthew also enjoys being active. Mountain biking, running, racquetball, and Tough Mudders are among his favorite activities.

Matt is looking to impact the future in a big way by helping individuals discover and mesh their God given talents with their passion in a specific career field.

Favorite Drink: Mountain Dew
Favorite Movie: Inception
Favorite Food: Chicken Wings
Favorite App: Key Ring (Keeps track of all those pesky tags that you would put on a key ring!)
Bucket List Item: Go skydiving!

Brandy DePriest joined the J. Kruse Education Center in July of 2020 as a grant writer. After 15 years as a college professor, she decided it was time to switch gears and join a team of people with the common goal of strengthening the community. Brandy’s cultural studies background and Ph.D. in global leadership taught her the value of empowering youth to create a better future. She is passionate about social, economic, and environmental sustainability, and is very active in her community. Her professional interests are extensions of her personal life, as she loves to both get out in the community and get into the woods with her three daughters, who share her passion for people and the planet.

After my Master’s Degree in School Psychology, I knew I wanted to dive deeper into understanding where improvements can be made in our education system. I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with a focus on Workforce Development to better prepare the next generation. Through years of coaching basketball at different levels, I have had a passion for helping people grow and improve on their passions. Whether it was at Dekalb, Snider, or any of the AAU teams I have been lucky enough to be a part of, the best part of coaching was helping them make plans outside of basketball. If I am not working or studying you can find me reading, playing basketball, or hanging out with my family.