Judge Robert G. Ulrich - Chairman of the Board
Missouri Western District Court of Appeals and former U.S. District Attorney
Chairman, First Family Church Board of Directors

Judge Robert G. Ulrich has with him many years of distinguished experience, including his most recent 18-year service as an appellate judge for the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District. It was during this time that he authored approximately 1000 opinions resolving civil, criminal, administrative, extraordinary remedy, and domestic relations cases. Some of his other former roles in state service include: Chairman, Appellate Reapportionment Commission; Chairman, Supreme Court of Missouri Ad Hoc Committee, Court Security in Missouri; and Chairman, Supreme Court of Missouri Ad Hoc Committee to Study Judicial Center Concept.

Judge Ulrich has much experience on a federal level as well. He was appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney once by President Nixon’s U.S. Attorney and once by President Carter’s, representing the United States of America in many criminal and civil cases. He was then appointed U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri by President Reagan. During this tenure, he was appointed to the Attorney General’s Advisory committee of U.S. Attorneys and was elected Chairman for three terms. In addition, he was appointed by the Attorney General to various boards and commissions that set policies and budget guidelines for the Department of Justice. He also served on several other boards within the Department of Justice that, with the Department of the Treasury, set national law enforcement policy for the government.

Before teaching at Liberty University School of Law, he assumed other positions in education, including Instructor for Missouri Judicial College, and Judge/Instructor for the Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute, then in Washington, D.C.

As a retired Colonel with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Judge Ulrich has had extensive assignments, including command of artillery and infantry units. He served for almost three years on active duty, bringing his total service to nearly 31 years.

He has years of private practice experience and he is admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Missouri and all inferior courts of Missouri; the United States Supreme Court; the United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit; the United States District Court, Western District of Missouri; and the United States District Court, Eastern District of Missouri.

Dates of Judicial Service:

• Appointed in March 1989 to the Court of Appeals; retained at the general elections of November 1990 and 2002
• Current term expires December 31, 2014

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts (major – history), William Jewell College
• Juris Doctor, University of Missouri-Kansas City
• Master of Letters of Law (LL.M.), University of Missouri-Kansas City
• Master of Letters of Law (LL.M.), University of Virginia

Prior employment:

• U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Colonel
• Practiced law
• Assistant U.S. attorney
• U.S. attorney, Western District, 1981 to 1989

Professional memberships and activities:

• Attorney General's Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys, 1984, chair, 1986 to 1989
• Department of Justice Economic Crime Council
• Department of Justice Resource Board; Personnel Management Board
• National Executive Review Board, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force
• Served on advisory committee, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit and Sentencing Guidelines Education Committee

Member:

• The Missouri Bar
• Kansas CityMetropolitan Bar Association
• American Judicature Society
• National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys
• Association of Judicial Administration

Civic and charitable activities:

• President, University of Missouri-Kansas CityAlumni Association, 1999 to 2001
• Board of Trustees, University of Missouri-Kansas City
• Missouri University Alliance
• Personnel Management Board
• National Executive Review Board
• Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force

Additional information:

• Born in St. Louis
• Married JoAnn Demark

Liberty University Biography

When Judge Robert G. Ulrich came to the School of Law in 2007 he brought with him many years of distinguished experience, including his most recent 18-year service as an appellate judge for the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District. It was during this time that he authored approximately 1000 opinions resolving civil, criminal, administrative, extraordinary remedy, and domestic relations cases. Some of his other former roles in state service include: Chairman, Appellate Reapportionment Commission; Chairman, Supreme Court of Missouri Ad Hoc Committee, Court Security in Missouri; and Chairman, Supreme Court of Missouri Ad Hoc Committee to Study Judicial Center Concept.

Judge Ulrich has much experience on a federal level as well. He was appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney once by President Nixon’s U.S. Attorney and once by President Carter’s, representing the United States of America in many criminal and civil cases. He was then appointed U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri by President Reagan. During this tenure, he was appointed to the Attorney General’s Advisory committee of U.S. Attorneys and was elected Chairman for three terms. In addition, he was appointed by the Attorney General to various boards and commissions that set policies and budget guidelines for the Department of Justice. He also served on several other boards within the Department of Justice that, with the Department of the Treasury, set national law enforcement policy for the government.

Before teaching at Liberty University School of Law, he assumed other positions in education, including Instructor for Missouri Judicial College, and Judge/Instructor for the Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute, then in Washington, D.C.

As a retired Colonel with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Judge Ulrich has had extensive assignments, including command of artillery and infantry units. He served for almost three years on active duty, bringing his total service to nearly 31 years.

He has years of private practice experience and he is admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Missouri and all inferior courts of Missouri; the United States Supreme Court; the United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit; the United States District Court, Western District of Missouri; and the United States District Court, Eastern District of Missouri.

Mr. Jeff Anderson - Finance Director
Office of the Chairman of Good News Holdings, the Spiritainment company founded by Christian researcher George Barna.

Jeff Anderson formerly served on the Executive Operating Board and as Managing Director for Piper Jaffray. He also led major business units for the firms of Shearson/American Express. Jeff retired early to focus his life on social entrepreneurship missions that seek to transform our culture and communities for Kingdom purposes. His second career has led him to Hollywood and transformational opportunities in the new digital media. Currently Jeff is a managing partner of Mars Hill Entertainment, a motion picture production company. He is also the Chairman of the Board of the national workplace ministry His Church at Work and serves as director of Leadership Foundations International. Jeff and his wife Barbara, who was the individual baptized at First Family's Campus, have been married for 36 years. Their oldest son Jeffrey helped organize the youth group that served as the forerunner to the formation of First Family Church. Together, they have two married sons and three grandchildren. Their third son is in college at Biola.

Rev. Robert Werner
50 year pastoral veteran who led Pastor Jerry to Jesus Christ in June, 1973.
Robert Werner and his wife, Donna, have been married for 58 years and have three children, seven grandchildren, and one great grandchild.  Robert is a graduate of William Jewell College and Midwestern Seminary.  He worked with the Billy Graham Ministry and in television for ten years.  Currently, Rev. Werner works with numerous pastors in church planting, strategy and consulting.

Mr. Fred Riley - Secretary
Founder, Owner & President of FredRileyCustom Homes, LLC.
Fred and his wife, Martha, have been married 50 years and have four children, ten grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.  He is a graduate of Kansas University with a degree in electrical engineering and has been in the home building business for 49 years.  Fred is a long time member of the Kansas City Home Builders Association and has served on the board of directors of Youth for Christ for 30 years.

Mr. Shane Rudman
Senior National Sales Director for Primerica, a division of Citigroup
Shane and his wife, Gina, have been married for 17 years and have four children.  He attended Kansas State University before joining Primerica to develop the Midwest sales territory.  At 26, he was promoted to Senior National Sales Director, the youngest director appointed in the company’s history.  Shane also was granted ownership in the 80 Primerica offices he had developed.  At 29, The Association of Collegiate Entrepreneurs named him one of the Top Ten Entrepreneurs in North America under the age of 30.  Shane has spent the last 12 years giving back in a variety of ways.  He has served on numerous boards including Primerica and currently at the Barstow School in Kansas City, Missouri.

Pastor Jerry Johnston
Founder & Senior Pastor, First Family Church
Detailed Biography

Mrs. Christie Johnston
Co-Founder of First Family Church
Chesalon Comfort Circles/Open Arms Women’s Ministry
Detailed Biography

Mr. John Robinson
Chairman of Hamilton Ventures, LLC, Director of Des Moines District Federal Home Loan Bank, Director of COMARK Building Systems, Inc., Director of Olsson Associates Engineering Consultancy, Director of Alliance Resources MLP, Director of Coeur Precious Metals, Trustee of the Kansas University Endowment Association

John attended the University of Kansas, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Health Engineering.  John is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and a Diplomat of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers.  In addition to these positions, John is also a Chartered Civil Engineer in the United Kingdom and a Registered Professional Engineer in the United States.  John and his wife, Kyle, are members of First Family Church and have attended since 2006.

Mr. Dan Galindau
Founder and Principal of the Batinau Design Group and Lecturer for the University of Kansas, Lawrence
Dan is a senior international executive with 11 years of International P&L experience and a record of superior results in a number of dynamic, challenging, and multi-cultural environments.  The Batinau Design Group is currently the exclusive North American manufacturer’s representative for high-end, European furniture and home furnishings producers.  He currently teaches courses for Kansas University in International Management and also in Business, Culture, Society: East Asia.  In 2007, Dan was awarded the prestigious Henry A. Bubb award for outstanding teaching in the School of Business.  Dan and his wife, Kathy, are members of First Family Church and have attended since 2004.

Rev. Jeremy Johnston
Executive Pastor, First Family Church
Detailed Biography

Jeremy began traveling with Pastor Jerry at the age of 5 to mega churches throughout the world and continued doing so until the age of 18.  He received his ordination at the age of 16 and began preaching itinerantly in his senior year of high school.  He continues to build the global, national, and local media outreach of First Family Church, and has spiritual gifts in preaching, evangelism, leadership, and intercession.  Pastor Jeremy ministers weekly in the largest Sunday School class at First Family Church, and regularly provides pulpit ministry to the entire congregation. 

Mr. Jim Jenkins
Jim graduated from the MU (Columbia) School of Law in 1959 and practiced law in Kansas City, Mo., mostly in large law firms, until 1996 when he joined the staff of Focus On the Family as V.P of Legal Services. While there he formed the ministry for Christian lawyers and a Seniors Ministry. In 2003 he and his wife, Jenanne, returned to Kansas City where Jim opened the Kansas City office of the Alliance Defense Fund as Senior Legal Counsel. Before joining Focus he was the Chairman of the Coalition Against Pornography in the Kansas City region. He left the staff of ADF in April, 2008 and became a consultant to ADF, and is now engaging in a limited solo legal practice.

While he was practicing law, he was named in all editions of the reference books “Best Lawyers In America”. Jim and Jenanne will be married 43 years this October, and have one son, Scott, and five grand- children. They are members of First Family Church.

Mr. Jeff Roberts
Chief Financial Officer
First Family Church

For over 30 years, Jeff Roberts has held a distinguished and diverse career in the business world. He began as the accountant for a printing and manufacturing subsidiary and was later given the opportunity to manage annual revenues of the parent corporation in excess of $10 billion. Later, he served as Chief Financial Officer for the National Carriers Inc., a prominent trucking company with annual revenues in excess of $100 million. In the late 1990's he returned to Farmland Industries where he served as Vice President and Treasurer for over 5 years. Jeff has also served on the boards of the Rinehart Foundation, the Jellybean Conspiracy and the Blue Valley Special Olympics. He received his B.S.B.A. from Rockhurst University and his MBA from Rockhurst Executive Fellows. Jeff, his wife, Gloria, and his two sons have been members of First Family Church since 2005.