Board Member Jeff Loch and his Service to Liberty
Liberty Life is conducting a series of interviews with each current board member so that Liberty families can get to know each member better. We at Liberty want to appreciate the board members for all of their valuable service they voluntarily give to Liberty.
From the example set by his parents, Jeff Loch gives of his time, expertise, and energy for the betterment of Liberty Christian School. He has provided leadership and direction to the school as a board member since 2002. His father, Glenn Loch, is currently the mayor of Gainesville, and his mother, Helen Loch, was named “Woman of the Year” by Beta Sigma Phi last year. Loch saw the difference his parents have made over the years in their community, which has inspired him to make a lasting, positive difference at Liberty.
Loch said that his wife, Nancy, saw her parents active in the community as well when she was growing up. The Lochs have followed the model shown by their own families and have given so much of themselves, with Liberty as the grateful recipient.
In addition to the board, Loch is a Warrior Club officer and has coached basketball. His wife, Nancy, is also an officer on the Warrior Club, is a talented photographer who creates the Game Day football programs, and has volunteered throughout the years helping in the teacher workrooms, being a class mom, and working with PTF in many active roles over the years. “Whatever they needed, she did it,” he said.
The Lochs have two sons, Andrew and Steven, who began as kindergartners at Liberty and are now graduates, and their third son, Daniel, is a junior and began at Liberty as a Wee Warrior in Early Childhood Education.
Liberty’s Impact on Loch
Loch said the original idea to check out Liberty in the early ’90s came from his wife, Nancy. Now looking back, Loch says, “Liberty has been a great place for our whole family to grow up. I have told people that I would live in a tent before I would take my kids out of Liberty. It is God’s school. You can feel His presence in the hallways and see His presence in the eyes of the staff. I am thankful God put His school in our community and that He’d leave it here until Jesus comes back so that everyone in the area can have an opportunity to experience it.
“At Liberty, teachers care whether or not the children are learning, and they care about them personally outside of the classroom. They are dedicated people who are dedicated to the Lord. You can’t help but see that every time you are there, and you can’t help but be affected by it. The people I know at Liberty walk the walk. They are doing His work at Liberty, and our kids benefit. Hopefully when the time comes, Liberty students will give back and do the same, whether it is in volunteering or in their full-time career,” he said.
Personally, Loch has seen his two sons who are alumni continue to excel as they started the next chapter of their lives after Liberty.
“Academically, our oldest son, Andrew, did not have struggles when he went to college. His study habits were developed beginning in kindergarten,” he said. “He always had homework, so college came naturally for him – he did not have the overwhelming college experience like so many do, and that made life easier for him.
“Spiritually, Liberty has helped our middle son, Steven, as he is becoming a young man and relying on God.”
The Board Experience
Loch said that when he received a call from Dr. Rodney Haire about being on the board, he thought Dr. Haire was asking if Nancy wanted to serve because she was so active at the school.
“When he asked me, I was almost dumbfounded,” he said.
Once Loch and Haire talked about it and what it entailed, Loch accepted. “It has been so rewarding to be on the board,” he said. “I have learned so much, not only from Dr. Haire, but all of the other members as well. I look forward to our meetings and what we can do for Liberty.
“If there is an issue, we look at the facts and what we need to do to address it. It is a very pragmatic, systematic, and logical process. There are things we disagree on from time to time, but at the end of the day, once we vote, then that is the way it is. Everyone moves forward. It is very refreshing.
“We are a really close-knit group. I think I could call anyone of them if I needed help, and they would drop whatever they were doing to help me.
“The best thing about the board is that we try to listen to God’s plan and put Him first in whatever decision we make.”
Liberty’s Move from Denton to Argyle
Loch was a member of the board when the school moved from its old location in Denton to its new one in Argyle.
“The old campus was cramped and small, but it felt like home. I was concerned about whether we could bring that feeling to the new campus, but then it dawned on me that we could. It doesn’t matter if Liberty is in a small building in Denton or in a big building in Argyle – God is there and that is what sets the tone. It just feels like home when I walk into the Commons. It is almost like a church to us,” he said.
“I wouldn’t trade that experience of being a part of the move for the world. During the move it seemed like there was a crisis every week,” he said. “Through all of that time, the board was pretty much together, and there was never any panic. North Texas bought our facility in Denton, and we looked at numerous sites for a new school. It was the generosity of the Fursts that gave us this land in Argyle. We started pouring the foundation in the spring, and we were open in Argyle in the fall – that almost sounds too good to be true.
“We had a soccer/football field but no stadium. We played our varsity games at Denton High. Mark Bowles, the athletic director at the time, had a vision of a stadium, and he was the driving force. We started working on getting money together, and now we have not only a football field but an athletic facility, one of the best in TAPPS that we can all be proud of. I don’t know how many state track meets we won at the old campus without even having a track. It is so nice to have our own track and be able to host events. It was fun to be a part of making that happen.”
Loch said that on the board, his roles have varied from helping with the move to the new campus, to raising money, to now working on a master plan for the future.
He said that the board overall monitors the performance of the school and prepares it for the future. He added, “Long after I am gone, I want other families to benefit from Liberty like we have.”
He said the board may start planning and heading down a path, and if that path is not the path God wants them to go, He’ll put up a roadblock.
“God’s hand is here; there is no doubt,” he said. “As long as whoever is on the board keeps that in mind, there will never be a problem.
“A lot of the credit goes to Dr. Haire, the people he picks for the board, and the way he manages the meetings,” he said. “We understand that we are there to help him and help the school – not the other way around. Everyone of us is there in a servant relationship to Dr. Haire and to the Lord. Our attitude is, ‘Rodney, what do you need from us?’ He is the backbone of the school.
“I feel like I have known Rodney for my whole life. I have the utmost respect for him. I have seen him through good and bad times, and he is always consistent. When I think of a Christian, he is who I think of.”
Loch said his proudest moment being on the board was recommending his good friend and Liberty parent Andrew Gannon to the board. “I treasure his friendship,” Loch said.
Loch’s Favorite Stories as a Liberty Parent
In the early days, Loch said that Nancy was helping at school, and their son, Steven, a kindergartner at the time, had a big grin on his face as he walked passed his mom. Nancy asked him where he was going, and he grinned and proudly said, “I am going to the principal’s office!” Loch jokingly said that Steven had no idea what was coming, but that he came back later and said in a teary voice, “I’m not going to the principal’s office anymore.”
In later years, Loch dropped off his youngest son, Daniel, as wee warrior, and as normal, Daniel cried. If Loch drove around and waved at him from the car as he drove away, Daniel would be fine.
“One day I forgot to drive around and wave, and he must have thrown a fit,” Loch said. “I got a call a minute later asking, ‘Could you please come back and drive around?’ so I drove back around and saw him crying. I waved at him, and then he was fine.”
Loch also had a memorable moment when his oldest son, Andrew, was recovering from a football injury. Andrew was quarterback of the football team his senior year in 2007, the last year Liberty won state. Andrew got the quarterback job his junior year, and the team went undefeated in district and had only one loss that year.
“In the first playoff game of his junior year, he had thrown for like five touchdowns and 300 yards in the first half. In the last possession he was going to play in that game, he rolled out, and an opposing player grabbed Andrew by the shoulder pad, and Andrew went down, tearing his ACL. It was devastating for a dad. Andrew handled it better than I did.”
Loch said that Andrew put off surgery, wanting to play in the state game in case Liberty made it that far.
“Andrew came to me the Sunday after we won the semifinals and were headed to state, and said ‘Dad, I’m playing,’ and I said, ‘Son, no you’re not.’ So we argued back and forth, and finally I told him, ‘I’ll tell you what I’ll do, Andrew. I will call your doctor, and if he says it is OK to play, fine.’ I’m thinking that there is no way.
“I called the doctor, and he said, ‘Well, you know, this is kind of a once in a lifetime deal; Andrew won’t be a 100 percent, but he is having surgery Monday, and I’m going to fix him anyway. So if he was my kid, I’d let him play.’
“We ended up letting him play, and part of me was hoping for some legendary thing to happen. He came into play the second half because we were struggling, and I think he played two or three possessions. The last one he was in, he tried to run instead of dropping back, and his knee buckled. He completed the pass, but he went down and that was pretty much it.
“He had surgery that Monday, worked very hard, and came back the next year, and Liberty ended up winning state.” Loch said it was an interesting time for his family. During Andrew’s senior year, every time he was tackled on a play, Loch would think to himself, “Get up, get up!”
Liberty’s Future
Loch believes Liberty will continue to excel as it always has.
“The more students we have, the more programs we need to have,” he said. “Years ago, we added soccer, and in a few years, all of a sudden we had a state championship. It will be the same way with whatever academic or extracurricular programs are added as the school grows. We want to have an area for every student to plug into.
“I don’t know of the percentage of students who just come to school and then go home, but I suspect the percentage is very, very small. When I went to school and heard the bell ring at 3:30 p.m., we would never go back until the next day. At Liberty, our students like being on campus and around all of the activities and their friends – it is a great place.”
Comments from Liberty Administrators
“Jeff Loch is one of those guys who speaks loudly through his quiet style of leadership,” said Bregg Smith, executive director of Advancement. “He is loyal, faithful, and dedicated, and is a true warrior at heart.
“He always seems to be where he is needed. His dear wife, Nancy, shares the same attributes. They have been instrumental in supporting the school in many significant ways. Liberty is a much better place because of their giving hearts and undying commitment.”
Dr. Haire said that the board would agree that they are all smarter with Loch in the room.
Dr. Haire said, “Jeff serves the families of Liberty with his integrity and character, and one of the things I most admire about Jeff is his courage. His vision is always in seeking the light and heart of the Lord.”
Loch’s parents set the example. His father, Glenn, is now in his second, eight-year term as mayor, and Loch’s mother, Helen, volunteers in many ways, including serving at the Denton County Prison where she leads a Bible study every Sunday for the women there.
The Lochs had great examples, and now they are providing great examples to families at Liberty. May those who come behind them follow in their footsteps.