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John Ballinger
President / CEO

John Ballinger currently serves as the President and CEO of NACA/Fort Bluff, a leadership role he officially assumed in late 2018. Originally from Knoxville, Tennessee, Ballinger’s career is defined by a commitment to service and entrepreneurial growth.John is a decorated veteran who loyally served his country for over 20 years, during which he specialized in working on various types of aircraft. In addition to his military service, he is recognized as a serial entrepreneur, bringing a diverse range of professional experiences to his current leadership role.

Since joining NACA/Fort Bluff as a consultant in 2017 and transitioning to the presidency in 2018, Ballinger has navigated the organization through significant turbulence, including inherited complications. He is credited with leading the organization into a period of substantial growth by strategically reconstructing the core leadership team. Currently, he is guiding the team through a phase of organizational reimagining, focusing on upgrading facilities and enhancing the overall experience for all participating groups.
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Outside of his professional pursuits, Ballinger is dedicated to his family and friends. He is an avid reader who enjoys expanding his knowledge through literature and finds relaxation in traveling, with a particular fondness for the mountains and the beach.

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Leah Courtney
Vice President of Operations

Leah serves as the Vice President of Operations for NACA/Fort Bluff, bringing over 13 years of dedicated experience to the organization. Her journey began as a summer staff member, working in various hands-on roles such as lifeguard, camp counselor, and dining hall staff, which provided her with a deep understanding of operations from the ground up. Since joining the team full-time in 2018, she has progressed from Office Manager to Operations Manager and was ultimately named Vice President in May 2025.

A lifelong athlete raised in Guthrie Center, Iowa, Leah developed a strong work ethic and team-first mindset through her extensive competitive career. In high school, she competed in four sports, earning numerous academic and athletic honors, and continued her career at the collegiate level in cross country and basketball.

Her notable achievements include:

•        -Qualifying for the NJCAA National Cross Country Meet.
•        -Setting a college record for the fastest women’s 5K time.
•        -Winning the 2016 NAIA Division I National Championship as part of her basketball team.
  
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Leah holds an Associate of Science in Athletic Training from Iowa Lakes Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from MidAmerica Nazarene University. She is also a Licensed Massage Therapist and business owner.
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What Leah values most about NACA is its unique mission to use sports as a platform to share the gospel. She is passionate about creating Christ-centered environments where coaches and athletes can grow and be transformed far beyond the game. Outside of her work, Leah enjoys traveling—particularly through Europe—exploring health and wellness, and focusing on leadership growth and development.

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Douglas Ford
Director of Special Projects

Douglas serves as the Communications and Special Projects lead at the National Association of Christian Athletics (NACA), having joined the team over five years ago. With more than 15 years of experience in the sports industry—specifically in high school sports and as a football official—Douglas brings a wealth of practical knowledge to his role. He holds a B.A. in Mass Communication and Journalism, which informs his work in creating interactive communications for NACA’s marketing efforts and social media presence.

As a former three-sport high school athlete who played football, basketball, and baseball, Douglas is driven by a vision to enhance the NACA tournament experience. His background as an official and athlete has shaped his belief that the overall experience of a sporting event is just as vital as the final score. He is deeply committed to NACA’s mission of fostering an environment where athletes can grow their talents while maintaining a Christ-centered focus on life. Douglas values the opportunity to help student-athletes, coaches, and fans grow in both their love for the game and their spiritual maturity.
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While he enjoys the variety of events NACA hosts, he finds the high energy of volleyball and the intensity of cross-country to be particularly exciting. Outside of his professional responsibilities, Douglas is involved in several business ventures and enjoys spending quality time with his family.

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Danny Baylor
Director of NACA Operations / Development

​​Danny's athletic career began with significant success as a placekicker, where he started all four years of high school and earned multiple All-District and All-State honors. During his junior year, he set a school record with a 47-yard field goal, and as a senior, he broke that record twice, ultimately setting a Tennessee state record with a 56-yard field goal. These achievements earned him a scholarship to Liberty University, where he played his freshman year before transferring to Cumberland College (now the University of the Cumberlands).

Beyond his time as a player, he served the sports community for 34 years as a game official, refereeing and umpiring baseball, softball, basketball, and football. His dedication to football officiating led him to work semi-final games and a 3A State Championship game in Tennessee, an achievement for which he received a State Championship Ring. His leadership experience also includes seven years as the President of a recreation center and eight years coaching fastpitch softball.

Parallel to his athletic pursuits, he has maintained a lifelong engagement with music that began at the age of four. He performed for years in a trio with his siblings and later toured extensively with a gospel quartet. His formal training included roles in high school choir, barbershop quartets, and show choir, as well as leading roles in multiple musical productions.
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Currently residing in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, with his wife, Karen, Danny considers his current role a "dream job". In this position, he focuses on helping student-athletes reach their full spiritual and physical potential. A family-oriented individual, he has two grown children, Kayla and Ethan; two stepchildren, Steven and Meagan; and three step-grandchildren. In his personal time, he is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys hunting, fishing, camping, and traveling to new places with his wife.

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Maegan Miller
Social Media & Communication

Maegan is a dedicated communications professional originally from Dothan, Alabama, who moved to Cleveland, Tennessee, in June 2024. She relocated to the area with her husband, Caleb, following his call to youth ministry. Maegan graduated summa cum laude from Troy University in December 2023, earning a Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies with an emphasis in Public Relations. Her academic excellence is highlighted by numerous honors, including membership in the Phi Kappa Phi honor society and placement on the Chancellor’s List. She is also skilled in various digital tools, holding certifications in Hootsuite and HubSpot.

Her professional journey began with Social Media Marketing Internships in Troy’s Athletic Department and Dothan’s Parks and Rec, where she managed social platforms, created content, and tracked strategic KPIs. After moving to Tennessee, she gained diverse experience at a local pharmacy in Cleveland. Since September 2025, she has served as the Social Media and Communication Coordinator for Fort Bluff Camp and NACA Sports, where she develops social media strategies and manages event promotions.

For Maegan, her career is more than just a job; it is a ministry. She feels a strong calling to youth ministry and views her marketing work as a way to be a light and bring others to Christ. To further her expertise, she plans to pursue a Master’s in Strategic and Digital Communication from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, starting in the fall of 2026.
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Beyond her professional life, Maegan is deeply family-oriented and highly involved in her church. She enjoys spending time with friends, both from her hometown and those she has met in Tennessee, and loves her parents’ dog, Benson. Her personal interests include all things pink, Diet Coke, cows, and cheering on the Auburn Tigers. 

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Brianna (Bri) Heiser
Registration Coordinator

​Brianna (Bri) Heiser serves as the Registration Coordinator for NACA Sports, joining the organization in January 2026. Bringing over 15 years of administrative assistant experience, her professional background ranges from Office Manager to Personal Executive Assistant.

In her current role, Bri is dedicated to supporting student-athletes by ensuring every administrative detail contributes to an environment where they can encounter Christ, rooted in biblical truth. She views her work as a way to serve with purpose, helping to transform youth and strengthen their spiritual walk as they impact their communities for Christ.

Originally from St. Cloud, Florida, where she lived for 30 years, Bri graduated from Harmony High School in 2009. Her early life was marked by a 16-year passion for competitive dance and a deep commitment to her home church, where she served as a Sunday school teacher, VBS teacher, and a singer in the worship band.
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In 2023, Bri relocated to Dayton, Tennessee, with her husband, a Marine veteran, and their two sons. An avid lover of nature, she spends her time outside of work off-roading on mountains, camping, fishing, or swimming.

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Connie Smith
Bookkeeper/HR

Connie Smith has served in the Accounting, Payroll, and HR department at NACA/Fort Bluff Camp since August 2017. Throughout her tenure, she has embraced the principles of servant leadership, growing both personally and professionally while supporting the camp’s mission to provide a "mountain top experience" for all who visit.

Connie brings extensive expertise to her role, having previously served for 17 years as a Residential Accounting Clerk for a private nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Her career is marked by a strong work ethic and a commitment to lifelong learning; notably, she went back to college at age 46 to earn her Bachelor of Business Administration by age 50, balancing her studies with full-time work and her responsibilities as a single mother.

A lifelong resident of Roane County, Tennessee, before moving to Dayton for her current position, Connie has been dedicated to her faith since the age of 12, which serves as the foundation for her professional and personal life. She finds great joy in working alongside her family, as both of her daughters have held various staff positions at Fort Bluff Camp, and her mother assists with the camp’s housekeeping and beautification.
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Outside of her professional responsibilities, Connie is an avid traveler who discovered a passion for exploring the outdoors three years ago. She has since visited at least seven National Parks, with Zion National Park remaining her favorite destination to date

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David Christian
Campus Pastor

Rev. David Christian serves as the Campus Pastor for FBC/NACA, a role he transitioned into in February 2025. He is deeply committed to the mission of FBC/NACA, where he finds great fulfillment in teaching and serving as an encourager to both children and adults.

His life of service began early; he was ordained as a deacon at the age of 24 at Oaklawn Baptist Church in Kernersville, NC. He was later ordained to the ministry while serving as the Sr Adult Pastor at Roswell St. Baptist Church in Marietta, GA. He often shares that serving God and others has been the greatest joy of his life.

In addition to his pastoral experience, Rev. Christian brings extensive leadership expertise from a 35-year career in the Chemical Distribution industry. Throughout his tenure in the corporate sector, he held numerous management positions across various distributors.

Rev. Christian earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1982, with a concentration in Logistics and Transportation Management.

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Josh Gilbert
Campus Worship Leader

Josh Gilbert currently serves as the Campus Worship Leader at Fort Bluff/NACA, a role he officially began on May 12, 2025, after previously leading worship for various campus rallies and events. With over 20 years of experience in music and ministry, Josh has a rich background serving multiple churches and denominations with a wide diversity of musical styles.

In addition to his work at Fort Bluff, Josh is a touring musician and solo artist who has performed thousands of times across the United States, including over 150 events in the last year alone. His career as a working musician reached national recognition with Billboard charting songs on National Christian radio between 2015 and 2017. Josh also serves as the Community Coordinator for The Union Chattanooga, a ministry for worship leaders and Christian creatives that he helped conceive in 2016.

Josh’s professional expertise is backed by an A.S. in Media Technology and extensive formal training, including Classical Voice Scholarships and choral experience from grade school through the collegiate level. He is deeply committed to mentoring and raising up the next generation of creatives, noting that his favorite part of his work at Fort Bluff is hearing young people lift their voices to follow and honor Christ.

On a personal level, Josh is a devoted husband to his wife, Jennifer, and a father to three daughters: Indigo, Amethyst, and Lydia. He is an avid "Lord of the Rings" fanatic with a deep knowledge of J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, a dedicated collector of vintage and classic Legos, and an enthusiast of hiking and the outdoors.