PRINCIPAL: ROSS HJELSETH
Raised on a family farm in North Dakota, Ross Hjelseth developed a strong work ethic and zeal for learning at an early age. Since then, he has spent his lifetime building, training, and improving teams—on playing fields and in locker rooms, around faculty
conference tables, in administrative offices and executive board rooms.
As head football coach at the University of Puget Sound, Ross elevated team performance and established several new benchmarks for the program. Subsequently, during his 26-year tenure as the founding headmaster of Life Christian Academy in Tacoma, Washington,
he oversaw the creation of a high school that has since graduated almost 1,000 alumni, the launch of numerous academic and extracurricular programs recognized for excellence, the formation of the Life Christian Foundation which has awarded hundreds
of thousands of dollars in endowment-based student scholarships, the school’s establishment as a founding member of the national Council on Educational Standards and Accountability, and LCA’s accreditation by the global leader in accreditation and
school improvement services.
An active participant in a variety of boards and organizations at the national, state, and local levels, Ross has held leadership positions in many and is a frequently requested speaker. He has been a Pierce County Business Leader of the Year finalist.
Currently, as principal of HJELSETH & Associates, Ross enjoys leveraging his extensive leadership experience to assist organizations with the development of leadership, teamwork, strategic planning, fund development, and board room culture.
Ross and his wife Ronni are the parents of two sons and the grandparents of five grandchildren.