Administration & Staff

Executive Comittee

Dr. Eli Lopez, President

PhD, Amridge University
MA, Evangel University

Dr. Eli Lopez has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the College from 2015 to the present. Overall, he has over twenty-eight years of experience in ecclesial and academic leadership and has filled leadership roles in both local church settings and in elected organizational positions. Further, President Lopez is a recognized voice in the Oneness Pentecostal movement in the areas of church administration and spiritual formation; as such, he is a frequent speaker at various religious conferences and meetings. Rev. Lopez’s educational qualifications include a BA in Bible and Theology from Christian Life College, an MA in Theological Studies from Evangel University (Springfield, MO), and a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies (Biblical Studies, Ministry, and Leadership) from Amridge University (Montgomery, AL). Both his educational training and leadership experience provide him with the understanding, knowledge, skills, and deportment to lead CLC in addressing the opportunities and challenges it presently faces in its continued development and growth as an institution of higher education.

Micah Johnson, Vice President of Academic Affairs

MABTS, Western Seminary
BA, Christian Life College

Rev. Micah Johnson is the Vice President of Academic Affairs for the College. In this position, he fulfills the roles of Chief Academic Officer (CAO) and Academic Dean of the College. Rev. Johnson possesses a BA in Bible and Theology from Christian Life College and an MA in Biblical and Theological Studies from Western Seminary (Portland, OR). Since 2008, Rev. Johnson has served as an instructor of the College in addition to fulfilling various ecclesial leadership roles in both local church and organizational positions. Since 2013, he has been a member of the College’s Executive Committee and has been instrumental in leading both academic and administrative units in fulfilling CLC’s vision of being institution of excellence in higher education.

Dr. William Riddell, Vice President of Finance

PhD, Regent University
MA, Regent University
MBA, University of the Pacific

Dr. William Riddell is the Vice President of Finance and serves as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the College. Dr. Riddell possesses a BS in Accounting from CSU Stanislaus (Turlock, CA) and an MBA from University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA). Combined with over thirty years of experience in financial services, Dr. Riddell is fully qualified to fulfill the duties of the CFO. In addition to his financial training, he has also earned a PhD in Communication from Regent University (Virginia Beach, VA). Additionally, Dr. Riddell has most recently completed the Master of Theological Studies-Biblical Studies program, also from Regent University. Additionally, Dr. Riddell has marked over thirty-five years as an instructor of the college. Due to his vast level of institutional knowledge brought about by his many years of service, Dr. Riddell is a critical member of the Executive Committee as he continually helps craft CLC’s responses to the challenges it faces in fulfilling its mission.

Laird Sillimon, Vice President of Operations

MBA, Grand Canyon University
BS, Howard University

Rev. Laird Sillimon is Vice President of Operations and serves as the Chief Operations Officer (COO) of the College. Rev. Sillimon possesses a BS in Engineering from Howard University (Washington, DC) and is completing an MBA with a concentration in Leadership from Grand Canyon University (Phoenix, AZ). Rev. Sillimon has over twenty-five years of managerial experience in both the engineering and ecclesial fields. This experience has equipped him with the requisite skills for developing departmental practices and for formulating and instituting quality control protocols. In serving on the Executive Committee as the COO, Rev. Sillimon oversees the college’s administrative operations and staff, and is responsible to ensure that all of the various departments and programs operate in accordance with the CLC’s mission and established policies.