If you ever see Cassie Clooten driving around campus, don’t be surprised if you find her jamming out to some country music or singing along with some boy bands. What more can you expect from someone who grew up in the thriving metropolis of Kearney, Mo., home of Jesse James? Yet for a girl from the sticks, Cassie has gotten out, traveling to places in Europe and Asia. Her favorite place to be is at the Lake of the Ozarks. She loves to boat, tube or ski and will jump off a 65-foot cliff without a second thought. Cassie graduated from Mizzou with an education degree and married Chad in 2007.
E-mail: cassie {{at}} columbiarock.com

It has been said that Chad Clooten dances like Kevin James in Hitch and that his Chris Farley imitation is spot on. His heroes? A combination of Rocky and the Karate Kid. What more do you expect from someone who has a DVD collection with at least 350 titles, of which Shawshank Redemption, Braveheart and Tommy Boy are three of his favorites? Often pegged as a “social butterfly,” Chad is from Bismarck, North Dakota. He married Cassie in 2007.
E-mail: chad {{at}} columbiarock.com

Ed Courtney has three John Elway posters hanging in his office, a signed picture of John Elway and a special-edition commemorative John Elway plate. He’s seen The Breakfast Club more than 50 times (“What we found out is that each one of us is a brain, and an athlete, and a basket case, a princess and a criminal”). Originally from Pawnee, IL, Ed graduated with a journalism degree from MU, where he met his wife, Beth. They married in 1997. He was ordained as a pastor in 2006.
E-mail: ed {{at}} columbiarock.com

John Drage has been the pastor at The Rock since it began in January 2001. He is passionate about competing, eating and talking. Some of his favorite movies are “Braveheart,” “The Emperors Club,” and “The Patriot.” Originally from Cleveland, he graduated with a degree in math education from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. John married Amy in 1989, and they have four children: Josh, Jessie, Caleb and Nathanael.
E-mail: john {{at}} columbiarock.com

With the last name Hoops, it’s hard for sports not to be ingrained into your existence! When he has a free moment, Brandon Hoops can be found launching 3-pointers, sinking birdie putts, smashing aces or watching his favorite teams on TV. But once his athletic side is exhausted, don’t be surprised if you find him writing, reading a good book, exploring nature or dabbling in a little photography. Originally from Freeport, IL (where his high school mascot was the Pretzels), Brandon graduated with a journalism degree from MU in 2005.
E-mail: hoops {{at}} columbiarock.com

Peggy Myers is a painfully slow runner, which may explain why some people think she’s still stuck in the 1990s. Peggy doesn’t own a CD that was released after 1997. Her favorite song is Counting Blue Cars, released in 1995, and her favorite movie is Empire Records, also released in 1995. In her free time, Peggy is known to dominate the crane game, though she has encountered a slump every now and then. Originally from Joplin, Peggy has degrees in communications and English from Mizzou.
E-mail: peggy {{at}} columbiarock.com

Garrett Naufel is one of the few people under age 50 who likes John Denver’s music. He also likes The Grateful Dead and The Godfather 1 & 2, but not 3. He loves basketball and Larry Bird. He is from Pawnee, IL. Garrett graduated from Southern Illinois University with a degree in psychology. He married Brenna in 1998.
E-mail: garrett {{at}} columbiarock.com