Our Authors

Jack Hilliard is a native of West Tennessee. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tennessee, and his Master’s degree in Counseling and Guidance from the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee. He has spent his entire life as a preacher for Churches of Christ: preaching, teaching, and studying all over the world. He traveled to eleven countries and driven, literally, from coast to coast within the United States. One trip to the Bible Lands gave Jack the opportunity to share a series of Bible Land Lectures on his experience.Mr. Hilliard has lived most of his life in church service in the southern parts of the United States including Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee. Much of his life vocation took place in mission fields including Bermuda and the Appalachian Mountains. For the last four decades, before her passing in 2012, he lived with his wife of sixty-one years, Lola Carter Hilliard, in Henderson, Tennessee, where they both retired from Freed-Hardeman University. In addition to preaching and university administration, Jack taught on the radio for fourteen years, wrote regular newspaper articles for over seventeen years, and made several appearances on live television. He counseled on marriage, finance, spirituality, and a variety of behavior health issues including mental, emotional, and physical health. 

While preaching, sometimes part-time and other times full-time, Jack also worked in a variety of other professions including sales and public relations—for an insurance company and two colleges. He also owned two businesses. In his early career Jack served as president and vice president of multiple civic clubs, was the president of three PTA organizations, was a member of the board of trustees for three children’s homes, and served as the chairman of the Jellico, Tennessee, Area Health Council. Jack worked for eighteen years with Freed-Hardeman University: in admissions, as Director of Placement, and as Director of Church Relations. His wife, Lola, worked many of those years by his side. The couple retired from full-time employment in 1994. Since retirement Hilliard has been busy with mission work, teaching, traveling, and writing. He has written nine books, three of which are published through Hilliard Press.

Jack and Lola Hilliard have three children, four grandchildren, and six great grandchildren (with a seventh on the way).

Dr. Mark Hilliard received his bachelor’s degree from Freed-Hardeman University in Community Health; his M.S. from Middle Tennessee State University in Community, School, and Public Health and Wellness Education; and his Doctor of Arts Degree from Middle Tennessee State University with major study in Human Performance, Behavioral Science, and Physical Education. He completed his dissertation and has conducted extensive research into the unique learning styles of Native Americans, specifically the Eastern Band of the Cherokee, and he oversees a yearly cultural study course on the Cherokee Reservation, conducts wellness education workshops on the Reservation, and is a minister for a Cherokee Missions Church on the Reservation in Cherokee, North Carolina.

Dr. Hilliard recently retired from O’More College of Design where he served for fourteen years as the President and CEO. Previous to that appointment, he served as the Provost, Executive Vice President, Academic Dean, and as a Full-Professor of Behavioral Science. He also taught adjunct courses at Middle Tennessee State University and Columbia State Community College, served as the medical director of the Tennessee Division of the American Cancer Society, and was a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Department of the Interior, Young Adult Conservation Corp. He is a Visiting Fellow and member of the Summer Research Institute at Harris Manchester College, Oxford University, and a former member of The Oxford Roundtable.

A published author of three books on wellness, spirituality, and sensory education and experience, Professor Hilliard is working on his fourth book, Sacred Places—Sacred Spaces. 

He and his wife of thirty-seven years currently reside in Franklin, Tennessee. They have two grown children of their own, both educators, and four grandchildren (with a fifth on the way)–future educators.

Coming from a long line of educators, Jessa R. Sexton thrives on sharing knowledge—and, more importantly, her love of learning. Through the art of the written and spoken word, she has found a means to do so; these are skills she delights in toning, tuning, and tinkering. Researching the masters, trying and succeeding (or failing), distributing her discoveries: all is a process that brings her joy and develops her as a writer, speaker, educator, communicator-in-general, mother, wife, friend, co-worker, and Christian.

She was first published in her elementary school’s literary magazine for a rather repetitive poem about lightning she wrote in the 4th grade. The writing bug has invaded her immune system ever since. First through O’More Publishing and now printed with Hilliard Press, her children’s books, textbooks, devotionals, and educational guides reflect her love of research, writing, and ever-learning.

Professor Sexton taught and tutored for nine years on writing, literature, education, research, and speech to ninth grade through college level students including positions as graduate assistant in the Harding University Writing Lab, teacher at Searcy High School and with Upward Bound (the latter being a government-funded educational resource for low-income or possible first-generation college students), and Associate Professor at O’More College of Design.

In her role as an educator, as Executive Editor of O’More Publishing for seven years, and in her current position as owner and Executive Editor of Hilliard Press, Sexton brings students and authors to a better understanding of writing and encourages not her own voice to come through, but the best version of that writer’s voice.

Jessa is a write-at-home mom and small business owner. She and Jay, her husband of nine years, have two young sons and one daughter on the way. Together, the family of four-soon-five enjoys visiting the park, going on a walk, reading a good book, watching cartoons, and traveling around America as they work towards seeing every Major League baseball park (for baseball-enthusiast Jay and ballpark-food-enthusiast Jessa).

Dr. David Woodfine is a man of tremendous experiences and emotion—and, in his own words, he has loved each encounter. 

In his early career, David trained and served as a chef and catering manager. He also served his country, spending eleven years with the Territorial Army (Britain’s Reserve Land Forces) as a Regular Reserve. He then became a teacher for the Business and Technology Education Council (B.T.E.C.) for the Oxford City and Guilds and for the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, training chefs for famous restaurants around the globe.

To widen his experience, David left his home in England for a while and was employed as a butler at various places throughout Europe. In this role he served highly respected dignitaries and was fortunate to have tea with Kings and Queens. On returning to England, David became the butler to Sir Anthony and Lady Bamford.

David would later become the butler to His Grace The Duke of Marlborough at Blenheim Palace, which most of us know as the birthplace of Winston Churchill.

In his role as butler, David often looked after royalty including His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales (Prince Charles) and Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales (Princess Diana), as well as multiple European Heads of State. Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret was always a favourite guest of David’s at Blenheim, as was the actress Joan Collins.

More recently, David was appointed as the High Steward of Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford. He served at Harris Manchester for twelve years in a professional role as a counselor and mentor to his students, a teacher, and an overseer of multiple aspects of the University hospitality program. David has a passion for hosting weddings and other grand events, one of the most notable being the wedding of Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Upon his retirement from Harris Manchester in 2011, David became the Master of the Oxford City Guild of Chefs. In this role, David oversees the organization of multiple Oxford University grand affairs with Oxford’s top chefs.

His newest claim to fame is a second edition of his cookbook, From Kitchen to High Table: The British-American Edition, which Hilliard Press is overwhelming grateful to publish.