Alumni Spotlight: A Life of Leadership and Stewardship
Thursday, September 17, 2026 | 10:12 AM
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Since earning his MBA from Liberty University in 2005, Chris McDaniel has built a career rooted in leadership, service, technology, and generosity.
After 31 years of service, he retired in 2025 as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, where he served as an Acquisition Program Manager. Today, he serves as Chief Revenue Officer and Partner at vTECH io, a Dell Platinum channel partner providing IT, cybersecurity, and AI solutions to enterprise, government, education, and faith-based organizations. In recent years, he helped build the company’s AI solutions practice, which generated approximately $5–6 million in its first year.
His commitment to stewardship extends beyond the business world. In 2026, he released Steward Leaders Rise, a 21-day devotional on transformational generosity and generational discipleship, building on his earlier InterVarsity Press book, Ignite Your Generosity. He also serves on the Leadership Advisory Board for Mission Increase and works with churches and nonprofit leaders through speaking and workshops. He often shares this work alongside his son, Aaron.
One of his favorite Liberty memories came during his MBA capstone. While staying on campus with the Sheriff and his personal bodyguard, he was unexpectedly invited to meet Dr. Jerry Falwell. They spent time talking and praying together. Later that day, Dr. Falwell mentioned their conversation while preaching at Thomas Road Baptist Church. “It was surreal, an unplanned moment of access, prayer, and kindness,” he recalls. “I have never forgotten that God can open a door you did not even know to knock on.”
He credits Liberty with helping him see that business and calling belong together. The MBA equipped him with skills in strategy and leadership while reinforcing the importance of character and conviction.
“Work is stewardship, people, systems, and influence entrusted for a season,” he says. That perspective continues to shape his career, ministry, and family life. He and his wife, Jennifer, have been married for more than three decades and are now watching their children and grandchildren embrace the same spirit of generosity.
His advice to current students is simple: “Live at home what you hope to lead in public.” He encourages graduates to remain lifelong learners, pursue excellence, and never separate their faith from their work. “When a surprising door opens, walk through it with humility and prayer,” he says. “You can control whether you were present, grateful, and faithful in the moment.”
He also has a new book, Open Hands, coming out this fall. Buck Jacobs, founder of C12 Groups, is endorsing the book and writing the foreword. C12 is a large Business as Mission organization that helps Christian business leaders integrate their faith with their work. A preview of Open Hands is available here: Home — Open Hands.
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