I have taken my love of learning and working hard and made a career out of helping organizations grow. A personal passion of mine is embracing change with a positive attitude. Possibilities and opportunities await all of us in the "liminal spaces" when our lives, communities, and industries are in flux. My creativity and problem-solving tenacity have served me and others well in my work. I love creating new things and "thinking outside the box" while also working with existing organizations and structures and helping new and old co-exist or transition in an optimal way. At the Ecumenical Coalition for Women and Families, Faith in Women, I coordinated programs of spiritual care and renewal. We held in-person workshops to build bonds of justice and faith, and when the pandemic hit, I shifted to distance and virtual opportunities like our seed-growing workshop and Zoom Coffee Hour to discover one's "Social Justice Personality." As senior pastor of Hazlehurst UMC, I had the privilege of leading and serving a strong congregation with a powerful presence in the community. We made it through the leadership transition from a long-time beloved pastor to the first woman to ever pastor the church. I then had the privilege of working with my friend Victor Willis who became my associate pastor and is now the first Black pastor of this historic church. Using my communication skills to preach, teach, write, email, text, call, and converse with the fantastic people there was an experience full of grace. At my first job out of graduate school, I started a new worship service off of the church campus with a team of church members. Our work started with that faithful few and has grow to a 250+ member community. I spent my time and energy on communications between the older "traditional" church constituency, the "new" ministry project, and the community, navigating cultural and social land-mines with prayer and strategy. My favorite part about that project is how every single person involved grew personally, and at the same time the entire organization grew as well. In graduate school I led a team that organized and ran 3 unique community-wide worship services that including visiting public speakers, involvement of students, professors, administration, and community members. Our diverse team created heartfelt and spiritually centered rhythm of gatherings that fueled the life of the community. (Chapel Team 2006-2008)
