Staff

Jennifer Butler, Executive Director

Jennifer’s experience working on global human rights issues at the United Nations and around the world convinced her that faith leaders can play a powerful role leading their communities forward in the face of growing instability and divisiveness. Jennifer left her work at the UN to start Faith in Public Life and provide needed resources for faith leaders and the movement they represent to amplify their impact on public debates.

Some of Jennifer’s favorite pieces of this work are the Q &A sections of our press conferences – seeing the “aha moments” or paradigm shifts in media coverage on religion and politics. She also loves watching the staff in action on rapid response. She says, “it’s like a (nonviolent) episode of “24”.

Jennifer served in the Peace Corps from 1989 to 1991 in a Mayan village in Belize, Central America. A graduate of Princeton Seminary, she holds a Master of Social Work from Rutgers University and Bachelor of Arts from the College of William and Mary.

Jennifer’s weekends are spent helping her son defeat dad at “Peanut Butter and Jelly” or in deep conversations about superheroes.

Jessica Barba Brown, Vice President for Program Development

Jessica joins Faith in Public Life after three years serving as communications director for former Rep. Tom Perriello on his election campaigns and on Capitol Hill. While she will miss driving around Southern Virginia in her 1992 Buick Park Avenue (RIP), she is excited to help increase the faith community’s impact on public policy debates. Before her career turned to politics, she was communications director for City Year New York and communications and marketing manager for CancerCare. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Gender and Sexuality Studies from New York University.

A native of the Washington, DC, region, Jessica was raised with a strong sense of social justice as informed by her Catholic faith. As a high school student, some of her most politically formative experiences were working with the Missionaries of Charity in an Anacostia soup kitchen and interning for Amnesty International. During the 2004 elections, she joined with like-minded Catholics to help launch the Catholic Voting Project, which went on to become Catholics United.

Jessica is a huge fan of West Side Story, foods with crust, Ashtanga yoga, her record collection, and over-eating at family get-togethers.

John Gehring, Senior Writer and Catholic Outreach Coordinator

John spent almost ten years as an education reporter before leaving newspapers to blend his passion for writing, politics and faith. He joins FPL after three years at Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, where he helped broaden the media narrative about Catholicism and connected reporters with inspiring social justice leaders doing work that is too often ignored.

John blogs about Catholics in public life on Bold Faith Type.

Wise journalism professors at Columbia University and the Jesuits taught John to show up early, write clearly and challenge conventional wisdom. He believes that religion is infinitely complex and fascinating, especially when you throw politics into the mix. John enjoys helping faith leaders communicate in a sound-bite culture, and gets excited when poverty, immigration, health care and the environment are understood as moral issues that transcend narrow partisan agendas. The best part of his job is working with talented people of integrity.

When he is away from the office, John can be found going crazy at University of Maryland (Terps) basketball games, visiting family in Baltimore and traveling abroad with his wife any chance he gets.

Dan Nejfelt, Senior Editor and Training Coordinator

Dan works for FPL because he enjoys the opportunity to work strategically and creatively for the common good. Of his colleagues he says, “we’re a close, collaborative team; our work is fun and fulfilling.”

Dan blogs about health care, the religious right, budgets and the media among other subjects on Bold Faith Type. He likes promoting other people’s outstanding work in faith and politics.

Before he came to FPL, Dan worked at Sojourners magazine as part of his graduate study of journalism at the University of Missouri. Prior to that, he taught remedial reading and writing to 7th and 8th graders in rural Arkansas as a Teach For America corps member. Before teaching, Dan followed in Jennifer Butler’s footsteps at the College of William and Mary.

Dan enjoys writing and tries to get better at it. He also likes pizza, football, jogging, history and opinion journalism. Someday, Dan will own a hypo-allergenic dog.

Kristin Ford, Director of Communications Strategy

Kristin says Faith in Public Life is the perfect blend of things she cares about: politics, religion, and a wide range of issues. She loves working with partner organizations and figuring out creative and cutting-edge ways to shape the values debate in our country.

Kristin dreams religion can be a healthy part of the public square—one of many voices, but an animating force for good. She believes faith can stimulate our boldest visions and our most just policies.

At Bold Faith Type, Kristin writes about immigration and reproductive issues among other issues.

The best part of her day is when a reporter calls and has a great question. She enjoys being able to be a resource and being able to amplify the hard work of people of faith working for justice and the common good.

Kristin studied at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating with a B.A. in English and Political Science. Kristin has worked at Women’s Campaign International, an NGO that helps build the political capacity of women around the globe, and the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, mapping the role of faith in the 2004 Presidential elections.

In her off-hours, Kristin enjoys competitive games of ping-pong with her husband and considers eighteenth-century British literature completely acceptable beach reading.

Allison Grammer, Director of Development and Operations

Allison grew up on the plains of Kansas where her neighbors’ antics often left her wondering “What is the matter with Kansas?” Eventually she discovered she was not alone in finding deep connections amongst faith, the prophetic call for justice and progressive politics. Allison now enjoys seeing those connections worked out in practical ways by her co-workers and FPL’s many unique partners.

Prior to joining FPL, Allison founded the development department at the Save Darfur Coalition where she cultivated an expertise in online fundraising and working with institutional donors. She is a proud alumna of Truman State University from which she earned her degree in History with a focus on 20th century America.

Allison and her husband, Sam, are noted connoisseurs of the evolving DC pizza landscape. When not sampling pizza or working, Allison is probably outside—either playing soccer, camping, or in the garden.

Beau Underwood, Partnership and Outreach Coordinator

Whether walking picket lines as a community organizer, supporting patients as an emergency room chaplain, or ministering in a local congregation, Beau’s passion has been helping people connect faith to everyday life. He brings this focus to his role at Faith in Public Life where he works with FPL’s partner organizations to raise public awareness about the relationship between religious beliefs and public policy.

At Bold Faith Type, he blogs about faith in the public square, public theology, and workers’ rights and other economic issues.

Before moving to DC, Beau worked on political campaigns in Illinois and attended graduate school at the University of Chicago. Four years of studying religion and politics made him a poor dinner companion, but at FPL he has found a group of people dedicated to bringing these impolite topics together.

Outside of work, Beau enjoys running while listening to the theme from Rocky, watching Law & Order marathons, and reading random non-fiction books. He is also a die hard fan of the Chicago White Sox.

Nick Sementelli, Blog Editor and Online Strategies Associate

Nick joined Faith in Public Life because he believes that working for justice in the public sphere is the best way to put his faith into action. With a hand in both communications and organizing, he appreciates the flexibility his position gives him to work in both areas of advocacy and strategy, but particularly enjoys writing for the Bold Faith Type blog where he writes about the economy, Islamophobia, and the religious right.

Before joining FPL, Nick worked at Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. He first came to DC in 2005 to study at Georgetown University where he majored in Culture and Politics. While in school he worked as a research associate for the Berkeley Center for Religion, Politics and World Affairs and interned at Beaconfire Consulting, helping non-profit clients with web design and online campaigns.

Originally from the Dallas suburbs, Nick loves the sustainable accessibility of urban life, but occasionally finds himself daydreaming about scenic road trips through Texas hill country. An avid sports fan, he has adopted the Nats, Caps and D.C. United as his own, but refuses to abandon his Mavs and Cowboys.

Tara Culp-Ressler, Executive and Development Assistant

Tara came to DC to study communications and religion at American University. She likes that Faith in Public Life blends the two disciplines, and she’s excited to work with such a dynamic and passionate staff.

Before joining FPL, Tara’s experience with The National Religious Campaign Against Torture and Interfaith Voices first sparked her interest in faith-based advocacy. Although Tara thankfully managed to finish college in DC without interning on the Hill, she does appreciate being in the heart of Washington’s fast-paced culture as FPL delves into political issues from a religious perspective.

Raised in the Mennonite community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Tara’s understanding of social justice is informed by her Anabaptist roots. Tara enjoys hip-hop music, public transportation, practicing her Spanish, and explaining the difference between the Amish and the Mennonites.

Casey Schoeneberger, Media Relations Assistant

Before coming to Faith in Public Life, Casey participated in the Associate Program at NETWORK, a National Catholic Social Justice Lobby. At NETWORK, Casey advocated for the protection of federal safety net programs. Prior to studying economics at Saint Joseph’s University, Casey also spent a year serving alongside fabulous individuals as a corps member in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps. Her experience in AmeriCorps NCCC exposed Casey to the systematic racial and class injustices in America and left her with a strong desire to work with faith-based organizations that pursue the common good.

Casey’s favorite part of the day includes getting the newsreel out to subscribers, and she likes hearing from reporters who are happy to see their stories on the reel.

Casey enjoys weekend adventures, bike-riding, and trying out new recipes with family and friends. She someday wants to build a microhouse in the city.

Katie Paris, Senior Advisor

Katie’s involvement with Faith in Public Life springs from her belief that faith can draw people together powerfully to change the world for the better.

Katie was Faith in Public Life’s founding Communications and Program Director and served the organization for five years developing program and guiding the organization from a small start-up to a robust presence in the faith and politics landscape.

Some of Katie’s high points at FPL include organizing the Compassion Forum, in which religious leaders posed questions on issues like poverty, climate change and Darfur to then-Presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and helping launch new coalitions such as the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, and We Believe Ohio. In her new capacity, Katie continues to provide Faith in Public Life with ongoing strategic guidance.

Katie has extensive professional political experience, having worked on Democratic gubernatorial, senatorial and presidential campaigns and as Research Director at Media Matters for America and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Katie graduated from Wesleyan University in 2001, where she studied government, economics and history.

Board

Dr. Nicole Baker Fulgham, Board Chair

Nicole Baker Fulgham is the Vice President of Faith Community Relations at Teach For America.

Rev. Tim Ahrens

Rev. Tim Ahrens is senior minister First Congregational Church (UCC) in downtown Columbus, Ohio and founder of We Believe Ohio.

David Baron

David Baron is an associate at the law firm of Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago, and a former Faith in Public Life intern.

Tom Chabolla

Tom Chabolla is the Assistant to the President at Service Employees International Union. Previously he served as Associate Director of Programs for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.

Rabbi Steve Gutow

Steve Gutow, Executive Director of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, is an activist, organizer, attorney, rabbi, and advocate for social justice.

Linnea Hagerty

Linnea Hagerty is the Director of Development at Alliance for Climate Protection.

Anne Howard

Anne Howard is the executive director of the Beatitudes Society.

Rev. Dr. Derrick Harkins

The Rev. Dr. Derrick Harkins is the Senior Pastor of the Nineteenth Street Baptist Church in Washington DC.

Rev. Larry Hollon

Rev. Larry Hollon is the General Secretary of United Methodist Communications, the communications agency of the United Methodist Church.

Fred Rotondaro

Fred Rotondaro is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.