Our staff and board are former and current grantmakers, organizers, and advocates bringing funders together to support racial, economic, gender, and climate justice movements.
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Our Team
Sarita Ahuja
Interim Co-Director
Sarita Ahuja
Interim Co-Director
Neighborhood Funders Group
(510) 444-6063, ext. 18
Having worked at the intersection of philanthropy and diverse communities engaged in social justice work for over 20 years, Sarita brings a mission-driven perspective to the strategic management and day-to-day operations of NFG. Her approach to overseeing NFG’s development, finance, human resources, and operations is grounded in a vision of a philanthropic sector that is truly accountable to movements for racial justice and equity.
Sarita’s background includes positions with The San Francisco Foundation, The California Endowment, The Ford Foundation, and Asian Law Caucus; and providing consulting expertise to foundations, affinity groups, and other nonprofits on fundraising, program design, grantmaking, research and evaluation, and organizational development.
She currently serves as Treasurer of the RYSE Center in Richmond, California, and in the past has served on the boards of the Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition, Narika, and the California Vipassana Center. Sarita holds an MA in Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota and a BA in Political Science from Northwestern University.
Pronouns: she/her
Adriana Rocha
Interim Co-Director
Adriana Rocha
Interim Co-Director
Neighborhood Funders Group
adriana [at] nfg.org
(510) 444-6063, ext. 20
Adriana leads NFG’s Program Team, NFG’s National Convening, oversees all of NFG’s programs and the development and evaluation of all new NFG programs including its Leadership Development offerings; Philanthropy Forward and Peer Coaching Circles.
Adriana joined NFG in May of 2017 and was a former NFG member while at the New York Foundation. As a member of NFG, Adriana found other foundation staff members committed to social justice and a peer network of new Program Officers, particularly other new Program Officers of Color.
Adriana brings expertise in grantmaking, organizational capacity building, and nonprofit management. Adriana served as a Program Officer at the New York Foundation and Director of Grants & Capacity Building at the Just Beginnings Collaborative. Adriana served as Practice Director for CompassPoint, a national leader in providing capacity building support to social justice leaders and organizations.
Adriana has served on the boards of the Latino Commission on AIDS, CALNonprofits, and Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Politics from the University of California at Santa Cruz and a Master’s degree from Columbia University, Social Organizational Psychology Program. Adriana is from Toluca, Mexico and calls New York City home.
Pronouns: she/her
Amy T. Morris
Director, Amplify Fund
Amy T. Morris
Director, Amplify Fund
amy [at] nfg.org
(510) 444-6063, ext. 23
</a>Amy leads NFG’s first-ever grantmaking effort, the Amplify Fund. She has spent her career working for social justice, and is compelled by the Fund’s purpose to build the power, influence, and direct decision-making authority of communities of color and low-income communities to self-determine their futures.
Amy joined the Amplify team in late 2017, but was previously part of the NFG family as a board member and active participant in Funders for Justice during her time as a Program Officer at the Surdna Foundation from 2010-2014. In addition, she spent three years as the Director of Programs at the Fund for Global Human Rights, where she oversaw grantmaking programs that strengthened frontline human rights movements in more than fifteen countries.
In other past lives, Amy was a high school teacher, a union researcher, a human rights observer, and worked on the US-Mexico border. When she’s not traveling to an Amplify Fund site, she is based in Washington, DC. Outside of work, Amy spends as much time as she can planning vacations for large groups of friends to escape to beautiful places and temporarily live out Utopian dreams.
Pronouns: she/her
Elizabeth Pham
Senior Program Coordinator
Elizabeth Pham
Senior Program Coordinator
elizabeth [at] nfg.org
(510) 444-6063, ext. 21
Elizabeth provides programming and management support for Philanthropy Forward, Integrated Rural Strategies Group, Harmony Midwest, and NFG’s National Convening. She helps to ensure that these programs operate smoothly, and is inspired by the work of forward-thinking community and philanthropic leaders.
Elizabeth joined NFG in 2018, drawn to its social justice and community change mission in working to develop a philanthropic sector that is more inclusive and equitable. She has served in many roles within the nonprofit sector in the US and abroad, from streamlining program operations for the Ford Foundation to capacity building for community-based organizations in Vietnam. Elizabeth earned both a BS and MPA degrees from New York University. She supports NFG’s national programs based out of New York City.
Pronouns: she/her
Faron McLurkin
Senior Program Manager, Integrated Rural Strategies Group
Faron McLurkin
Senior Program Manager, Integrated Rural Strategies Group
faron [at] nfg.org
(510) 444-6063, ext. 25
Faron supports the growth and visibility of NFG’s newest working group, Integrated Rural Strategies. Started in 2017, the Integrated Rural Strategies Group (IRSG) focuses on bringing solutions from rural geographies to the national funder community.
Faron joined NFG in 2019 as a Senior Program Manager. His background is in advocating for workers' rights, philanthropic grant making, and non-profit management. Prior to joining NFG Faron was a founding member of IRSG as a Program Officer at the Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock (Veatch). During his time at Veatch, Faron oversaw its New York state and Environmental Justice portfolios. Faron has also served as the Executive Director of the Center for Third World Organizing, one of the country’s oldest and most storied racial justice organizations, and has served as a national organizing director for several unions
Pronouns: he/him
Kita Urias
Executive Assistant to the President
Kita Urias
Executive Assistant to the President
kita [at] nfg.org
(510) 444-6063, ext. 16
Kita works directly with NFG’s President to help keep all of the organization’s programs and operations running smoothly. She manages and coordinates executive communications, calendars, meetings, and logistics. In addition, Kita serves as acting liaison to NFG’s Board of Directors and provides essential support to the Senior Management Team.
Kita joined NFG in April 2016 with a background in education, and a passion for youth development and social justice. She has since supported the launch of several programs at NFG, including Project Phoenix, the Amplify Fund, and Philanthropy Forward. Prior to NFG, she was an early childhood educator and has also held positions in property management and marketing. Kita brings over seven years of administrative experience and strong communication, organizational, and troubleshooting skills.
Working for NFG has deepened her values and awareness around diversity, equity, inclusion, and gender equality. Kita earned a BA in English with a concentration in Education from the University of Texas – San Antonio. She currently resides in Boerne, TX with her daughter.
Pronouns: she/her
Lauren Goudeaux
Operations Coordinator
Lauren Goudeaux
Operations Coordinator
lauren [at] nfg.org
(510) 444-6063, ext. 11
Lauren facilitates the day-to-day administration of NFG’s business operations and processes. Her work is primarily focused on leveraging internal systems and technologies to improve the efficiency and performance of membership and revenue processes.
Lauren joined NFG in 2018, inspired by the organization’s efforts to move resources and power to people of color and communities that have been systematically marginalized and disenfranchised. She has a background in education and public health advocacy, diversity efforts in STEM and healthcare professions, and workforce development. Prior to NFG, Lauren worked with the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Science Educational Equity Program, and the Greater Sacramento Urban League.
Lauren is currently working towards a MS in Statistics with an emphasis in applied applications. Her interest is in how social systems and spatial patterns influenced by zoning and land use policies affect health and social inequality.
Pronouns: she/her
Lindsay Ryder
Senior Membership Manager
Lindsay Ryder
Senior Membership Manager
lindsay [at] nfg.org
(510) 444-6063, ext. 22
Lindsay works with NFG’s membership to ensure that foundations and their staff are fully benefiting from being a part of the NFG network. She holds a birds-eye view of the national and local funders within the NFG network and is always happy to help connect folks with each other, help NFG members share their stories or pose their questions to our nationwide audience, and plug funders into the growing slate of NFG programs and offerings to deepen their work and relationships.
Lindsay joined NFG in 2017, continuing her passion for and deep experience with providing resources, capacity building, and technical assistance to support social justice advocacy. Lindsay was herself an NFG member while serving as Program Officer with the Proteus Fund’s Security & Rights Collaborative, and also worked as a Legal Associate at Alliance for Justice. Lindsay earned her BA from New York University and JD from Brooklyn Law School. Following extended stints in New York City and the Bay Area and elsewhere around the world, Lindsay now engages in movement building work based from her home state of Montana.
Pronouns: she/her
LORRAINE RAMIREZ
Senior Program Manager, Funders for Justice
LORRAINE RAMIREZ
Senior Program Manager, Funders for Justice
fundersforjustice [at] nfg.org
(510) 444-6063
Lorraine organizes grantmakers, donor networks, and funder affinity groups to move money to grassroots organizing, led by and for people of color, at the intersections of racial justice, gender justice, criminalization, and community safety and justice. She partners with NFG’s members to fund community power building and transformative organizing. Lorraine joined NFG in December of 2012.
Lorraine has worked in social justice philanthropy for 15 years, in the areas of housing and the foreclosure crisis, LGBTQ rights, gender justice, racial justice, immigrant rights, criminalization, and anti-violence organizing strategies. Lorraine previously worked in US Programs at the Open Society Foundations, and began in philanthropy at the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, working across their international and US-based grant programs.
Lorraine has partnered with grassroots social justice community-based organizations across the US, on fundraising strategies, organizational development, and coalition-building. She served on the board of the Audre Lorde Project, Queers for Economic Justice, the Justice Committee, and Resource Generation. She is currently a board member of the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training (GIFT),and Trans Queer Pueblo; she serves on the grants panel for the Mobilize Power Fund of Third Wave Fund. Lorraine holds a B.A. in Women's Studies from Pomona College.
Pronouns: she/her
Courtney Banayad
Director of Development and Communications
Courtney Banayad
Director of Development and Communications
courtney [at] nfg.org
(510) 444-6063, ext. 14
Courtney shapes, manages, and drives NFG’s fundraising to support the organization’s mission and national philanthropy network programming. She also leads NFG’s communications strategies to inspire members and the broader philanthropic community to move more money to racial, economic, gender, and climate justice.
An accomplished fundraiser who believes philanthropy is a tool for social change, Courtney honed her skills at several organizations, including Global Greengrants Fund, where she mobilized more than $10 million to propel grassroots environmental action. She joined NFG’s staff in July 2019 after working with the organization as a consultant via Moxy Group, a QPOC and women-led organization that she co-founded to partner with social justice and philanthropic organizations on fundraising, communications, and design projects.
Courtney holds an M.A. in International and Intercultural Communications from the University of Denver and degrees in Ethnic Studies and American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She serves on the Board of Directors at the Chinook Fund, a Colorado-based grantmaker that seeds community-led, systemic change by mobilizing resources for and trusting in grassroots social justice organizations. She is also an Advisor to Their Kids, a socially conscious childcare collective expanding resources to support gender inclusion and empowerment. Courtney lives in Denver, CO where she gets up early for sunrise hikes and always has a pint of ice cream in her freezer.
Pronouns: she/her
Manisha Vaze
Senior Program Manager, Funders for a Just Economy
Manisha Vaze
Senior Program Manager, Funders for a Just Economy
manisha [at] nfg.org
(510) 444-6063, ext. 19
Manisha manages the strategy and programming for the Funders for a Just Economy (FJE) program. FJE is a national network of funders interested in building the power of workers and low-income and low wealth communities, supporting the workers’ rights movement, and advocating for a progressive economic agenda that moves us toward racial, gender, migrant, and economic justice.
Before joining NFG in February 2017, Manisha was the director of organizing at Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE) based in South Los Angeles. A seasoned organizer, she was previously the senior organizer at Families for Freedom (FFF), a New York City-based community organization by and for families facing deportation due to an interaction with the criminal system. Manisha also has experience in mental health program development and policy advocacy and served as the follow-up coordinator at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science from the University of California at Berkeley and a Masters in Social Work from Columbia University. She serves on the board of Progressive Technology Project.
Pronouns: she/her
Melody Baker
Senior Program Coordinator, Amplify Fund
Melody Baker
Senior Program Coordinator, Amplify Fund
melody [at] nfg.org
(510) 444-6063, ext. 24
Melody provides program and operations support for the Amplify Fund. She manages the Fund’s workflow and systems, staffs Amplify’s Director and Steering Committee, and supports relationships with grantees, advisors, funders, and partners.
Melody joined NFG in August 2018, inspired by Amplify’s goal to build the power and decision-making authority of people of color and low-income people to transform their communities and advance equitable development. Driven by her commitment to racial justice and shifting power, she has served in various roles within the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Most recently Melody was the Deputy Director of Programs at The Inner Resilience Program, which focused on cultivating the inner lives of students, teachers and school communities. Previously, she served as the Director of Grantmaking and Capacity Building at the Funders Collaborative on Youth Organizing (FCYO) and as a Program Officer at the Edward W. Hazen Foundation. In these roles, Melody supported youth-led community organizing and honed her skills in program management and collaborative grantmaking.
Melody is invested in supporting the inner transformation of people and the outer transformation of communities working for social justice. She holds a BA in African-American Studies and Sociology from Wesleyan University. She is based in Brooklyn, NY.
Pronouns: she/her
Neda Said
Program Coordinator
Neda Said
Program Coordinator
neda [at] nfg.org
(510) 444-6063, ext. 15
Neda provides logistical coordination to bridge NFG programs and facilitate connections amongst NFG members and field leaders. They joined NFG in September 2018 and support Funders for Justice, Funders for a Just Economy, and the Democratizing Development Program. Neda’s work is driven by their ardor to alleviate injustices for marginalized communities at the intersections of identity.
Neda’s experience has honed their skills in strategic community engagement, detailed program coordination, dynamic facilitation, and thoughtful curriculum development. Prior to joining NFG, she has led community empowerment and organizing efforts in a myriad of ways, including facilitation and crafting of curriculum in partnership with queer and trans youth leaders, support and training for survivors and advocates for domestic and sexual violence, and management of leadership programming for youth of color.
Neda is based in Oakland, California. She is an organizer with Survived & Punished, and also serves on the board of Queer Crescent. They completed their studies in Political Science and International Studies at the University of California at San Diego. When Neda isn’t immersed in planning the details of something, they are probably out enjoying the sunshine.
Pronouns: they/them, she/her
NILE K. MALLOY
Senior Program Manager, Democratizing Development Program
NILE K. MALLOY
Senior Program Manager, Democratizing Development Program
nile [at] nfg.org
(510) 444-6063, ext. 17
Nile works with place-based and national funders to strengthen our racial equity analysis and to move resources to further invest in community-led power building strategies. Inspired by social movement's and his personal organizing experiences, he believes that NFG's strategic and intersectional approaches to grantmaking are critical in shifting philanthropic resources towards social justice.
Nile joined NFG in April 2016 as the Senior Program Manager of the Democratizing Development Program. He brings fifteen years of experience in economic development, public health, community organizing, philanthropic relationship building, climate change, and environmental justice.
Before joining NFG, Nile worked as the Northern California Program Director at Communities for a Better Environment and has provided consulting services to philanthropy, nonprofits, and government entities on community equity-based climate planning and development.
Nile has served on many boards and steering committees including the Bay Area Rapid Transit Title VI Environmental Justice Advisory Committee, State Climate Adaptation Committee, Climate Justice Alliance and the Ford Theater Foundation. He holds a BA in African American Studies and Social and Cultural Anthropology from the University of Michigan and an MA in Social and Cultural Anthropology from the California Institute of Integral Studies.
Pronouns: he/him
SHANNON LIN
Communications Manager
SHANNON LIN
Communications Manager
shannon [at] nfg.org
(510) 444-6063, ext. 12
Shannon implements strategies supporting the growth and visibility of NFG’s national network and programming in the field of philanthropy. She helps our members connect and build relationships with each other and with NFG through our website, social media, and email communications. Her passion lies in lifting up the voices of our members and field partners to highlight ideas and opportunities for addressing social inequities.
Shannon joined NFG in 2016 as a Program Associate, providing support on membership engagement, events, and database management. Her background is in advocating for workers' rights and providing support for the housing, economic, education, and health needs of immigrants, low-income communities, and communities of color. She has previously worked with Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC).
Currently, she serves on the Steering Committee of the Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) Bay Area Chapter. Shannon holds a BA in Peace and Conflict Studies with a minor in Public Policy from the University of California at Berkeley. In 2015, she was a fellow with the Center on Civility & Democratic Engagement at the Goldman School of Public Policy. Shannon is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Pronouns: she/her
Our Board
ALISON CORWIN
Surdna Foundation
ALISON CORWIN
Senior Program Officer, Sustainable Environments
Surdna Foundation
Alison Corwin is Chair of the NFG board. She is a Senior Program Officer for Sustainable Environments at the Surdna Foundation. She engages in grantmaking to develop and support how communities of color and low-wealth communities build accountability, alternatives, and democratic muscle to promote infrastructure development that simultaneously aims to achieve racial equity, and economic, environmental and climate justice. Alison holds a Master in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University and received her undergraduate degree in Political Science and Environmental Studies from St. Lawrence University.
SHONA CHAKRAVARTTY
Hill-Snowdon Foundation
SHONA CHAKRAVARTTY
Senior Program Officer
Hill-Snowdon Foundation
Shona Chakravartty is a Senior Program Officer at Hill-Snowdon Foundation, where she leads its Economic Justice grantmaking program and executes learning and leveraging activities related to its economic justice goals. Shona is currently a Co-Chair of NFG's Funders for a Just Economy. She also serves on the steering committee of the Funders’ Collaborative on Youth Organizing and on the board of Chhaya CDC in Queens, where she lives. Shona was born in India and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University and a master’s degree from Oxford University.
lavastian glenn
Nathan Cummings Foundation
lavastian glenn
Director, Racial and Economic Justice
Nathan Cummings Foundation
Lavastian Glenn is the Director, Racial and Economic Justice at the Nathan Cummings Foundation. She has nearly two decades of experience leading racial and economic justice through community-based problem solving and philanthropic strategy across the South. Most recently, Lavastian served as Program Director at the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation (MRBF) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She also helped create Grantmakers for Southern Progress, a working group of Southern and national philanthropic organizations committed to increasing investment and attention for structural change in the region. Lavastian received a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Wake Forest University.
marjona jones
Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock
marjona jones
Senior Program Officer
Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock
Marjona Jones is a Senior Program Officer at the Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock, where she focuses on grantmaking to support racial justice and economicequity. Marjona brings all of her experience, expertise and whole self to her practice as a grantmaker. Prior to entering the field of philanthropy, Marjona organized for 14 years in varying capacities for social and economic justice with Brown Community Development Corporation (BCDC), NY Jobs with Justice, and UNITE HERE. A native of Chicago’s South Shore, Marjona currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.
AMY KENYON
Ford Foundation
AMY KENYON
Program Officer
Ford Foundation
Amy Kenyon is Secretary of the NFG board. She is a Program Officer on the Ford Foundation's Just Cities and Regions team. Her work has focused on reforming the rules that shape regional development in US metropolitan areas in order to expand economic opportunities for low-income people. Her grant making has supported integrated approaches to equitable development, through improving access to permanently affordable housing and transit choices and deepening community engagement in land use planning processes. Amy earned her master’s degree from the New School for Public Engagement’s program in urban policy and management. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international business from Messiah College.
Amoretta Morris
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Amoretta Morris
Director, National Community Strategies
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Amoretta Morris is the Director of National Community Strategies at the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Her team works with local partners to improve the neighborhoods where kids and families live by promoting access to good schools, affordable homes and job opportunities and strengthening community safety. Amoretta has more than a decade of experience in education policy, youth development, civic engagement, interagency collaboration and nonprofit management. Amoretta earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and African studies from Washington University in St. Louis and a master’s in public policy from Harvard University.
Sandra Witt
The California Endowment
Sandra Witt
Director of Healthy Communities
The California Endowment
Sandra Witt is currently the Director of Healthy Communities (Northern Region) at The California Endowment. Previously, she served as the Deputy Director of Planning, Policy and Health Equity for the Alameda County Public Health Department as well as the Director of the Community Assessment, Planning, Education and Evaluation (CAPE) Unit of the Alameda County Public Health Department. Sandra received her DrPH In Maternal and Child Health from the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley. She also holds a Masters in Public Health and a Masters in Latin American Studies/Anthropology.
Mark Paley
The Hyams Foundation
Mark Paley
Director of Administration & Finance
The Hyams Foundation
Mark Paley is the Director of Administration & Finance at The Hyams Foundation. Before joining Hyams in 2001, he was the CFO at YouthBuild USA where he helped to build the national youth servicing non-profit to a nationally recognized network of groups working with out of school youth. Mark was a member of the initial steering committee of the Non-Profit Financial Managers Group. He is also a member of the board of the Schott Foundation. Mark earned his B.A. at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a Masters of Management at the University of California, Davis.
mary sobecki
The Needmor Fund
mary sobecki
Executive Director
The Needmor Fund
Mary Sobecki has been with The Needmor Fund for ten years and currently serves as its Executive Director. Previously, she served as Senior Program Officer at the Toledo Community Foundation and later as the founding Director of the Nonprofit Resource Center. She previously held positions at several nonprofits, including Children’s Resource Center in Bowling Green, Ohio, and the Y.W.C.A. of Greater Toledo. Mary’s board memberships have included Philanthropy Ohio, The First Tee of Lake Erie, and FOCUS. Mary holds a bachelor’s degree in in Social Work from Bowling Green State University.
Aaron Tanaka
Center for Economic Democracy
Aaron Tanaka
Director
Center for Economic Democracy
Aaron Tanaka is Treasurer of the NFG board. He is a Boston-based community organizer, grantmaker, and impact investor. As the director of the Center for Economic Democracy, Aaron stewards funding and technical assistance to grassroots groups that build power and vision in low-income communities of color for a new economy. He is a former Green For All Fellow, a current Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) Fellow, and a visiting practitioner at Tufts University, and co-chair of the Asian American Resource Workshop and the national New Economy Coalition. Aaron holds a BA from Harvard University and an MS in community economic development from Southern New Hampshire University.
Judith Bell
The San Francisco Foundation
Judith Bell
Vice President of Programs
The San Francisco Foundation
Judith Bell is the Vice President of Programs at The San Francisco Foundation. Judith brings extensive experience in strategic planning and policy development, with a focus on economic and social equity. Previously, Judith was the President of PolicyLink, where she worked to develop the organization into a national leader on a range of equity issues, with her particular focus being policy development and campaign strategy at the local, state, and national levels. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of California at Santa Cruz and a master’s of public administration from Harvard University.
Sandra Martínez
The California Wellness Foundation
Sandra Martínez
Director of Public Policy
The California Wellness Foundation
Sandra J. Martínez is director of public policy at The California Wellness Foundation. In this capacity, she plans, coordinates and oversees Cal Wellness’ public policy activities as a means of advancing its mission, achieving its goals and amplifying the impact of its grantmaking. She is responsible for grantmaking related to advancing public policy, which addresses health issues from a systemic perspective and supports efforts focused on improving policies or conditions using activities such as education, advocacy, civic engagement and policy analysis. She received her bachelor’s degree from UCLA and her master’s degree in public health from the University of California, Berkeley.
Cory Anderson
Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
Cory Anderson
Executive Vice President
Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
Rev. Cory S. Anderson is the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation’s (WRF) executive vice president responsible for the cultivation of local and national partners, special initiatives, and strategy development. Previously, Cory supported state-level child advocacy organizations and helped lead the KIDSCOUNT Initiative at The Annie E. Casey Foundation in Baltimore, Maryland. In addition to working for The Annie E. Casey Foundation during his time away from Arkansas, Cory was manager of partner development at the Forum for Youth Investment in Washington, D.C. Cory is married to Dr. Phillis Nichols-Anderson, CEO of a national educational management organization. He is pursuing a master’s degree in theology from Anderson University.
