Rev. Julio Hernandez serves as the Vice Chair of the Board. Rev. Julio is an American Baptist pastor and a student in the Doctor of Ministry program at Duke Divinity School. He has more than 20 years’ experience in ministry with a focus on cross-cultural mission and outreach among children and youth. He currently serves as the Family Ministries Director at Christ Crossman United Methodist Church in Falls Church, VA.

Rev. Patricia Shipley serves as Board Treasurer. She is a retired United Methodist pastor. She was the senior pastor at Centenary United Methodist Church in Richmond for six years. She serves as a Witness at the Capitol volunteer and as the Conference Legislative Network coordinator for the United Methodists.

Hurunnessa Fariad serves as Board Secretary. She is the Director of Outreach for the Multi-Faith Neighbors Network. Previously, she served as Head of Outreach/PR & Interfaith at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS Center) where she oversaw the Outreach and Public Relations efforts of the center to educate the DMV community about the ADAMS Center and the American Muslim community it serves. national and international media outlets. Hurunnessa also oversaw the Interfaith efforts at the ADAMS Center and is an active member of MJAC (Muslim Jewish Advisory Council) and PCI (Peace Catalyst International) and other organizations. Hurunnessa is the founder and former Music Director of America’s first Mosque Youth Choir, The ADAMS BEAT, which is actively involved in interfaith and advocacy work. She is also the founder and co-host of the Sister Act Podcast along with a female Pastor and Rabbi co-hosts.  The podcast focuses on lived experiences of life, faith and resilience as American women from the 3 Abrahamic faith traditions.

Rev. Kelly D. Bayer Derrick is an Assistant to the Bishop of the Virginia Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Pastor Bayer Derrick engages in visioning for support and development of healthy leaders – both ordained ministers and lay leaders and coordinates the Synod’s justice ministries. Pastor Bayer Derrick holds a Master of Sacred Theology from United Lutheran Seminary (Gettysburg, PA) and a Master of Divinity from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (Columbia, SC). Pastor Bayer Derrick lives in Roanoke with her husband, the Rev. David Derrick

The Reverend Doctor Linwood T. Blizzard, II serves as the 16th Senior Pastor of the historic Macedonia Baptist Church in Heathsville, Virginia. He has served as an Adjunct Professor of Practical Theology on the faculty of the Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. He currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Macedonia Community Development Corporation, Inc. (MACorp, Inc.) and is a past President of the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club of the Northern Neck, Inc. In addition, he serves as the Education Secretary for the Northern Neck Baptist Association, Inc. and Its Commissions and he serves as the Chair of the Commission on Social Justice for the Baptist General Convention of Virginia, Inc. Furthermore, he serves on the Board of Directors for the River Counties Community Foundation, Inc. and is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He was licensed to preach in 2009 at the Saint Paul’s Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Lance Watson and ordained in 2015 at the Morning Star Baptist Church in Boston, Massachusetts under the leadership of Bishop John M. Borders, III. Dr. Blizzard, a native of Williamsburg, Virginia, holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Tech, a Master of Divinity from Howard University, a Certificate in Ecumenism from the Washington Theological Consortium, and a Master of Sacred Theology and a Doctor of Ministry both from Boston University. He and his wife Joycelyn have three children and they live in Heathsville, Virginia.

Cynthia Bullard-Perez was born and raised in Chicago, IL as a Roman Catholic. Her call to lay leadership was nurtured and supported through local leaders on the ground within the church. She has been a member of various teams that assisted in and supported the spiritual and leadership development of teens and young adults through conferences, workshops, and retreats. Cynthia worked for many years in Child and Family Services in both the private and public sectors running group homes and shelters for children who were wards of the state, removing and placing children, supervising and training staff, in Chicago, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles. Additionally, she served as a Union Stewart and Vice President in her AFSCME local in Indianapolis, IN. In 2010, she moved to Inglewood, CA to blend her family with her wife’s, an Episcopal priest. Together, they have four children. In 2012 she became an Episcopalian. They later moved to New York City and currently reside in Alexandria, VA where her spouse is an assistant professor at Virginia Theological Seminary. Cynthia works part-time with students at the Academic Resource Center as a writing coach and consultant. She is an active member of The Church of the Resurrection in Alexandria. She holds an undergraduate degree from Rosary College, now Dominican University, in Religious Studies (River Forest, IL), and an MA from Claremont School of Theology in Religion, Society and Social Change (Claremont, CA). She is called to lay leadership and the empowering of individuals.

Andrew (Drew) J. Burrichter is Vice President of Mission for Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond. Drew has a M.A. in Theology from The Catholic University of America, and a B.A. in Liberal Studies from St. Anselm College. Drew has been with Bon Secours since 2010 and previously worked at Roper St. Francis Health System in Charleston, SC. Drew was also Pastoral Associate at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Mt. Pleasant, SC.

Rev. Dr. James E. Coleman, Jr. is the Senior Pastor of Providence Transformation Church International in Lynchburg, Virginia and serves as the Faculty Chair and Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at Virginia University of Lynchburg. Rev. Dr. Coleman has also served as an instructor at Central Virginia Community College. Rev. Dr. Coleman holds a B.S. Degree in Political Science and Public Administration from James Madison University, Master of Divinity Degree from Virginia Union University, Master of Theology Degree from Duke University, and an earned Doctorate from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. Rev. Dr. Coleman is also a graduate of the 2001 Harvard University Summer Leadership and Community Development Institute. He has previously served on the Lynchburg Planning Commission. Among many other responsibilities, Rev. Dr. Coleman is currently the Chair of the Lynchburg City School Board and Finance Chair of the Virginia School Boards Association Board of Directors. He is a member of the Executive Committee, Virginia High School League, advisory board member of Truist Bank, Social Justice Chair of Virginia Baptist State Convention, and Second Vice President of the Baptist General Convention of Virginia.

Mr. Paul Falabella is an attorney with the Butler Royals law firm. He concentrates his practice in employment discrimination, employment, and business torts, civil rights, and contracts. Falabella attended college and law school at The University of Richmond. He is also part of VICPP’S Wage Theft Task Force.

Aliya Farooq has a degree in Business Administration from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She was born in Washington DC and raised in Maryland. Aliya moved to Chester Virginia in 1997, when her husband began his medical practice in Hopewell. She has enjoyed raising her four children in the Richmond area. She served on the Board of Directors at Iqra Academy of Virginia from 2000 to 2015, in the positions of secretary, vice-chair, chair and consultant. Aliya has been an active member of several local interfaith organizations such as Richmond Interfaith Climate Justice League and Salaam Shalom. With Richmond Interfaith Climate Justice, she assisted in three educational programs regarding urgent climate change issues held at the Islamic Center of Virginia. She has also contacted local Mosques and has encouraged them to implement greener practices. Aliya believes that women are the backbone of all societies and have the power to create change within communities.

Ms. Vicki Fishman is the Director of DC and Virginia Government and Community Relations for the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Greater Washington. Vicki is an attorney and longtime local Jewish community leader. She has served as President of Gesher Jewish Day School, as a Director of The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, as a Trustee of the United Jewish Endowment Fund, and is a member of the National and DC Leadership Councils of AIPAC. Vicki began her legal career at Ross, Dixon and Bell, LLC, a boutique litigation firm in Washington, DC. Prior to joining JCRC, she was a founding member of FishmanKlain, PLLC, practicing primarily in the areas of Wills, Trusts and Estates. Vicki received her BA in Religion from Swarthmore College and her JD from the University of Michigan Law School. She is also a graduate of the Wexner Heritage Program. Vicki and her husband, Dr. Simon Fishman, a neurologist, live ​in Falls Church, Virginia, ​with their four children.

Rev. Katie B. Gooch is the Director and Campus Minister of The Pace Center. She is an ordained pastor in the United Methodist Church and has a passion for setting the stage for relationships and community to thrive. Prior to Pace, Katie B. served as the Executive Pastor of Reveille United Methodist Church. During seminary, she served as a hospital chaplain at Duke University and as a pastor in both Durham and Mamers, North Carolina. In an earlier life, Katie B. was a communications consultant in Washington D.C. and a Division I field hockey player. She is originally from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma but has grown to love Richmond!

Rev. Kendra Grimes is Chaplain and Director of Church Relations at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, VA.  She directs the A. Purnell Bailey Program for Ordained Ministry and leads the Convergence Youth Theology Institute on Faith and Science at R-MC.  An ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, Kendra has pastored congregations in Virginia and North Georgia and previously served as Chaplain at UMFS (United Methodist Family Services).  Kendra earned a B.A. in Religious Studies and Psychology from Berry College and a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University.  She was a founding member of the non-profit Circles Ashland, a former chair and current member of the VaUMC Missional Ministries Board, and a leader in the Virginia Methodists for a New Thing movement organizing for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church.

Rev. Jamie Lynn Haskins is the Chaplain for Spiritual Life at the University of Richmond. She is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Prior to Richmond, she served as the Chaplain at Westminster College in Fulton, MO and as the Minister of Faith Formation and Social Justice at University Christian Church in Seattle, WA.  Rev. Haskins is passionate about cultivating, promoting and sustaining an active life of faith that centers on social justice, prophetic witness, and radical hospitality. She also served as a community organizer and social activist with Tennesseans Against the Death Penalty, Jobs with Justice, and Interfaith Worker Justice.

Rev. Dr. J. Lee Hill, Jr. is the Missioner for Racial Justice and Healing for the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. A native of Virginia, he holds degrees from George Mason University, Wake Forest, Emory University, and postgraduate certificates from Princeton Theological Seminar, the Morehouse School of Pastoral Leadership, and the Shalom Institute for Spiritual Formation. He is an ordained minister with standing in the Alliance of Baptists and the United Church of Christ.  He has served congregations in California, New York and North Carolina.

Dr. Mark James is the newly appointed Assistant Dean of Students at Virginia Union University. Dr. James has more than 25 years of dedicated educational leadership, working with students toward academic development and success in the classroom and in extracurricular activities. Dr. James has established and mobilized student-centric learning environments through his leadership while partnering with internal and external stakeholders to achieve university objectives. Dr. James earned his bachelor’s degree in History and Political Science from Virginia Union University in 2000. He also received his master’s degrees in Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix and Reading and Instruction K-12 from Florida Atlantic University. He recently obtained his doctorate in Higher Education Administration at Delaware State University.

Joshua Jeffreys lives with his wife and toddler in Richmond, Virginia, where he has served as the Jewish Chaplain and Director of Religious Life at the University of Richmond since 2018 (after two years as an interim Jewish Life Advisor). In this role, Josh works to cultivate a thriving Jewish community on campus, oversees numerous multifaith initiatives and the affiliated campus ministries, and teaches in a variety of settings to help foster a more inclusive community for students of all religious and spiritual backgrounds. Prior to joining the University of Richmond, Josh worked with multiple Jewish organizations including the Weinstein JCC, VCU Hillel, BBYO, and several synagogues as an educator, community builder, and prayer leader.

A native of New Jersey, Josh received his undergraduate degree in Jewish Studies from Rutgers University in 2013, a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Richmond in 2019, and is currently studying through ALEPH: The Alliance for Jewish Renewal toward rabbinic ordination and as part of ALEPH’s first Earth-Based Judaism cohort.

Dr. Kaiya Jennings, a native of Suffolk, Virginia, is an ordained preacher in the Baptist tradition. She is currently working as the Assistant Director of Graduate Student Programs at Virginia Tech’s School of Engineering. She graduated from Virginia State University in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and she also holds a Master of Divinity from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. Kaiya also graduated from Boston University in the spring of 2016, where she earned her second master’s degree in Religion, Culture, and Personality. She was the first woman to be chosen as the Baptist General Convention of Virginia’s Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries. Kaiya has spent the last 10 years working in both the public and private sectors, assisting community and governmental organizations with bridge-building initiatives and resource sharing. She co-hosts the Say It Out Loud Podcast and the Women of Color in Ministry Broadcast. Kaiya recently graduated with a Doctorate in Ministry from Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina, where her research focused on Black Clergywomen and Congregational Leadership.

Rev. Dr. Keith Jones is the pastor of Norfolk’s historic Shiloh Baptist Church. For the last seven years, his church offers a comprehensive program of caring for the community through regular Community Services Days, food and clothing distribution, blood drives, workshops and life skills development, programs for men, youth and seniors, and crisis support for the needy. Rev. Jones is a founding member of the Norfolk’s Pastor’s Coalition, focusing on social justice. He is the director of Home Missions for the Virginia Baptist State Convention, the President of the Ministers’ Council of the American Baptist Churches of the South, and the First Vice President of the Tidewater Metro Baptist Ministers’ Conference.

Dr. Karen McElfish is a retired pediatrician, now pursuing a career in art. She has been a long-time member of a United Methodist Women, and has served as District Social Action Coordinator, District President and just recently Conference Vice President. She now serves as Conference Mission Coordinator for Social Action.

Rev. Robin Denise Mines holds a Masters of Divinity Degree from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. She is a native of Richmond, Virginia and received her primary and secondary education in the Richmond Public School System, and went on to attend Norfolk State University. Rev. Mines is a United States Air Force Veteran who served from 1980 to 1986. She earned the Air Force Outstanding Achievement and Good Conduct medals. She has also held several lead, supervisory, and managerial positions in the manufacturing and health insurance industries.

Rev. Dr. Joshua Mitchell is the seventh Senior Pastor of the historic Thirty-First Street Baptist Church in Richmond, VA. A native of Baltimore, MD., Dr. Mitchell is a proud alumnus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and is a two-time graduate of the Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University where he earned his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees. Dr. Mitchell is a sought-after preacher, teacher, consultant, and writer. He is the author of the groundbreaking Judson Press release Black Millennials and the Church: Meet Me Where I Am and continues to serve as a faculty member in the African American Studies Department at the University of Houston. Dr. Mitchell is a frequent lecturer and consultant on effective ministry to youth and young adults, and is the founder and CEO of Digital Discipleship, LLC– a consulting firm committed to serving leaders and congregations in the area of Millennial Engagement. Dr. Mitchell is a proud member of several organizations, including the NAACP and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and considers himself blessed to be married to Lady Lori K. Mitchell, M.D., and they are the proud parents of two handsome sons, Jordan and Jayden.

Rev. Lauren Cogswell Ramseur is the Co-Pastor of the Voices of Jubilee, a ministry of the Presbyterian Church (USA).  Through worship, singing, community building, and pastoral care, they seek to accompany incarcerated youth in their detention and return to our community. Through advocacy with their legal team and partnering with others to transform our justice system, they work towards healing, liberation, and the transformation of our community and justice system. She previously served as Covenant Pastor at Bon Air Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Pastor of Lynnhaven Colony Congregational church (UCC) in Virginia Beach, and the Open Door Community in Atlanta, GA.  Rev. Ramseur is also a former board member of Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. She received her B.A. degree from James Madison University and her Master of Divinity degree from Emory University.

Farah Salam-Hottle is the Principal and Founder of Origins Consulting Group, a global training and strategy consultancy dedicated to helping organizations advance the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. She brings over 15 years in social equity work and talent strategy. Previously, Farah led diversity and inclusion for a high-growth $1.3B portfolio company with five brands. Under her leadership, the firm received its first related accolade, being named to Newsweek’s America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity-2023. She is also a member of the National Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, and Board Member for the Afghan Association of Central Virginia (AACVA), a non-profit refugee resettlement organization. Farah’s own cross-cultural background enables her to connect with individuals from around the world. Born and raised in the United States, she has Middle Eastern roots and has traveled and lived among people from Turkey, Afghanistan, Dubai, Germany, London, Doha, Mexico, and Canada. Farah completed her Bachelors in Political Science from the Honors College at Virginia Commonwealth University and is currently pursuing her Masters in Organization Development and Change from Penn State. Farah lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband, four children, and a spoiled Maltese named Ziggy.

Mr. Dean Wanderer is a member of the Accotink Unitarian Universalist Church of Burke. He holds a JD and two MA’s in law (International) and (Environmental). Wanderer retired from the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps in 1994 and became a sole practitioner where he advocated international matters for the U.S. Navy, DOD, and others. He is co-chair of the Unitarian Universalists Legislative Ministry of Virginia.

Rabbi Gary Creditor served as a member of VICPP’s Board of Directors until 2022. He is the Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Beth-el, where he served for 21 years. Before his tenure there he served congregations in NJ, MD, CT and NY. Rabbi Creditor is the chair of VICPP’s Richmond chapter, past President of Long Island Board of Rabbis, past chair of the Richmond Rabbinic Association and has served in many other nonprofit leadership roles. He is an instructor at the Osher Institute at University of Richmond.

Dr. Warren Hottle served as a member of the Board of Directors until 2022. He is a retired consultant and a pilot. He is also serving as immediate Past Commodore of the Yankee Point Racing and Cruising Club and on the United Methodist Committee of the Episcopacy. Dr. Hottle is married to a United Methodist pastor and they split time between Richmond and Lancaster.

Dr. Alok Srivastava is former president and current secretary of Rajdhani (Capital Area) Mandir (Hindu/ Jain Temple) in Chantilly, and past president of Association of Hindu Jain Temples. He has a Ph.D. and two masters in engineering fields, last graduated from the George Washington University.

Dr. John Whitley is president of Organization and Leadership Development Consulting Services. He has degrees from Wake Forest, William & Mary, Southeastern Theological Seminary and Virginia Tech. Whitley is co-chair of the Unitarian Universalists’ Legislative Ministry of VA and helps lead VICPP’s Williamsburg-James River Chapter.