Individual Class Member Details
• Teach an adult Sunday school ('community group') at church
• Assisted a friend running for local political office in 2022
• Taught as adjunct faculty for philosophy remotely for Columbia State (2020-2022)
• Decently networked and occasional participant with Everyone's Wilson
Much of my professional expertise lies at the intersection of religious communities and the public square, including government and community relations. As I watch Wilson County experience rapid growth along with the rest of middle Tennessee, I wonder how WilCo will weather the changes as our community grows more diverse. The population growth brings much in the way of economic opportunity and prosperity. That same growth can present challenges to unity, especially in an era when 'toxic-polarization' is trending in our nation.
WilCo can stay ahead of those challenges by coordinating and training leaders from the religious, business, philanthropic, and government communities. Everyone's Wilson serves as a helpful model for this work as a network of Christian churches and community leaders collaborating to work on the specific issues of poverty, addiction, foster care, and education.
Other models and resources exist to equip leaders to prepare for a navigate division within their own community (i.e., a congregation) and between groups within a broader community. If there appears to be opportunity to help 'inoculate' WilCo from the kinds of division we see developing in other areas of the country, I am interested in helping lead in that effort.
Diploma from Morgantown High School (Morgantown, WV)
Bachelor of Business Administration from Belmont University
MA in Philosophy from George Mason University (Fairfax, VA); Current PhD student in public theology at Southeast Baptist Theological Seminary (Wake Fo
• Board Chair (July 2021—present) and Founding board member, The One America Movement (OAM). OAM builds societal resilience to toxic polarization by bridging political, racial, and religious divides. More at oneamericamovement.org
• Team Lead (2020-2022), Faith In/And Democracy (FIAD) initiative, Years 2 & 3; Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE). Initiative explores the ways faith and faith communities can support democracy and civic life. More at pacefunders.org/faith-learnings/
• Associate Fellow, Research Institute of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
• International Religious Freedom Roundtable, 2011-2018, Washington, DC. (Steering Committee, 2017-2018; Co-chair, Congressional Working Group, 2014-2016; Participant, 2011-2013) Provided leadership in an effective and diverse gathering of civil society organizations. Audience includes senior federal officials, members of Congress, diplomats, and key federal staff. Initiatives include direct advocacy, global network and leadership development, and issue-specific partnerships. Experience includes interaction with three consecutive ambassadors-at-large for religious freedom, Rev. Amb. Susan Johnson Cook, Rabbi Amb. David Saperstein, and Amb. Samuel Brownback.
• Board Member (2016-2018), Sanctity of Life Ministries, Fairfax, VA. SLM fulfills their mission by offering compassionate support, education and medical services to those who face challenging sexual health decisions. SLM consists of the NOVA Pregnancy Help Centers in Fairfax city and Alexandria; medical clinics that provide free and confidential services to women facing an unexpected pregnancy.
As Senior Acquisitions Editor for trade* books, I receive and shepherd projects from authors and literary agents in order to acquire and develop non-fiction books. This kind of editor is responsible for establishing and nurturing author relationships for current and future books. Once a book project is acquired, I serve as the author's primary liaison between our legal (contract negotiation) design & production (creative), and marketing teams.
This job is to books what a producer is to a music album.
* Trade books is a broad category of books that is neither childrens nor academic.
Most of my professional experience has been in national-level organizations, or organizations not based in Lebanon/Wilson County. I anticipate the experience in Leadership Wilson will help me match my talents and expertise to particular needs and opportunities in Wilson County, weather in relation to government, business, or civil society.
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