Dr. Danny Avula

Dr. Danny Avula took office as the 81st Mayor of the City of Richmond on January 1, 2025.

Before his election to public office, Danny served the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts for 12 years, including 6 years as its Director. There, he championed efforts to increase access to care for the most vulnerable residents of our community, prioritized the voices of those with lived experience, lifted up the intersection of housing and health, and addressed the root causes that shape health outcomes-especially poverty and race.

In January 2021, Governor Northam appointed Danny to lead Virginia’s COVID-19 vaccination effort. He jumpstarted a struggling vaccine rollout and elevated the Commonwealth from 50th to one of the top 10 most-vaccinated states in the country. As Virginia emerged from the pandemic, Danny was then appointed as Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Social Services by Governor Youngkin, where he led significant transformational work to support families and to create more sustainable pathways out of poverty.

Danny is a pediatrician and works as a hospitalist at Chippenham Hospital.

Born in Hyderabad, India, he immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1979. A father of five, Danny and his wife, Mary Kay, have lived in Richmond’s East End for over 20 years. Mary Kay is a teacher with Richmond Public Schools.

Danny holds degrees from the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Johns Hopkins. He was named one of Richmond’s “Top Docs” each year from 2013-2022, a Richmond Times-Dispatch Person of the Year in 2019, and Style Weekly’s Richmonder of the Year in 2020. In 2017, he won the Dancing With the Richmond Stars contest.

Jonathan Brooks

Rev. Dr. Jonathan Brooks is a lifelong resident of Chicago, IL, and currently serves as Lead Pastor at Lawndale Christian Community Church and the Chief Inspiration Officer for Lawndale Christian Ministries, which includes Lawndale Christian Health Center, Lawndale Christian Development Corporation, and Lawndale Christian Legal Center.

Pastah J, as he is affectionately called, is a sought-after speaker, writer, artist, organizer, and community developer.  He has contributed to numerous blogs, articles, and books and is the author of the book Church Forsaken: Practicing Presence in Neglected Neighborhoods, published by InterVarsity Press.  

Jonathan has a Bachelor of Architecture from Tuskegee University, Master of Arts in Teaching from National Louis University, as well as a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Northern Seminary with an emphasis in Christian Community Development. He is married to Micheál Newman-Brooks, has two beautiful children, and lives in the North Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago.

Charles Cheek

Charles has studied and studied until he said enough, and he embarked into the real world, where people were seeking the presence of someone who would stand beside and with them. So, after formal education, he decided to confront injustice by looking it in the face/head on. There were many times when the lure of the white picket fence and a settled life seemed the more secure road to travel. However, his life motto would unceasingly echo through his being…Agitate, Organize, Educate!!! This was never more apparent than when he lived in the Appalachian region and was confronted with class discrimination as well as racial discrimination. Charles has been a law enforcement investigator, a housing counselor, an insurance and real estate agent, an entrepreneur, and finally accepted God’s calling to carry the Gospel anywhere and everywhere by empowering people. Today, he Pastors a church in Hampton, Virginia, and is the founder of KUF Marketplace Resource Center…a Resource Center with Community Resources under one roof.

David M. Bailey

David M. Bailey is a public theologian, culture maker, and catalyst focused on cultivating communities of reconciliation. He is the Founder and Chief Vision Officer of Arrabon, a spiritual formation ministry that equips Christ-followers to actively and creatively pursue healing in their communities.

As a speaker, consultant, and strategist, David is known for holding complexity with warmth and clarity, helping leaders remain present to one another, navigate complexity faithfully, and make meaningful progress together. He is the co-author of the study series A People, A Place, and A Just Society, executive producer of the documentary 11am: Hope for America’s Most Segregated Hour, and founder of the Urban Doxology Project.

David has been recognized with Duke University’s Traditioned Innovation Award and the Locke Innovative Leader Award, and his work has been featured in The New York Times. His greatest honor is cultivating a life with his wife, Joy.

Rev. Donald L. Coleman

Pastor Don Coleman (Married to Florence for 40+ years) is a Founding and Co-Lead Pastor of East End Fellowship, a multiethnic, economically diverse worshipping community in the East End of Richmond, Virginia. Pastor Don is a 20+ year CCD practitioner, heavily influenced by Dr. John Perkins.

Pastor Don has served as a key leader in the Racial Healing movement in Richmond for many years. Pastor Don has also served numerous non-profits: For Richmond, One Day One Step, Into the Neighborhood, and Lead Like Jesus Together, to name a few. Pastor Don was elected to the Richmond City School Board, where he served for 8 years, 2 as Chairman.

Pastor Don’s life motto is: “Do the Bible!’ Pastor Don’s absolute passion for Jesus has impacted many spiritual sons and daughters. Finally, Pastor Don lives to see the Kingdom come on earth as in heaven NOW!

Dr. Fred Liggin IV

Dr. Fred Liggin is a certified trauma professional, contextual theologian, and serves as lead pastor of Williamsburg Christian Church, the founder of 3e Restoration, and owner of Philoxenia Culture. With advanced degrees in the intersection of theology and cultural studies, his work focuses on hospitality, racialization, and mending in communities affected by collective trauma. He is dedicated to organizing for resilience so communities can work for the common good of all. A TEDx alum and an adjunct professor at William & Mary, he serves on several local boards. Fred is one of two leaders (Laura Hill) who worked with city government leaders to establish Williamsburg, Virginia’s first Truth & Reconciliation Commission.

Steve Park

Steve founded Little Lights Urban Ministries in 1995 after meeting underserved children and youth near his parents’ business in NW, DC, after his conversion from atheism as an adult. Starting with no funds and no experience, he has grown the organization to 14 full-time and 55 part-time staff, including many from the community the ministry serves. Little Lights recruits over 600 volunteers per year, giving more than 8000 volunteer hours annually while maintaining a Christ-centered focus. He also created and teaches the Race Literacy 101 class that helps Christians understand the history of racial ideology and systemic racism and how it connects to our faith.

He has two children, Dylan and Kayla, ages 21 and 23, and has been married for 25 years to Mary Park, who serves as the Deputy Director of Little Lights. Steve won the John Thompson Legacy of a Dream Award from Georgetown University in 2018. He is also one of the founders of DC Unity and Justice Fellowship, an all-volunteer organization dedicated to racial unity and justice in the Body of Christ. Steve was a part of CCDA’s leadership cohort 2 and also served on the board of CCDA from 2013-2022. He was recently selected as a 2024 Public Life Fellow by the Center for Christianity and Public Life. He enjoys playing tennis in his free time.

Amy L. Sherman

Dr. Amy L. Sherman is a Senior Fellow at the Sagamore Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research think tank. She provides consulting and training to congregations and faith-based nonprofits to strengthen their effectiveness in advancing justice and mercy in their communities. She is the author of seven books and over 120 articles in a variety of religious and secular periodicals. Her 2011 book, Kingdom Calling: Vocational Stewardship for the Common Good won Christianity Today’s “Book of the Year” award in the Christian living category. Her most recent book is Agents of Flourishing: Pursuing Shalom in Every Corner of Society (IVP, 2022).

Sherman is the founder and former executive director of Charlottesville Abundant Life Ministries, a whole-family, holistic urban ministry in Charlottesville, VA. She calls herself a “minister to ministries” and loves to encourage and equip congregational and nonprofit leaders in their efforts to help their communities flourish.

Her undergraduate degree is from Messiah College and her MA and Ph.D. degrees are from the University of Virginia (UVA). She is a member of Church of the Good Shepherd, an Anglican church in Charlottesville, an avid UVA basketball fan, and an animal lover. Her life verse is Micah 6:8.

Nathan Walton

Nathan Walton (Ph.D.) has spent his career equipping churches for theologically informed social engagement. His vocation as a pastor, teacher, and writer has focused on race and multiethnicity within churches in America. He is a pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church, currently serves as Co-Lead Pastor of East End Fellowship in Richmond, Virginia, and is the host of the East End Fellowship Podcast. Prior to these roles, he previously served as Pastor of Formation and Discipleship at Charlottesville Vineyard Church and Executive Director of Charlottesville Abundant Life Ministries.

Nathan is the author of Embodying God’s Multiethnic Kingdom: Live Out the Diversity of Heaven Every Day, which draws from over ten years of pastoral ministry in multiethnic churches, his experiences consulting with churches that are pursuing multiethnicity, and his thirteen years of theological training. That training includes four degrees in religion, including a Master of Divinity degree from Duke Divinity School and a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. Through this ecclesial and academic pedigree, Nathan has gained extensive subject matter expertise as well as proficiency as a writer, teacher, consultant, and coach.

Aside from these roles, Nathan has also served on a number of boards, including as Chair for the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, Co-Chair of the Equal Justice USA Evangelical Network Advisory Team, Vice President of Richmonders Involved to Strengthen Our Communities, and Vice Chair of Theological Horizons. Through these experiences, he has gained a deep understanding of strategic planning, program oversight, staff management, and organizational best practices. Nathan offers consulting, coaching, and trainings for faith leaders and faith-based organizations, and he can be reached at drnathaniwalton@gmail.com. Nathan is from a small town of 300 people in southern Virginia called Brodnax, and he currently lives in Richmond, Virginia, with his wife, Diamond, and two daughters, Esperanza and Vera Mae.

Corey Widmer

Corey Widmer is the Senior Pastor of Third Church and co-founder of East End Fellowship, a multicultural congregation in Richmond. Corey and his wife Sarah have been a part of community development efforts in Richmond for over 20 years. Corey also has a PhD in theology and writes and speaks often about the mission and identity of the church in our late-modern, fragmented age.

Bethany Rivera Molinar

Bethany Rivera Molinar is a fronteriza Chicana living and working in El Paso, Texas, about a mile from the international border line of the United States and Mexico. She is the Executive Director of Ciudad Nueva Community Outreach, a holistic, asset-based, Christian community development nonprofit organization working alongside their neighbors to empower youth, support families, equip leaders, and strengthen community in the Rio Grande neighborhood. Bethany and her team work primarily with first and second generation Latine immigrants. Bethany is deeply passionate for Ciudad Nueva to be a place where community-led work unfolds and community members from young to older are actively engaged and accessing their gifts, skills, and resources to collectively lead towards a vibrant and thriving community. Along with her team and community, this passion has driven the work that she has done through Ciudad Nueva for over ten years. Bethany also serves as Chair on the national board of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) as well as on the boards of two local organizations. Bethany earned both Master of Divinity & Master of Social Work degrees at Truett Theological Seminary and the Diana Garland School of Social Work at Baylor University. Bethany also has a demonstrated history of serving with prophetic strength and innovative leadership within local, regional, and national women of color faith circles.

Dr. Lorenzo A. Watson

Lorenzo A. Watson serves as the CEO/President for the Christian Community Development Association, headquartered in Chicago, IL. He is an experienced community development professional; a leader, teacher, and scholar who has long centered his work at the intersections of wholeness, education, and Biblical justice.

For nearly two decades, Lorenzo worked in Research, Development, and Technology at North Carolina State University (NCSU). While at NCSU, he led the Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering information technology department and provided strategic oversight in information technology to multiple campuses. In addition to supporting world-renowned faculty and staff in their research development, Lorenzo also served actively as a mentor to student leaders. Lorenzo has served as the Director of Communications and Marketing for CCDA, providing a critical communications roadmap for the association. He has been instrumental in planning the CCDA national conference and helped guide the office team through its first virtual conference during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Lorenzo has also directed the vibrant work of Education and Equipping for CCDA.

Lorenzo holds a BS from North Carolina State University in Computer Engineering, an MDiv from Shaw University Divinity School, and a PhD in Educational Research and Policy Analysis from NCSU. He and his spouse of 18 years, Natarsha P. Sanders, reside and serve as “community pastors” in the Doyle community of Kerrville, Texas. Lorenzo’s proven skills in multi-ethnic organizational leadership, management, and coaching, as well as his pastoral giftings and scholarship, have helped create environments of inclusion and belonging in every space to which he has been called.

Scott Overpeck

Scott Overpeck is a creative leader with a heart for contextualizing movements of justice, advocacy, and compassion to his surroundings. He previously led a consultancy advising social enterprises and nonprofits on tools and strategies as it relates to operations, marketing, fundraising, and commerce. In this capacity he has helped organizations from the startup stage all the way on up to established $50m organizations be more efficient, raise more money, craft better programs and be better communicators. He is now Director of Membership at Christian Community Development Association and sits on the board of Orange County Educational Arts Academy; helped found Laundry Love Santa Ana and has served on other local and national boards and councils. In both his roles as a leader in changemaking organizations and a consultant to changemakers, he is always an outspoken advocate for better communication, design and storytelling as well as always keeping real life humans at the center of every decision making process. By continually immersing himself in all sides of the social change sectors, he is able to bring fresh insights to the table. His work has been featured in such publications as the NY Times, OC Metro, OC Weekly, Orange Coast Magazine, Riviera Magazine, Korean American Journal, OC Register and many others. Scott is a contributing author to Create Culture: thoughts on branding for humans and is the author of the upcoming Create Good: the case for creativity in the social sector.

Christina Foor

Christina Foor serves as the Director of Engagement & Mobilization at CCDA, where she leads initiatives to connect, inspire, and mobilize practitioners committed to seeing their communities flourish. With a rich background in cross-cultural mentorship, advocacy, community development, and program leadership, Christina has dedicated her career to empowering underrepresented voices and cultivating spaces of belonging and flourishing.

An Indian-American wife and mother of two daughters, Christina brings a unique perspective to her work, rooted in her Christian faith, hospitality, holistic well-being, and a passion for creating spaces where every voice is valued and welcomed. She is passionate about the intersection of spiritual formation and justice, walking alongside individuals and communities to live out a faith that leads to collective flourishing.

Outside of her professional life, Christina finds joy in tackling DIY projects, cooking, and sharing adventures with family and friends. She delights in learning from people of diverse backgrounds, often welcoming them into her extended family.