Chair:
Robert G. Liberatore [bio]
Vice-Chair:
Amey Upton [bio]
Senior Advisor and Interim CEO:
Reverend Doug Tanner [bio]
Secretary:
Reverend Larry Hayward [bio]
Treasurer:
Joyce Brayboy [bio]
Co-Chairs Emeritus:
The Honorable Amo Houghton [bio]
The Honorable John Lewis (D-Ga.) [bio]
Board Members
The Honorable Tom Allen [bio]
Ken Bowler [bio]
Jerry Colbert [bio]
Michael Collins [bio]
Jo Cooper [bio]
Barbara Easterling [bio]
The Honorable Dan Glickman [bio]
Ambassador Thomas Graham Jr. [bio]
Patrick Griffin [bio]
The Honorable Amo Houghton [bio]
Daniel J. Keniry [bio]
Rabbi Mordechai Liebling [bio]
Peter Madigan [bio]
The Honorable Earl Pomeroy, Esq.[bio]
Florence Prioleau, Esq.[bio]
Jeff Rechenbach [bio]
Avideh Shashaani, Ph.D. [bio]
Robert Van Wicklin [bio]
Congressional Advisory Council
Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL)
Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO)
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA)
Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC)
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN)
Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO)
Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX)
Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA)
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)
Rep. John Lewis (D-GA)
Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)
Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA)
Rep. David Price (D-NC)
Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL)
Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI)
Rep. Melvin Watt (D-NC)
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA)
 Director of Finance & Membership Services | email me
Christian was born in Lviv, Ukraine. He attended Pontifical Minor Seminary in Rome, Italy, then earned a BA in Philosophy from Catholic University of America. Christian worked in the US Conference of Catholic Bishops Office to Aid the Catholic Church in Central and Eastern Europe for seven years, then served as a consultant for Catholic Outreach in Eastern Europe for another year. He joined The Faith & Politics Institute in November of 2007.
 Senior Congressional Liaison | email me Nelson Watkins began his tenure with The Faith & Politics Institute (FPI) in December 2002 as Office Manager. He has served in a variety of roles for FPI. In October 2007, Nelson became Program Coordinator for FPI. In April 2011, Nelson was appointed to the position of Senior Congressional Liaison. The role of Sr. Congressional Liaison most aptly reflects Nelson’s passion for working closely with Congressional Members and establishing strong relationships with Congressional Staff to communicate the goals of FPI and provide service to Congressional Offices in areas of focus on mutual concerns. Nelson was born in Athens, Alabama. He graduated from Faulkner University in Florence, Alabama in December 1987 with a degree in Business Administration. Prior to moving to Washington DC, Nelson worked in a wide range of service and hospitality organizations in Alabama. At the Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital, Nelson worked in the Department of Human Resources as Assistant Payroll Manger. Nelson also worked for the State of Alabama as Assistant Front Office Manger and Night Auditor. Nelson moved to Washington, DC in May 1998 to oversee the management and eventual sale of a multi-million dollar Georgetown Estate of a prominent deceased Washingtonian. Nelson is a Member of Metropolitan Baptist Church, one of the oldest historic black churches in the District. In December 2007, Nelson was officially licensed into Ministry by Dr. H. Beecher Hicks, Pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church in Washington, DC. In addition to serving as a Minister in his Congregation, Nelson is also Assistant Director of the Charles S. Whitted New Disciples Ministry and Chaplain for (PUSH) Pray Until Something Happens Ministry.  Executive Assistant to the President | email me Joanna has been with The Faith & Politics Institute since January of 2010. She grew up in a small town in Maryland just outside DC called Takoma Park. Joanna attended Goucher College in Towson, MD and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications. Having grown up in a Quaker household, Joanna attended Quaker meetings with her family every Sunday and went to a Quaker elementary school in Maryland. Her parents always taught her about other religions in order to educate her fully on the path to discovering her own spirituality. In her Meeting’s religious education program, often run by her parents, she learned about Native American spiritual traditions as well as Buddhism, Judaism, and a number of others. Although she no longer attends Meeting for Worship, those ideals of peace, inclusivity, pacifism, and civil rights have had a great influence on Joanna’s personal beliefs, and every day practices. Senior Advisor | email me Doug Tanner came of age in his native North Carolina during the Civil Rights Movement. His vocation is at the intersection of race and history, spirit and politics. As co-founder and long-time chief executive of The Faith & Politics Institute in Washington, DC, and now as its senior adviser, Doug has worked closely with Congressman John Lewis of Georgia and many other members of both the House and Senate, from both parties.
Doug is an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church. He has served as a campus chaplain, a parish minister, a congressional aide, and a political campaign consultant before helping to found The Faith & Politics Institute. Early in his career, he also served on the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church and developed an enduring connection with southern Africa. Doug is the author of The Truth Can Set Us Free: Toward a Politics of Grace and Healing, published by The Fetzer Institute.
He is married to Kathy Gille, a former senior congressional leadership aide, now a retreat facilitator and consultant. They live in Washington’s Adams-Morgan neighborhood with their golden retriever, Gabe. Development Manager | email me Jennie was born and raised in New Jersey. She graduated cum laude from Wake Forest University in May 2010 with a degree in Economics and minors in Mathematics and International Studies. Jennie spent the Fall of 2008 in London where she interned for an international tax firm. Jennie started with The Faith & Politics Institute during the summer of 2010 as an intern and became Development Associate in October. Intern | email me Sam is a native to Northern Virginia and the DC atmosphere, having lived here his entire life. He is no stranger to religious work on the Hill or elsewhere, being the son of Jim Winkler, General Secretary of the General Board of Church and Society, the grandson of Rev. Eugene Winkler, retired Senior Pastor of the First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple, writer, and social activist, and nephew and great-nephew to pastors Chris and Edward Winkler, respectively. His mother has also worked at his local church for over 10 years. He is currently a student and has a life in music, having been in school bands since 6th grade, including leadership positions in his high school drumline, and received an academic letter in music. He considers politics and social justice his passions. States Outreach Fellow | email me Laurie Anne Hughes joined The Faith & Politics Institute in August of 2011 and is the States Outreach Fellow. Previously she has worked on various campaigns for Members of Congress, and on Hillary Clinton Presidential race as well as for many groups that promote women in politics. Laurie is a graduate of The American University with a degree in Political Science and American Studies and Weatherford College in Texas and was the first Speaker Jim Wright Scholar. Laurie is a very active member of The United Methodist Church and she was a former Wesley Foundation President in Texas. She also volunteers for many political, non-profits and women's groups. Laurie is a member of Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church and is in the United Methodist Women's group and attends Sunday night at Foundry United Methodist regularly both congregations here in Washington D.C. When in Texas Laurie is attends worship at First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth and First United Methodist Church of Weatherford.
 Intern | email me Curtis joined The Faith & Politics Institute in September 2011 as its Communications Intern. Curtis is a native of Hampton Va and he graduated from the College of William and Mary in 2006, where he majored in Religious Studies. Currently, he is pursuing a Masters of Theological Studies at Wesley Theological Seminary. Curtis’s focus is on ethics, theology, and public policy. He is a passionate advocate for human and civil rights. Intern | email me Lisa joined The Faith & Politics Institute in October 2011 as a Program Intern. She is a native of Woodside, NY and is interested in public policy and spirituality as vehicles for promoting human dignity, compassion, and cooperation..jpg) Consultant | email me Adwoa Ansah serves as a consultant to The Faith & Politics Institute. She has over a decade of public service and private sector experience. |
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