Taylor Aikin is a Partner at MBB Architects where he leads a broad range of project types and scales from cultural and educational to religious and residential. He is experienced in all aspects of project delivery, including master planning and feasibility through all design phases and construction administration. With over 15 years’ experience he has helped a broad range of clients from families to developers to global institutions realize their aspirations through strategic planning and outstanding design. Taylor, a licensed architect and LEED Green Associate, holds a Master of Architecture from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation, and a Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Dr. Debbie Almontaser is an internationally recognized, award-winning educator, entrepreneur, speaker, authority on cross cultural understanding and author of Leading While Muslim. She is an influential community leader and the Founder and CEO of Bridging Cultures Group Inc., a for-profit business that provides professional development and coaching for companies, universities, firms, and K–12 education personnel. Dr. Almontaser was the founding and former principal of the Khalil Gibran International Academy in Brooklyn, NY. A twenty-five-year veteran of the NYC Public School System, she taught special education, inclusion, trained teachers in literacy, and served as a multicultural specialist and diversity advisor. Currently, she is the Board President of the Muslim Community Network and sits on the boards of Therapy and Learning Center Preschool, 21in21, EMGAGE National, and ADC National.

Meta Brunzema is an architect and urban designer focusing on socially progressive, culturally rich and climate-neutral design. Meta is a Co-Owner and Principal at The Collective for Community, Culture and Environment, LLC and Professor at Pratt Institute. Working with public agencies, non-profit organizations and private clients, her designs foster resilience and re-ignite curiosity and meaningful engagement with the world. Her work includes large-scale re-zonings, waterfront developments, urban parks, promenades and green infrastructure - as well as public open spaces. Her architectural and adaptive re-use work focuses on the design of healthy and sustainable buildings and interiors. She is currently co-developing WE_GENERATE (beta), an interactive parametric real-estate feasibility analysis and visualization tool that democratizes community planning processes.

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Joshua Burcham is a Managing Director and Creative Director at Radish Lab. Radish Lab is a purpose-driven creative agency, shaping stories and sharpening brands for organizations improving the world. Radish Lab is an award-winning creative agency focused on people and projects changing the world.
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They focus on helping social impact organizations tell compelling digital stories, deeply engage their audiences, and apply smart creative and technical solutions to some pretty impressive challenges. Radish Lab is focused exclusively on impactful projects, which means we work with clients who are trying to improve lives and communities through their work. From powerhouses like the Sesame Workshop, Columbia University, and The American Cancer Society, to movers and shakers like Rainforest Alliance, the International Rescue Committee, and Women’s Refugee Commission, we’ve worked together to increase their impact.

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Ellen Liu Chan supports parishes by working to align the needs of the parish with opportunities offered by the parishes’ real property. Parishes should reach out to Ellen when considering leasing or selling property. Parishes that wish to reimagine and rebuild their properties should also reach out to begin an exploratory process of development on their property. Ellen’s goal is to approach property as an opportunity to carry on and grow ministries within the diocese.

Nathaniel H. Christian Nathaniel H. Christian III has served for ten years on the Board of Trustees of the Presbytery of New York City; four years as the chair of its property committee and three years as Chair of the Board. As such he focused on the many real estate issues of the various churches including development, property management, and repositioning, all in the context of mission fulfillment. 

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He also focused on dispute resolutions, empowering minorities and transitioning community development to more sustainable models focused on affordable housing.

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Mr. Christian has extensive board experience. Mr. Christian was recently appointed as Chair of the Board of Directors of the All Stars Project, Inc., which focuses on meeting the needs of inner city youth by forming partnerships with corporations and caring adults to build communities that bridge racial, economic and social divisions. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of HomeBridge Ventures, which focuses on meeting the needs of the formerly incarcerated.

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Previously, he was a member of (i) the Board of Directors of NASP, an organization focused on the issues affecting minorities and women working in the financial services industry, and (ii) the Board of Trustees of the Horace Mann School. As a member of these various boards, Mr. Christian has chaired or co-chaired compensation, conflicts of interest, risk management, enrollment and financial aid committees; he has also served on investment, property management and legislative committees.

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Mr. Christian was also a Co-Founder, General Counsel, and Chief Compliance Officer of CastleOak Securities, L.P. He has over 30 years of Wall Street experience, which includes representation of various clients in primary and secondary capital markets transactions. Mr. Christian has a strong securitization, structured finance and derivatives background; he has worked on transactions involving Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae, commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, and pension funds. He has worked on various structures backed by a variety of performing, non-performing, secured and non-secured receivables. Mr. Christian has also served for many years as a broker-dealer General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, successfully managing corporate, securities, regulatory and employment-related matters.

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Mr. Christian earned his BA degree from Columbia University, and his Juris Doctor degree from UCLA School of Law.

Maria C. Coyne serves as the President and CEO of the UCC Cornerstone Fund. Maria is a financial services
executive with over 30 years of experience in commercial and retail banking. Nationally recognized as an
engaging leader, Maria is featured in several books and publications including How Women Lead by Dr.
Sharon Hadary, and Off the Sidelines by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. She has also worked with several
“fintech” companies providing strategic consulting, and as a senior consultant at the telos institute. While
at KeyCorp from 2001 to 2015 she served as an Executive Vice President and a member of KeyCorp’s
Executive Council. She was the founder of the Key4 Women program and also held leadership positions in
Retail/Consumer Banking, Business Banking, Strategic Planning, and Client Experience. She was named
twice (in 2013 and 2014) as one of American Banker’s “25 Most Powerful Women in Banking”, and twice as
one of the “Women to Watch” (2011 and 2012). Prior to Key, she spent three years at the Greater Cleveland
Growth Association and over 10 years at Bank One Cleveland, serving in various management capacities
before becoming Director of Marketing. She is a prominent thought leader on small business and women’s
leadership and has been featured frequently in media including the Wall Street Journal, CNN, NPR,
Bloomberg News, and BusinessWeek. Maria has considerable experience serving on non-profit boards
including the Cleveland Catholic Diocese finance council, the Ursuline Sisters finance council, Beaumont
school, the MacDonald Women’s Health Council of University Hospitals, the Sovereign Order of St. John,
and she was an inaugural member of the United Way Women’s Leadership Council.
Maria is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance.
She also completed the Key Executive Experience at the Case Weatherhead School of Management. Maria
is a proud Clevelander, where she and her husband raised their two adult children. She is an avid rower and
enjoys travel and learning about new cultures.

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Nell Derick Debevoise is a vibrant, holistic, and grounded Speaker, Coach, Facilitator, CEO, Advisor, and Author. She is enlivened by guiding leaders and organizations toward meaningful and healthy growth. 

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Her focus is on individual enlightenment and transformation as the path toward fairer, healthier, and more inspiring ways of leading and living.Debevoise’s studies at Harvard, Columbia, London Business School, and Cambridge, along with experience on four continents, across industries and sectors, informs her work, including her international best-selling book, Going First: Finding the Courage to Lead Purposefully and Inspire Action. The companion Purpose Party Playbook is an accessible tool for purpose-seeking professionals to apply the framework.As a Coach, EQUUS Faculty, and GCologist, Debevoise integrates neuroscience, research and data, and horses’ ancient wisdom to provide immersive, transformational learning for executives and teams. She is a Partner at PurposeFused, and Founder of the Purposeful Growth Institute. 

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The Rev. Dr. Cheryl F. Dudley is the the Regional Executive Minister of the American Baptist Churches of Metropolitan New York, serving since May 1, 2015. Ordained in the American Baptist Churches USA tradition at First Baptist Church in Phoenix, Arizona, where she was raised, she has served since then through the years has served in several locations. She is very glad to call New York City her home, living in Manhattan since 2006. Cheryl has earned a BA in Sociology from Pomona College, Claremont, CA, and an M.Div from Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ, and a DMin in Executive Leadership from McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL.

Karen Falco recently joined the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America as Chief Operating Officer. Karen comes to MNYS with 30+ years of experience in the insurance industry. During her 22-year tenure with UMC Medical Consultants, Karen held various positions. For the past nine years as COO, she handled HR functions, managed the Operations, IT, Sales and Finance teams, who together, successfully achieved industry related accreditations and certifications.

Karen and her husband Gerry live in Valhalla and are long time, active members of Emanuel Lutheran Church, Pleasantville. They have two sons, and a lovable black lab. Karen knows the Holy Spirit led her to MNYS and is so blessed to have this opportunity to be part of Bishop Egensteiner’s staff working with such a great team of people committed to God’s work.

Jason Labate is an attorney focusing on faith-based development, not-for-profit law, affordable housing & community development. He is a frequent presenter on faith based & non-profit real estate issues & is a co-author of Changing the Paradigm: Creating Scale & Keeping Local Expertise in Nonprofit Affordable Housing Development in the Journal of Affordable Housing & Community Development Law. Jason has a JD from Brooklyn Law School and MPA from NYU and a BA from the University of Chicago.

Matthew Murphy is the Executive Director of the NYU Furman Center. Previously, he served as Deputy Commissioner for the Office of Policy and Strategy at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). As an urban planner working at the intersection of housing policy, affordable housing finance, and land use, Matthew has been quoted on

New York City and national housing issues in the New York Times, PBS News Hour, NPR, NY1, Politico, Crain’s, Real Deal, City Limits, Gotham Gazette, among other media outlets. Matthew has a Masters of Urban Planning from New York University in New York City and a B.S. in Business Administration from DePaul University in Chicago. He and his family reside in Brooklyn.

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The Rev. Angela M. Redman currently serves as the first female CEO/Executive Director of The United Methodist City Society a 185-year-old faith based multi-faceted social service organization. 

A native of The Bronx, she is a proud graduate of the City of New York University system., having obtained an A.A.S. in Paralegal Studies from Bronx Community College, a B.A in Black Studies from H. Lehman

College, and a Juris Doctor at the City University of New York School of Law. She also holds a Master of Divinity degree from New York Theological Seminary. 

As an Elder in the New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church (NYAC) she has served as pastor of New Rochelle United Methodist Church and First United Methodist Church of Hollis. 

Rev. Redman has served as the President of the NYAC’s Board of Trustees, and various other NYAC committees as well as a study leader for the UMW School of Missions and, an instructor for the Metropolitan District’s Lay Servant School, as well as conducting a district trustee orientation. 

In addition to being an Elder, she has been an attorney for more than twenty years. In her legal career she has worked for the New York State Unified Court’s Office for Justice Initiatives and as a Court Attorney in New York County Civil Court, Kings County Family Court, New York County Supreme Court, and Bronx County Civil Court; and practiced real estate, estates, and elder law. 

Additionally, she has been an adjunct professor in the Law and Paralegal Department of the New York City School of Technology for over fifteen years.

Received an Honorary Doctorate from the Latin University of Theology. He is a military veteran from the U.S. Army stationed in Vietnam and Korea. Bishop Rosario and his wife Bishop Nancy Rosario are founders of the independent faith-based house of Worship – Church of God’s Children, Inc. in Co-op City since 1990. He is CEO of the Bronx Clergy Task Force an arm of the Bx. Boro President’s Office of Faith-based Initiatives since 2004. He has been successful in creating a task force of all faiths and denominations.

With the Bx. Task Force, he has sponsored numerous job, health, college fairs and the Annual Interfaith Peace & Health Breakfast, honoring other faith leaders and civil leaders for their work, commitment and dedication to their communities. A member of the Mayor’s Clergy Advisory Council, Jewish Community Relations Council and American Clergy Leadership Conference. Bishop Rosario and wife are speakers throughout various states and countries, including Korea, Israel, Dominican Republic, St. Lucia. They have been labeled as the ‘Dynamic Duo’. Bishop Rosario has been an advocate for at-risk youth, domestic violence, poverty areas and women’s rights. He believes in One Race – The Human Race. He is the advisor to the National Community Peacebuilding Commission. Has received numerous citations from public officials. In addition to his pastoral duties, he retired from Riverbay Corporation, the largest housing Co-op in the U.S. as Director of the Restoration/Construction Dept. and now serves on the 15-member Board of Directors of the Riverbay Corp. He is blessed with a family of 8 girls, 2 boys (5 of them are pastors); 24 grandchildren-the first grandchild recently ordained; and 25 great-grandchildren.  

Amy Schwach joined the Temple Shaaray Tefila team in 2015. Amy has been a Synagogue professional for 25 years and has worked at Central Synagogue in New York City and North Shore Synagogue in Syosset, NY, respectively.

Amy participated in UJA's Muehlstein Institute for Jewish Professional Leadership as well as UJA’s Jewish Greening Fellowship.

She is currently an officer on the Reform Pension Board and President of NATA, the National Association for Temple Administration and holds a master’s degree from Baruch College in Public Administration.

Rev. Dr. Bill Shillady has been a pastor of three churches in the New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. He served at Asbury Crestwood UMC in Yonkers, NY, the Mamaroneck UMC on the Sound Shore, and the Park Avenue UMC in NYC. He is the former executive of the United Methodist City Society, a multi-faceted mission program agency of the United Methodist Church in the metro area. Their programs range from children and youth, social service agencies, addiction recovery services, affordable housing, and managing a cemetery. The agency covers from cradle to grave.  
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Bill has held many offices and served on many boards. He is on the Mayor’s Faith leaders advisory council. He is a member of the Bricks and Mortals Board of Directors, an agency helping churches to utilize their properties in creative ways. He is the treasurer of the Council of Churches of the City of New York. He has been a pastor to the Clinton family since 2002.   

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Alex Weis has 15 years of real estate experience and currently serves as Principal of Matter Real Estate. Alex provides strategic advice and leadership to NYC-based clients by successfully planning, overseeing, and executive complex real estate projects. Alex founded Matter Real Estate in 2017 to develop a new model of collaboration between like-minded architects, engineers, builders, and others. Since establishing the firm, Alex has successfully provided real estate advisory and owner’s representative services to a multitude of clients based in NYC. Notable clients include Goodwill, Brennan Real Estate, Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, and Manhattan Bible Church.

From 2013 to 2017, Alex led the real estate work for Uncommon School in Brooklyn, Rochester, and Troy, NY. Alex managed acquisitions and leases, consistently meeting affordability goals and programmatic needs. From 2009 to 2013, Alex worked at U3 Advisors managing large-scale real estate projects from conception through pre-development on behalf of not-for-profits, universities, and commercial developers.

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Paul is an established leader in the field of real estate, with more than 30 years of development, brokerage, and nonprofit consulting experience. Paul’s expertise is shaped by a breadth and depth of experience in New York City real estate and is proven by his strong record of realizing complex projects. 

Paul’s insights and creative approaches bolster the expertise of DenhamWolf’s diverse staff, bringing to bear a high level of technical excellence for every client.

As a Managing principal of Denham Wolf, Paul provides strategic guidance and technical expertise for a range of arts, cultural, community development, healthcare, social service, and educational organizations. He regularly advises nonprofits on major development projects, represents tenants in acquiring and divesting property, advises organizations on team assembly for major capital projects, helps nonprofits secure project financing through traditional and less conventional routes, and provides strategic planning guidance to help ensure that a nonprofit’s real estate is in service to its mission. Working collaboratively with nonprofits to articulate their real estate needs and organizational goals, Paul positively shapes each client’s strategic real estate decisions and grows their capacity to keep mission first.

Paul has spearheaded numerous projects that have shaped the cultural and civic fabric of New York City. For St. Luke in the Field, Paul supported the faith-based institution in evaluating their property’s potential, running a developer selection process, and negotiating a 99-year lease for a new development, which will provide program-sustaining cash flow. In working with Covenant House, Paul helped lead the selection of a developer to purchase part of the nonprofit’s real estate and develop a state-of-the-art shelter for Covenant House, which also catalyzed an additional 400,000-square-foot of new development. Paul also represented a foundation in the purchase of a 60,000-square-foot building in the East Village, the first step in a unique process that will preserve the building for community use.

Prior to co-founding Denham Wolf with Jon Denham in 1998, Paul served as Senior Vice President of Asset Management at the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Paul regularly presents and guest lectures at institutions such as Columbia University, Yale University, Brooklyn College, and Nonprofit New York. He currently serves on the board of the STREB Lab for Action Mechanics.

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The Reverend Doctor Patrick Garnet Duggan is an ordained clergyperson in the United Church of Christ (UCC). He holds the Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University, the Master of Divinity and the Doctor of Ministry degrees, both from New York Theological Seminary. Dr. Duggan is the Senior Pastor of the Congregational Church of South Hempstead UCC where he has led sustained membership growth and missional vitality for over 25 years. Since 2012 Dr. Duggan has also served as Executive Director of the UCC Church Building and Loan Fund (CB&LF). CB&LF has financed over 4,000 church real estate projects since 1853. CB&LF assists UCC and other Christian churches in the United States to Plan, Raise, Finance and Build church real estate projects. CB&LF’s strategic vision is to transform communities by helping the church live into God’s economy.

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CB&LF’s focus for nearly a decade has been on church real estate development projects at the leading edge of missional transformation. These projects include the redevelopment of several church properties for affordable housing development, CB&LF’s first New Markets Tax Credit community development project, a LEED-certified green-building renovation, and the rezoning of several church properties for new, mission-aligned uses. These projects advance the mission of the church, create new revenue streams, and meet urgent needs in the communities they serve. A native New Yorker, a preacher, and a transformational denominational executive, Dr. Duggan and his wife Patricia, a charter school administrator, are the parents of three sons and proud grandparents of two girls and two boys.

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Egbert Stolk is Director of Diocesan Property Services at The Episcopal Diocese of New York. In this role he advises and assists all congregations of the Episcopal Diocese of New York (EDNY) regarding the management, repair, and maintenance of their real properties.

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Roger Leaf is an elder of The First Presbyterian Church in the City of New York, where he has served as President of the Board of Trustees, Church Treasurer, and Chair of the Finance Committee. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Presbytery of NYC, where he is Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee and a member of the Investment and Audit Committees. Mr. Leaf is a retired Wall Street banker who over a 40-year career worked in mergers and acquisitions; was acting CFO of a large broker-dealer; CFO of a start-up technology company; COO of a major Fixed Income Trading department; head of a Capital Markets Group; and an investment banker. He has a BA in Economics from Heidelberg University, an MBA in Finance from NYU’s Stern School, and additional graduate study at NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service.

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In addition to serving as vice chairman and a member of the firm’s board of directors, Ira is also co-branch manager of the firm’s New York office. Ira is a frequent speaker at real estate forums and has contributed articles to various real estate publications. He has also spoken at the Association of the Bar of the City of New York’s Dirt Lawyers’ Luncheon on real estate leasing. He has been featured in several articles including The Commercial Observer's Power Broker column entitled "The Inventor: Studley Legend's Knack for Tinkering Transfers to Game-Changers" as well as in Real Estate Weekly for winning REBNY's ‘Most Ingenious Deal of the Year’ award. In fact, Ira has won the coveted award three times in the past 10 years.

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Rabbi Potasnik is the Executive Vice President of The New York Board of Rabbis, the largest interdenominational rabbinic body in the world. Since 1972, he has been the spiritual and educational leader of Congregation Mount Sinai in Brooklyn Heights, New York, and is presently Rabbi Emeritus. He has served as Chaplain of the New York City Fire Department since 1999. Rabbi Potasnik maintained a high profile, helping many families cope with the disaster of September 11th, 2001. Rabbi Potasnik co-hosts The Rev and The Rabbi on WABC Talk Radio 77 in New York together with Rev. AR Bernard, since 2018. He is the host of the TV program Faith to Faith on Jewish Broadcasting Service (“JBS”), which is seen around the country and invites people of all faiths to participate in meaningful conversation. He is an Honorary President of Religions for Peace International.

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Rev. Mieke Vandersall, Owner and Principal Consultant of Vandersall Consultants, has over 20 years of executive leadership experience in the religious nonprofit arena. She is a detail-oriented project manager and brings extensive development, fundraising, administrative, strategic planning, and supervisory knowledge. Prior to founding Vandersall Collective, she got her start as a consultant by housing many of her initial clients at Wingo, NYC, a boutique fundraising design studio.
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Mieke's work with clients is comprised of the creation and implementation of capital campaigns, major donor programs, online crowdsourcing campaigns, grant-writing and grant-making procedures, website writing and development, communication strategies, board development, event planning, worship planning, and organizational capacity-building. In addition, Mieke encourages nonprofits, congregations and religious leaders as they work to fund their ministries; this work comes out of a deep knowledge of the particular exhilaration and stress of working for long-term structural change and beginning and sustaining programs.

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In addition to consulting, she is currently the Founding Pastor of Not So Churchy, a progressive, arts-based, queer led, new worshiping community.
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Prior to her consulting work she was the Executive Director of Parity, where she founded a program for LGBTQ Future Pastors, as well as Not So Churchy. This post spanned from 2003-2014. Mieke and the Future Pastors Program is a feature of the documentary film, Out of Order and she continues as the Pastor for Not So Churchy.

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The Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper, formerly of Judson Memorial Church and before that Coral Gables Congregational Church in Miami , and Yale University. She was the Senior Minister for Judson Memorial Church on the corner of Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village, New York City from 2005 until May 2021. She is associate professor for religious leadership at Hartford Seminary and author of 38 books, most recently REMOVE THE PEWS.

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Rev. Peter Cook serves as Executive Director of the New York State Council of Churches which represents 7,000 congregations across the state of New York. In his pastoral roles, he has been a strong advocate for the development of affordable housing. He currently serves as Vice-President of the Interfaith Affordable Housing Collaborative and is directing the Council’s Who is My Neighbor Community Development Initiative to help faith institutions use their property to better serve their town. The Council is also part of the Faith-Based Affordable Housing and Community Development Partnership recently funded by Trinity Church Wall Street. The Partnership helps congregations in New York use their property to build affordable housing and promote more just housing policies.

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Marc Greenberg is the Executive Director and co-founder of the Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and housing. Since the Assembly’s establishment in 1985, Marc has been addressing homelessness through advocating public policy solutions and other strategies in partnership with an ever broadening network of faith communities, other advocates, housing and service providers, elected officials and those who have experienced homelessness.

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Gianfranco Grande brings over 25 years of experience in management of nonprofit organizations and capital campaign fundraising to his role as Executive Vice President of Partners for Sacred Places. Educated at the Vatican Seminary, Gianfranco has worked with more than 1,000 community-serving urban congregations and built strategic relationships with local faith leaders, lay leaders, community leaders, universities, seminaries, public officials, foundations, and philanthropists since joining Partners in 2008. In 2012, he was awarded the Richard Nickel Award from the Institute of Architects (AIA) Illinois, recognizing his dedication to the principles of livable communities through grassroots initiatives, and over the last 20 years, he has successfully helped to raise over $80 million. In 2014, Gianfranco was inducted into the Board of Sponsors of Martin Luther King, Jr. College of Ministers and Laity of Morehouse College. He has served as Board Chairman of the CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Terre Haute, IN, as well as member of the Board of Trustees of Preservation Action and a past member of the Board of Trustees of the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions.  

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Rev. Dr. Damaris D. Whittaker is a United Church of Christ (UCC) minister. She is the first woman to serve Fort Washington Collegiate Church and the first Latina to serve The Collegiate Churches of New York in their 400 year history. Her personal faith journey has been diverse. She has a spirit-led style of preaching and leads worship services that are reflective of the cultural diversity of her congregations. Dr. Whittaker is a public theologian deeply passionate about social justice advocating for racial justice, LGBTQ equality, immigration reform, women’s leadership, universal healthcare, and affordable housing. She is a prolific writer and has published numerous articles. Dr. Whittaker believes she has been called to break down silos and sees intersectionality of faith as a place she can affect change. When not in church, she loves reading, dancing, gardening, kayaking and walking/jogging. Dr. Whittaker is originally from Humacao, Puerto Rico.

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Rev. Dr. Audley Donaldson is an ordained Episcopal Priest who preached his first sermon when he was only fourteen years old. His religious formation began at St. Mary’s Church in Negril, Jamaica where as an Acolyte he honed his skills as a leader and public speaker. After graduating from Manning’s School in June 1975, he was accepted at the United Theological College of the West Indies and in September 1976 started his theological training. He then received a Bachelor’s Degree with second class honors from the University of the West Indies in 1980 and was ordained to the Priesthood in July 1980. He migrated to the United States in 1984 after accepting a scholarship from Yale School of Medicine and Yale Divinity School. At Yale University, he completed a one year residency in Clinical Pastoral Education and a Master's of Sacred Theology. And in 1992, he completed a Doctor of Ministry program at New York Theological Seminary. 

In the United States, Rev. Dr. Donaldson served as College Chaplain at Voorhees College, South Carolina and Kings County Hospital, Brooklyn, New York. As the Director of Constituency Building at the Family Resource Coalition of America, he was largely responsible for designing a series of National conferences and symposiums with diverse communities in the United States. He has provided technical assistance to Federal, State and community based organizations in over forty states. Presently Rev. Dr. Donaldson is the Rector at St. Stephen and St. Martin Episcopal Church, before being the Priest in Charge there and at the Church of the Redeemer both located in Brooklyn. His proudest accomplishment is the establishment of the Lena and Lester Donaldson Memorial Scholarship. In addition, following a partnership with Notias Construction, Rev. Dr. Donaldson oversaw the construction of the new St. Stephen and St. Martins Episcopal church. This multi million, state of the art church sits at the corner of Patchen Ave and Jefferson Ave in Brooklyn.

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Gilford T Monrose, a native of the US Virgin Islands, founder of Brooklyn Center of Quality Life, moved to New York in 1999 to pursue his studies in the form of a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology and Bible Studies at Nyack College and Alliance Theological Seminary, and to marry the love of his life, Dianne Thomas.

Gilford always had a lifelong dream of serving the church, especially the youths, and as such functioned as Youth Director for five years, developing programs for our young people at the now historic Mt. Zion Church of God 7th Day.  He worked at their level, demonstrated that he understood their struggles, and worked tirelessly with them to enhance their spiritual maturity.  In this capacity, Gilford flourished , and became a ministerial and visionary trailblazer, and spiritual shepherd to many.  In May 2005, Gilford was ordained to the ministry as Pastor, where he continues to show great and unyielding love for his church and its members.

Pastor Gil's need to give in a capacity beyond himself, goes beyond the four walls of the church, and has motivated him to serve locally and beyond, to create, as well as partner with many organizations.  He has established the Catch The Vision (CTV) Youth Conferences, which has empowered youths, leaders, and marriages, and has attracted youths and adults alike from around the world since 2002.  He also initiated the Unity Gospel Fest at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center to bring together spiritual and physical wellness.  Pastor Gil was instrumental in the establishment and development of the East Flatbush Ready When the Time Comes Disaster Team, which through the American Red Cross in Greater New York, provides disaster-relief training to volunteer teams from local community groups.  Gilford serves as Team Leader for the local East Flatbush team.

Gilford's life of service is further portrayed through his work as Chaplain for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.  Serving as Director of the Faith Based and Clergy Initiative at the Brooklyn Borough President's Office, Pastor Gil proves that not only is there a thin gap between church and state, but that this gap can be bridged.  He currently serves as a Board member for the Flatbush YMCA, and on the Advisory Board for Boys Town.  Gilford, a man who puts no limits, or restrictions on his life of service, currently Chairs the Community Leadership Council of the Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center.

Pastor Gil has exhibited great interest in social justice and love for community work, and is an Alumni Chair for We Are All Brooklyn, an organization that brings diverse leaders together to solve quality of life issues affecting their communities.  He served as a board member of Community Board #17, on the Community Advisory Board for the Brooklyn Healthcare Improvement Project, as an Advisory Board Member for Explore Charter School, and on the Advisory Board for Kings County Behavior Health Community Council.  Pastor Gil also served as Team Leader for the Neighborhood Housing Services Invest in Brooklyn Initiative, and Chaired the Caribbean Tourism Organization's Inter-Faith Celebration.

Furthermore, Pastor Gil served as Vice President of various organizations; The St. Lucia House Foundation, Church of God 7th Day Pastor's Network, Inc., and, Churches United to Save and Heal.  Pastor Gil's dedication to save youth from gun violence and gangs prompted him to become the founding President of the 67th Precinct Clergy Council, which serves as a liaison between the police and the community.  He is a graduate of the New York Police Department Citizen Academy, as well as the FBI Citizen Academy.  Mr. Monrose has travelled extensively across the United States, and has partnered with groups across the Caribbean. Africa, Brazil, Moscow, England, and Israel, as a guest speaker to youth, and likewise adults, empowering them to become active in their communities, and to be responsible citizens of the world.  Locally, Pastor Gil works with various elected officials and community leaders as a moral voice and spiritual counsel on issues affecting the community at large.  As the loving husband of wife Dianne, and father to Gianne and Joshua, Gilford is a passionate advocate for families and children.  Mr. Monrose and his family live in Weeksville, Brooklyn.

"We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done."  Henry Wodsworth Longfellow.

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Rev. Joseph H. Holland is an attorney, entrepreneur, government official, writer and ordained minister with over thirty-five years of experience of serving the community. Holland began his government career as Director and General Counsel to the New York State Senate Committee on Housing and Community Development and subsequently served as New York State Housing Commissioner where he managed over 1,500 employees and orchestrated the planning and funding of thousands of units of affordable housing in various locations across New York State. Holland operated a Harlem-based real estate law practice and used his management skills to build commercial enterprises and expand employment opportunities in Harlem. Holland’s new book - “The Vigorous Virtues: Daily Success Principles From Diverse American Founders” was released in November 2019. A graduate of Cornell University, where he earned a B.A. and M.A. and was an All-American and Academic All-American football player, Holland has served as a member of the University's Board of Trustees since 1988. He holds his J.D. degree from Harvard Law School. 

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Neil is a recognized expert and consultant on a broad range of strategic, corporate, and financial issues to business and community leaders and their advisors. He has led a wide range of pro bono and social justice projects, including analyses impacting NYC’s historic right-to-counsel initiative for low-income tenants and eviction right to counsel cost-benefits studies contributing to groundbreaking legislation and programs in Philadelphia, Cleveland and Los Angeles. He also currently serves as the Evaluator of the Cleveland Eviction Right to Counsel which launched on July 1, 2020. In addition, earlier this year Neil developed innovative analyses of renter household instability caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  He currently serves as consultant to the New York Permanent Commission on Access to Justice. He assisted that Commission in the development of a Strategic Action Plan to provide effective assistance to all low-income New Yorkers in matters affecting the essentials of life and is now assisting the Commission in the implementation of that Strategic Action Plan. He has also been recognized for his contributions and commitment to access to justice and the application of pro bono financial and economic expertise for low-income individuals.

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