About The Fund > Board > Bios
Board of Director BiographiesOFFICERS
The Rev. W. Keith McCoy, President and Director (Deacon, Diocese of New Jersey) Keith is a professional librarian and has served as a public library administrator for over thirty years. He has been active in the NJ Library Association (eleven years on the Executive Board), and other professional and civic organizations. Ordained a deacon in 1985, Keith’s early ministry was with youth, but since the mid-1990s with the diaconate. He served as chair of the Committee on the Diaconate under Bps. Doss and Joslin, and as an archdeacon for Bp. Councell. He was active in NAAD (chair of Guidelines Committee, board member), and has written a column for Diakoneo for over ten years. He was elected as an alternate to GC 2006, 2015, and 2018. Keith has been deacon at St. John’s Somerville NJ since October 2001. He served as a director of the Fund from 1999 - 2007, and again from 2012; he has been president since October 2015.
The Ven. Dr. Pamela McAbee Nesbit, Vice President and Director (Archdeacon, Diocese of Pennsylvania) Pamela is Archdeacon and formation director for deacons. She has been a deacon for nineteen years. She is a clinical psychologist in private practice who works with people suffering from childhood sexual abuse. Deacon Nesbit is a former president of the Association for Episcopal Deacons. She is a candidate for the board of directors of the Network of Episcopal Clergy Associations. Deacon Nesbit is currently on sabbatical from parish ministry, but will be serving at the Philadelphia Cathedral as deacon starting in 2016.
The Rev. Canon Brian P. Nordwick, Treasurer and Director (Deacon Canon, Diocese of El Camino Real) Brian has served as Canon to the Ordinary for over eleven years. His areas of responsibility include administration, finance, investment, legal, business operations management, personnel, etc. He is past President of CODE (Conference of Diocesan Executives), past Treasurer of Province VIII, and a current faculty member of CREDO (CPG) with experience in finance and vocation. His vocational gifts come from 23 years of hiring and operations management work in international business, and nine years as a Transitions (Deployment) Minister. Brian has been a deacon for 21 years and a faculty member for the California School for Deacons for 20 years.
The Rev. Fatima Yakubu-Madus, Assistant Treasurer and Director (Deacon, Diocese of Indianapolis) Fatima was ordained in 2010 and currently serving at Christ Church Cathedral, Indianapolis. She coordinated Episcopal Relief and Development, and Asset-Based Community Development for her Diocese. She is actively involved in building relationships with interfaith and non-faith based organizations to transform systems of injustices, and is engaged in community organizing and advocating for social and racial justice and equity. She partners and collaborates with Faith in Indiana, Poor people’s Campaign, Bread for the world, Greater Indianapolis Multi faith Alliance, and Moms demand action to legislatively address issues of racism, food insecurity, homelessness, immigration, gun violence, and mental health. Her ministry includes managing an ecumenical food pantry focused on serving the immigrant community in the Indianapolis area, serving over 10,000 people annually. She is the founder and president of Wecare Missions Inc., a not-for-profit 501C organization, managing it since 2008, including fundraising and partnership with other not-for-profit organizations to generate financial as well as medical support for medical missions. She has led medical missions to Africa yearly since 2007. Fatima is a scientist by training and worked as a pharmacologist and operation consultant with Eli Lilly and Company for 27 years in areas of diabetes and hypertension; she is published in peer reviewed journals and holds methods of use patents in these two areas.
The Rev. Geraldine Swanson, Secretary and Director (Deacon, Diocese of New York) Ordained deacon in the Diocese of New York in 1997. Geri had a twenty-seven year career as an educator in both the private and public schools of New York City as a classroom teacher, mentor to new teachers, teacher-trainer of mentors, and as a staff developer for the New York City Department of Education. Her ministry has centered on serving under-represented populations in her work as Soup Kitchen Coordinator, afterschool music program director, Co-Chair of the Staten Island Hunger Task Force, and member of the SI Coalition for Housing Equality. For six years, she has served on the Board of Directors of the Association for Episcopal Deacons, having served as co-chair of their recent Triennial Conference in Minnesota. In 2008, Swanson earned an MA cum laude from the General Theological Seminary where her thesis centered on Deaconess Susan Trevor Knapp and the New York School for Deaconesses. She considers it an honor to be asked to serve on the board that is overseeing funds originally raised to help these forgotten heroines of the Episcopal Church.
DIRECTORS
The Ven. Amy Bryan (Archdeacon, Diocese of Arizona) Amy was ordained mid-pandemic in 2020, and has served as Archdeacon since April 2022. Prior to answering the call, Amy served in the US Navy for 9 years, traveling worldwide as Aircrew, while finding herself frequently placed in teaching, training, and administrative positions. After leaving the Navy, she attended and graduated from Arizona State University, before feeling called to serve as administrator at St. Augustine’s, Tempe. This led her further into discernment as deacon with an emphasis in spiritual companionship and interfaith chaplaincy. She started formation with a six-month-old son, and became archdeacon while four months pregnant with her daughter. What Amy lacks in years of experience as a deacon, she makes up for it with passion, both for meeting people where they are on their life journey and helping discern their needs and/or call.
The Rev. Gerri Endicott, (Deacon, Diocese of West Tennessee) Gerri's diaconal ministries involve pastoral care for parishioners and co-workers in her secular job. Her interests lie in the structures that are in place which impact historically marginalized communities, and she's involved with local chapters of Braver Angels and Moms Demand Action. On the diocesan level, Gerri is involved with the Finance Committee, the Commission on Ministry, and is a member of newly-formed Becoming Beloved Community Advisory Board. She has worked in the mortgage industry for nearly thirty-two years, about half of which have been as an underwriter, analyzing personal and business financial data, and rendering lending decisions in accordance with a variety of federal agency and loan programs, with loan-level lending authority up to $2 million. She's volunteered for the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society – providing budget counseling, loans, and grants to service members and their families for emergency and living expenses in times of need.
The Rev. Jack M. Karn (Deacon, Diocese of Texas) Jack is the Deacon for Community Partnerships at Saint John’s Cathedral in Denver, Colorado. Alongside his duties at Saint John's, Jack continues his 10+ years of work with the interfaith nonprofit organization, Jerusalem Peacebuilders. He received a BA in History from the University of Maine and an MA in Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation from the School for International Training in Vermont. Between 2016-2018 Karn lived in Jerusalem and Nazareth as part of the Young Adult Service Corps and Episcopal Volunteers in Mission programs of the Domestic Foreign Missionary Society. He relocated to Houston in 2019, where he completed a unit of CPE and received a Certificate in Diaconal Studies from the Iona School for Ministry. Ordained and married in 2021, Karn served at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church as their Director of Youth Ministries and Deacon before discerning a call to Denver. He has actively worked on issues such as homelessness, refugee resettlement, prison ministry, food insecurity, peacebuilding, and gun violence prevention.
The Ven. Roxanne Klingensmith (Archdeacon, Diocese of Montana) Roxanne has lived in Bozeman, Montana since 1981; She's been employed as an office manager in the insurance business; office manager and job developer, Women in Transition; Employment specialist and Welfare to Work case manager, Bozeman Job Service; Executive Director, Love INC (In the Name of Christ); Ordained Deacon, Episcopal Church since 1999; Archdeacon of the Episcopal Diocese of Montana since 2003; Former President and active member of the Bozeman Area League of Women Voters; Former President, now active member of the Bozeman Business and Professional Women; Past moderator, now a member of the Gallatin Valley Interfaith Association; Past President of Community Mediation Center Board of Directors; Member, Bozeman Energy Share Board and the Montana State Energy Board (member of its endowment fund committee) representing the faith community;Former Board President, Founder and active volunteer, Family Promise of Gallatin Valley (homeless family program); Member, Gallatin County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Advisory Board, representing the faith community; Former Co-Chair, Executive Committee, Fresh Start Program (a re-entry program at the Gallatin County Detention Center) Former Commissioner, Montana State Commission on Sentencing.
The Rev. John Ray (Deacon, Diocese of Atlanta) I was ordained in 2018 and I am currently assigned to Holy Comforter Episcopal Church in Atlanta. Approximately two-thirds of our congregants are marginalized by both poverty and a mental health diagnosis. I’m currently working in conjunction with officials at Buford State Prison to start a gardening program for which The Friendship Center would act as a partner and supporter. The Friendship Center, our affiliated 501c3, operates day programs throughout the week, including greenhouse and gardening, art, and woodworking, and wellness and recovery programming in conjunction with organizations such as NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). I’m self-employed through two businesses, a business-focused podcast production and broadcast operation with studios in the Atlanta area, Nashville, and the Twin Cities, as well as a small business advisory firm. I currently serve on the Executive Committee and the Board of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce. My past board experience includes Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis and the Alpharetta Business Association. My past employment experience includes Head of Trust Investments for National Bank of Commerce (acquired by SunTrust) and Relationship Manager in the Commercial and Investment Bank of J.P. Morgan.
The Rev. Margaret Thor (Deacon, Diocese of Minnesota) Margaret was ordained to the diaconate in June 2014 while simultaneously working full-time for the Internal Revenue Service. Consequently, Margaret understands the issues and gifts of being bi-vocational in the world. She is now retired after spending the majority of her 32-year career as a manager and senior manager leading groups of individuals in accomplishing a specific plan and meeting deadlines. She is currently on the board of the directors for a local area food shelf, serving on the finance committee. She has also served as treasurer for churches for which she belonged, her local PTA, and her children’s pre-school. Margaret is currently on her diocese’s COM, formerly a member of the ECMN council and joint financial committee, and the convener for the ECMN Commission of the Diaconate. In that role Margaret developed the charter, chaired monthly meetings, organized deacon meetings, and met monthly with the Bishop. She is a deacon fulfilling her call to serve God in the world. She uses her skills to bring people together demonstrating God’s love at homeless shelters, feeding ministries, and advocacy.
Staff
The Rev. Theresa Lewallen, Grants Administrator, part-time (Deacon, Diocese of Virginia) Prior to joining The Fund for the Diaconate, Theresa was Deputy Director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity. She also spent many years managing constituent programs for the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. She is a graduate of Randolph-Macon College and Trinity College in Washington DC, and was ordained to the diaconate in April 2016. Theresa serves at St. Alban’s, Annandale, VA and co-chairs the Committee on the Diaconate for the Diocese of Virginia.
The Rev. Anne Pillot, Communication & Marketing Director, part-time (Deacon, Diocese of Ohio) Anne creates print and digital materials for The Fund, as well as handling communications, the website, and social media. She is a self-employed, freelance graphic designer and communications professional with 30+ years of experience. (Anne is also the Communications Director for the Association for Episcopal Deacons.) Ordained a deacon in 2011, she serves at St. Timothy's in Macedonia and on the Diocese's Commission on Ministry.
Ms. Jessica Dunlap, Operations Manager, part-time (Diocese of North Carolina) In addition to her work as the Operations Manager for The Fund, Jessica is also the Director of Parish Life at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, and the Office Manager for La Escuelita Weekday School, both in Charlotte, NC.
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