New staff bring experience and passion to roles across the National Ministries

A variety of new staff have joined the United Church of Christ National Ministries in recent months, bringing with them talents and passion for the work of the church.

Further, as the National Ministries continue to live into a model of One Staff, One Budget, One Mission, some staff realignment has taken place as part of ongoing efforts to enhance operational efficiency and productivity. One notable realignment is that the work of Center for Analytics, Research & Development and Data (CARDD) will now be housed within the The Ministerial Excellence, Support & Authorization team (MESA).

Some new positions have also been created to support the demands of the current times, including a minister for board and council relations, which will offer support and act as a liaison to UCC colleges, universities, and seminaries, and the Council for Racial and Ethnic Ministries. Several open positions are accepting applications now.  

Read about the most recently added national staffers below. 

Michelle A. Carver
Director of Philanthropy

Michelle A. Carver joined the UCC National Ministries as Director of Philanthropy in January. In previous roles, Michelle has led the philanthropy, external relations and marketing functions, building relationships with donors, funders, corporate audiences, media and the community. She has raised tens of millions of dollars in community support through various fundraising and stakeholder engagement initiatives. Her experience includes development, advocacy, process improvement, communications, and innovative project management, including building partnerships through fostering strategic relationships. She is founder and president of Filantropia LLC, a company established to grow funding for nonprofits and municipalities and to help companies become more community-minded through corporate support. Her more than 25-year career has included working at Eliza Bryant Village, Global Cleveland, and United Way of Greater Cleveland. She is a graduate of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University and earned her master’s in business administration from Ashland University.

Gloria Vicente joined the philanthropy team as as generosity officer for the Great Lakes Region. She is Maya K’iche’ born in Guatemala and raised in Chicago. She has been connected to the UCC for some time, especially when she served in Guatemala with her family for almost a decade on behalf of the Division of Overseas Ministries, a UCC and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) partnership. She has worked with various faith communities, including the ecumenical church in Guatemala, The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago.

Olivia Risko is serving as a paralegal supporting the Office of General Counsel. She most recently worked in the law department of the City of Westlake and holds an associate’s degree in paralegal studies from Cuyahoga Community College and a bachelor’s degree from Cleveland State University.

Rev. Rachel McDonald joined as the generosity officer for Our Church’s Wider Mission and Special Mission Offerings. She will develop and coordinate the mission interpretation, communication strategies, and fund development for the five offerings of OCWM: Basic Support, One Great Hour of Sharing, Strengthen the Church, Neighbors in Need, and the Christmas Fund. McDonald is a lifelong member of the UCC and a graduate of Baldwin Wallace College and Princeton Theological Seminary.

Juwan Mitchell joined as systems administrator for the National Offices. He is an information technology professional with over eight years of experience in asset management, technical support, and IT training. He studied digital media design at Muskingum University.

Cassandra Saunders is serving as the justice and peace fellow of the UCC Office of Public Policy and Advocacy in Washington, D.C. As part of her two-year fellowship, she engages in the coalition work of faith-based advocacy offices, assists with public policy analysis and advocacy, and supports the UCC advocacy campaigns and the editorial board for Justice and Peace Action. She is a recent graduate of the University of Georgia.

Nina Jacobs joined the staff as the program assistant for Education for Faithful Action Ministries and Gender and Sexuality Justice. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Ursuline College and has worked as an administrative assistant for a behavioral health organization for the past four years.

Rev. Monica Lewis is a mission interpreter on the Church Building and Loan Fund team. She is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) with a business background, and she has spent most of the previous decade working with churches, non-profits, and higher education institutions to prepare, plan, and implement strategic change. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado and her master’s of divinity from Louisville Theological Presbyterian Seminary.

Rev. George “Drew” Terry joined the Church Building and Loan Fund team as a regional mission interpreter. He provides consultation to the UCC and Christian congregations through the capacity building services and programs. He has experience as a pastor and holds a master’s of divinity from the Candler School of Theology of Emory University and a bachelor’s in religion from Oberlin College.

Justin Henry became the program assistant in the UCC D.C. Office to provide administrative and programmatic support, and to offer hospitality and logistical support to groups coming to D.C. to engage in education and advocacy. Henry received a master’s in divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary and is passionate about creating spaces for meaningful dialogue and fostering connections.

Tiffany Mattox became the loan and finance assistant with the Church Building and Loan Fund, providing assistance where it is most needed as the CB&LF loan portfolio as financial responsibilities continue to grow. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Cleveland State University and a master’s of business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Abigail Reed began as program assistant for the Child and Elder Sponsorship Program and the United Nations Program. She most recently served as a Global Ministries’ Global Mission intern in South Korea. Before this, she worked with Community Refugee and Immigration Services in Ohio, the Peace Corps in Cambodia, and the Anti-Racist Coalition at Trinity UCC in Wooster, Ohio.

Susan Mueller joined the UCC as lead Climate Hope campaign organizer. She has a passion for driving positive change in the world through the lens of activism inspired by the teachings of Jesus. Mueller holds degrees in history and comparative religion from Cleveland State University, and she is currently pursuing a master’s of arts in theology at Xavier University.

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