Meet the Learning and Innovation Team

Chief Learning and Innovation Officer

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Rev. Dr. Blair Thompson is the chief learning and innovation officer for TMF and creator and producer of Learning and Innovation's Igniting Imagination® Podcast. Blair is a facilitator, speaker, writer, and preacher. She facilitates conversations with leaders from across the Wesleyan ecosystem, especially in the areas of expanding imagination, discerning purpose, and exercising the Five Muscles.

Blair serves as the Program Director of TMF's two Lilly-funded initiatives: Courageous Congregations Collaborative (C3) and Courageous Leadership Imperative (CLI). Blair is an ordained Elder in the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church and joined TMF in 2020 after a decade in pastoral ministry. She completed her dissertation on pilgrimage in the development of clergy leadership for her Doctor of Ministry degree at Perkins School of Theology in 2018.

Director of Formation

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Rev. Alicia Roxanne Forde serves as the director of formation at the Texas Methodist Foundation. As a UU minister, Alicia began her ministry by leading a start-up congregation for three years, after which she spent 16 years in denominational leadership, serving as the Program Coordinator for Multicultural Congregations, Professional Development Director, and the Global Connections and Emerging Communities Director. Additionally, Alicia is a passionate and skilled facilitator with a special interest in designing cohorts of spiritual care, especially for BIPOC folx.

Prior to her ministry, she dedicated a decade to the United States Air Force, where she (surprisingly) developed a profound appreciation for accompaniment, transformative growth, and bridging differences through the spiritual practice of curiosity.

Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, Alicia is proud of her bicultural upbringing, which has given her a broad, global perspective that influences her ministry.

In her spare time, Alicia enjoys poetry, hiking, reading, working out, and getting lost in the clouds. A graduate of The Iliff School of Theology (MDiv ’03), she currently lives in Boulder, Colorado, with her partner.

Learning and Innovation Executive Assistant

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Lauren Hanks serves as the executive assistant for Learning and Innovation, blending her extensive corporate background in people and project management with her passion for community impact.

A dedicated member of University United Methodist Church, Lauren serves on several committees while also leading the congregation's vibrant poetry group, putting her Bachelor of Arts in English to good use!

Director of Learning and Innovation

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Rev. Kathleen McShane is the director of learning and innovation for Texas Methodist Foundation. Kathi retired from active ministry as an ordained Elder in the California-Nevada Conference of the United Methodist Church in 2022. She led four congregations and served for eight years as the vice president for Institutional Advancement at Pacific School of Religion. Before attending seminary and beginning her life in ministry, she was a civil litigator, practicing law in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In her final appointment in Los Altos, California, Kathi co-founded the Changemaker Initiative, which is a small national movement of churches committed to empowering lay people to become compassion-driven changemakers like Jesus. That work has led her toward multiple projects that are re-imagining leadership for the church of the future. She is the co-author, with Rabbi Elan Babchuck, of Picking Up the Pieces: Leadership after Empire (Fortress Press).

Kathi lives on a vineyard on the Central Coast of California.

Associate Director of Learning and Innovation

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Derrick Scott, III is the associate director of Learning and Innovation. Derrick has been leading ministry in the collegiate and young adult context for over 20 years.

In addition to his work with TMF, Derrick currently serves as the creative producer of Studio Wesley, a ministry that’s exploring how to serve college-aged young adults in the digital space. He is also the co-lay leader of the Florida Conference of the UMC. He is passionate about empowering a new generation of leaders and laborers who will live as disciples of Jesus Christ to transform the world.

He has an undergraduate degree in history, is a Cicerone Certified Beer Server, and is a textbook introvert. He loves eating sushi, flying on Delta, and pouring craft beer. He lives in Jacksonville, Florida with his Chihuahua-mix dog Winston and Bengal cat Julian. Most importantly, he hates mayonnaise.

Assistant Vice President of Strategic Initiatives

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Krystol is assistant vice president of Strategic Initiatives at TMF and works currently with the Learning and Innovation. For more than 16 years, Krystol has served the foundation in various capacities, including communications, strategic planning, grant management, project management, and data analytics.

Krystol has a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Psychology and Master of Arts in Organizational Communication from the University of Houston. She is a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt with a passion for how data science and evidence-based analytics may support the traction great ideas need to achieve long-term sustainability.

Krystol teaches Sunday School for 5th, 6th, and 7th graders each week. She serves as a board member and chair of the marketing committee for Communities in Schools Houston, and as a board member for Sodzo International.

Learning and Innovation Administrative Assistant

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Leah Yancey is an administrative assistant in the Learning and Innovation department. A seasoned hospitality professional with extensive experience in the industry, she brings over a decade of successful experience in Houston's diverse restaurant scene. With a background as a kitchen manager and sous chef, Leah's expertise extends to entrepreneurship, having co-owned and operated a thriving Catering Company, Food Truck, and Coffee Shop on a single campus for six and a half years.

Leah's dedication to her craft is evident through her achievements, including a Patisserie Certification from Le Cordon Bleu, London in 2012, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Restaurant, Hotel Institutional Management from Texas Tech, Lubbock in 2010. Originally from Lubbock, Texas, Leah's passion for the hospitality industry, combined with her commitment to excellence, organizational skills, and diverse background, make her an invaluable asset as she provides crucial support to the Learning and Innovation department at TMF.

Facilitator

Dori Grinenko Baker describes herself as a Spy for Hope. She practices creative facilitation, advocacy for justice, and independent scholarship that prioritizes welcoming everyone to the table. Her work focuses on the role of soulful practices in cultural change, racial justice, and leadership development. Baker’s first career as a journalist led to seminary, ordination, and a PhD in religious studies. She serves as a consultant across numerous faith traditions and is a United Methodist elder in Virginia. Dori’s newest project is co-founding a mental health intervention called Our Own Deep Wells: Awakening Soulful Practices for Wellness. Her most recent book is the newly revised Girl/Friend Theology: God-Talk with Young People, which is featured in her podcast, Live to Tell. She is also co-author of Another Way: Living and Leading Change on Purpose (2020) and numerous other books and articles. Learn more about her work at www.doribaker.com.

Facilitator

Rev. Barber is a nationally recognized leader, author, founder, and professor who helps repair local communities and build a more just economy. Rev. Barber has dedicated his 30-year career to working toward Dr. Martin Luther King's vision of "the beloved community." Rev. Barber is the executive director of Neighborhood Economics, in Portland, Oregon, connecting people repairing local economies, and a 2021 Locke Innovative Leader Award honoree.

Facilitator

Rev. Jess Bielman Dmin. is a minister, teacher, and consultant. He has successfully become a pastoral presence for a generation of people who have said “no” to pastors in a traditional sense. He is a mentor to those who minister in the name of Jesus to a church that historically has not valued their perspectives. Jess prepares leaders to engage the community in ways that honor the dignity of all people and cultures. He has been mentored and engaged leaders in cultural work and co-developed initiatives that center the voices on the margins. He has worked with scholars and practitioners to co-construct programs, curriculum, and content that analyze theological and cultural issues impacting the thriving of church and community.

Jess Bielman is a Northwest native who converted to the Christian faith as a teenager. Since then he has been interested in the intersection of faith community and local culture. These interests have driven his personal explorations, ecclesial life, and academic interests. Jess is always working to address the next iteration of the church in the world. Jess has a doctorate in ministry. His dissertation looked at contextualizing ministry training to the Pacific Northwest. He has been a professor at the college level in the department of religion having taught the Bible, historic Christian spirituality, faith and culture, community engagement, preaching, and other subjects. He has developed programs and coursework that train pastors and students for the ministerial vocation at the margins of cities, neighborhoods, and society.

Jess is an ordained minister and pastor by calling who has done campus ministry and house church ministry. As a campus pastor, he directed the evolution of ministry programs to a religiously and culturally diverse college campus always looking toward meeting the needs of students. He often works with others who are navigating ‘dark night of the soul’ experiences and transitions in how they relate to their faith. In addition, he is a meditation teacher on the Insighttimer app.

Jess is a skilled administrator having worked on strategic planning, systems and structure change, and creative initiative implementation. He is an innovator committed to changing institutional culture to enact more equitable processes. Jess has often been called upon to rethink and restructure systems designed to serve the organization’s core values for the flourishing of all.

Facilitator

Rachel Billups is an innovative thinker, inspirational speaker, and collaborative leader who serves as Senior Pastor at New Albany United Methodist Church in New Albany, Ohio. With her visionary approach, Rachel embraces her love for community and her zeal for creating new avenues for ministry.

Determined to help leaders and their churches experience their full potential, Rachel has committed herself to helping others through coaching. Serving as a System & Soul coach is just one of the ways Rachel is living out her purpose.

Rachel is known for her leadership at national gatherings, co-founder of the www.hub4innovation.org and is the author of "An Unlikely Advent: Extraordinary People of the Christmas Story" and "BE BOLD: Finding Your Fierce." Her works foster resilience and boldness within her readers.

Rachel enjoys nurturing faith and fellowship through Open Table gatherings and online prayer sessions, alongside her husband Jon and their four children. You can connect with Rachel at: www.rachelbillups.com

Facilitator

 Mike Bonem has a resumé that would impress any Fortune 500 CEO.

He has a B.S. in chemical engineering from Rice University. He has an M.B.A. degree, with distinction from Harvard Business School. He is a former manager with the renowned McKinsey and Company global management and consulting firm. He is a distinguished author, speaker, consultant, and successful business owner.

But for dozens of clergy and lay leaders, Mike is much more than an executive with an extraordinary resume. He is a teacher, coach, sounding board, guide, resource, mentor, and ally. That’s because Mike is the facilitator for several TMF Learning Communities.

After Mike felt God’s calling, he pivoted his career to serve the Church, eventually spending more than 10 years as the Executive Pastor of West University Baptist Church in Houston. Today he uses his deep and extensive professional experiences to help other Executive Pastors fulfill their potential as they serve their congregations and the Church.

Executive Pastors serve a vital role in their respective churches. As the first assistant to the Senior Pastor, an Executive Pastor is usually responsible for managing church staff and operations. It’s also a job that requires a range of skills from handling human resource issues to managing the church’s finances.

The XP2 Learning Community focuses on issues of leadership, courage, and transformation. Executive pastors in this group work with each other to understand how to effectively embrace change, seek new ways to tough challenges and find ways to continually grow and evolve through their careers.

As a facilitator, Mike understands what his professional experiences and insights can bring to the groups, but he also understands how important it is to let the groups find their own paths toward being more effective leaders.

“As a consultant, some times it’s challenging to stand back and allow the group to make the decision,” he says. “But my role is not to tell them how to accomplish this goal or that objective. It’s to listen, learn, interact and help the group to find a solution that they feel is the right path.”

While Mike enjoys contributing his insights, what he really values is how members of each group have helped one another.

“We give members of our groups the opportunity to talk about the most difficult challenges they face in their roles as Executive Pastors,” he explains. “When they understand that they are in an environment where they can discuss tough topics frankly and honestly, members feel comfortable enough to seek help in dealing with some very important issues. In a lot of cases, it’s the first time they’ve ever talked about these challenges with peers.”

For all the preparation, time and hard work Mike puts into facilitating two different Learning Communities, it pales in comparison to the sheer joy and sense of accomplishment he gets every time he meets with either group.

“I get to spend time with exceptional people who have all stood up, raised their hands, and volunteered to take on some very difficult challenges, both within their congregations and in the Church as a whole,” says Bonem. “The leadership, courage, and camaraderie I witness again and again continue to amaze me. It’s why I’m always looking forward to the next meeting.”

Facilitator

Nathan is an Episcopal priest who has served as the managing director of Alban at Duke Divinity School since 2014 and as the managing director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity since 2007. He has worked with hundreds of congregations and congregational leaders – from those serving on Main Street in rural Oregon to those serving on Madison Avenue in New York City. He has facilitated strategic visioning processes for dozens of organizations, including for The Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes as they sought to pivot after a 30-year history of mission and ministry.

He teaches regularly in the Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising offered through the Lilly Endowment-supported Lake Institute on Faith & Giving. He also teaches and trains congregational, denominational, and institutional leaders in the United States and globally on issues of change and change management, innovation and sustainability, vocation and leadership.

He holds degrees from Wake Forest University (B.A., Religious Studies, Political Science, and International Studies) and Duke University (Master of Divinity, Ethics). He has done further study in religion and psychology at Durham University (Durham, UK). He is certified in a number of psychometric assessments and in the Center for Creative Leadership’s SkillScope 360º feedback tool.

When not working, he is an avid runner, photographer, wine connoisseur and amateur chef.

Facilitator

William H. Lamar IV is pastor of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, DC. Ordained as an itinerant elder in 2000 at the Florida Annual Conference of the AME Church, Lamar has also served congregations in Monticello, Florida; Orlando, Florida; Jacksonville, Florida; and Hyattsville, Maryland.

Prior to his two most recent appointments (in Maryland and the District of Columbia), Lamar was the managing director of Leadership Education at Duke University Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina. Through his association with Duke, he convened and resourced executive pastors of large churches, denominational finance executives, young denominational leaders, Methodist bishops, and the constituency of Lilly Endowment’s Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Program. For nearly 15 years, Lamar has been actively involved with organizations like Direct Action Research Training (DART), Industrial Areas Foundations (IAF), and Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) for faith-based community organizing for justice. Most recently, he has collaborated with Repairers of the Breach, the Center for Community Change (CCC), and People Improving Communities through Organization (PICO) to enact a social justice ministry in surrounding communities and to exhibit a real embrace of the beloved community. Under his leadership, Metropolitan remains committed to worship, liberation, and service.

A 1996 magna cum laude graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Lamar earned a bachelor of science degree in Public Management with a minor in Philosophy and Religion and a certificate in Human Resource Management. In 1999, he earned the Master of Divinity degree from Duke University. Lamar is currently a doctoral student in the inaugural cohort of Christian Theological Seminary’s Ph.D. program in African-American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric. An avid reader and writer, Lamar has published articles in outlets such as Christian Century, The Christian Recorder, Divinity Magazine, “FaithandLeadership.com,” The Anvil, “TheUndefeated.com,” and the “Huffington Post.” He has also been featured in The Washington Post and the Afro-American and on “The Takeaway,” the “Huffington Post Live,” and PBS “News Hour.”

Lamar is honored to serve Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, where he seeks daily to extend the cathedral of African Methodism’s nearly two centuries-long legacy of bearing witness to and ushering into this world the reign of the living God.

Facilitator

Greg Ligon has served churches and leaders for over 30 years including both founding roles and executive roles in multiple organizations. He served with Leadership Network for 22 years completing his tenure there as Chief Operating Officer. Greg combines a “what’s next” spirit of innovation and a “get it done” process to his work of strategic planning with churches.

During his season at Leadership Network, Greg led pioneering work associated with the acceleration of the multisite movement, gathering the innovators and creating resources including two co-authored books – The Multi-site Church Revolution and A Multi-site Church Road Trip. He is also known for his innovative leadership in the group consulting model which led to significant ministry breakthroughs. Greg also provided executive leadership for the publishing imprints associated with Leadership Network and spearheaded strategic services for the organization.

Prior to that, Greg was the founding director of the United Methodist Campus Ministry at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, a student ministry that engaged 10% of the undergraduate student population. In addition, he served as senior associate pastor at First United Methodist Church in Waco, Texas.

Facilitator

Neil has worked in local churches since 2004 in a variety of ministry roles. He moved to White Rock UMC to experiment with urban church renewal. White Rock UMC had lost connection with its neighbors, viewed its beautiful, aging building as a liability, and despaired for its future. His job was to start connecting, preach hope, clean the building, and help create a new vision for the old building. After only 3 years turning White Rock UMC around, Neil decided to take on another campus in a more resource and opportunity poor neighborhood after one of their partner UMCs decided to close.

Just as he did at White Rock, he began building partnerships with non-profits, after school programs, community groups, and other ministers. Owenwood has and will continue to evolve into a multi-use space for the community to tell their stories, connect with one another, find resources to make ends meet, teach and learn, and live out the Gospel.

Neil has met with churches and ministers from all over the country to share what he's experienced and learned at White Rock & Owenwood. Out of those conversations, he connected with Partners for Sacred Places to bring his voice to their work for preservation of historically significant sacred spaces through strategic partnerships, space repurposing, capital campaigning, community engagement, and activism.

He has benefited from lots of conversations with TMF as a participant on the President's Advisory Committee, Legacy Church Project, Forum on Wesleyan Potential, and now CLI.

He spends most of his time with his spouse, Rev. Elizabeth Moseley, and their 3 kiddos: Nathaniel (6), Evangeline (4), and Josephine (2).

Right now Neil is reading "White Fragility" by DiAngelo and "One Person, No Vote" by Anderson. He listens to podcasts such as Pod Save America, Broken Record, More Perfect, and several others.

Facilitator

Rev. Gil Rendle is a retired Senior Vice President and part-time Consultant with TMF as well as an independent consultant working with issues of change and leadership in denominations. Prior to this position, he served the Alban Institute as an author, seminar leader and senior consultant for twelve years. An ordained United Methodist minister, Rendle served as senior pastor of two urban congregations in Pennsylvania for sixteen years and as a denominational consultant for The United Methodist Church for nine years.

Rendle has an extensive background in organizational development, group and systems theory, and leadership development. He has consulted with congregations on planning, staff and leadership development, and issues of change. He is well known for his work with middle judicatory and national denominational offices and staff as they wrestle with denominational and congregational change.

In training workshops and conferences, Rendle has led numerous large and small groups in practical learning that directly impacts participants’ decisions and practice in their leadership roles. He is the author of ten books, a contributor to four books, and the author of numerous articles and monographs. His most recent books include:

• Journey in the Wilderness: New Life for Mainline Churches (2010) and
• Back to Zero: The Search to Rediscover the Methodist Movement (2011), both published by Abingdon Press.
• Doing the Math of Mission: Fruits, Faithfulness and Metrics (2014) and
• Quietly Courageous: Leading the Church in a Changing World, both published by Rowman & Littlefield.
• Countercultural: Subversive Resistance and the Neighborhood Congregation, published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Gil is a resident of Pennsylvania where he lives with his wife, Lynne.

Facilitator

Reverend Marti Soper is a retired Elder in the North Texas Conference serving the United Methodist Church in the Dallas area for twenty five years after a career in sales at IBM. She served as Youth Pastor, Associate Pastor and Senior Pastor at four congregations before being appointed as the Director of Leadership Development for the North Texas. Her portfolio included Camping and Age Group Ministries, Campus Ministry, and a focus on recruiting, resourcing and sustaining strong leadership, lay and clergy, in local churches. She developed a passion for learning through specialized cohorts, coaching, and mentoring along with self-awareness tools such as the enneagram. She currently works with TMF through the Courageous Congregations Collaborative (C3) and with the United Methodist Foundation of New England’s “Innovate” cohorts. Marti received an MDiv from Perkins School of Theology, an MBA from University of California at Los Angeles and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Boston College. She currently lives outside of Boston, MA and enjoys being close to grandkids and doing stained and fused glass as a hobby.

Facilitator

Rev. Gary Step brings a wealth of experience in congregational and community transformation, supporting pastors and local church leaders with their ministry, vision, and leadership. Serving as the Senior Director of Leadership Development for the United Methodist Foundation of Michigan, Step guides congregations to live as generous communities of faith, coach pastors to be inspiring steward leaders, and lead learning cohorts to address organizational transformation. Step previously served as the Associate Director of Congregational Vibrancy for the Michigan Conference. Throughout his work, he is excited to help churches and individuals live out their purpose and vision to produce “faithful people living generous lives.” A key focus for Step is aligning churches and individuals around a common vision, so that “generosity flows.”

Facilitator

Vipin Thekk is an experienced facilitator, coach, design consultant, public speaker, and serial entrepreneur. He has worked with entrepreneurs and innovators for 15-plus years as a senior director at Ashoka. He built the Changemaker Communities initiative, which weaves together influential institutions to support the next generation of changemakers. Vipin is building the Togetherness Practice - an innovative framework designed to support teams to get unstuck and unlock their highest potential. He specializes in designing and facilitating transformational journeys and experiences to support individuals and organizations to navigate complexity and change, including leading cohorts at the Esalen Institute in California, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, multiple school districts, and the Global Fund for Children. Vipin is also a faculty member at Generating Transformational Change at the Pacific Integral Institute, a unique nine-month program to develop human consciousness and leadership.

Facilitator

Rev. Ashley Pickerel Thomas began her pastoral ministry serving local churches in The Western North Carolina Conference for 11 years before coaching clergy across the southeast in leadership and ministry development with Passion in Partnership, LLC. She began her coaching work in March of 2020, the year the COVID pandemic made its way to the U.S. Even with all that has transpired since 2020, it has been her joy to assist and have a front row view as clergy, and their churches, lean into discernment and hope of God's dreams in the midst of an ever-changing landscape in ministry. Ashley appreciates utilizing Gallup Strengths, Emotional Intelligence, and contemplative spirituality in her coaching and facilitation. She is certified in Paradigm Personality's Workplace Big 5 profile.

A native of the beautiful mountains of Cashiers, NC, she is a graduate of UNC-Wilmington (B.A. Psychology) and Duke University Divinity School (M.Div.). In her favorite moments, you will find her on a trip to some new place or in her flower garden at home in Charlotte, NC -- both of which she enjoys with her favorite person, her husband, A.J.

Facilitator

Melissa Wiginton is Vice President for Education Beyond the Walls at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, which she founded in 2011, and Research Professor in Methodist Studies. She designed the Fellowships in Pastoral Leadership for Public Life, and is co-creator of The 787 Collective, a community of congregations committed to serving with and for young adults.

Ms. Wiginton holds the MDIV from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University, a JD from The University of Texas Law School, and a BA in American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She previously worked for the Fund for Theological Education, creating multiple projects to encourage gifted young people to explore ministry as a vocation. While practicing law in Austin before Seminary, she served as president of the Austin Family Mediation Association and co-created Moving Through: A Workshop for Divorcing Families, the first educational program in Austin to help parents in conflictual divorces ease the children’s difficulty. In 1996, the Texas Senate recognized Ms. Wiginton for her work on behalf of Texas families.

Ms. Wiginton has participated in several major research initiatives relative to the church and pastoral leadership, including Duke Divinity School’s Pulpit & Pew project and Pathways to Ministry, a project of the Auburn Center for the Study of Theological Education. She is the co-editor of Awakened to a Calling: Reflections on the Vocation of Ministry, a collection of sermons focused on young people and the vocation of ministry; author of “Truth,” in Way to Live: Christian Practices for Teenagers; and a contributor to Greenhouses of Hope: Congregations Growing Young Leaders Who Will Change the World.