STAFF
Rev. Andrew Chirch, MDIV
Executive Director
Email: andrew(at)chaplaincyinstitute.org
Phone: (510) 843-1422
Andrew lives in Tucson, Arizona in the embrace of the Santa Catalina / Babad Do’ag mountains. After a first career in banking, investing, and finance, Andrew graduated from Starr King School for the Ministry and The Chaplaincy Institute in 2019. He now Chaplains both individuals and organizations like The Chaplaincy Institute.
His children are all adults or nearly so, and he’s proud to call ChI his spiritual community. Andrew feels deeply called to cultivate organizational health and wholeness and is excited about the role that organizations can play in the healing the world needs.
Rev. Kari Kopnick
Community Minister
Email: kari(at)chaplaincyinstitute.org
Rev. Katrina Leathers, MA
Dean of Students & Enrollment
Email: katrina(at)chaplaincyinstitute.org
Phone: (510) 843-1422
Shae Green, MPA
Administrative Specialist
Email: shae(at)chaplaincyinstitute.org
Shae has begun her journey with ChI in taking on the role of the Administrative Specialist. She has earned both her Undergraduate degree in Organizational Management and her Master’s in Public Administration. Her professional experience consists of work in both the private and not for profit sectors. Shae’s previous work experience ranges from having been an Administrative Coordinator (Sr.), to utilizing her education and knowledge of government and non-profit systems as a Program Consultant, to having been a Program/Project Coordinator and grant lead. Shae feels called to serve others utilizing known and developing gifts, and brings with her an array of experience, a heart to show the world around her love through kindness and service, and the desire to work to provide a quality experience to all of those who are in some way or another a part of ChI’s vast community.
Rev. Lauren Van Ham, MA
Lead Consultant & Past Seminary Dean, Interfaith Studies and Spiritual Direction Faculty
Email: lauren(at)laurenvanham.com
Phone: (510) 843-1422
Raised under the big sky of the Midwest prairie, Rev. Lauren Van Ham, M.A., began her professional life as a performing artist in NYC before pursuing interfaith seminary studies in California. She served, for 9 years, as a hospital chaplain focusing in psychiatry, palliative care, and bereavement support. Moved by spirituality and ecology, Lauren’s ministry called her to a consulting firm where she custom-designed employee engagement sustainability programs for multi-national corporations. For nearly a decade, she served as Seminary Dean for the Chaplaincy Institute, and interfaith seminary and community. Lauren’s passion for spirituality, art and Earth’s teachings have supported her specialization in eco-ministry, grief & loss, and sacred activism. Her essay, “Way of the Eco-Chaplain,” appears in a collection of women’s work; and her work with Green Sangha is featured in Renewal, a documentary celebrating the efforts of religious environmental activists from diverse faith traditions across America. She is a guest writer for “Progressing Spirit.” Lauren holds degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and Naropa University. Currently, Lauren serves as Climate Action Coordinator for URI (the United Religions Initiative). She is a spiritual director and guest faculty for several schools in the Bay Area.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Rev. Bonnie Lange
Board of Directors, President
Email: bonniep357(at)gmail.com
focus is to serve as a compassionate companion for those facing challenges,
particularly related to the end of life. Her current ministry includes volunteering
in various roles for Hospice of Santa Cruz County and leading the pastoral care
team and prayer ministry for Peace United Church of Christ in Santa Cruz, CA.
Bonnie arrived at ChI aer four previous careers and a brief retirement. Her
spiritual homes have been United Church of Christ (current), Unity (25 years), and
Lutheran (childhood) faith traditions. She is also a certified coach for Gallup
Strengths Finder and HeartMath.
Rev. Kara Rosseaux
Board of Directors, Secretary
Email: krosseaux(at)gmail.com
Don Morgan
Board of Directors
Email: donontam(at)gmail.com
Phone: (510) 843-1422
Don has served as an Executive Director in 3 social service nonprofit organizations, one of which tripled in size over 5 years employing over 400 people, and serving thousands of families in 6 San Francisco Bay Area counties.
Don’s commitment is to build the daily practices, capacity, and resiliency of people and organizations to more naturally thrive through times of growth and change. His unusual mix of senior management experience, spiritual leadership roles, and personal mindfulness practices of over 20 years, gives him special skills to partner with leaders to evolve their organizations into greater effectiveness and profitability.
He has served as an ordained minister in both Unity and the Centers for Spiritual Living. He is a certified counselor and coach with extensive experience speaking, teaching, and facilitating retreats. He has served in interim senior director roles creating effective transitions for several organizations.
Don presently works with Simplicity Partners, A consultancy applying the principles of simplicity to bring increased effectiveness, profitability, and ease into the workplace and personal life.
Marcus Hill
Board of Directors
Email: marcus.r.hill(at)gmail.com
Phone: (510) 843-1422
Marcus joins us after 11 years of applying his ever-growing knowledge about communications and storytelling to help various schools, universities, businesses, and individual professionals achieve success in their communication endeavors.
Having been raised by a friend’s warm-welcoming family, Marcus learned the importance of inclusion, humility, and charity early on. It was this foundation that helped him to excel in communications giving rise to a need to bridge learning and understanding of differences with those he worked with throughout the years. He understands without great communication an interfaith community cannot exist. He is excited to be with us and contribute to the ongoing conversation about transforming the world for the better.
Rev. Andrew Gregg
Board of Directors
Email: aandrew.gregg(at)gmail.com
The Rev Andrew Gregg is a staff chaplain at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, VT, serving the emergency department, COVID-19 medicine unit, and Ethics Committee. Rev Gregg completed the Chaplaincy Institute’s Interfaith Chaplaincy Program in 2021 and was subsequently ordained by the community to interfaith chaplaincy and eco-ministry. An alumnus of Yale Divinity School, he completed Mayo Clinic’s chaplain residency program in the fall of 2022. Rev Gregg serves on the Chaplaincy Institute’s Board of Directors and the Winooski Valley Park District Board of Trustees.
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Rev. Sarah Donnell
Board of Directors
Email: shdonnell(at)gmail.com
Ordained by The Chaplaincy Institute in 2021, Sarah’s ministry flows from her understanding of the arts as a spiritual meeting place where people of any faith can connect with their sacred birthrights of beauty, expression, and play. For years she has combined her experience as a theatre artist, writer, and educator to serve as a playwright, director, performer, consultant, and facilitator using the tools of theatre for social change. Sarah holds a Master of Arts in Social Change from Starr King School for the Ministry. Through her coaching practice, she specializes in helping artistic seekers nurture their creative souls, helping emerging leaders activate their authentic executive presence, and helping white folks working toward equity practice antiracism. She loves holding space for deep feeling, possibility, and transformation as a celebrant as well. www.wellplayedcreative.com
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