Leadership Team

Marissa Akery is FTE's community engagement manager who serves the Doctoral initiatives as well as the Co-Create and Discernment Lab initiatives. Previously she served as the Next Generation Pastor at Impact Church, providing leadership, care, and development  for the leaders who serve infants to young adults.  She is a graduate of The University of Georgia and received her Master of Divinity from Emory Candler School of Theology. Marissa has been recognized by Church Women United as an Outstanding Young Woman in Ministry and as a Woman of Courage by St. John AME Church. She is passionate about promoting individuals spiritual and personal growth while ensuring that they are surrounded by an authentic, loving, and supportive community. 

Allison Arsenault directs FTE's coordination efforts in partnership with the Lilly Endowment. She oversees the Youth Theology Network and supports efforts centered on theology programs accompanying young adults in discernment. Allison also supports the data and knowledge management needs of FTE.

FTE's work is critical at a time when both young adults and the church are working to define their place and purpose in the world. Guiding students and young adults to engage questions of meaning and purpose is the most life-giving work I’ve ever been a part of. I love coming to work at a place that is actively creating spaces for people of faith to grow and shape their communities and the world.

Samaria Divine holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Religion with a focus on the Hebrew Bible. At FTE, she directs FTE’s doctoral initiatives and oversees efforts to create an engaged community of diverse scholars and supports doctoral students in completing their programs. Her own experiences applying to and navigating doctoral studies ignited her passion for assisting other upcoming underrepresented and underserved scholars in their academic pursuits. She holds a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Georgia State University.

Chrishaun Hoopes manages FTE's communications strategies and marketing efforts to increase awareness, engagement, and support for FTE’s vision, mission, and programmatic work.

As I approached a career milestone, I began seeking more meaningful ways to combine my passion for marketing with my spiritual calling to help people. I soon discovered an opportunity to promote one of the best brand stories through volunteer work at my church. I learned that there were career opportunities outside of corporate and agency life that allowed me to have a greater purpose. This journey led me to FTE, a brand shaking things up for the next generation of diverse faith leaders. Through my work, I lead communication strategies to reshape how we reach and empower individuals seeking meaningful ways to answer their callings for social good.

Darlene Hutto leads FTE young adult discernment experiences, dynamic worship, and event facilitation. She served on FTE’s staff for 16 years and brings a wealth of experience to the church, supporting young adults in vocational exploration.

It is exciting to know that my life’s passion and love for ministry serves a critical mass of young adults—that’s worth coming to work. FTE provides me the opportunity to be engaged in conversation and service with the larger church in a way that I could not be if I were in a specific ministry. I work with leaders of congregations and church-related organizations that support young Christian leaders, and in so doing, have the chance to impact young adults who are exploring their call.

The President of FTE, Stephen Lewis holds lead responsibility for the strategic direction of FTE.

I do what I do in hopes that my work with good colleagues will have a lasting impact on everyday people and communities across the world. The future is inevitable. Communities of faith, their leaders and the next generation are important catalysts in shaping the future. There is no viable path to the future absent of developing faithful, wise and courageous leaders now. No other national organization is like FTE in shaping the future by developing leaders on behalf of a diverse church and the academy.

Lee Anne McGaha oversees FTE's operational, administrative, and financial reporting functions.

I first connected with FTE through my previous position at Quaker Voluntary Service. Working at FTE feels like the natural continuation of that work. I am excited to provide the background support for my colleagues who are holding space for and guiding the next generation of leaders. I'm grateful to be connected to work that is helping to redefine ministry.

Christina Repoley directs and leads FTE's programs and initiatives centered on cultivating the next generation of diverse leaders for the church and academy.

I have been connected to FTE for over a decade. As a seminarian, FTE supported my own discernment and connected me to a network that helped me successfully found and grow Quaker Voluntary Service. After pouring my heart and soul into supporting young adults in discernment, ministry and service for nearly 10 years in the Quaker context, I am excited to now be able to support an even wider network of young adults discerning their call in the world and finding out what makes them come alive. FTE is uniquely positioned to be a prophetic voice for both the church and the world, while supporting current and future leadership of a diverse network of young people.

Heather B.P. Wallace, since 2014, has managed grants, resource development, and now FTE’s online learning platform. She also supported FTE's events for young adults, such as the regional discernment retreats, Christian Leadership Forum, and supports partners who work with young adults through learning events and consultations. She was raised as a Lutheran on a small farm in East Tennessee by her Brethren/pacifist father and Peruvian descent mother who both instilled in her a love of storytelling. She holds a Master of Arts in Social Justice and Community Development from the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Lenoir-Rhyne University.