Dr. Phillip Faig has led Old Town Community Church since 2015 and prior to that served congregations in Richmond, Minnesota, and Arlington, Virginia. During his time at OTCC, the building has gone from being primarily empty during the week to being a place where people in the community finds healing and purpose every day of the week, regardless of whether they are part of the Sunday morning worshipping community.

Dr. Faig earned a Doctor of Ministry in Semiotics, Church and Culture from Portland Seminary, a Master of Divinity from Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, and a Bachelor of Science from James Madison University.

Rev. Brian Hoysa has hope for the future of the church based on his experiences in ministry and he believes there are many stories of promise that we’ll uncover through Building for Hope. Serving as associate pastor of Old Town Community Church since 2016, he has focused on bridging the church with the community by collaborating with nonprofits and others in the faith community. In his role, he helps channel congregational energy to discern and serve the needs of the community.

Rev. Hoysa earned a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School and a Bachelor of Arts in religious studies and classics from William and Mary.

Ellis Witherington joined our team in 2024 and brings valuable planning and logistical skills. Passionate about empowering congregations to repurpose underutilized spaces, she is dedicated to collaboration and creative problem-solving to help them make a lasting impact in their communities.

Ellis earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance with a Minor in Business from Wofford College.

Dr. Matt Cook serves as the Director of the Center for Healthy Churches, bringing over thirty years of experience from his tenure in local congregations, with two decades spent as a Senior Pastor in churches spanning Texas, Arkansas, and North Carolina. 

Widely recognized as a sought-after preacher, teacher, and workshop leader, Matt extends his expertise across the country and in various denominational settings. Beyond his role at the Center, he has served as an Interim Pastor in numerous congregations nationwide. 

Matt’s academic journey includes earning a bachelor’s degree from Samford University and completing both his M.Div. and Ph.D. in Church History at Baylor University. He has shared his knowledge on the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels at institutions such as Belmont University, Baylor University’s Truett Seminary, and Central Baptist Theological Seminary. 

Matt is happily married to Allyson, and they share two children, Nathaniel and Caroline. Residing in Dallas, TX, Matt is not only a dedicated family man but also an avid cyclist, a fervent supporter of OU football, and a connoisseur of various barbeque styles. 

Colida works for Together We Bake, a non-profit that provides a comprehensive workforce training and personal development program to help women facing barriers to employment gain self-confidence, transferable workforce skills, and invaluable hands-on experience, which allows them to find sustainable employment and move toward self-sufficiency.

Together We Bake and Old Town Community Church have worked under the same roof since Together We Bake started 12 years ago. Colida’s work has made a profound impact on the lives of countless women in Alexandria.

Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben was elected by the House and sworn in as the 62nd Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives on January 3, 2021. Chaplain Kibben is an ordained Presbyterian Minister (PCUSA) and served more than thirty years as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy, completing her career as the U.S. Navy’s 26th Chief of Chaplains, and previously the 18th Chaplain of the Marine Corps. Her military service comprises a variety of both Navy and Marine Corps assignments where she served ashore, at sea, and abroad, to include a combat tour in Afghanistan.

Dr. Kibben is a graduate of Goucher College in Towson, Maryland. She received both her Master of Divinity and her Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey. She served as a Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace and holds a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College in Washington, DC.

Justine has worked at the intersection of social justice, food ministries, and local agriculture since 2016. She seeks to serve faith communities and non-profits throughout rural North Carolina by providing resources, tools, and peer connections to increase their capacity. Justine holds a Master of Social Work from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School.

She lives in the Piedmont of North Carolina with her husband Andrew, their daughters Dorothy and Edith, and their dog Bowie. When she’s not working, she’s usually making pies or spending time with her family outside.

The Reverend Sharon K. Core is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and is the General Presbyter for the Presbytery of the Western Reserve (metro Cleveland, OH). Before taking this position, she has served churches in Charleston, SC; Brevard, NC; Arlington, VA. She is a graduate of Agnes Scott College and Columbia Theological Seminary, both in Decatur, GA. She shares life with her husband, Nick Kuhn.

Ms. Janopaul dedicated her career to leading nonprofit real estate organizations. She served as CEO of True Ground Housing Partners (formerly the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing), from 2007 – 2021, a regional, award-winning, housing developer. Ms. Janopaul was featured on the cover of Affordable Housing Finance Magazine as one of 10 Wonder Women in affordable housing nationwide (March 2019). At her departure, True Ground had a portfolio of 19 multifamily rental properties valued at more than $500 million, plus another 10+ projects in various stages of development.

Ms. Janopaul earned a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University. She has been active on numerous boards and commissions and is a frequent speaker at conferences and workshops. She consults with nonprofits, judicatories and congregations on mission real estate. She is currently serving on the boards of Goodwin Living, the Urban Land Institute’s Terwilliger Advisory Board, and as chair of Virginia Episcopal Real Estate Partners (VEREP). Ms. Janopaul is a cradle Episcopalian and proud grandmother of three young grandsons.

Ms. Heather Peeler is the President & CEO of ACT for Alexandria. During her tenure, ACT expanded its service to the community and deepened its impact. Key initiatives have addressed racial equity, economic mobility for low-income Alexandrians, and youth success. Ms. Peeler holds a Bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts and earned her M.B.A. from The Anderson School at UCLA in Los Angeles, California.

Mark’s professional career spans the spectrum from profit to non-profit, from start-up to established, and his academic ‘side-hustle’ has focused on the intersection between theology and our contemporary socio-economic context. Mark has a Doctorate in Theology and Economics from King’s College London, with his thesis focusing on social enterprise as ‘faithful economic practice’. Prior to this Mark studied at Regent College, Vancouver, where Mark gained a MA in Theology and Culture and where Mark was also the Interim Director of the Marketplace Institute.

Mark is the former KLICE award holder for business ethics. Mark has a background in management consultancy and was the director of Cocreate Consulting, a co-operative social purpose consultancy. Prior to RootedGood, Mark was a director of Matryoshka Haus and the Transformational Index Group. Mark was the co-founder of The Paradise Cooperative, an urban farming and education charity in central London. Mark is also a non-executive director of The Curiosity Society. Mark’s dwelling place is outside Detroit, Michigan where he lives with his wife Katie and his three children Ember, Lucas and Elora. Prior to Michigan, the family lived in Mark’s native land, England.

Gary finds great joy in helping churches engage their communities by using smart communication and advertising strategies for ministry. He brings joy to his work at BGAV (Baptist General Association of Virginia, along with a breadth of experience serving congregations, working in business development, and owning and operating a web design and social media marketing firm. He is trained in Arc-GIS to produce the marketing and demographic data that will be shared with you.

Gary earned a Master of Divinity degree from Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond. He is married to Traci, and they are the parents of three adult children and two grandchildren.

Jon Halverson is Partner at Talanton Impact Investment Funds, a faith-driven firm that mobilizes mission-minded people who believe the best way to permanently help people living in poverty is to invest in values-aligned companies to create jobs, bring Hope and transform lives. Talanton focuses its work in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi where it has created or supported over 180,000 jobs in its first 17 investments. Talanton has $48 million of capital in its two private investment funds. 

Before Talanton, Jon spent more than 20 years at two of the world’s leading food and agricultural multinationals, Cargill and Land O’ Lakes. At Cargill, Jon served as a Director of Strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions where he led multi-billion dollar acquisitions and strategy projects. At Land O’Lakes, Jon served as a Vice President – International. In addition, Jon served as a Regional Investment Advisor for USADF based in Tanzania. While living in Tanzania, Jon spearheaded over 50 investments in mid-sized businesses across Africa..

Jon has a B.A. in Theology from Wheaton College, an MBA from Regis University (with Honors), and a D. Min. from Bethel University where his thesis focused on renewing a belief that investing in redemptive businesses is biblical and strategic for missional outreach and enduring impact. He considers Colorado and Kenya second homes. His wife of 32 years is Kara and they have 4 wonderful children. 

Rev. Dr. Tracy Hartman brings a unique blind of academic depth, pastoral experience, and coaching expertise to her work with churches and leaders. For eighteen years, she served as Professor of Practical Theology at the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, teaching preaching, worship, leadership, and field education while shaping the next generation of ministers.

Today, Tracy serves as an intentional interim pastor, clergy coach, and served as mentor through the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Thriving Congregations initiative. She is certified in coaching and intentional interim ministry and has walked alongside dozens of congregations and clergy navigating seasons of transition, conflict, and renewal.

Tracy’s passion is helping both churches and ministers thrive—whether that means guiding a congregation through visioning and mission alignment, coaching early-career clergy, or helping established churches use their resources creatively for God’s kingdom.

She and her husband, Jay, make their home in Richmond, Virginia.

Dr. Tremper Longman III (B.A., Ohio Wesleyan University; M.Div., Westminster Theological Seminary; M.Phil. and Ph.D., Yale University) is Distinguished Scholar and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at Westmont College.  He has written over thirty-five books, including commentaries on Genesis, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Daniel, Nahum, and Revelation. His most recent books include Confronting Old Testament Controversies: Pressing Questions about Evolution, Sexuality, History and Violence,  The Bible and the Ballot, Revelation through Old Testament Eyes, and The Old Testament Literature. He is also a Senior Translator of the New Living Translation. He is married to Alice and has three sons, seven granddaughters, and a grandson. He and Alice now live in Alexandria, Virginia.

Rev. Juli Wilson-Black is Pastor of Fairlington Presbyterian Church in Alexandria, VA, which partnered with Wesley Housing to build the Waypoint at Fairlington, an 81-unit affordable apartment building that opened in 2022.  While a student at the University of Richmond, she studied Spanish in Honduras and served as a Presbyterian Church (USA) mission volunteer in Mexico.  She earned her Master of Divinity degree at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago in 1995, and served small and large churches in Chicago, Louisville, KY, and Bethesda, MD, before coming to Fairlington in 2013.  She and her husband Rob have three young adult children and a dog who gets her outdoors in every kind of weather.

Alyia Gaskins, a tenacious fighter for families, communities, and health equity, is the first African American woman to serve as the Mayor of Alexandria. She was elected in 2024 and is dedicated to building a healthier, more prosperous Alexandria for all.

Alyia graduated from Vanderbilt University, where she majored in medicine, health, and society. She earned a master’s degree in public health at the University of Pittsburgh and further honed her policy chops with a master’s in urban planning at Georgetown and a Professional Certificate in Municipal Finance from the University of Chicago.

Alyia lives on the West End with her husband, son, daughter, and beagle.