Board & Staff
Rev. Becca Stevens
CHAIR
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Becca is an author, a priest, and the founder and president of Thistle Farms, a global community of survivors of trafficking and addiction that includes justice enterprises. For her work as an entrepreneur and justice advocate, Becca has been named a White House Champion of Change, a CNN Hero, and holds numerous honorary doctorates. She has been featured on The Today Show, ABC World News, NPR and in the New York Times.
Rev. Dr. Scott Owings
PRESIDENT + VICE CHAIR
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Scott is a priest, spiritual director, and professor. In addition to overseeing the CCJ, Scott leads a yearly pilgrimage to Botswana to assist Holy Cross Hospice in their work of relieving suffering from those who have HIV-AIDS. Scott has also worked as a Hospice Chaplain as well as a missionary in Eastern Europe from 1988-2000.
Dr. Sam Robbins
TREASURER
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Sam serves on the faculty at Vanderbilt Medical School as a Nurse Practitioner working in palliative care. He is inspired to make health care better adapted to meet the needs of patients and families contending with serious illness. Sam has been particularly drawn to the CCJ’s work with Holy Cross Hospice in Botswana.
Kendall Hinote
SECRETARY
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Kendall grew up in Nashville and became, among other things, a social worker, family literacy coordinator, mindfulness facilitator and an all around non-profit advocate. She has a passion for encouraging others in their own callings. Her work with the Center has brought a diversity of connections into being. From support for an exhibition of Thomas Merton's artwork, to sandtray training in spiritual direction, to survival backpacks for Ukranians, to sound bath offerings, to more accessible outdoor play spaces for children, she believes deeply in the incubation model and how it creates needed change and newly fathomed opportunity through the power and humility of contemplation.
Kelsey Davis
BOARD MEMBER
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Kelsey is passionate about chaplaincy, athletics, and the spiritual life. She loves living in Asheville and spending time adventuring outdoors with her wife and daughter. Kelsey is Executive Director and Co-Founder of Christian Athlete Circles, the first open and affirming athlete ministry. She is a former professional soccer player and coach, serves as Trustee of Support the Players National Emergency Trust—a fund designed in collaboration with the NWSL Players Association to support current and former players in women+’s professional soccer. She serves as Director of Blue Ridge Service Corps & Campus Missioner at UNCA & WCU in The Episcopal Diocese of WNC, and as Chaplain for The Center for Contemplative Justice based in Nashville. She holds a M.Div and Certificate in Religion in the Arts and Contemporary Culture from Vanderbilt Divinity School, B.A in Theology with minor in Education from The University of Portland, & is a student of The Narrative Enneagram.
Quentin Cox
BOARD MEMBER
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Quentin Cox answered the callto Christian ministry and began preaching in 1996 while attending the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Since then, he has served in volunteer, part-time, and full-time ministry roles ranging from usher to executive administrative pastor.
Quentin is an effective communicator of God's Word. Known for his clear and engaging teaching style, he conveys complex spiritual truths in accessible and relevant terms. He also enjoys ministry work that demonstrates God's love for humanity by meeting practical needs in tangible ways. Over the years, Quentin has launched programs to provide free tax preparation services, school supplies, and food resources for vulnerable individuals and families in several cities around the country.
Quentin holds a particular interest in how the Bible addresses economic and social justice issues. He earned his Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt University Divinity School, where his academic inquiry centered on questions related to how the Black church might respond to America's racialized wealth gap. His academic concentration was Religion and Economic Justice, and he earned graduate certificates in Black Religion and Culture Studies and African American Diaspora Studies. During his time at the Divinity School, Quentin was awarded the Umphrey Lee Dean's Award and the Divinity Student Government Association Service Awards.
Quentin is also an astute businessman and a transformational leader. In the Air Force and corporate America, he led large and small, local and geographically separated teams in fulfilling their missions. He understands how to connect with people and assess an operation to maximize effectiveness. As a serial entrepreneur, Quentin has developed and stewarded the vision of several successful businesses. As a leader, coach, mentor, Quentin has developed countless individuals to higher levels of effectiveness across several industries.
Quentin is the founder of the Center for Urban Economic Justice. Through the Center, he seeks opportunities to bring his academic, business, and leadership experiences and skills to bear in ways that support the overall health and well-being of Black people, the Black community, and the Black church.
Quentin Cox is a native of Wichita, KS. He and his wife Shay have been married since 1999. They have four children: Mikayla, Hannah, Alissa, and Quentin II.
Dr. Todd L. Lake
BOARD MEMBER
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Todd is Vice President for Spiritual Development at Belmont University, which has over 8,500 students and is the largest ecumenical Christian university in the country. Todd has served as a Legislative Aide working on migrant farmworker issues in California, a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay, and pastor of a multi-racial, social justice oriented Baptist church in Cambridge, MA. He works at Belmont to help students grow in faith, and to use what they are learning to serve others locally and internationally.
Dr. Don Welch
BOARD MEMBER
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Don became active in the CCJ after a career at Vanderbilt University, where he was a professor at the Law School and the Divinity School, teaching courses such as Ethics and Public Policy and Law and Religion. He has been especially involved in the development of the CCJ’s programs in Ecuador. Don also serves as President of the Larkspur Conservation Board.
Rachel Rogers
BOARD MEMBER
Allen Karns
BOARD MEMBER
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Allen is a Principal Cloud Architect at Vanderbilt University. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Janet, and son, Wendell, as well as golfing whenever time allows. As a member of the Board of Directors for the Center for Contemplative Justice, Allen leads the annual trip to San Eduardo, Ecuador for work with La Escuela Anne Stevens and the yearly medical clinic.
Dave Ragland
BOARD MEMBER
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DAVE RAGLAND (daveragland.com) is a four-time EMMY-nominated composer, vocalist, educator, and dedicated community music leader. Since 2017, Dave has been involved with the music leadership at St. Augustine's Episcopal Chapel, guiding choirs and fostering community through music. He has been teaching voice and piano privately to young students since 2016, cultivating the next generation of musicians. A proud member of Phi Mu Alpha Music Fraternity, he has long contributed to Nashville’s musical and educational community.
Dave’s compositions have been performed in colleges and conservatories across the United States, Canada, and Europe. He is a recipient of the 2022 Adams-Owens Composition Prize from the African-American Art Song Alliance, the 2021 American Prize in Composition, the Antinori Grand Prize for The Atlanta Opera, two Telly Awards, and was the 2020 GRADY-RAYAM Negro Spirituals Foundation Composer-in-Residence. As a member of the Blacknificent 7 (B7) composer collective, his works are featured in Karen Slack’s “African Queens” commissioning project, performed at venues including Ravinia, Aspen Music Festival, the 92nd Street Y, and Washington Performing Arts.
As Artist-in-Residence for OZ Arts Nashville, Dave debuted the opera STEAL AWAY and collaborated with librettist Mary McCallum on the operas ONE VOTE WON (Nashville Opera), BEATRICE (Portland Opera), and CHARLIE AND THE WOLF (Cedar Rapids Opera). Dave’s music has been performed by Washington National Opera, LA Opera, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Symphony, Nashville Ballet, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, chatterbird, and Resonance Ensemble (Portland, OR). He serves as Artistic Director of Inversion Vocal Ensemble, a Nashville-based, nationally touring vocal collective.
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Rachel Rogers fell in love with the work of the CCJ after spending many hours in contemplation at the Center’s Friday morning Centering Prayer sessions. Professionally, she brings 20+ years of experience in communicating with purpose - whether through journalism, consulting, or most recently, leading a global sales engineering team for Salesforce. Rachel lives in Nashville with her husband and daughter, and loves reading, cooking, poetry and listening to birds.
Dorian Hanna
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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Dorian is excited to bring her career experience working in business management to the CCJ. Over the last 4 years, Dorian has volunteered for the CCJ and served as Chair for the Greatest Show and Auction Ever in 2021. During this time, she has come to know and appreciate the important work of the CCJ, as well as the board and the extended community of volunteers. With a passion for financial literacy, social justice as well as eco-justice work, Dorian hopes to assist in the growth and development of the incubator program as well as support the important work of the CCJ in Botswana and Ecuador. She enjoys the outdoors and spending time with her husband and two children.
Moses Hummon
CREATIVE DESIGNER & SPECIAL PROJECTS
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Coming Soon