Meet the Board of Directors

The Rev. Valerie Coe Lowder is an authorized minister in the Southeast Conference, United Church of Christ, where she serves as an Intentional Interim Minister.  She is also a D.Min. student at McAfee School of Theology.  She has been pastor of congregations in North Carolina,  Virginia, and Tennessee, a campus minister in Delaware, and a youth minister in Indiana and Pennsylvania. As an educator, she has taught Spanish to elementary and middle school students; religion, philosophy and ethics to college students; and served as administrator of two preschools.  Ordained as a Baptist in 1990, she came to the UCC in 1997 by privilege of call, after sojourning among Methodists, Moravians and other ecumenical exploits. She holds a B.A. from Wake Forest University, a M.A. in Religious Studies from Indiana University, a M.Div. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, with further studies at the Divinity School of Duke University. She has earned certificates in Clinical Pastoral Education and in Interim Ministry and is trained in therapeutic parenting and emergency response. For decades she has been a mentor to many women and men preparing for ministry, including chairing the Commission on Ministry of Southeast Conference and serving on the Members In Discernment committee at Kirkwood UCC in Atlanta, Georgia. She is also a mental health advocate, a hand-weaver and quilter. She is married to Dr. Patrick Lowder. They have two grown sons, an old black cat and three xoloitzcuintlis.

The Rev. Dr. Salome As-Salaam has been involved in PATHWAYS since it was with the Southeast Conference,United Church of Christ. She has served on the board of PATHWAYS Theological Education, Inc. as a member of the Executive Committee since 2018 and now as the President of the Board. She serves as the Pastor of the Shalom Spiritual Center (https://shalom-centers.org) a teaching ministry of the United Church of Christ. She has held several ministerial positions, including serving as the Senior Pastor of The First Church of North Miami Congregational, United Christ of Christ, Associate Pastor of Pembroke Manor United Church of Christ, Police Chaplain for the North Miami Police Department, Trauma Chaplain for Sentara Norfolk Hospital, Executive Director of The Richmond Education Peace Center, and the Executive Director of The Institute for Southern Studies. Before her call to ministry, Rev. As- Salaam served as an officer in The United States Army.

Rev. As-Salaam graduated from the Samuel D. Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. She also completed a residency in Clinical Pastoral Education at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. She received her certification as a Pastoral Counselor from the College of Pastoral Supervision & Psychotherapy. In addition, she has a certificate in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Health Care Ethics from the University of Virginia.

The Shalom Spiritual Center - Spiritual, Faith and Religion, Faith (shalom-centers.org)

Kim Craddock (Vice President, Board of Directors) is a highly experienced Human Resources professional with 25+ years of progressively responsible roles at the site, regional and corporate level for companies servicing diverse industries and market segments. Her professional qualifications include a strong HR Business Partner background enhanced by broadening assignments in Organization Development andDesign, Change Management, Process Consulting, Compliance and Risk Management.Kim currently works for Lockheed Martin in Workforce Strategy and Planning and holdsa B.A. Psychology from Emory University and a MBA from VirginiaCommonwealthUniversity.

Rev. Dr. Vertie Powers is a retired Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) ordained clergywoman, with standing in the United Church of Christ.

Rev. Powers graduated from Hood Theological Seminary, Salisbury, NC in 2016 with a Doctor of Ministry degree. She completed a Master of Divinity degree in 1992 from Duke University, Durham, NC, and a Bachelor of Science degree in 1989 at Trinity College, Washington, DC.

This North Carolina native was ordained in 1992 at Twelfth Street Christian Church in Washington, DC.

Rev. Powers served the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) as Pastor of local congregations in DC and Pennsylvania, and on the National level as Director of New Church Development and Interim Director of The Reconciliation Ministry in Indianapolis, IN.

She was subsequently called to serve on the National staff of the United Church of Christ as Minister of Evangelism for Church Development and Renewal, Local Church Ministries in Cleveland, Ohio. Rev. Powers then became Associate Conference Minister and Acting Conference Minister for the Southern Conference in Burlington, NC. In addition to serving the Southern Conference, she served as Adjunct staff for four years at Duke University Divinity School. God called her to Illinois, where she became the Associate Conference Minister serving the Chicago Metropolitan Association for the Illinois Conference. She ministered in this capacity until her retirement in December of 2019.

Rev. Powers has returned to the DMV in her retirement.  She is a consultant to the Central Atlantic Conference.  She is a proud parent and prouder grandparent and great grandparent

The Rev. Dr. Sheila Harvey, (Member-at-Large, Board of Directors) newly published author of Messages of Hope: Preaching Peace and Justice for All, is an ordained, full- time pastor of Union Congregational United Church of Christ in West Palm Beach, Florida. Currently, Dr. Sheila sits on state and national non-profit boards to further serve others. Before joining Union, Dr. Sheila served as a full-time chaplain for several years. She also has more than two decades of combined ministry experience in Florida, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C.

Dr. Sheila has earned: a Bachelor of Science from Florida State University, a Master of Divinity from Howard University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Hartford International University. Dr. Sheila has also completed two national leadership institutes and holds a leadership certification from Harvard University. Dr. Sheila resides in South Florida with her talented and gifted son, Brandon.

The Rev Kimberly Wood (Ex-Officio, Conference Minister covenant partner Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ)