Meet the CMEP Team

The full CMEP Team is made up of not only highly qualified, passionate, and innovative staff members but also bright Ambassador Warren Clark Fellows, dutiful interns and volunteers as well as committed board members and an esteemed leadership council of prominent diplomats (retired), politicians, church leaders, academics, and business and media professionals with a particular interest and connection to the Middle East. 

We are grateful for each individual’s experience, wisdom, and work on behalf of CMEP and peace.

Staff Members

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Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon

Executive Director

Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon is the executive director of Churches for Middle East Peace and an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC)…

Cannon formerly served as the senior director of Advocacy and Outreach for World Vision U.S. on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC; as a consultant to the Middle East for child advocacy issues for Compassion International in Jerusalem; as the executive pastor of Hillside Covenant Church located in Walnut Creek, California; and as director of development and transformation for extension ministries at Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington, Illinois. Cannon holds an MDiv from North Park Theological Seminary, an MBA from North Park University’s School of Business and Nonprofit Management, and an MA in bioethics from Trinity International University. She received her first doctorate in American History with a minor in Middle Eastern studies at the University of California (Davis) focusing on the history of the American Protestant church in Israel and Palestine and her second doctorate in Ministry in Spiritual Formation from Northern Theological Seminary. She is the author of several books including the award-winning Social Justice Handbook: Small Steps for a Better World and editor of A Land Full of God: Christian Perspectives on the Holy Land. Her work has been highlighted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, Chicago Tribune, Christianity Today, Leadership Magazine, The Christian Post, Jerusalem Post, EU Parliament Magazine, Huffington Post, and other international media outlets.

 

Links to books are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, Churches for Middle East Peace will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

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Kyle Cristofalo

Senior Director of Advocacy & Government Relations | Special Advisor to the Executive Director

Kyle holds a BA in Peace and Conflict Studies from Messiah College, and a Master of Divinity Degree from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology…

Kyle was first introduced to Middle East advocacy work during a semester abroad in Cairo, Egypt. After graduating from college, Kyle spent 10 months serving with the Mennonite Central Committee in Bethlehem, Palestine, where he was seconded to work with Bethlehem Bible College. Most recently, Kyle served as the Program Assistant for Middle East Policy at the Friends Committee on Legislation where he helped coordinate lobbying work on Middle East policy and trained grassroots advocates on how to lobby their Congressional representatives.

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Nicole Parker

Executive Administrator

Nicole earned her Masters in Theological Studies with an emphasis in Public Policy from Palmer Seminary of Eastern University in Saint Davids, PA.

Before joining CMEP, Nicole worked with an educational non-profit near Chicago and as a high school teacher near Atlanta. Nicole believes deeply that the way we love our neighbors says a lot about our love for God. She lives near Atlanta, GA.

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Dr. Benjamin Norquist

Director of Academics and Grants

Ben is a researcher and public organizer. Inspired by his study of higher education in Palestine, Ben currently works on the ways educational and epistemological structures develop responsively to physical landscapes, especially those that are highly configured and imposed. 

In his local community, Ben helps faith communities engage more thoughtfully with Native Americans and come to terms with histories of injustice.

Ben holds his Ph.D. in Higher Education from Azusa Pacific University (Los Angeles) and his M.A. in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College (Annapolis). Ben’s dissertation is a qualitative regional case study exploring adaptive Palestinian approaches to pedagogy.

In his career in higher education leadership, Ben has experience building international educational partnerships, teaching, and establishing an academic center for applied public research.

Ben’s writing has appeared in Religion News ServiceThe Christian CenturyBaptist News Global, and the Christian Citizen among others.

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Dr. Scott Gustafson

Ambassador Warren Clark Fellow
Dr. Scott Gustafson is the Ambassador Warren Clark Fellow at CMEP. He has extensive experience in the Middle East as a practitioner and consultant with faith-based charities and churches in humanitarian relief and mission work.
He earned his PhD in Religion and Theology from the Vrije Universteit (VU) in deradicalization, extremism and religious conversion. He is a member of the Extreme Beliefs/Strong Religion working group at the VU, funded by the European Research Council. He earned an MA in Intercultural Studies/Middle East Studies from Moody Graduate School, and a BA in Nursing and Biology from Western Michigan University. He studied Arabic at the University of Jordan and holds a certification through the Cultural Intelligence Centre as a CQ Certified Facilitator. 
 
Destiny Magnett

Destiny Magnett

Programs and Outreach Manager

Destiny Magnett is the Programs and Outreach Manager at Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) where she serves as the primary liaison for church partners, collaboratively builds CMEP’s online and in-person programming, and co-leads the regional coordinator program.

Destiny holds a Master of Theological Studies Degree and Religion & Public Life Certificate from Harvard Divinity School, where her work focused on decoloniality, religious ethics, peacebuilding, and religion in the public sphere. She also holds a B.A. in Religious Studies from Grinnell College. Prior to joining CMEP, Destiny has experience working at the intersection of religion and peacebuilding in a variety of spheres, including the Office of International Religious Freedom at the U.S. Department of State, Search for Common Ground– Jordan, Harvard’s Office of Religion and Public Life, and on the digital humanities project Mapping Islamophobia. While born and raised in Kansas, she is now based in the Boston area. 
Tamar Haddad

Tamar Haddad

And Still We Rise Coordinator

Tamar Haddad is currently a full-time And Still We Rise Coordinator. She is based in Jerusalem. She was hugely impacted by her involvement in many phenomenal leadership programs like MEPI – Student Leaders Program, International Women Leaders, and the Clinton Global Initiative University. 

 

Tamar previously served as the Project Manager for Gender Justice at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL). Currently, Tamar panels at the UN Commission on the Status of Women and volunteers as a Regional Coordinator at the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).

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Fayelle Ewuakye

Communications Coordinator
Fayelle earned her B.A. in Humanities at Jacksonville State University, in Jacksonville, Alabama with a concentration in Anthropology and Geography.

She’s been the Social Media Curator for her local church in northwest Georgia for 2 years and finds the gifts and benefits of social media to be great blessings toward any organization wishing to reach out to the masses. She wants to be a part of some meaningful work, both locally and globally, and believes peace and justice are two things the public at large needs to know more about.

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Raven Diaz-Smith

Grants and Administrative Coordinator
Raven holds a B.A. in Journalism with a minor in Native American Studies from the University of Oklahoma. Before joining CMEP, Raven spent four years as a Software Quality Assurance Analyst at the largest tech employer in Oklahoma City. 
Raven is driven by a lifelong passion for making a positive impact, she believes her role at CMEP will help her achieve this mission.
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Christopher Huth

Project Coordinator for the Executive Director and Communications Coordinator
Christopher Huth is our new Project Coordinator for the Executive Director and Communications Coordinator at the CMEP Office in DC. He grew up moving back and forth between Berlin, Germany – Beirut, Lebanon – and NYC, NY. 

This ultimately inspired him to pursue a double major in Political Science and History at Brooklyn College. While there Christopher joined many social justice groups particularly concerned with Armenian and Middle Eastern issues. In 2022 he moved to Washington DC to pursue a Master’s in International Peace and Conflict Resolution” from the School of International Service at American University. During his studies, he interned with the Institute of World Affairs where he helped implement a conflict resolution and violence prevention program before ultimately graduating and joining CMEP. 

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Hannah Hutton

Middle East and Events Coordinator
Hannah earned her B.A. in Humanities from the University of Louisville with a concentration in literature and religious studies. She has been involved in various organizations over the last twenty years that work to create a safe space for dialogue between cultures and religions.
Hannah is passionate about people, hearing their stories and amplifying their voices. She is starting her Master’s in Peace and Justice from St. Stephen’s University.  

Current Interns

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Lenah Hong

Communications Intern
Lenah is a rising junior at Georgetown University majoring in Science, Technology, and International Affairs and obtaining a certificate in Arab Studies. 

Prior to joining CMEP, she studied abroad in Jordan and worked as a student fellow at The Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics. Lenah is passionate about peace-building and advocacy for communities in the SWANA region and is excited to continue her journey as a communications intern for CMEP.

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Tameka McGhee

Communications Intern

Tameka McGhee is a dedicated graduate student pursuing a Master of Arts in International Studies at the University of Denver focusing on interpersonal and environmental peacebuilding, expected to graduate in August 2024.

With a Bachelor of Arts in International and Global Studies, complemented by minors in Communication Studies and Peace and Conflict Studies, she brings a well-rounded academic background to their work. In addition, she is deeply committed to leveraging their skills and knowledge for positive change, with a particular interest in conflict resolution, environmental sustainability, and social justice.

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Dominic Nozzarella

Outreach Intern

Dominic Nozzarella is a recent graduate of the George Washington University in Washington D.C., where he studied International Affairs with concentrations in Conflict Resolution and Asia. 

Dominic is passionate about peacebuilding and the religious dimension of conflict transformation, and he is excited about his work ahead at CMEP!

Leadership COuncil

Sir Jeffery M. Abood, KC*HS

Leadership Council Member

Angela M. Brown

Leadership Council Member

Sally Carlson

Leadership Council Member

Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson

Leadership Council Member

Susan Hayward

Leadership Council Member

Bruce Knotts

Leadership Council Member

Fawn Johnson

Leadership Council Member

Bruce Knotts

Leadership Council Member

Fr. Elias Mallon

Leadership Council Member

David T. Maloof

Leadership Council Member

Greg Movesian

Leadership Council Member

William Zartman

Leadership Council Member

Ann Kerr

Emerita

Bill Yontz

Emeritus

Khalil Jahshan, Emeritus
Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick
, Emeritus
Eileen White Read, Emeritus

Board Members

Regional Coordinators

California

Melissa Yarbray
California
miragemft@gmail.com

California

Art Fisher
California
afisher100@yahoo.com

California

Lou Fisher
California
loufisher2@gmail.com

Colorado

Christopher Burley
Colorado
cjburley@me.com

Delaware

Mark Mosher
Delaware
mrmosher@comcast.net

Delaware

Carol Mosher
Delaware
cemosher@comcast.net

Hawaii

Willis Moore
Hawaii
willis.moore@chaminade.edu

Illinois

Nicole Anderson-Cobb
Illinois
nicole.andersoncobb@gmail.com

Iowa

Martha Monson Lowe
Iowa
monsonlowe@gmail.com

Michigan

Mary Mobley
Michigan
murraymt@comcast.net

Minnesota

Terri Markos
Minnesota
stevegraybill5440@gmail.com

New York

John Paarlberg
New York
jpaarlberg@gmail.com

New Jersey

Lina Genovesi
New Jersey
lina.genovesi@gmail.com

New Jersey

Whit Bodman
New Jersey
wbodman@mac.com

North Carolina

Ronald Shive
North Carolina

New York

Ilene Cohen
New York
ilenepcohen@gmail.com

Ohio

Susan Brogden
Ohio
stevegraybill5440@gmail.com

Pennsylvania

Glenn Rogers
Pennsylvania
glennrogers2020@gmail.com

Texas

Tammie Danielsen
Texas
tadanielsen99@gmail.com

Texas

Nabila Kinghorn
Texas
nkinghorn16@gmail.com

Virginia

Irv Lachow
Virginia
ilachow13@gmail.com

Washington

Steve Graybill
Washington
stevegraybill5440@gmail.com

Wisconsin

Claudette Harring
Wisconsin
 

WIsconsin

Kent Johnson
Wisconsin
pastorkentj@gmail.com