Staff

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 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.

Kyle Cristofalo
Senior Director of Advocacy and 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.
Nicole Morgan
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.
Rev. Aune Carlson
Director of Operations
Aune earned her Masters of Divinity and Masters of Nonprofit Administration and graduate certificates from North Park Theological Seminary and School of Business and Nonprofit Administration. She has previously served Covenant Youth of Alaska (CYAK) as the Human Resources Manager, the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) as a Communications Project Manager, Director of Youth and Young Adult and Camping Ministries, as well as the Alaska Conference Office of the ECC. She is passionate about creating, defining, and refining structures to operate effectively and efficiently. A collaborative team leader, building a strong team atmosphere where tasks are met with close attention to detail and creativity.
Kevin Vollrath
Manager of Middle East Partnerships
Kevin is a Ph.D. candidate in Religion and Society at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he also earned an M.Div. His research focuses on the relationship between the Israeli occupation of Palestine and Palestinians with disabilities, and how the occupation produces disability. In joining CMEP, he is excited to complement his research with advocacy work.
Jennifer Maidrand
Outreach Manager

Jennifer is a Ph.D. candidate in Bible and Cultures at Drew University, where she also earned her M.A. Her research focuses on how biblical interpretation and archeology have shaped the contemporary land of Palestine-Israel and its geopolitics. She is a member of the UCC Church and is committed to fostering interfaith and intercultural community education and dialogue around sacred texts, the earth, and politics. Jennifer is grateful to have the opportunity to utilize and grow these passions, previously as a fellow and now as a staff member with CMEP.

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.
Adysen Moylan
Trips Coordinator

Adysen holds a bachelors in Global Studies from Georgia State University. She has spent extended time in the Middle East, including Jordan, Palestine, and Egypt, studying Arabic as well as the Arab-Israeli conflict. Adysen began as an advocacy intern at CMEP and transitioned to Trip Coordinator. She is delighted to be a part of people experiencing the Middle East for themselves. 

Christine Nady
Development & Middle East Coordinator

Christine has previously worked in charitable and development organizations, as well as in fundraising and grant management jobs. She regularly participates in civic engagement initiatives. Her motivation is to provide a brighter future for people who are struggling and in need.


Fellows


Lauren Draper
Middle East Fellow

Lauren earned her bachelor’s in Arabic and Middle East studies from the University of St Andrews in Scotland. After spending four years in youth ministry and community building in the UK, she moved to Jerusalem. In Israel/Palestine, she continues to utilize this relational skill set through the position of Middle East Fellow, while also elevating the voices of Christian leaders in the region. 

Dr. Benjamin Norquist
Ambassador Warren Clark Fellow

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 churches engage more thoughtfully with Native communities 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 project 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.

Interns

Ethan Schneider
Ethan Schneider is a Senior at Loyola University Chicago. Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Global Studies and minoring in Arabic Language & Culture. He is new to Washington, D.C., and is incredibly excited to be working in person at CMEP’s office. He has yet to travel to the Middle East, though he is looking forward to planning a trip for sometime in 2023. He believes that the pursuit of peace and justice requires our utmost cooperation, passion, and persistence. Learning more about engaging in grassroots advocacy is something that he is very enthusiastic about.