LEADERSHIP
Board of Directors
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Rev. Dr. Rodney Sadler of Charlotte, NC
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Associate Professor of Bible and Director of Center for Social Justice and Reconciliation, Union Presbyterian Seminary.​
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​The Hon. Jennifer Roberts of Charlotte, NC
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Consultant, former Mayor of Charlotte NC, former Mecklenburg County Commissioner (and Chair).
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Rev. Dr. Sheldon Shipman of Charlotte, NC
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Pastor, Greenville Memorial AME Zion Church.
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Rev. Glencie Rhedrick of Charlotte, NC
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Assoc. Minister, First Baptist Church West, Co-chair, Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice.
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Rev. Peter Wherry of Charlotte, NC
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Senior Pastor, Mayfield Memorial Missionary Baptist Church.
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Rev. Greg Jarrell of Charlotte, NC
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Founder and Director, QC Family Tree.
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Bob Ward of Charlotte, NC
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Assistant Public Defender, Public Defender's Office, Charlotte NC.
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Dr. Brian K. Blount of Richmond, VA
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President and Professor of New Testament, Union Presbyterian Seminary.
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James (Jim) Beard of Salisbury, NC
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Lay minister, Immanuel Presbyterian Church.
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Joel Segal, Esq. of Charlotte, NC
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Executive Director, Latino Farmers and Ranchers Association, former congressional staffer.
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JoAnne Jenkins of Charlotte, NC
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Program Development Professional.
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Christel Gopin of Washington, DC​​​​​​
Board of Advisors
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​Rabbi Marc Gopin of Washington, DC
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Director, Carter School of Peace and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University.​​​​​​
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Commissioners
The commission consists of people from different loci of power who are active civic, political, business, and religious leaders in our community. They are charged to chart the direction of the commission, to serve on commission committees, and to be impaneled on the hearing panel as called on by the commission.
Commissioners must meet the following requirements:
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Believe in the mission and goals of the commission;
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Be committed to the vision of fostering a community devoid of the vestiges of racialized thinking and identity-based injustice;
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Serve on at least one committee for the commission;
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Be ambassadors of our vision in the larger community.
Biographies
Reverend Dr. Rodney Sadler Jr, Co-Founder
Rodney S. Sadler, Jr. is a graduate of Howard University (1989, B.S. Psychology/Philosophy), Howard University School of Divinity (1992, M.Div.), and Duke University (2001, Ph.D. Hebrew Bible and Biblical Archaeology), and has also studied at Hebrew University (1990). An ordained Baptist minister, he is former Assistant Project Director with the Leadership Development Programs of the Congress of National Black Churches, the former director of the Office of Black Church Studies at Duke University Divinity School, and is currently Associate Professor of Bible and director of the Center for Social Justice and Reconciliation at Union Presbyterian Seminary (Charlotte Campus). Read More...
The Honorable Jennifer Roberts, Co-Founder & Board Director
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Jennifer Watson Roberts is a former mayor of Charlotte and a lifelong champion of issues related to education and equality. She is the first person to be elected to serve as both chairman of the Mecklenburg County Commission and later as mayor of Charlotte. She currently works as the director of the Path to Positive Communities program with ecoAmerica, a national nonprofit working to build institutional leadership, public support, and political will for climate action in the United States.
Roberts was instrumental in creating a public/private partnership to build a new shelter in Charlotte for survivors of domestic violence and spearheaded the creation of Charlotte NEXT, an initiative dedicated to improving after-school programs for at-risk teens. During her tenure as mayor, the City of Charlotte set a goal of funding 5,000 affordable housing units over three years and is currently on track to exceed that goal. Read More...
Reverend Dr. Claude Ellis Forehand II, Executive Director
Dr. Forehand was born in 1973 to Claude E. and Betty L. Forehand. The youngest of two sons, he is a native of Lakewood N.J. He completed his undergraduate studies in business administration and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1995 from Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte N.C. Later, he furthered his education in the formal study of professional ministry and in 2002 received his Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and in 2009 his Doctor of Ministry (D. Min.) both from Hood Theological Seminary Salisbury, NC. In addition to serving his country honorably for nine (9) years in the United States Marine Corps., Dr. Forehand is also, a Christian educator. Read More...
Erin Mills, Program Associate for the Center for Social Justice and Reconciliation
Erin Mills serves as Program Associate at the Center for Social Justice and Reconciliation (CSJR). She has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Neuroscience from Davidson College, a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from UNC-Charlotte, and a Master’s in Christian Education from Union Presbyterian Seminary. She served as the Youth Director of Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian Church in Charlotte for eight years and is currently an Elder there. She volunteers and serves on the Board of Directors for the Carolina Refugee Resettlement Agency and lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, Roger, and their three children.​
Maddie Anderson, ​Administrative Coordinator
Madeline “Maddie” Anderson is the Administrative Coordinator for the Reimagining America Project. Maddie provides logistical support and assists in management of all communication. Additionally, she is developing a faith-based workshop that will provide resources to faith communities and facilitate conversations about race. Originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Maddie is currently pursuing a master’s in Conflict Resolution at Georgetown University. She graduated from George Mason University in May 2022, double majoring in Global Affairs and French. Her interests include reconciliation, mediation, community-based conflict transformation, and environmental peacebuilding.
