About Us

As a mission integration healthcare executive, spiritual director, hospital chaplain, and co-Principal Investigator for the John Templeton sponsored research "Tending the Soul, Transforming Healthcare," Brent has facilitated seminars on effective dialogue techniques, ethics, human trafficking response, the art of reflection, and leadership training for thousands of educators, physicians, nurses, and healthcare administrators. He has enjoyed working with leading resilience studies researchers to create workshops for healthcare staff and contributing to the ongoing formation of chaplains, spiritual directors, clergy, & lay leaders through mentorship, education, and retreat ministry. Prior to domestic ministry, Brent served as a nonprofit consultant and Fulbright scholar in Uganda, which led to HIV testing, AIDS medication, and safe water access for tens of thousands among rural villages. Brent has studied multiple philosophies of dialogue, and as the Chair of a hospital ethics committee, he honed the skills for dialoguing across polarities in highly charged situations. Between meetings he can be baited by the dares and heckles of his three children to go rope swinging into the Allegany River on summer days (and even some November ones!)

Jennifer Cox currently serves as the Program Director, for Dignity Health’s Family Medicine Residency, Medical Safe Haven clinics located in Sacramento, Redding and Northridge, CA.  This innovative model provides trauma-informed care, and equitable access to identified victims and survivors of human trafficking. Jennifer has served in healthcare for over 22 years, including 5 years as an Executive Director for a non-profit community resource center and clinic. Jennifer served 23 years as women’s and community outreach minister in Davis, Ca.

    Jennifer’s passion is training healthcare teams and innovating paths of access to healing and health to those impacted by trauma. As a survivor and subject matter expert on trauma and a highly trained professional working in the field of human trafficking, Jennifer has developed programs and facilitated local and national trainings for over 15,000 individuals including healthcare, law enforcement, educational institutions; including law schools and medical schools, and has been honored to speak for numerous faith based and social service organization forums.

     Jennifer has served on 7 nonprofit boards and has been part of global humanitarian efforts serving refugees in Kosovo, and underserved communities in Brazil and Mexico. Jennifer carries a degree is in Business Leadership from the Forbes School of Business and Technology. 

    Jennifer is a mother to three incredibly kind adult children, step mother to three, a mother in-law to one. She is blessed to be married to Chris, the love of her life. 

Fr. John currently serves at the Guardian of the St. Bonaventure Friar Community. He served as Provincial of the largest Franciscan Province in the country until terming out after 9 years. 

The friars owned five buildings in Midtown Manhattan on 31st Street between 6th and 7th Avenues that needed to be rehabbed, but it would cost several million dollars. While looking for a new source of income for the province, Father John proposed that the buildings be demolished and a skyscraper be built on the land. His superiors were hesitant but allowed him to do a feasibility study that brought together engineers as well as zoning, demographic, and transportation experts. He asked this group to answer two questions by the end of two months: Is it feasible to build a skyscraper, and is now the time to do it? “They came back and they were unanimous in saying yes and yes.” (1) Under his leadership, the 300 million dollar project commenced.

Fr. John has served in leadership for the Allegany Fire Department, and received the key to the City of Olean for his heroic efforts. He believes that Cultivating Unity provides an important means for restoring relationships and bridging divides, and is delighted to serve on the board. 

(1) Originally published by St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, “A Renaissance Friar.” 

Drawing from wisdom and experience from her black and Indigenous heritage, Tamara has facilitated community dialogue on issues related to race relations, mental health, and resilience.  As the founder of V-COPS (Veterans Civilian Observation Patrol) Inc, Tamara rallied the community in support of homeless veterans. She currently serves as a psychiatric & healthcare chaplain with Sutter Health, and has facilitated training for healthcare practitioners and the broader Sacramento community on Applied Suicide Intervention Skills(ASIST), brainspotting, trauma informed care and grief coaching for traditional grief, historical grief, and cultural grief,    

 Tamara currently serves as a member of the Sacramento Superior Court’s Community Engagement and Fairness Committee whose mission is to provide equal access to justice for all regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability or socio-economic status. 

       Tamara has served on several healthcare ethics committees and as the Chair of the UC Davis chaplain residency program.  She also continues her work as a television content creator for the Fellow Human Being Radio & Television Network. 

Tamara holds her MsPsy degree from Capella University, a BS in Human Development from San Diego Christian College, and is a graduate of the Ohio School of Broadcasting. She is grateful for her 2 beautiful human children (along with one fur child!)

Ben serves as the Director of the Development Innovation Lab at the University of Chicago. He is nearing completion of his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley in development economics and political economy. He works primarily in collaboration with and in support of local government and civil society partners, and strives to conduct experiments at-scale while minimizing deviations from normal operations. Married and the beaming father of two giggly children, Ben enjoys baby carrots, coffee, Ultimate Frisbee, and remembering when he used to do triathlons prior to the arrival of aforementioned giggles. 

Chaplain Cassie brings her wisdom gleaned from 30 years of experience as a K-college educator. Ordained as an American Baptist Minister, Rev. Cassie has served as an interfaith hospital chaplain for 10 years, whose creative ideas transformed methods of key mission integration activities for the hospital where she served. Using her planning and strategic mindset, Rev. Cassie has organized numerous events for educators, students, and has served as one of the lead coordinators for the Association of Professional Chaplains network in Sacramento, CA. While many rely on their own quality of presence to bring healing; Rev. Cassie shares that responsibility on to her service dog, who provide joy to young and old wherever they go. 

Pastor Bruce Levine has served First Presbyterian Church of Olean for 10 years. He’s served the Western NY Presbytery as a faithful Presbyter, Synod delegate, COM co-chair, Council moderator, and as a member of the strategy team, anti-racism task group, and retreat planning team. He has served his community as president of the regional ecumenical council of churches, an interfaith community leader, and as a board member of Interfaith Caregivers. Married to Marlene (one of his greatest influences), he has a son Si and a daughter Amanda (deceased). He has 3 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.

He is a music lover and a die-hard Parrothead, eagerly awaiting Jimmy Buffett tour announcements.

 Beth Carter is a Certified Lay Minister and leader in the United Methodist Church. She has led numerous ministries over time in the UMC, Choir Director, Bell Choir Director, Administrative Leader, and Retreat Director. She is passionate in helping the community discover the interconnectedness of the body, mind, and spirit in the experience of fullness of life and wellness. Beth has experienced the transformative power of the Cultivating Unity formation process, and is actively promoting these practices to enhance relationships within the churches. When she is not serving with the church, she can be found at the Carter Wellness Clinic that is owned and operated by her and her husband Eliot, or enjoying life with her two daughters and pup.  

Pastor Kim serves as pastor for both St. Stephens Episcopal Church, and for Bethany Lutheran Church. Prior to becoming a pastor, she spent 27 years of her life serving the community as a social worker with a focus on mental health. The shift from social work into pastoral ministry was inspired by her service in orphanages and hurricane rebuilding efforts among indigenous communities in Honduras. The ways they shared their experiences of faith moved her deeply and confirmed a call into the ministry. Her social work background continues to influence her ministry. She has rallied the greater community behind supporting local food pantries, homeless shelters, and hospital chaplaincy. She has been a leader among the regional ecumenical council, and is inspired by how much can be done for the common good when the gifts, talents, and diversity of ministry leaders come together.