BOARD PRESIDENT

A life-long Rhode Islander, Jim is a 1962 graduate of the University of Rhode Island. Following URI, he served as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. Jim enjoyed 34 years of manufacturing operations experience with a focus on organizational performance, culminating as the Managing Director of Wardwell Europe GmbH in Berlin, Germany. His community engagement has included the Boards of the URI Alumni Association and the URI Foundation, the latter including a period as Interim Executive Director, the Boards of Care New England, Kent Hospital and its Foundation, Centreville Bank, the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, the Congregational Foundation, and the Congregational Library and Archives. His current activities include the Butler Hospital Foundation, the Anthony Lyceum Library Association, the Wilderness Ways Foundation, and quality focused work at Care New England, Kent Hospital, and Butler Hospital. Jim is a communicant of the Riverpoint Congregational Church and the First Baptist Church of East Greenwich. He is interested in history, appreciates the arts, and enjoys travel.

FOUNDER

Jonathan was a Boy Scout, is a 46er (Adirondacks), a 48er (White Mountains), and has thru-hiked a number of trails including 700 miles of the Appalachian trail. He is a certified Wilderness First Responder through NOLS, and spends countless weeks, days, and hours in the wilderness trying to find God. Jonathan has been an American Baptist Churches USA pastor for 20 years, most recently having served as senior pastor of First Baptist Church East Greenwich, RI. He has also been active on the ABCUSA Board of General Ministry and the Ministers Council. He is currently the president of the Board of Managers for the American Baptist Historical Society. Dr. Malone received his MDiv at Andover Newton Theological School and his PhD at the University of Dayton. He actively blogs at "Theological Snob" and podcasts on "Twelve Enough," both of which can be found at www.twelveenough.com. Malone is also the founder of Wilderness Journeys through which he serves as a guide for experiencing the wilderness with the divine (www.wildernessjourneys.org).

TREASURER

Jane Gaudette spends her days as part of a team dedicated to having fun and working hard serving and transforming the lives of youth and families in the city of Woonsocket, RI through family support initiatives, educational programs, and social services. While attending Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, she discovered her true passion is spiritual formation. Helping to provide opportunities for those seeking something deeper through WWF is a blessing.

FUNDRAISING AND DEVELOPMENT

Christine Geeding grew up in Kansas, Oregon, and Idaho. After receiving a Bachelor of Music in Music Ministry and a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry at Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois, Christine worked full-time as a K-12 music, theater, and private music teacher. Christine relocated to New Haven, CT in 2017 and worked in Christian Ed in the United Church of Christ. She also taught music and worked in arts administration for Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet and Westport School of Music. Christine will graduate with her M.Div. from Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School in spring of ‘23, where she currently works for Andover Newton Seminary in Church Relations. Christine spends her free time making digital art, cooking and baking, exploring nature, taking pictures, and working with a variety of not-for-profits.

FUNDRAISING AND DEVELOPMENT

Growing up in Vienna, Austria, Christoff spent his time skiing and hiking whenever possible. After graduating from the Vienna school of Economics and Business, he worked as a trip expert for Backroads, helping develop and run week-long cycling trips through central and southern Europe. Now based in Rhode Island, he manages customer relationships at the Washington Trust Company and still devotes lots of time to his love of cycling.

BOARD SECRETARY

Rev. Paul Schneider is an American Baptist Pastor, father, writer, and lover of the outdoors. He started hiking and backpacking when he was in the Cub Scouts, and has found that his connection with God deepens in wild places. He is the pastor of Burien Community Church, in Burien, Washington, Co-Pastor of Table of Living Hope in Des Moines, Washington, the Associate Executive Minister of Operations and Administration for the Evergreen Association of American Baptist Churches, and the Founder and Director of the Oasis Project, an interfaith ministry of presence for conferences and conventions.

FOUNDER AND FUNDRAISING/DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT

Ned received his BA from Hampshire College with a dual concentration in oral traditions and archaeology, a Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School in 2010, and a Doctor of Ministry in preaching and homiletics from Seattle University in 2016. From 2010 to 2017, Ned served alongside a team of pastors at Seattle First Baptist Church, a Welcoming and Affirming church in the American Baptist Churches, USA. In 2017, he moved to New Haven, CT to serve as Associate Dean for Institutional Advancement at the newly affiliated Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School in New Haven, CT. Ned has an extensive background in professional climbing, hiking, cycling, and other outdoor sports. In his spare time, Ned enjoys drawing mandalas, reading J.R.R. Tolkien, and taking long drives with the windows down with his dog Lucky.

BOARD MEMBER

Rabbi Aaron Philmus grew up on the shores of Jersey (Monmouth County). He has enjoyed working as a Rabbi for Conservative synagogues in San Francisco, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. He is currently the School Rabbi of Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, a K-12 Jewish Day School in Kansas, where he teaches Middle and High School Judaics, leads minyan, and coordinates Holiday Programs. He is also a student of the Pardes In-Service Teacher Training Program. He loves collaborating with others to create sacred music, guiding b'nai mitzvah through their rite of passage and helping them share their story and unique gifts with the community. He makes Jewish stories and holidays come alive for preschool children and parents. In his previous job he helped local teens found the Rhode Island Chapter of the Jewish Youth Climate Movement. He also partnered with the local Jewish day school to create a day camp and a year-round Torah, nature, and survival skills program called Teva PVD. His wife Valerie is a professional kosher chef and baker. Together they built a homestead on the wooded parsonage in Rhode Island complete with goats, chickens, ducks and a permaculture garden. The homestead and surrounding nature trails served as an outdoor classroom and community space for groups of all ages. Their children’s names are Sophie (15), Aeden (13), and Mae (3).

HEAD OF DISTRIBUTION

Aaron Stockwell Wisman tries to get outdoors as much as possible, whether it's at a local conservation parcel, a national park with his wife, or just around the block with his dog. Aaron has lived in Massachusetts for most of his life, with five years in TX and KS. He is a lifelong member of the Boy Scouts of America, and spent two summers on staff at Philmont Scout Ranch. Aaron has been a Unitarian Universalist minister since 2015 and serves the First Parish in Framingham as senior minister. He received degrees from Lesley College and Andover Newton Theological School.