Meet Our Inspiring 2025 Speaker Lineup
Huda Alkaff
Founder + Director, Wisconsin Green Muslims
Huda Alkaff is an ecologist, environmental educator, and founder of Wisconsin Green Muslims. For over 20 years, she has advocated for environmental justice, leading initiatives on energy democracy and water equity while fostering interfaith collaboration through education and service.
Bishop Francine Brookins
Presiding Prelate, 5th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
Rev. Francine A. Brookins, J.D., M.Div., is the 141st bishop of the AME Church and the fifth woman to hold this position. A former attorney and pastor, she advocates for social justice and led major projects in the 18th Episcopal District, including renovations and community development initiatives. Bishop Brookins is a passionate advocate for social justice and is dedicated to addressing the mental, physical, financial, educational, and spiritual needs of all people.
Rev. Heber Brown
Executive Director The Black Church Food Security Network
Reverend Dr. Heber M. Brown, III is a leader in social change and food justice. He founded the Black Church Food Security Network, partnering with nearly 250 Black congregations and farmers. An Ashoka Fellow, he serves on multiple boards and is author of *Nothing More Sacred* (forthcoming).
Rev. Dr. Miriam Burnett Supervisor of Missions 5th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
Rev. Dr. Miriam J. Burnett, MD, MPH, is Supervisor of Missions for the AME Church’s Fifth District and former Medical Director of its International Health Commission. She leads health initiatives globally, chairs key committees, and collaborates with U.S. agencies. She also teaches theology and heads the Resource and Promotion of Health Alliance.
Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin
Chair of the Sustainability Subcommittee of the Social Justice Commission of the Conservative Movement
Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin is a Conservative rabbi, living in Baltimore, who chairs the Masorti/Conservative movement’s Sustainability Subcommittee of our Social Justice Commission. She has been devoted to working at the intersection of faith and the environment for 20 years. Most recently she authored a book on Judaism and sustainability called To Forever Inhabit this Earth: an ethic of enoughness.
Rev. Carol Devine
Director of Blessed Tomorrow, ecoAmerica
Rev. Carol Devine is Director of Blessed Tomorrow, uniting faith communities in creation care. An ordained Disciples of Christ pastor, she founded Green Chalice and has served in ministry and theological education. She holds degrees from Lexington Theological Seminary, University of Kentucky and from Transylvania University. She enjoys hiking, kayaking, cycling, gardening, and reading.
Sarah Flint
Creation Care Fellow, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
Sarah Flint, Creation Care Fellow at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, co-chairs the FLUMC Creation Care Task Team. With a background in engineering, biomedical research, and theology, she bridges science and faith in environmental advocacy. She enjoys music, outdoor activities, and life on Amelia Island with her husband, two daughters, and pets.
Rev. Dr. John Frey
Advisor, Green Chalice
John Frey leads HPE’s sustainability and technology efficiency practice, partnering with global customers and governments on low-carbon solutions. With engineering, divinity, and leadership degrees, he has served as a pastor, emergency responder, and climate disaster volunteer. He shares his expertise through media and documentaries on IT sustainability.
Rabbi Seth Goldstein
Rabbi, Temple Beth Hatfiloh
Rabbi Seth Goldstein has served Temple Beth Hatfiloh in Olympia, Washington since his ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 2003. I am both both committed to creating vibrant Jewish community and using a spiritual voice to speak to issues of social justice and common concern. He has published poetry, essays, liturgy and academic articles, and currently makes Jewish content on TikTok and Instagram as @rabbi_360.
Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE
Founder The Jane Goodall Institute + UN Messenger of Peace
Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace, is a renowned ethologist and conservationist. Her groundbreaking work began on July 14, 1960, in Tanzania, where her studies of wild chimpanzees revolutionized our understanding of animal behavior. Her research, which revealed that chimpanzees use tools, continues as the longest-running study of its kind. Dr. Goodall’s advocacy extends through her global network of 24 institutes, promoting community-led conservation and animal welfare. In 1991, she launched Roots & Shoots, a program empowering youth worldwide to engage in environmental and humanitarian projects, now active in 70 countries.
Dr. Eric Goplerud
Co-Founder, Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions
Dr. Eric Goplerud founded the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, growing it to 3,000+ activists across 190+ congregations in Northern Virginia. A clinical psychologist and former public health leader, he has held key environmental roles, advocating for energy efficiency, climate justice, and resiliency initiatives in faith communities and local governments.
Daniel Gottlieb
Board Member/Buildings and Grounds Committee, Temple Shir Shalom
A longtime board member at Shir Shalom, Daniel is a Mechanical Engineer passionate about energy efficiency. He has reduced energy use in seven homes and led major efficiency upgrades at the temple. A dedicated cyclist, he commuted by bike for 30 years, often braving harsh weather to minimize car use.
Rev. Caroline Hamilton-Arnold
Associate Director for Domestic Disaster Response, Week of Compassion
For nearly a decade, Caroline has served with Week of Compassion, the emergency relief, refugee, and sustainable development ministry for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Her work involves resourcing congregations to prepare for and respond to natural, climate, and human-caused disasters. She finds inspiration in the story of Pharoah’s dream (Genesis 41) that deliberate action during times of plenty can provide for community and neighbor during times of need.
Paul Harbridge
Children’s Book Author, Beaming Books
Paul Harbridge is an award-winning children’s author from Toronto. His books *Out Into the Big Wide Lake* and *When the Moon Comes* have received major accolades. Raised in Muskoka, he hopes *If God Were a Great Big Bear* will inspire children in interfaith-climate programs to cherish and protect nature.
Rev. Scott Hardin-Nieri
Co-Minister, Green Chalice, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Rev. Scott Hardin-Nieri is Co-Minister of Green Chalice and Director/Minister of Bethany Congregations. A pastor and spiritual director, he co-founded Eco Grief Circles and fosters resilience through gratitude, grief, and action. An advocate for climate justice, he helps communities innovate and grow in a changing world.
Daniel Mitchell
2024 Summer Justice and Creation Care Fellow, Green Chalice Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Daniel Mitchell is a senior at Rocky Mountain High School and a lifelong member of Heart of the Rockies Christian Church. During the Summer of 2024, he served as a Justice and Creation Care Fellow with Green Chalice and Disciples Home Ministries. Located at the Heart of the Rockies Ministry site, he studied Eco-theology, worked with multiple faith-based advocacy organizations, completed an eco-justice and disaster relief trip with Be The Neighbor, and attended Ecumenical Advocacy Days in Washington DC.
Frankie Myers
Principal of Fix The World Consulting, former Vice Chairman of the Yurok Tribe
Mr. Myers (Yurok) is Principal of Fix The World Consulting, former Vice Chairman of the Yurok Tribe, a former Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Yurok Tribe and is a member of the historic California Truth and Healing Council. He has worked for the Tribal government for nearly 25 years on initiatives such as the Tribe’s watershed restoration program, repatriating and purchasing Tribal Lands and advocating for cultural practitioners’ ability to continue their traditional ways of life. Mr. Myers is a dedicated tribal rights activist and founding member of the Klamath Justice Coalition who has been instrumental to the Klamath Dam Removal Campaign. As an integral part of the Tribal Administration, the Yurok Tribe realized the largest growth of economic development in the Tribal government’s history.
Lori Petrie
2024 Ecojustice Fellow, The Episcopal Church
Lori Petrie (she/her) lives, works, and worships in Hyde Park, Chicago, though she is originally from Kentucky. She has a Master’s degree is biblical Greek and Hebrew and is interested in exploring how local church bodies and interfaith collaborators can build communities that seek justice and care collectively. She looks for hopeful visions for the future in speculative fiction and fun fellowship in tabletop games. You can find her on Bluesky at loripetrie.bsky.social.
Kim Rahebi, PhD
Student, Texas Christian University
Kim Rahebi, a PhD candidate in Health Science at Texas Christian University, studies faith-based environmental stewardship. As an Assistant Professor at East Texas A&M, she teaches public health courses. She leads the Environmental Health section of the Texas Public Health Association and is an EarthKeeper with First United Methodist Church.
Elizabeth Simpson-Falck Communications Associate, Diocese of California
Elizabeth Simpson-Falck, a 2024 Episcopal Church Eco-justice fellow, founded Eco DioChicago and continues to lead its efforts toward Net Zero Ghz. She also serves as Communications Associate for the Episcopal Diocese of California, helping advance environmental initiatives within the diocese and its churches.
Steve Vining
Green Chalice Team Leader, Woodmont Christian Church
Steve, a University of Tulsa graduate with an MBA from Xavier University, worked 38 years at Schneider Electric. He now promotes energy conservation in Nashville-area churches and formed the Green Chalice team at Woodmont Christian Church in 2019. Steve and his wife are retired and enjoy time with their two adult children.
Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock
U.S. Senator (D- GA)
Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock, raised in Savannah’s Kayton Homes, is a graduate of Morehouse College and earned a PhD. For 15 years, he served as Senior Pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Elected as Georgia’s first Black Senator in 2021 and re-elected in 2022, Warnock serves on several Senate committees, focusing on agriculture, banking, finance, and aging. He champions legislation to cap insulin costs, address maternal health, protect voting rights, and support rural communities, continuing his lifelong commitment to service and equity.
Sharee Wharton
Director of Education + Community Engagement, Potomac UMC
Sharee Wharton is a provisional candidate for ordained ministry as a Deacon in the United Methodist Church. She currently serves at Potomac United Methodist Church as the Director of Education and Community Engagement.
Rev. Dr. Jean Wright
Co-Founder Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions
Rev. Dr. Jean Wright was ordained in the American Baptist Churches/USA in MA. She served in multiple roles until retiring from pastoral ministry in 2012. Relocating to VA, her purpose became to bring faith communities into the public arena of climate advocacy. Jean enjoys hiking, walking, reading, theatre, and travel.
Musical Offerings From
Pax Ressler
Performer/Musician, Pax Ressler
Pax Ressler (they/she) is a non-binary transfemme composer and artist using music to inspire social change. They foster collective creativity through political cabaret, communal singing, and advocacy. Their compositions have been performed worldwide, including at The Guggenheim and Woolly Mammoth Theatre. Find them at paxressler.com.
The Many
Music, The Plural Guild
The Many is a creative collective crafting inclusive music and gatherings that help us experience God beyond toxic religion. Their songs, spoken word, and rituals encourage self-acceptance, remind us we are loved, and inspire care for each other and the world.
National Faith + Climate Forum 2026 