Leadership
Rev. Allison Lanza
Executive Director & Co-Founder
Allison is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) with a Bachelor's degree in Religion and Sociology from Trinity University, a Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt Divinity School, and a certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Center for Nonprofit Management. She has served Disciples congregations in Kansas, North Carolina, and Texas and as an Associate Chaplain at Texas Christian University.
Driven by her passion for helping congregations collaborate with nonprofits and justice-seekers in their communities to effect positive change, Allison founded Connect Ministries in 2015 as a part of Ridglea Christian Church. This ministry taught youth and young adults to put their faith into action through service and justice in relational, sustainable and dignity-affirming ways. In 2022, Connect Ministries joined with Reach Beyond Mission to become Be The Neighbor, aligning their missions and expanding their impact.
Allison’s favorite role is as
mom to her son Spencer!
Kristen Jackson
Associate Director
Kristen joined Be The Neighbor in 2023 after spending six years working in community engagement and evaluation at nonprofits in both Dallas and Philadelphia.
She has a Bachelor's degree from the University of Mount Union in Business Management and minored in Peacebuilding and Social Justice.
​
Kristen is a lifelong member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She served as a member of Reach Beyond Mission's staff in 2016 and 2017. During those summers, she gained new insight into the ways that communities can be changed, and everyone can make a difference through love of neighbor. She felt it was serendipitous being able to bring the skills she gained in the nonprofit world back to Be The Neighbor, formed when Reach Beyond Mission joined forces with Connect Ministries, where her passion for the nonprofit sector took off.
Rev. Mary Lu Johnston
Co-Founder
Mary Lu retired from Be The Neighbor in September 2023.
Unable to find open and affirming, justice and education-focused youth mission trip opportunities centered in progressive theology, Mary Lu and her colleague, Rev. Tim Tutt, founded Reach Beyond Mission in 2012. "Be the neighbor" was the central message of a Reach Beyond Mission week, and Mary Lu believes it is the crux of what it means to follow Jesus.
In 2022, Connect Ministries joined with Reach Beyond Mission to become Be The Neighbor, aligning their missions and expanding their impact.
Thank you to Mary Lu for her years of service and dedication to make our organization what it is today!
Board of Directors
Officers
​Rev. Mark Dingler
President-Elect
Associate Minister, First Christian Church of Bentonville and Waterway
Bentonville, Arkansas​​​
Kimberly Kofron
President
Director of Early Childhood
Education, Children at Risk
Round Rock, Texas
Joshua Mata
Treasurer
Water Resources Design
Engineer, Freese and Nichols, Inc.
Austin, Texas
Jennifer Kerr Garza, LPC
Secretary
Special Education Counselor,
Eagle Mountain ISD and Counselor,
Roots to Wings Counseling
Fort Worth, Texas
Joann Johnson, RN
Registered Nurse
Fort Collins, Colorado
Rev. Daniel Lyvers
Senior Pastor,
First Christian Church
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Britton Pavlic, CPA
Managing Director, Fort Worth,
Thomas Edwards Group
Westworth Village, Texas
​Rev. Chuck Pickrel
Associate Pastor,
Overland Park Christian Church
Overland Park, Kansas​
Rev. Dr. Dawn Rosignol
Senior Minister,
Monte Vista Christian Church
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Veronica Penrod
Vice President, Operations,
Bluprint Oncology
Granbury, Texas
Rev. Nikki Stahl
Association Minister,
Heart of Texas Association
Austin, Texas
Rev. Alfred Walker
Community Regional Minister for Reconciliation & Anti-Racism,
Christian Church in the Southwest
Cedar Hill, Texas
Rev. Katherine Wright
Family Life Minister,
First Christian Church of McKinney
Frisco, Texas
Past Presidents
Cathleen Parsley, JD
Immediate Past President
Former Chief Administrative Law Judge, State of Texas
Austin, Texas