Radical Imagination

Kat Armas (MDiv, MAT, Fuller Theological Seminary) is a Cuban American writer and podcaster and the recipient of Fuller Seminary’s Frederick Buechner Award for Excellence in Writing. She is pursuing a ThM at Vanderbilt Divinity School. Armas is the author of two books, Abuelita Faith and Sacred Belonging. She has written for Christianity Today, Sojourners, Relevant, Christians for Biblical Equality, Fuller Youth Institute, Fathom magazine, and Missio Alliance.

Dr. Courtnye Lloyd is a pastor, preacher, teacher, and community-builder. She is the founder of The Gathering, a ministry building healing community spaces in which people can experience communion with God and one another. This includes retreats, workshops, community meals, and cohorts to support people in their healing, formation, and discernment.

She has served as a consultant for the Lily Endowment Clergy Renewal program out of Christian Theological Seminary and has held formation and healing workshops with CCDA and the Wabash Pastoral Leadership Development program. Courtnye also taught courses at Brandeis University and Boston College. Previously she worked in workforce development and education across government, higher education, and non-profit organizations.

She holds a Ph.D. in Applied Developmental and Educational Psychology from Boston College, a M.Ed. in Education Policy and Management from Harvard University, and is currently enrolled in a M.A. of Divinity at Shaw University.

A Cleveland-area native, Dr. Vatreisha Nyemba offers a powerhouse of experience from the public, private and non-profit sectors as the Director of Leader and Community Engagement at Building Hope in the City (BHITC). Vatreisha has been an active part of the CCDA familia since 2016 – helping to build a CCDA local network in Cleveland, organizing trips to the CCDA national conference, and participating in CCDA trainings such as the Chicago Immersion and the 8th CCDA Leadership Cohort (CGr8). Over the past 20 years, Vatreisha has become a thought leader and change agent within the arenas of nonprofit organizations, project management, program coordination and leadership development. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and business management (Kentucky State University), a master’s degree in public administration and nonprofit management (Cleveland State University) and a doctorate in Transformational Leadership (Bakke Graduate University).

Vatreisha is passionate about advancing the capacity and effectiveness of nonprofits and faith based organizations. She especially feels called to equip urban ministry leaders and congregations to be transformational leaders to impact individuals, families, and communities. Currently, Vateisha lives in the Cleveland area with her two daughters.