PHW Staff

Nicole has had the wonderful opportunity of living in different countries, having been born in Belize City, and currently calling North Carolina home. She is deeply convicted in her belief that faithful congregations can meet the environmental, social and ethical challenges of the 21^st century in practical and tangible ways. Her travels and beliefs have motivated her to seek ways of merging faith, health, sustainability, justice and ethics. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to be working with congregations and individuals in creating and supporting more healthy communities. Nicole is a graduate of Salem College and of the dual degree MDiv/MA program in sustainability at Wake Forest University. Her favorite things to do include traveling, hiking, reading, growing things, trying new recipes, and spending time with family.

A native of South Carolina, Arlecia has previously called North Carolina home and started her professional career off in the state as a journalist in Eden. She was a journalism educator in Charlotte and later served as a minister in Durham while attending Duke Divinity School, where she earned her Master of Divinity.  She is an ordained Baptist minister and formerly served as a senior pastor in the United Church of Christ. Before joining the Council in August 2022, she taught at Claflin University in Orangeburg, S.C., and directed a project to provide professional development to clergy and lay leaders pivoting during COVID-19. Her interest in health and wellness developed as a newspaper reporter covering health issues and new legislation such as HIPAA. Her convictions are rooted in experiences ranging from seeing members of her family and community plagued by the many comorbidities amplified during the pandemic. She is invested in how systemic issues such as gentrification and food and housing insecurity impact health and wholeness and prevent BIPOC people and those in rural communities from thriving. Arlecia is based in Fayetteville, and she enjoys educating people on her Gullah Geechee culture and publishing books and digital content that she hopes will lead to emotional healing and spiritual renewal.

Elizabeth is a native North Carolinian, who spent most of her life in Greensboro before deciding to explore the Midwest for college. She graduated from the College of Wooster in Ohio, where she received a dual Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Religious Studies. After college, she returned to North Carolina and did a year of service through the Episcopal Service Corps. Elizabeth joined the Council in 2018 and loves being a part of the Partners in Health and Wholeness Program. Her work is focused on ending the overdose crisis, harm reduction, and drug policy. In her free time, she loves watching TV with friends and family and constantly annoying them with her many references.

Stephenie has called North Carolina home for most of her life, living in various cities throughout the Piedmont and Triangle areas. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from UNC-Greensboro. Singing gigs in churches eventually led her to a career of working for religious organizations, where she found great meaning in supporting the church's work for justice and showing compassion to the members of the church and the wider community. Stephenie joined the PHW staff in August 2022 after working for Binkley Baptist Church (Chapel Hill) for seven years as their Office Manager/Ministry Support Manager. She is thrilled to join PHW in their work to help faith communities live healthy, abundant lives. In her spare time, she loves to sing, bake, spend quality time with her friends, and watch reality competition shows (ask her anything about Survivor). She lives in Chapel Hill with her cat, aptly named Kitty.

Krista completed her Senior Practicum internship in Peace and Conflict Studies with us in Fall 2021 before transitioning into her current role at PHW supporting our healthy aging initiatives. She graduated from the University of North Carolina Greensboro with a Bachelor of Arts in Peace and Conflict Studies and a minor in Gerontology in May 2022 and will begin graduate studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School in Fall 2022 in pursuit of her Master of Divinity.Prior to joining PHW, Krista served the Chatham County Council on Aging as the organization’s Development and Communications Director. During her tenure at the Council on Aging, she was a featured panelist at the 2020 Meals on Wheels Virtual Conference and a co-facilitator on Senior Support and Care at the “Mental Health and Well-Being During the Pandemic” event hosted by NC State’s Institute for Emerging Issues. Krista is a member of The Community Church of Chapel Hill Unitarian Universalist.