Senior Staff
Brent Leatherwood
@LeatherwoodTNBrent Leatherwood currently serves as Acting President of the ERLC, as well as Vice President of External Affairs and Chief of Staff. Before coming to the ERLC, he served as the executive director of the Tennessee Republican Party from December 2012 to December 2016, where he managed the organization’s campaign apparatus at the federal, state and local levels. He also worked on Capitol Hill as a senior legislative aide to former Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fla. Brent and his wife Meredith have three children and are members of The Church at Avenue South, where Brent serves as a deacon.
Elizabeth Graham
@elizabethgrahamElizabeth Graham serves as Vice President of Operations and Life Initiatives for the ERLC. She is responsible for developing and managing pro life strategies as well as women’s initiatives. She also oversees development, planning and execution of all ERLC events. Elizabeth is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. She and her husband Richmond enjoy raising their two children in east Tennessee.
Bobby Reed
@bobbyreedBobby Reed serves as Chief Financial Officer. His primary responsibilities are financial oversight, human resources, and administrative business functions. Bobby, a graduate of Louisiana State University, came to the ERLC after serving on the staff of churches in Louisiana and Florida. He and his wife, Louise, have four children, a wonderful daughter-in-law, and a precious granddaughter.
Chelsea Patterson Sobolik
@chelspatChelsea Sobolik serves as the Director of Public Policy with the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission in the Washington, D.C. office. Previously, she worked on Capitol Hill on pro-life policies, domestic and international religious freedom, adoption, and foster care issues. Chelsea has been published at the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, and others. She is the author of Longing for Motherhood – Holding onto Hope in the Midst of Childlessness, and a forthcoming book on women and work. She has a B.A. in International Relations from Liberty University, and lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband Michael.
Staff
Elizabeth Bristow
@lizbristowElizabeth Bristow serves as the Press Secretary. Elizabeth oversees press and media operations for the organization. She received a B.A. in Public Relations and Marketing from Union University in 2010. She and her husband reside in Lebanon, Tennessee and are blessed with two beautiful children.

Lauren Brown
Lauren Brown serves as Stand for Life Logistics and Operations Administrator. Lauren is originally from Mississippi and graduated from Delta State University. She and her husband Seth live in North Carolina where they are raising their three children. They are members at Imago Dei Church in Raleigh.
Conrad Close
@conradcloseConrad Close serves as the Digital Marketing Manager. In this role, he oversees web strategy, manages email marketing, and provides communications support to the policy team. A former ERLC intern, Conrad graduated from Kennesaw State University with a B.A. in Public Relations. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Stephanie.

Hannah Daniel
Hannah Daniel serves as a Policy Associate in the Washington, D.C. office. She graduated with a degree in Economics from Union University in 2020. She lives in Washington, D.C., and is a member of King’s Church.
Marie Delph
@emmteedeeMarie Delph serves both the Marketing and Communications teams at the ERLC. Her primary duties are web and project management, and editing. Marie came to the ERLC in 2010, having previously served three years as a Staff Writer for the International Mission Board. She and her husband, Zach, have two sons.

Ashlee Garcia
Ashlee Garcia serves as Stand for Life Senior Manager for the ERLC. Ashlee is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She and her husband Greg reside in Texas, and they have one daughter.

Amanda Hays
Amanda Hays serves as the Digital Strategist for the ERLC. Her responsibilities include data management, web analytics, along with digital marketing strategy & stats. Amanda is a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is married to Dane and they have a daughter.

Allyson Howell
Allyson Howell is the Event Planner and Content Creator for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. She holds a degree in Humanities from Spurgeon College and a Master of Divinity from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Allyson is a member and the deacon of Women’s Ministry at her church in Kansas City, MO.

Stacey Keck
Stacey Keck serves in the business and finance area, preparing payroll, accounts payable and assisting with other accounting functions. She and her husband, Bryan, were married in 1992 and are busy raising two boys.

Grace Liu
Grace Liu serves as Marketing Assistant. She helps manage ERLC and Stand for Life social media accounts and assists with other marketing campaigns and initiatives. Outside of the ERLC, Grace serves as Advancement and Partnerships Associate at The Field School and Projects Manager for the Asian American Christian Collaborative.
Julie Masson
@juliermassonJulie Masson serves as Director of External Engagement for the ERLC. She is responsible for strategic planning, development and implementation of the ERLC brand strategy across all ERLC departments and provides leadership and oversight for the ERLC marketing team as well as coordinating external affairs and partnership deliverables. Julie and her husband Jesse spent two years in Spain with the International Mission Board before moving to Kansas City where they live with their three children. She is a graduate of Iowa State University.

Kevin Miller
Kevin Miller serves as videographer and video editor. He has a BS in Electronic Media Communication Production from Middle Tennessee State University. Currently, Kevin serves at ERLC’s Nashville office. In addition to serving ERLC, he works full time for WTVF in Nashville and manages his sole proprietorship Elemental Video Co. He has been honored with 12 Emmy nominations as well as five Emmys in the mid-south region.
Lindsay Nicolet
@lindsswartzLindsay Nicolet serves as the Editorial Director. She oversees the day-to-day management of our online content from the Nashville office. Lindsay completed her Master of Divinity at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She is married to Justin and they have a daughter and a son.

Megan Shelburne
Megan serves on the Operations and Events team and provides administrative support to the Vice President of Operations. She also manages the Stand for Life social media platforms. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Minnesota and a Master’s degree in Education from Lipscomb University. Megan lives in Nashville with her husband Nick and two children.
Tom Strode
@tomstrodeTom Strode serves as a correspondent for Baptist Press. Tom and his wife, Linda, have been married since 1978. They have two children with wonderful spouses and five grandchildren. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri and Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. Linda and he live in Nashville, Tenn.
Jason Thacker
@jasonthackerJason Thacker serves as Chair of Research in Technology Ethics and leads the ERLC Research Institute. He writes and speaks on various topics including human dignity, ethics, public theology, technology, digital governance, and artificial intelligence. His book, The Age of AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity, released March 2020 with Zondervan. He is a graduate of The University of Tennessee and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he is currently pursuing a PhD in Christian Ethics and Public Theology. He is married to Dorie and they have two sons.
Jill Waggoner
@jjwaggonerJill Waggoner serves as Content Editor, writing and developing content for the organization’s online and print resources, as well as assisting with public relations. She has served the ERLC since 2005 primarily in the areas of PR and marketing, as well as serving as Brand Manager for Global Hunger Relief from 2014-2018. A graduate of Union University, she and her family reside in Lebanon, Tenn., where her husband Brandt serves as lead pastor of Fairview Church. She and Brandt have three sons.
Alex Ward
@alexjward16Alex Ward serves as Lead Researcher for the ERLC. He assists with the oversight of the Research Institute under the leadership of the Director of Research. Additionally, he serves as an Associate Editor for the organization. Alex is currently pursuing a PhD in History at the University of Mississippi studying evangelical political activity in the 20th century. He holds a Master of Theology in church history from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a Master of Theological Studies from Vanderbilt Divinity School, and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Philosophy from Mississippi State University. He is married to Lindsey and they have one daughter.

Carlotta White
Carlotta White serves as the ERLC’s Psalm 139 Project Placement Coordinator organizing ultrasound machine placements for pregnancy resource centers and coordinating dedication services. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies. She and her husband, Justin, have been married since 2018 and are expecting their first child. They live in Cleveland, TN.
Rachel Wiles
@rachelwilesRachel Wiles serves as Director of Psalm 139 Placement, ERLC Project Manager. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Family Studies from Union University in 2005. Rachel and her husband Brad have been married since 2006 and have a son and a daughter.

Palmer Williams
Palmer Williams serves as General Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor for the ERLC. Palmer specializes in legal and policy analysis related to international human rights, sanctity of life, and government affairs. As a licensed attorney specializing in international law, she has extensive experience advocating for human rights on the international stage, including at the United Nations. She earned her Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt Law School and her B.A. in Political Science and Community Development from Vanderbilt University. Palmer and her husband Joseph live in Nashville, TN with their three sons.